DIRT

 

From Holding Yawulyu, by Zohl dé Ishtar:

"Because we were living on the ground (literally), I was constantly covered with red desert dust, soot from the fire, and liberal amounts of ochre from participating in rituals. With dirt as a constant companion, I soon learnt to appreciate its healing, protective, and nourishing qualities. I witnessed dirt being picked up and rubbed on the forearms of men and Kartiya women entering the Tjilimi for the first time, and handfuls of dirt were thrown over the gifts given at the end of Law Time or Sorry Business, and to open and close ritual dances. In its most potent form dirt is ochre, and ochre was used by the women healers, its many colors painted onto the body in designs vibrating with healing energy. The elders transmitted ochre's energy into the bodies of women and children by painting Tjukurrpa designs on their breasts, chests, and stomachs, just as they annointed ceremonial objects. The designs which are painted on their bodies were handed down by the Ancestors, or are dreamt anew, the power contained in the ochre seeping into the body, 'growing' that body up (feeding its spirit) and making it power-filled."