The Spirit of the Earth Medicine Society (SOTEMS) has a fundamental goal to create a pathway to express the unique spirituality of this continent and its people, drawing on the wisdom and healing traditions of many cultures as a starting point. The SOTEMS sweat lodge ceremony has been developed as part of the ongoing creation of a healing community distinctive to contemporary Australia. It is not part of the Lakota (North American Indian) traditions.
The sweat lodge is a sacred purification ceremony most often associated with Native American traditions. However, there are many such practices throughout the world…in South America and Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, Siberia, Japan, Africa and Australia.
In all these cultures, the central action is the same: heated rocks are placed in an enclosed space. Water is then poured on the rocks to produce intense waves of heat. Sometimes herbs are burned or crushed in the lodge or added to the water to produce a soothing fragrance. Some ceremonies include specific healing procedures and rituals.
The lodge is often built out of pliable saplings, which are bent into a dome-like shape. The frame is covered with skins, tarpaulins or blankets, and then sealed around the bottom. Some sweat lodges are more permanent structures built of stone/mud.
