Tobacco for Vision Quests

Tobacco plays a very important role in shamanism. Pure tobacco (organic) has the property of cleansing and also serves for protection. In ceremonies, for example, people are often blown off by the shaman with tobacco smoke to cleanse them of negative energies. In a prayer bag, for example, prayers are spoken into the tobacco, which serves for protection. Women like to do this during their pregnancy or when they have their period, they tie one or more prayer bags around their hips.

The same applies to the vision quest. There, the prayer bags serve, among other things, for protection, thanksgiving, and wish fulfillment. The spirit of the tobacco serves as a transmitter of our needs to the Great Spirit.

Prayer Bags

As a rule, one brings some tobacco to the vision quest as a gift for the shaman or shamans. This shows the shaman your appreciation for his or her work. Even when asking a shaman for a healing ceremony, one gives him or her tobacco. A lot of tobacco is always needed in shamanic work, so every shaman is grateful when he or she gets good tobacco.

The Prayer Bags for the Vision Quest

In order to start his or her vision quest, each vision seeker needs 365 prayer bags, which are tied together on a woolen thread. The bags are tied with a double loop (no knot). The distance from bag to bag is one hand's breadth. 365 days has a year, so one prayer bag for each day. It is up to you whether you pray every day or in intervals. Each year in the vision quest is represented by a color. The first year is red and is dedicated to the east. The second year is yellow for the south. The third year is black for the west and the fourth year is white for the north. The vision seeker is assigned a place in nature. The place is circled with the prayer bags so that he or she can move around in it. If you step out of the circle prematurely, you end your vision quest.