The Purpose of the One World Spirit Dance is to invoke the forces of the heavens and the Earth to create a synergy of World Peace and to bring upon ourselves the revelation of God’s Light.  ~"Yellow Horse" Rabbi Gabriel Cousens, One World Spirit Dance Clan Chief

The One World Spirit Dance is a multicultural ceremony that incorporates many of the world’s wisdom traditions, with participants who bring the richness of many different spiritual paths. The One World Spirit Dance is the fulfillment of Crazy Horse’s vision of all peoples, colors, and nations dancing together for Peace under one tree. It is an opportunity to create Peace by Being Peace. The One World Spirit Dance is an expression of the Oneness that has its roots in the Native American Great Red Road that belongs to all peoples—all of the Rainbow Nations upon the Earth. It is a path of holiness and purification involving vegetarianism, abstinence from drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, and an inward focused awareness so one may merge one’s consciousness with Great Spirit. It is a path of truly becoming World Peace and actualizing spiritual Liberation.

The One World Spirit Dance is held in the National Forest adjoining the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Patagonia, Arizona. This sixth annual Spirit Dance is sponsored by the Essene Order of Light, a branch of the Tree of Life Foundation. The 2011 Dance will be led by Star Horse Keith Lyons. Star Horse has been dancing Spirit Dance yearly since 2003 with Spirit Dance Chief Yellow Horse, Rabbi Gabriel Cousens, M.D.founder of the Tree of Life Rejuvenations Center. Star Horse served as Fire Keeper for the Dance in 2004- 06. He was selected as Yellow Horse’s second for the Dance and was presented a pipe by Yellow Horse in 2007. Star Horse served as Spirit Dance Chief in 2008-10. Spirit Dance 2011 will be attended by Yellow Horse, Rabbi Gabriel Cousens, M.D. as The Yellow Horse Clan Chief and as the Teaching Elder. Yellow Horse is a four-year Sun Dancer, Spirit Dancer, Pipe Carrier, and head of the Horse Clan of which Star Horse is a member.

The One World Spirit Dance begins with two Preparations Days that are a time of intensive purification for Dancers and Supporters, those who assist with the physical needs of the dance. Participants should plan to arrive before sunset on September 19th. The first gathering will be in the tipi at sunset on Wednesday the 19th. The actual dance will be on Saturday the 22nd. A final sweat lodge will take place Sunday morning, followed by cleanup. Plan your departure for Sunday afternoon on the 23rd.

During the Prep Days:

• Daily Sunrise and Sunset inipis (sweat lodges)
• Daily teachings with Star Horse or Yellow Horse
• Daily Mikvah (spiritual purification bath)
• Daily Meditation
• Daily work-time to prepare the Dance Circle
• Simple organic, vegan, live-food meals provided
• Non-smoking environment

The Spirit Dance itself will be a single day 24 hour immersion in a walking meditation during which Dancers remain in the Dance Circle except for “calls of Nature” or when they need rest. The Dance is a deeply meditative process, stepping to the beat of the internal silence to be in harmony with the heartbeat of the Earth. At all times there will be dancing in the circle with only short breaks for the 24 hour period. Even out of the Dance circle Dancers will be asked to hold the sacred transformational energy of the Dance. During the 24 hours Dancers will water fast. The Dance itself goes beyond the process of purification. It is an invocation of Divine Union.

The One World Spirit Dance is a world healing ceremony sponsored by the Essene Order of Light. (It is not a Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center workshop or event.) Your participation in the Dance is for the healing of the planet. Of course when you participate in sacred ceremony there is potential for significant personal healing. Although there will be general support, please come with the understanding that the focus of the Dance is not one’s personal emotional needs, and self sacrifice is called for.

We invite all of those who are strong and ready to commit to the purification practices to participate in the One World Spirit Dance energy. Often people new to the One World Spirit Dance participate as Supporters for at least one year, those who support the physical needs of the Dance with plenty of time to witness the dancing, participate in the lodges, and help hold the energy. Those who have not previously Spirit Danced but who have completed their Sun Dance commitment or other similar ceremony are welcome to Dance in their first year with permission from Star Horse.

If you would like comprehensive information about the One World Spirit Dance, please contact Lynne Weatherby, Spirit Dance Coordinator, at spiritdance[at]treeoflife.nu. We will be happy to send you a One World Spirit Dance informational letter via e-mail or U.S. mail.

To align with the Spirit Dance Medicine, it is imperative to begin the purification process even before the Preparation Days. A 40-day period of purification and energy preparation before the Dance helps protect you from detoxing during the ceremony so that everyone’s energy will be focused on merging with the Divine. In order to participate in the One World Spirit Dance you are asked to commit to observe the following practices:

For 40 Days before the Dance

• Abstain from drug use including: alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, hallucinogenic plant medicine, narcotics, and highly caffeinated substances (i.e., coffee).
• Minimize Sexual Activity. In order to preserve one’s energy for the Dance in the traditional way, please limit sexual activity to that which occurs within a committed partnership. It is best to minimize sexual activity, especially ejaculation. Minimizing sexual activity, rather than refraining entirely, allows intimate relationships to remain healthy. For those who are not currently within a committed partnership, please observe celibacy. This practice is in no way inferring the sex is not sacred or pure; it is simply respecting the traditional practice of preserving energy for the Dance.
  
• Maintain a %100 vegan diet (no flesh, eggs or dairy)
  
• World Peace Meditation: Two times per week, at sunrise or sunset, practice 40 minutes of sitting meditation. At some point in the meditation create an intentional vision of World Peace—Light surrounding the planet, people living in harmony with one another and the planet, etc. This visualization may only last a few minutes. To greater support the group matrix, those residing in Patagonia have committed to meditating as a group in the Temple on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at sunset. We encourage all Spirit Dance participants to join the group energy at that time in meditation. If these times aren’t possible for you, please meditate any two times per week at sunrise or sunset.
  

These practices of purification before the Dance prepare you to enter into Divine Union in a holy way during the Dance. If one decides not to do the 40-day Purification, we respectfully inform you that this is not the particular spiritual ceremony for you.