WHAT IS A HEYOKA?

[SunKat]

“A VERY GREAT VISION IS NEEDED, AND THE MAN WHO HAS IT MUST FOLLOW IT AS THE EAGLE SEEKS THE DEEPEST BLUE OF THE SKY.”

~ CHIEF CRAZY HORSE -LAKOTA SIOUX

 

WHAT IS A HEYOKA?

A Heyoka in the Native American culture is an ‘energetic’ healer who encompasses all of the sacred gifts from the Divine Creator (God). It originates directly from the Lakota Sioux tribe. Every indigenous culture has a term for the tribal medicine man or woman, but the term Heyoka is rooted only in the Lakota Sioux tribe. Heyoka prefer to dedicate their life to the servitude of God, healing, and as a facilitator of change in the chaos of life.

A Heyoka is a true calling as a healer and one that does not come simply by appointment. It is due to characteristics of the Heyoka, the use of Thunder Being medicine as well as their profound spiritual abilities to help them navigate a life that was chosen for them rather than one they chose for themselves.

This is both a spiritually appointed title as well as a tribal appointment that is of honor, and is upheld in the highest regard. In traditional Lakota custom the Heyoka is appointed by the tribal leader; usually a male member of the tribe, oftentimes a generational medicine man. The custom is passed down with honor from father to son, or tribal elder to the identified member of the Lakota Sioux tribe. In turn, he is responsible for carrying the “medicine bundle” and assuming this healing and prophetic role within the tribe.

The path of the Heyoka is not “trendy” nor is it something you can decide you want to be. It is a title that is earned and a path that is chosen for you, not the other way around. The Heyoka is often revered as one of the most dynamic healers within the tribal communities throughout history. Two historical Heyoka from the Lakota Sioux tribe are Chief Crazy Horse and Chief Black Elk.

I am not Native American, nor am I a male. This title was given to me by Lakota Sioux Elders in spirit. At the time, I had no understanding of what I was being told until my path and the title given to me unfolded and were in harmony with one another. This is a path where the earthly dimension collides with the spiritual dimensions and have been forged in fire. Fire can burn and destroy or fire can benefit and sustain life with it’s eternal flame.

The Heyoka are sometimes called “the sacred clown” or a “trickster” which is an inaccurate definition by today’s societal structure. They are known to provoke change in those whose spirit has been damaged or broken by suffering, and create insight into  the personal dynamics of an ever-changing destiny. The Heyoka, as a contrarian, negates side stepping political correctness and is more concerned about the healing that needs to happen. They are straight forward in their approach to the vast nature of suffering and individualized root causes.

The trendy term of “heyoka empath” is a title that has no basis in tribal customs, nor in the Lakota Elders in life or in spirit, and is a concept that has evolved over the years is and has no origin within the Lakota tribe. The term “Heyoka ” is indicative of a person within the Lakota tradition. The term “heyoka empath” is NOT a term used or recognized by the Lakota Sioux. There is an assumption that the term Heyoka is universal and can be randomly applied. This is a false teaching that misrepresents the Heyoka of the Lakota tribe. It has been gaining speed in trying to keep up with humanitarian trends for an understanding of empathic abilities and the ways in which they manifest.

The Heyoka has the ability to demonstrate an “outside the box thinking” through the exploration of shadow “medicine”. Gazing into a Divine mirror of truth often brings about very raw emotions which are sometimes buried deep within the psyche. The agent of change in the way they heal others is one that includes unadulterated reflection as well as rigorous honesty. Finding an unobstructed path of transformation depends on the individual’s willingness and readiness. If done so with complete abandoned, they can explore their true fate and allow pertinent aspects of change to rise to the surface.

A heyoka is thought to be a spiritual wildcard in the capacity of the spiritual abilities bestowed upon them. They have the capacity to discern and dominate energy that is more often than not misunderstood, and is often described as a dance type of feeling. It is not intentional or purposeful , it just simply is who ( not how) the heyoka is.

The Heyoka are gifted healers through working directly with the spirit world after their own sometimes very painful healing journey. They are blessed and utilized as a Divine conduit for healing and address the whole being which has endured a tremendous amount of suffering. They rely on the Divine Creator (God) to restore light and wholeness, providing a clear sense of direction to those seeking help and in need.

There is a strong aspect of great visions and respect of those visions. While the Thunderbeing is not a “real” God created animal, the heyoka understands the visions/medicine of and from the thunderbeings. This is perhaps the most sacred, for a number of reasons. There are also iron clad bonds to sacred animal totems during visions and understanding nature.

Heyoka have answered a calling to walk into the unknown with a strong faith that whatever they may endure is part of their fate. They recognize the destructive and disheartening aspects of humanity and the effects it has on Creation. They are deeply spiritual in their beliefs and steadfast in their faith. As a conduit to facilitate change, God uses the Heyoka to lead, guide, direct, touch,heal and change.

The Heyoka is sometimes viewed externally, as an emotional trigger to encourage people to unearth deep, unhealed, and emotional wounds that they are unaware of. The healing ‘medicine’ of the Heyoka, is often one that has the ability to mirror the behavior of others while bringing misplaced energy to the surface. Sometimes this will engage a person’s insecurities, flaws, faults, or weaknesses  to rise to the surface, allowing the opportunity to energetically transition to a place where they can absorb wisdom and healing energies. Their ability to sense heavy and destructive energy presents with the opportunity to transmute misplaced energy that is responsible for varying degrees of dysfunction. Therefore, this can sometimes feel disruptive during the discovery process but is executed with only the highest degree of loving kindness. The alchemy of change can be very subtle over time and have a dramatic effect; which ideally will lead to a life filled with Divine light and vibrancy.

The Heyoka heals entirely without judgement. They often express themselves through a mindset of purely authentic self discovery while holding this space to compassionately wake a person up and jolt them out of their linear thinking. They objectify darkness and expose it to light through faith and servitude to God. They have a deep understanding of suffering and embrace healing as their true calling. Life is a series of ups and downs, as we are all a mixture of many experiences and personalities, and there is no one that lives a “perfect” existences.

Their belief is that nobody is enlightened, as enlightenment is a journey, not a destination. They show us how we are all a teacher and student at the same time, and that none of us know everything—as soon as someone thinks they do, their mind becomes narrow, limited, or closed to learning.

Heyoka have an inherent, natural skill that allows them to evoke the greatest revelations and provide people with the opportunity to discover deep, personal, and ancient knowledge through the use of chaos and contrarian humor. They are spiritual teachers whose role as a healer oftentimes ruffle feathers and upset the status quo. Understanding one’s higher purpose isn’t always recognizable or instantly understood. For many, this comes from patterns of behavior that are or have been problematic. Changing one’s trajectory can feel very disruptive and requires, surrender,patience, endurance and perseverance. Through a personal quest for knowledge and healing, one will then receive the opportunity to begin demolishing patterns of behaviors that no longer serve them. Rigid mental structures are recognized and released, and an understanding of  discernment teaches one to question strict and silent social rules and regulations that have been a destructive thread in life. A fearless embracement of life is the optimal goal which develops the ability to see  the beauty in the unfamiliar and unexpected. Lastly, to enjoy and live life, while simultaneously learning to accept all aspects of their unique, paradoxical personality.

 

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