By spending an extended duration in nature, in communion with creation, the quester comes to a deeper state of connection with the dream of creation. While the quester is at their altar they should remain in constant state of communication and reflection.  

During the time alone, the quest should reflect on the intentions of the quest. Why are they there? What are their goals? How can they accomplish these goals and be more effective? There are many reasons to quest but whatever the reason, the quester should focus their thoughts and feelings towards asking the unseen aspects of creation for help.

The quester should remain in a deep reflective state as much as possible – without falling asleep. During the day(s) and night(s) the prayers may become a waking dream. The quester might find themselves going on inner vision journeys or have the sense of visitors that come to them in their mind’s eye.

The quester might also have visitation from...

The cold days and nights of winter that took all the excess energy to endure are long gone and replaced by the warm spring rains. The land is renewing from the long winter slumber and providing our bison with the new growth of green plants. As green grass with higher nutritional content is now accessible to the bison, they have more energy to expel. This has given the bison a burst of energy that they often put into running play.

Before tending bison, I never realized just how much they like to play. Many days they seem to relish in running around each other, bumping, and jostling one another. Sometimes they can be witnessed nuzzling and bumping head in a friendly way. They tend their bonds of relationship with brushing against each other and licking each other's sides. As the heat of the day builds, they can often be seen on a hillside lounging together, keeping a watchful eye on the land.

The first day consists of:

• Beginning Fasting
• Preparing Offerings
• Smudging all Vision Quest items
• Setting up the Vision Quest Altar
• Preparation for the Evening “Steam-Off”
• The Evening “Steam-Off”
• Being led to the Vision Quest Altar from the “Steam-Off”

Beginning Fasting and Prayer

On the first day of the Vision Quest, the quester should rise before sunrise and greet the day with prayer. Then, the quester begins to fast at dawn.  

They should not take a shower, brush their teeth, or put any liquid into their mouth unless directed by the facilitator. They should also forgo sleep.  

Preparing Offerings

Now the quester spends the morning preparing their offerings.    

Steaming and Smudging

All items used for the Vision Quest can now be steamed and smudged. First, the quester should stack stones in a fire and heat the rocks. Once the rocks are heated, the offering items which make the altar must...

Many items are needed in the lineage Vision Quest, which becomes part of the Quest's offerings and altar.

Each item has a specific purpose in the Quest, and each item offers the opportunity for the quester to access another layer of connection.  Items should be made, gathered, traded for, or even purchased with mindfulness and in the spirit of the Quest.  The traditional guidance to acquiring the things needed for the Quest advises that you begin to prepare for the Quest a year in advance.  Twelve months allows enough time to ensure the items are gathered with the mindfulness required.  A year is also enough time to prepare oneself mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. 

The items are gathered over the time between setting intentions and the pre-selected Quest date. Sometimes this is less than a full year, which means that some things will most likely have to be purchased. Many Native America style stores, often called "Trading...

During the transition between older childhood and adult, there is a universal instinctive calling into nature, searching for ambiguous questions. People have felt this calling worldwide, and many have followed this calling into the wilderness. The need to fulfill a quest of this sort transcends all boundaries imposed by human societies. It is an innate part of the human "design."  

Sacred Hunt

In a Sacred Hunt, the young man (or woman) hunts a large animal for the first time in their lives. They have been trained and have indeed hunted and killed small game by this point. The difference is that now they are pursuing with the adults, killing a large animal. They will witness the animal's struggle for life, running in fear and pain. They perhaps even observe the last breaths of the animal and the tremors as death finally come. The older hunters help the young person recognize the life which has been taken, praying over the body of the fallen animal. The meat is taken...

In this vlog, we delve into the practices that support connection as a way of life. Living into our connection potential is of paramount importance to finding health and happiness. We are born to learn this in life. Learn more about the practices and teachings of how to be in better relationship with yourself, nature, others, and the challenges life brings us. 

Questing is a powerful connective practice that allows human beings access into deeper communication and awareness.  The quest itself can come in many forms and varies from lineage to lineage. 

At its essence, a Quest is when a person holds the intention to seek out spiritual guidance and purpose, and expresses their commitment by being in isolation from community and forgoing human needs/comforts for a period of time.  A Quest is a ceremonial process which allows someone to be fully supported by the spirit and natural world in their search for help or guidance.  

A Quest can aid a person to understand their role in life by opening them up to deep understanding of themselves and their relationship to the world.

Quest Formats

A traditional Quest consists of a person spending one to four days and nights (or longer) secluded in nature.  This provides time for deep communion with the elemental forces, spiritual energies of...

Traditionally, the quest was scheduled a year in advance to give time for preparation. Preparation includes the process of gathering the Quest articles, building connections and support, purifying, and clarifying your intention.   

Lineage Quests:

After being introduced to the Woptura lineage and moving to their ancestral home, I was introduced to their powerful version of the Vision Quest. This specific lineage has developed and refined the Vision Quest over generations. Various layers have been added as generation after generation received spiritual guidance in creating a more effective ritual. A Vision Quest's effectiveness can be measured in what connections are accessed and what layers of protection are activated. The Vision Quest of this lineage has developed into a powerful means to access spiritual guidance safely. The lineage Vision Quest has a complexity level that I have not seen in other versions. 

The processes of preparing...

Just recognize that this lineage that you are learning from, it was not taken or stolen. This lineage was a gift that was passed on with the message, “You all need to learn how to do this”.

People that have not been raised with these ceremonies need these traditions because this is how life works. The message from my native teachers has been, “This is how we've lived as human beings on this earth. And this is what we want you to understand so that you can live as a human being on this earth, because we are all, on this earth together. And without you being a human being and us being human beings, there is going to be problems. We all need to be human beings. And this is how we've been able to become and maintain our humanness.”

Wherever you go in this world people historically had a way of using sweat therapy as a form of purification and healing. I know there was European sweat lodges, there was sweat lodges in England, and of course, ancient...