| The spirits, Giving thanks and Sacred tools |
| THE SPIRITS All living things have a spirit, plants, animals, rocks, water, and even your home. There are also the spirits of ancestors and totem animals who teach and protect us. Spirits of illness, spirits of the underworld and sky, and spirits of the four directions. These spirits do not live in the same world we do. In this world of spirits, we walk as part of the sacred dance of all things, and the healer is the drummer that keeps us all in rhythm and harmony. GIVING THANKS When ever you take a piece of wood or a stone, or perform a ceremony leave a gift of thanks. It can be elaborate, or as simple as a candle, piece of chocolate, tobacco, or small cake. Sacred gifts vary according to the culture. Native Americans traditionally offer tobacco. In parts of Europe, beer, milk or cakes are offered. As part of an elaborate system of gifts people in Central America leave gold, turquoise, jade, and maize flower. Other cultures simply offer light by lighting a candle (make sure that it is positioned correctly so not to cause a fire). |