RA>:>  Somehow, I also have the feeling there would be good laughter and fun
  >there, too.  That sweatlodge of yours has made my day more than once.  It
  >reminds of one of the funniest things I ever heard about a bunch of
  >wannabes who showed up unannounced at a sacred place, said they were
  >going to do a sweat lodge, picked up the sweat lodge and put it over the
  >fire pit!  The fellow who told me about it swore upside down and sideways
  >that it actually happened and that he witnessed it, although I'm sure he
  >was pulling my leg.  Then again, you never know what wannabes and
  >plastics will do next.
That's a neat story.  Thanks for sharing it.
RA> SB> There are the white groups of Indian *tribes* that refuse to even
  > SB> allow Indians to join.  They see themselves as containing the *true*
  > SB> spirit of the Indians.
RA>Sort of like they think they know more about being an Indian than Indians
  >do.  I wonder if it was one of those groups that tried to reinvent the
  >sweatlodge.  Truth is, I can laugh about the sweatlodge, but those fake
  >groups tend to make me nauseated.
I tend to feel more sad about it than anything, except for my feelings
about the leaders who get wealthy from it.  The leaders often *know*
what they are doing.  They willingly lead the people astray.  The people
who are led astray are really usually just vulnerable seekers.  I've
been both vulnerable and a seeker in my lifetime.  If I have not been
seriously led astray, it may well be because of the power of the love of
others that has surrounded me, and the power of their prayers and their
words.  I have some really straight talking relatives and friends.  I
can just imagine what they would say if I started walking down some of
these strange paths.   But, you know, there are folks out there who
really don't have anyone who cares enough to keep them straight.  And
then, when they run into the false comradeship of some of the more
dangerous groups, they get taken in by it.
                      Sondra
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 þ SLMR 2.1a þ Time flies like wind.  Fruit flies like pears.
--- Opus-CBCS 1.7x via O_QWKer 1.1
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