The demographics of Lodge
The demographics of Lodge are not very complicated. The Lodge is an Igloo shaped hut. Willows are used for the framework. Gates are established in each of the four directions and then the Lodge is sealed off with blankets, sleeping bags and traditionally animal hides so that when inside the Lodge it is completely dark inside. When we sit in the dark we are all the same!
Outside of the Lodge there is a Heart Line. This is the line between the fire that cooks the rocks (referred to as ancestors), to the door of the Lodge. In our tradition it is prohibited to cross the Heart Line so as not to disturb the flow of energy from the fire to the inside of the lodge. When we walk around the lodge we move with the circle in a clockwise manner. It is believed that the Hear Line is the conduit of the energy that comes into the Lodge. In the way we have been taught it would be inappropriate to cross the Heart Line unless you are the Fire Keeper tending to the stones.

The Fire Keeper sets the Fire. This is done in a ceremonial way, making offerings to the Four Directions to establish a place where the Stones will rest and the fire will be built. The Fire Keeper approaches the fire with great reverence, setting the tone with their intent and their focus for the entire Lodge. Once the fire is set, the stones are cooked for several hours so they are appropriately heated for the Lodge.
The Rocks are placed into the center of the Sweat Lodge once the participants are seated. These Rocks are then honored with Tobacco and Sweet Grass as prayers are said to welcome them into the Lodge. As prayers are said we ask the Ancestors to help us in what we are doing. Water is poured on the stones and the steam blesses the people.

In our Lodge, we conduct four rounds. The first round is the round of the East. This is the round in which we honor the medicine of the Eagle and the Spotted Deer as well as the other ancestors that sit in the East. It is the place of New Beginnings, Birth and Infancy. It is the place where we seek out purification and in which we pray for ourselves. We cleanse ourselves and offer prayer, asking Creator and the Ancestors to help us to become better people and to move our lives forward in a good and honorable way.
Once the round to the East is complete, we move to the round of the South, the place of “Bonatsi” or Beloved Mouse. It is, at times, the place of Coyote. It is the place of childhood. This is where we pray for our loved ones. We pray for our families, our friends, our colleagues, our fellow dancers and our Elders. This is the place where we ask the Creator to help those whom we love.
Once the round of the South is complete, we move to the round of the West. This is the round of “TuWada” or the Bear. It is also the place of the Wolf and the Thunder Beings. This is the place where our ancestors go when they have crossed over so that their souls and spirits can be washed by the family of Wolves that will tend to them. This is the place where we pray for our Enemies (often we are our own worse enemy; therefore it would be appropriate to pray for ourselves in this place). The place of the West is also a place of Introspection where we go deep within the cave of our Soul and look within to ask the Creator for healing and change in our lives. This is the round in which we seek the upgrading of our lives, upgrading the physical, the spiritual, the social and the emotional.
The round of the North is the round of the Buffalo, the round of gratitude and wisdom. It is the place where we go to bring a conclusion to these things. The Buffalo is often the spirit associated with abundance and spirituality, not only temporal abundance, but spiritual as well. This is the place where we conclude the Lodge.
Before we exit the lodge the ancestors are thanked and dismissed with gratitude as they go and take our prayers to a place where they can be answered. The stones that have sat in the middle of the Lodge, that have offered their lives to us, that have released their steam to nurture us and to help us grow, are notified that we have completed the Lodge and we depart as new creatures.

When we leave the Lodge, we have an option. Those things that we have left behind can stay there, with the stones, or we can choose to pick them up and take them with us. If I go to Lodge because I want to learn to let go of my anger and accept growth and happiness, it is my choice. I can either leave the anger with the Ancestors or I can pick it up again when I leave lodge.

For me, Sweat Lodge is one of the most important rituals and acts of ceremony that I participate in on a regular basis. In Lodge is where the most important things in life become apparent. I believe in the power of the Sweat Lodge because I have witnessed this power in the lives of those who have participated and in my own life. I cannot think of one participant who approached Lodge with a good heart, who didn’t walk away with a powerful experience. I find Lodge an opportunity to cleanse my Soul and start my walk with my fellow man in a good and honored way.
As I stated earlier, everyone approaches Lodge in a different way. I hope by sharing your next experience in lodge is enhanced.