We needed a practice that was known to be powerful and effective, and in which everyone could participate. I consulted with my teachers in both ordinary and non-ordinary reality, and decided to create a Spirit Canoe ceremony with everyone who wanted to come from the drumming circle, from recent FSS workshops held at the BC3, and from the BC3 itself. The ceremony would take place with permission from the group, and the overall intention would be to ask for help, healing and teaching for everyone present. Generally, the Spirit Canoe practice is done for an individual, who is seeking healing for a serious illness, an addiction, or other significant issue. In those cases, the intention is clear. How would we reach a specific and powerful, jointly-held intention, when the client was the entire community? Remembering that ancestor spirits are known to take a special interest in the well-being of their own descendants, I thought perhaps there would be a way to solicit their advice as we formed our group intention. I didn’t know how it would work in a group composed of journeyers and non-journeyers, but I thought that somehow, the ancestors could help. What follows is the story of how the ceremony unfolded.