LOVE YOU TOO, LISEY!!!!!!
Spirit Phoenix, a sweat lodge ceremony is an very old tradition in aboriginal spirituality. The sweatlodge is rebuilt every year with carefully selected sticks, a blanket to absorb moisture, then a tarp and canvas on the top. They're not usually very big. The entrance always faces east, and there is a depression in the middle to put the stones in. The stones are called grandfathers, because rocks have been around longer than anything, and therefore have accumulated wisdom of ages. Everything in aboriginal spirituality has its own spirit, and rocks are the oldest of those. The fire to heat the rocks is outside the sweat lodge, and it gets sooooo warm. I was helping to build it, and it was less than 10 degrees out and i was sweating in a t-shirt within about three meters of the fire. The stones are placed in the sweat lodge with a pitchfork. The ceremony I was part of had I think 14 grandfathers. The more rocks, the hotter it gets. The elder (in this case, Morning Star Woman) sprinkled some herbs on the rocks and poured water over them, and began to chant. The chanting and the drums and shakers and steam and aroma... it was magical. The elder was chanting a prayer for each person there to ask the spirits for their spirit name and spirit colours. A spirit name and colours represent who a person truly is. It can take a lifetime to understand your own spirit name. There are so many different factors, like realm (land/heavens/sea/etc.), characteristics, historical significance, legends that talk about that object/animal...
The northern lights are said to be the spirits of the ancestors dancing. My spirit colours are green, yellow, and white, representing the earth/forest, the sun and spirit/purity. The colours mean way more than that, and do very much pertain to colour magic. When I wear these colours, in clothing, or the ribbon I have tied on my bag, the spirits will recognise me and keep me safe.