The Art of Conjure: medicine women

Showing posts with label medicine women. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

For the Next 7 Generations documents the momentous journey of thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers as they travel around the globe to promote world peace and share their indigenous ways of healing. Originating from all four corners, these wise elders, shamans and medicine women first came together in 2004 at an historic gathering in upstate New York. Moved by their concern for our planet, they decided to form an alliance: The International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers. Facing a world
in crisis, they share with us their visions of healing and a call for change now before it’s too late. Through their teachings, they are lighting a way to a peaceful, sustainable planet.

For The Next 7 Generations Trailer from Laughing Willow on Vimeo.

HOW THE COUNCIL CAME TO BE :

The story of how the 13 Grandmothers first came together can be traced back to one Grandmother and spiritual teacher named Jyoti. For many years, Jyoti had been making relations with indigenous peoples. She found herself holding a vision of a circle of elder women. Carrying this vision, she traveled to Africa to meet an African shaman and medicine women named Bernadette Rebienot. While there, Jyoti mentioned her vision to Bernadette and was surprised to hear that Bernadette was having the same vision. Bernadette told her that they needed to make this a reality. After returning to her home in California, Jyoti and her associate Ann Rosencranz sent out invitations to 16 Indigenous women from all around the world to join them in a Gathering. The 13 Grandmothers who responded had all received visions or heard in ancestral prophecies that they would be called together at a critical time in history when their ancient knowledge was needed for the survival of the next generations.

Grandmother Bernadette's Story from Laughing Willow on Vimeo.

According to the director, Carol Hart:

"In 1994, I was diagnosed with lung cancer that had metastasized to my brain. There were multiple lesions in my brain. They were not operable. Many of the 13 oncologists we consulted gave me 3 to 4 months to live and only one recommended treatment which might prolong my life but wouldn’t save me.

Miraculously a woman, named Jyoti came into my life. She was looking for a filmmaker (which I am) to tell a film story about children and their dreams. It turned out that she was a spiritual teacher who had many relations with indigenous people. I met up with her in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. It was obvious that I was a cancer patient. Among other things, I was bald. She asked if she could sponsor a Native American church meeting for me, a healing ceremony in a teepee that lasts for 13 hours. I agreed immediately. I didn’t have many other options.

The ceremony was extremely powerful. When I emerged from it, I felt like every cell in my body had shifted. The roadman, who runs the ceremony, told me that I was healed but it would take a while for my body to catch up with the healing. Over five years, through many cat scans, I watched the cancer go away, and finally I was certified to be cancer-free."

I can personally attest to the power of the Native American Church. I have seen a woman with uterine cancer healed as a result of the healing medicine. Here is Carol's story.