Ceremonies
Sweat Lodge Purification Ceremonies
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​A Native American sweat lodge is a dome-shaped structure used for purification ceremonies that involve heating rocks to create steam. Sweat lodges are traditional sacred spaces for spiritual healing, cleansing the body, mind, and spirit, and connecting with Nature.
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The ceremonies include preparation, prayer, and purification, led by the Ceremonial Leader. Participants sit in the darkened lodge, and water is poured over the heated stones. Natural healing herbs enhance the steam's cleansing effect.
Our Sweat Lodge Purification Ceremonies are led by​ Walking Eagle (Hün-Na-îtch) (Jack Thom, Sr.): a beloved Káruk Elder who has led Native American Ceremonies in Siskiyou County, California, for over forty years.​​​
By sweating and praying, we cleanse our bodies of toxins, our minds of negativities, and heighten our spirits. We enter the lodge with burdens and doubts, and emerge with renewed hope and love.
We form a balanced relationship with our Earth, our Self, and the Community of Life around us.​​​
Walking Eagle (Jack Thom, Sr.)
Walking Eagle
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​​Walking Eagle (Jack Thom, Sr.) is a devoted, healthy, and sober living advocate.
He teaches by example and constantly reminds us that our prayers contain the answers to our questions.
He supports the spiritual growth and healing of people from diverse cultures and backgrounds worldwide.
He has dedicated his life to the service of prayer and leads the Ceremonies with reverence, laughter, and healing to all who will receive it.​
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Walking Eagle is the nephew of Charlie "Red Hawk" Thom (1928-2013), a legendary Káruk Medicine Man born in Quartz Valley, California, who became a notorious ceremonial leader, a knowledgeable culture bearer, and a protector of the environment and sacred sites.
Public Sweat Lodge
We offer monthly Public Sweat Lodge Purification Ceremonies to the community.
These ceremonies are open to the public, and everybody is invited and welcome to participate.
Our Next Public Sweat Lodge is on Saturday, May 17, 2025
Time: 1 PM (Pacific Standard Time)
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The ceremony lasts 60 to 90 minutes, and to help everyone acclimate, we recommend that participants arrive at least one hour earlier.
Location:
370 Siskiyou Way, Weed, CA, 96094
(Take a left on Walnut Street because the GPS will take you to an apartment complex.)
Spirit of the Wind Email: contact@spiritofthewind.org
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​​​Dress Codes:
Dress code for Men:
Men should wear shorts.
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Dress code for Women:
The dress code for women is covered shoulders and preferably a long skirt.
(A good old t-shirt and maxi skirt work great.)
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​Women on their “Moon Time” will not be permitted inside the lodge, as this is a sacred time when the body is already naturally purifying. A designated space is available for prayer and song during the sweat lodge.​
Public Sweat Lodge Offering
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Spirit of the Wind is a nonprofit organization run by volunteers.
Our monthly Public Sweat Lodge Purification Ceremonies are open to the public and free of cost.
However, we pay the operational costs out of our own pockets to make the Ceremonies happen.
These ceremonies' operational costs include fuel for automobile travel for our Ceremonial Leader (Walking Eagle and Gentle Springs drive from another town), firewood burned during the sweat lodge (which we pay $100.00 - one hundred dollars - per ceremony), water, tarps, helpers, gathering stones and medicine for the ceremony, fuel for chainsaws, and other related expenses.
Therefore, by tradition, each participant always makes an offering before entering the ceremony.​
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A cash donation is also greatly appreciated, necessary, and appropriate to help us cover the operational costs.
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Participants can choose their donation amount, with no minimum required.
Walking Eagle drumming. 11/ 09/2024.
Water and Hydration
Please bring a water bottle to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water before and after the ceremony.
Water is not permitted inside the lodge.
We also encourage the participants to be well-hydrated on the days preceding the ceremony.
​Drugs or Alcohol
Individuals who have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol within 24 hours preceding the ceremony are not allowed to enter the Ceremonial area or the Sweat Lodge!
Thank you.
Drumming Circle. November 9, 2024.
What should you bring?
Please bring a towel and wear comfortable clothes. Make sure you don't have any metallic details on your clothes due to the heat inside the lodge.
Before entering the sweat lodge, you must remove your shoes, glasses, and metal objects.
If you have questions or feel unsure about what is appropriate for you or your condition, ask the Ceremonial Leader or a knowledgeable staff member before entering any ceremony.
Out of respect for natural law, we always make an offer before taking anything for our needs.
We always leave our ceremonial areas clean.
We ask that you refrain from any activities that disturb or damage the natural habitat.
Please extend this invitation to your friends and loved ones!
Private Ceremonies
PRIVATE CEREMONIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR GROUPS
AND BOOKED EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH THIS WEBSITE.
Minimum: 10 people.
$45.00 (amount in US dollars) per person.
Plus, $100.00 for the firewood burned during the Ceremony.
We accept PayPal, Venmo, and bank account deposits.
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Winter lodge time: 1 PM
Summer lodge time: 6 PM
The Summertime schedule fills up quickly, and due to high demand, a payment is required upon booking.
Please email us to inquire about or reserve your group's spot.
Remember to include your phone number and the number of people you'd like to bring.
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Email: contact@spiritofthewind.org
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Thank you! Aho! 🪶
Pictures:
Pictures are not allowed during the ceremony, especially after the lit fire.
Pictures are not allowed inside the sweat lodge.
Group Pictures are allowed and welcome before or after the ceremony.​​
We have friends from all over the world coming to our Sweat Lodge Purification Ceremonies!
Group Telos Latinoamérica - September 19, 2024.​
Group from China - September 14, 2024.​​​
Come and drum with us into the melody of the Creator's Heart!
Walking Eagle's Birthday Sweat Lodge on November 9, 2024.​
Disclaimer
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Spirit of the Wind Sweat Lodge
Release Form and Guest List:
A "Sweat Lodge Release Form" is a document that individuals must sign before participating in a sweat lodge ceremony. It serves as a waiver in which participants acknowledge the potential risks involved in the ceremony, such as high heat, confined space, and possible physical discomfort while releasing the organizers from any liability for injuries that may occur during the experience.
Participants are required to disclose any pre-existing health conditions that could be affected by the sweat lodge. These include but are not limited to, diabetes, seizures, heart disease, high or low blood pressure, pregnancy, and the use of certain medications.
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The ceremony typically lasts between 60 to 90 minutes.
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Gentle Springs (Barbara Humiston) will have the Release Forms for participants to sign at each sweat lodge ceremony.
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PARTICIPANTS MUST SIGN THE FORM EVERY TIME THEY ATTEND THE SWEAT LODGE.
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This requirement applies even to participants who attend the sweat lodge monthly, as a person’s health condition can change within that time.
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If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Email: contact@spiritofthewind.org
Thank you! Aho! 🪶
Daniel Pruett (Cloud Eagle)
President/CEO, Spirit of the Wind.
January 1, 2025.