Vision Quest

• Teachings of Vision Quest
• Inipi (Sweat Lodge Ceremony) before and after Quest
• Firewalk (optional)
• Plant Medicine (optional)
• Vision translation by Elder after Quest and again after one week

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Vision Quest with Sacred Wisdom Circle Institute is usually four days and three nights of fasting in nature within a sacred altar.  You start in the afternoon of day one and come off the hill in the morning of day four.

When someone is going on a Vision Quest, we call it “being planted on the hill” or “going on the mountain.” Questers go through extensive preparations to be planted on the Hill. Each Quester is planted in their own sacred altar during the period they are seeking a vision. In our way, the Great Mystery or Grandfather Sky/Creator (Wakan Tanka/Tunkashila) and/or Grandmother Earth (Uŋčí Makȟá) is another name for Great Spirit, the source of life, or God.

Questers dive deep into their soul connection with Great Mystery while fasting on the mountain. This is also known as “Crying for a vision.” Questers fast and pray day and night, asking for this connection, and they wait for the answer to their prayers. There are also spiritual supporters from the community who come to Vision Quest camp. They come to support by eating and drinking for their friends and loved ones on the Hill. This Vision Quest is held at CreeksideAbundance, which is our sacred land in Utah. Questers and supporters are in the sacred surroundings of the first Church or Cathedral: Nature. It is nature that assists all those on the Hill and those who support in camp to have a real spirit connection with what we call the Natural Ways of total connectedness with Creator/Creation/Conmmunity.

All Questers, Supporters and others in Camp will purify with an Inipi (Sweat Lodge) Ceremony when arriving in camp. Questers will also join us in an Inipi after coming off the hill.

Questers are seeking a vision for their lives, finding clarity to an issue, asking what should be the next step in their future, what their work is, or how to come into right relationship with all things. It is a challenge of faith, physicality, and focus. Questers need support as they let go of all the worldly things that distract them from who they really are. They are remembering that they are more then a body or a member in a family. They have asked for this Initiation and time to align with The Great Mystery.

During this time the Questers focus their heart, mind, body, and spirit on the guidance they are seeking. Supporters are praying to support the Questers to overcome their earthly wants and desires and face their human nature to fully receive the Vision.

During this initiation time, Questers have gone through a process that changes them internally (are reborn) and sheds light on what is truly important in life.

Many find that transformation and change come into their lives during the next year, and that old pathways have come to pass. Later they are given time to speak with the Medicine Person/Spiritual Leader who can help interpret their Vision. The Medicine Person helps the Quester understand their experience, as they are usually very practiced in these ways, and can offer examples and knowledge around these special situations.

The Vision that is received will provide guidance for Questers for the rest of their lives. Some people are called to do many Vision Quests over the course of a lifetime.

Day One:

• Arrive early
• Introductions
• Code of Conduct and Camp Rules
• Smudging
• Set up camp
• Prayer Ties, Intention Process, Sacred Pipe
• Dinner
• Sacred Circle

Day Two:

• Sunrise Chanunpa Ceremony
• Questers do Walk About to pick Sacred Altar location
• Visions, Plant Medicine
• Totem Animals

Day Three:

Crying for a Vision – Day One of Quest

• Sunrise Chanunpa Ceremony
• Inipi Ceremony to prepare Questers (with GentleEagle)
• Questers are escorted to their Sacred Altar after Lunch and start Day One of Quest

Day Four:

Crying for a Vision – Day Two of Quest

• Sunrise Chanunpa Ceremony for those in camp
  

Day Five:

Crying for a Vision – Day Three of Quest

• Sunrise Chanunpa Ceremony for those in camp

Day Six:

• Questers escorted off the hill
• Questers purify in Inipi (with GentleEagle)
• Breaking the Fast Sacred Meal
• Wakíčhaǧapi (Giveaway Ceremony)
• Questers meet with Elder now and also in one week (by teleconference if out of area)
• Evening FireWalk (Optional but encouraged)
• Camp Feast
• Questers can leave for home but are encouraged to camp on location until morning

Day Seven:

• For those staying, participate in Grandfather Medicine Ceremony

Day Eight:

• Integrate week of Ceremonies

Day Nine:

• Participants travel home

Day Ten to ?:

• Participate in our weekly Sunday Integration Calls as needed/desired.

The Vision Quest was often used as a Rite of Passage, marking the transition between childhood and full acceptance into adulthood.  A person’s first Vision Quest was done during their transformative teenage years. When the older child was ready, he or she would go to a medicine person who was trained in such quests. They would assist this youth by preparing them to be alone in the wilderness, often with a period of fasting. This usually lasted for a number of days while the child became attuned to the spirit world.   Usually, a Guardian animal or force of nature would come in a vision or dream and give guidance for the child’s life.

A Vision Quest helped the teenager to access spiritual communication and to form complex abstract thoughts. Through this Rite of Passage the child would cultivate courage and learn to take responsibility for themselves and their individual contribution to a healthy society. The child returned to the tribe and once the child had grown he or she would pursue the direction and instructions given during the Quest. After a Vision Quest, the child would become an apprentice of an adult in the tribe of the shown direction (Medicine Man/Woman, boat-maker, arrow-maker, or good hunter and so on).

The Vision Quest was the learning and initiation process of the youth to find out One’s place in this world and who they were.

Families and friends of the entire clan prepared for the Vision Quest. They would bring food for those watching out and keeping the sacred fires for the Questers, bringing in the firewood, prayers and other services of support during these days before camp and during the four-day Quest. Supporters celebrated the return of the ones who faced themselves and who found their spiritual connection to the Creator. When they returned, Questers brought the blessing of well-being to the entire Camp.

• Tent and tarp
• Sleeping bag(s), mat, pillow
• Flashlight/lantern with extra batteries
• Water container (we have clean running water on site)
• Warm clothing (dress in layers and be prepared for hot or cold/wet weather)
• Sunscreen and sun hat
• Musical instruments – drums and rattles

• Towels, washcloth
• Flip flops, hiking boots, extra socks
• Personal plate, cup and silverware, with your name or other marking on them
• Folding camp chair (small) if you aren’t used to sitting on the earth
• Sweat dress (long cotton sun dress) for women and girls and shorts for men
• Medications you might need

We limit showers to every few days, but you are welcome/encouraged to regularly wash up with a washcloth and can take a shower in our outdoor solar shower, after the Questers and Elders.