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T he word "abundance" has been around since the 14th century, and although Webster's gen- erously defi nes it as "an ample quantity; pro- fusion," in recent times it seems to have become primarily a code word for money. Don't get me wrong—I love money—but I think this narrow focus limits our ability to per- ceive the true abundance that permeates our lives every day. Rick Jarow, in his book Alchemy of Abundance, writes: " e touch and contact with all of life, the full freedom of non-sep- aration, the completeness of full relationship, and the radiance of compassionate ecstasy is what we are inherently hungry for." at hunger can be satisfi ed, I've found, through a simple morning ritual that turns my attention to the ways these qual- ities are already present in my life. Two summers ago I returned from a shamanic retreat in the Peruvian Amazon hauling a plastic bag stuff ed with mapachos—hand-rolled cigarettes made with sacred tobac- co grown in the jungle. In many indigenous traditions of South and North America, tobacco is viewed as a plant of tre- mendous power and is used in ceremonies to communicate with the spirit world. Intuitively I began going outside every morning, lighting a mapacho, and off ering the smoke (with- out inhaling) as a prayer to each of the four directions—east, south, west and north—and to the center, where all points come together. (As an interspiritual practitioner—someone who draws, with great reverence, from many of the world's religious traditions—I associate these directions with partic- ular energies, which I'll get to in a minute.) As I repeated this daily, something unexpected happened: I subtly shi ed from praying for what I needed, to giving thanks for what I had. More than a year later, this simple ceremony has become the foundational start of my day; it gives me focus, purpose, and a strong sense of the many ways in which the universe supports me every minute. If you want to create your own abundance prayer prac- tice, following are some basic guidelines. e elements and energies associated with the directions are drawn from Wic- ca (I've been an initiated Wiccan priestess for more than 20 years); and the sacred animal totems for each direction—animals that represent spiritu- al qualities we desire to embody, and which connect us to the web of life—come from the Jicarilla Apache tradition (I participate in a Jicarilla Apache sweat lodge cere- mony every new and full moon). Many other world traditions also use the directions, from ancient Hinduism to shamanic Judaism. Most ceremonies in- voking the directions begin in the east, the place of the rising sun (representing new beginnings), and move in a circle clock- wise ("sunwise") all the way to the north, then into the center. To start, I like to get into a quiet, still state, then face the east and meditate on the energies and animal totems associated with that direction. As I think about how the qualities of those energies and animal totems show up in my life, gratitude natu- rally arises, and I off er my tobacco to the east in thanks. I then take my time in making my way around the circle. Try this and see if it resonates; you might be inspired to do something diff erent. But what's important is the intent, which is to make a sincere prayer from the heart, because this is where true transformation begins. A word about praying with tobacco: Tobacco in its pure form is thought to have a living spirit, and this spirit is what creates the link between your prayers and the energies of the unseen world. e commercial product is laden with some 70 carcinogenic chemical additives, however, so be sure to use organically grown tobacco with no additives, which you can fi nd in tobacconist shops, Native American reservation smoke shops and some supermarkets. You can smoke this tobacco rolled in a cigarette or loose in a pipe, but for prayer it tradi- tionally is not inhaled; just pull the smoke into your mouth and then blow it in the direction you are invoking while si- lently saying your prayer in your mind. Alternatively, you can take a pinch in your fi ngers, hold it up to your heart, make your prayer, and off er the tobacco to the earth in the direction you're addressing. continued on page 26 A simple morning ritual can deepen your awareness of how much you already have T he word "abundance" has been around since the 14th century, and although Webster's gen- erously defi nes it as "an ample quantity; pro- fusion," in recent times it seems to have become primarily a code word for money. Don't get me wrong—I love money—but I think this narrow focus limits our ability to per- years); and the sacred animal totems for each direction—animals that represent spiritu- al qualities we desire to embody, and which connect us to the web of life—come from the Jicarilla Apache ~ BY DIANA RICO ~ december/january 2014-'15 25