Many moons ago I played in the South Dakota Symphony. One of the many joys of that experience was that I became acquainted with the Lakota People. The Lakota are a tribal band of the Sioux Nation. Each of these bands has their own language, culture and music. The Lakota have a flute called the Love Flute. A Love Flute has a bird on the end.
In South Dakota, I heard that when Lakota men would fall in love they would go to the Elk Dreamer Society and commission a love song. The Elk Dreamers were visionaries in the tribe who had experienced dreams or visions of elk. The elk was said to hold the Love Medicine.
The Course tells us that we all have the Love inside.
I declare us all Elk.
The Elk Dreamer would write the love song for the Love Flute and the man would go to the woman that he loved. He would aim the Love Flute at her heart and play the love song. It was said that the woman would fall irresistibly in love.
When I heard this story, I knew that I had to have one of these flutes for my collection! But I do not know what anything was for.
According to Lakota custom, only men were supposed to play the Love Flute.
So I went to the reservation and participated in a sweat lodge ceremony. I asked permission to play the Love Flute. I was willing.
The road man (medicine man) told me that this flute also holds the power to awaken the love of all people and he gave me permission to play the Love Flute in this way.
The Picture Song is one of these Elk Dreamer Songs. The Love Flute is an image that I have made, a picture of my thoughts. I want to see the Love of God. I extend it to you now.
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