Smoking tobacco plays an important role in any ceremony. It's sacred. My husband can probably explain it better but it has to do with communing with the spirits. Our crystal gazer smoked from his pipe during our crystal gazing ceremony but tbh, I don't remember if he smoked during the blessingway. I remember making the coals for the blessing way using cedar and other woods. I remember his feather "wand" and him sprinkling herbs into the coals to create alot of smoke (which he wafted one at a time in our extended family's directions). But I can't remember if he smoked...The family is planning another blessingway. I'll have to see if he smokes, lol. The skinwalker that passed by me could've possibly thought it was interesting that I was smoking tobacco. You can find Navajo "mountain tobacco" out here at the flea markets fairly regularly (people will collect it and roll it for sale). My husband keeps mountain tobacco in his grandfather's case who used the case for that purpose as well. I have smoked it a couple times (out of desperation when I ran out of cigarettes and couldn't head to the store). Navajo mountain tobacco is substantially different from cigarettes. It is relaxing and can give the smoker a little "buzz". Based on what I felt smoking it, I would say that it is perhaps these effects that help a medicine man "see" better. I am not particuliar fond of these effects myself because I found them a little disorientating.

Stephanie

In every man there is something wherein I may learn of him, and in that I am his pupil.--Ralph Waldo Emerson



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/2005 02:44PM by Stephanie.