Deep Peace therapist Jim Tree-Gilmore offers
Sacred Pipe Healing Ceremonies to GOCW patients, their family members and friends, and to anyone who wishes to participate in a respectful way to support individuals addressing personal health and/or life challenges.

The Sacred Pipe Healing Ceremony has survived for centuries because it has real and practical effects.  Below is a description and some history regarding the Pipe that Jim uses during the Ceremony.  It is the same Pipe that Jim recently journeyed with to Australia to confront the worst drought in over 100 years.  The results there were nothing less than dramatic.  Everywhere the Ceremonies were held rain came in abundance, sometimes instantaneously.

While the Sacred Pipe Healing Ceremony as a way of interacting with the Creator is not for everyone, it is for anyone who feels drawn to attend.  Follow your heart.

From Jim's book, "The Way of the Sacred Pipe":

"Concerning spiritual ceremonies, if something is real, it works, and if it works, it is real.  The Pipe is a divine gift to us and it works, not because we have faith that it will, but because it is a real, living entity that takes action independent of us, or if we are fortunate, interdependent with us.  We are privileged to be invited to participate with the Pipe in mending the broken hoop of life!  If you find the Pipe does not bring the described blessings into your life, perhaps it is not for you."

 The Power of the Pipe 

"I want to tell you the history of a Ceremonial Pipe that came into my care a few years ago.  The reason for this is to introduce you to just how powerful and effective the Sacred Pipe actually is.  Lakota Holy Man, Frank Fools Crow, said that miracles do not make believers, but I hope after reading these accounts you will at least receive the idea that you are being introduced to something that can bring 'uncommon assistance' into your life."

 What is the Pipe?

"The Sacred Pipe of the North American Indians, commonly but erroneously referred to as the Peace Pipe, is far more than just an implement used in religious ceremonies.  It is the center -- the very heart -- of most Native American spirituality.  A Pipe is actually the physical dwelling of a spiritual helper or guardian angel sent by the Great Mystery to aid humans to live in balance with themselves and the universe.  The way of the Pipe may not be for everyone, but it is not just for Native Americans alone anymore.  In most legends about the origin of the Pipe, it is stated it was sent to bring this assistance to all the peoples of the Earth.  Today, people from all ethnic backgrounds are finding the way of the Pipe to be the life path to which they have been called."

 The Purpose of the Pipe

"As stated before, the work of the Pipe is to help us walk in harmony with all of creation.  Just as each individual human has special gifts, talents, or callings in their life, so each Pipe has a special 'medicine' so it can do its part in restoring us all to the great unity.  There are Pipes created for healing, to influence the weather, help bring visions, etc.  These are usually Ceremonial Pipes."

 Attending a Sacred Pipe Ceremony

If you wish to attend a Sacred Pipe Ceremony, it is traditional to bring an appropriate gift to show respect towards the Pipe.  In the following excerpt from Jim's book are some suggestions and explanations of the gifts and their purpose.

"One of the most basic things done by Native peoples of this continent is the showing of respect and honor through the offering of tobacco.  This is done to honor Elders, Spirits, and those who serve the people through healing and teaching, etc.

The reason tobacco is considered a gift of honor is because of what it represents, as much as what it is.  In the old days, tobacco was a rare and sacred herb.  It was used both in ceremony and for its curative properties.  It used to be a very different plant, just as corn was, before genetic engineering and hybrids completely changed them. 

Originally, the fruit of both corn and tobacco was much smaller and far more concentrated.  Nowadays, they have been bred into higher-yielding plants, but are much weaker in their medicine and nutrients.  The original tobacco was so strong it would kill you, or at least make you very ill, if taken in quantities used today.  In traditional Pipe mixtures, it was proportionately a very small component, compared to the other things used in the mix.

So, when you offered a pinch of tobacco in those days, it meant a sacrifice of a precious herb.  Today, many have not understood the medicine of tobacco and so think that offering more is better.  Not so.  I have received huge tubs of commercial tobacco that had less meaning than a small tobacco tie given with the right intention and understanding of its spiritual value.  I will describe tobacco (prayer) ties a little later in this section, but know they need only contain a small pinch of tobacco to have great medicine.

When you offer an Elder some tobacco, say as a prelude to asking advice, it is just as appropriate to give a small pouch as to give a whole tub.  As a matter of fact, to give the tub may reveal you give the gift from an inaccurate understanding of why you do it.  Also, when you give an offering of tobacco to the Spirits, Mother Earth or the Great Mystery, it isn't the size of the offering; rather it is the intent that matters.  It was easier for me to understand why I offer tobacco to the Spirits when I thought of them as physical Elders.  It is the Spirit of the tobacco that they receive, just as it is the Spirit of the food offered on the Spirit plate during a feast.

Depending on the circumstances, there are different gifts to show honor other than tobacco.  When you give a gift, it should be given with 'no strings' attached.  Often, we give something in order to gain some kind of recognition from the recipient.  We want to be recognized or appreciated.  This is not a proper mind set for spiritual giving.  If the one you give it to turns immediately to another and gives it to them, your reaction will let you know if you have given it in the right way.  If you are offended or feel like your gift wasn't valued,  you have not given it with a right attitude.  If you understand that the gift, once given, is no longer attached to you, you will not be offended, but blessed, to see the one you gave it to felt it was special enough to be passed on as a gift to another person they respect.

It is important to understand that when you come to someone who cares for a Pipe, the gift you bring is to the Pipe, rather than to the one carrying it.  Appropriate gifts for a Pipe are items it uses, such as tobacco.  However, since most Pipes have their own special mix, it is often more thoughtful to bring sweet grass, sage, bear root, cedar, a Pipe tamper, or bags and pouches to hold the many things used with the Pipe."

 For more information about Jim or his book, The Way of the Sacred Pipe, visit www.wayofthepipe.com

To view a video of Jim's Sacred Pipe journey to Australia, visit www.sustainabledreaming.com

 For information about upcoming GOCW Sacred Pipe Healing Ceremonies, check the GOCW News portion of our website.