I've often wondered why I don't practice Native American spirituality anymore. The Native path is beautiful, nourishing and deep. So why have I left it behind? Recently I came up with one possible answer

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     In his book Inner Christianity: A Guide to the Esoteric Tradition, Richard Smoley has a chapter called "The Secret Church." He talks about how esoteric spirituality is often practiced "under cover," as it were. Religious institutions and organizations, by and large, cater to the lowest common denominator: that is, folks who don't have any interest in truly developing their spirituality. "They constitute the 'outer church' and the exterior forms of religion are designed for them."  A person who has what Smoley calls "a thirst for cultivating inner experience" will have to look elsewhere. 

    G.I. Gurdjieff says there are "schools" for these serious seekers. "There are no definite forms and there are no institutions connected with it. It appears and disappears governed by some particular laws of its own." These "schools" are not necessarily secret in the sense of being totally hidden from the public. Rather, they are secret because only some select individuals pursue esoteric goals together,  outside of the public forms of religion.

     My Native teacher's "school" was called "The Circle."  It started when she met people who were attracted to Native American spirituality. She saw that some of these folks had the potential for greater spiritual development if they learned the esoteric side of her tradition. My teacher invited these seekers from her larger following and gave them special teachings. "The Circle" was not terribly secret, as many people knew about its existence. However, as she deemed that only a relative few were worthy of these more arcane teachings they were restricted to those few. (I can't help but think of the Gospel parallel in which Jesus explains the hidden meaning of his parables to his chosen few disciples.)

     "The Circle" flourished for about fifteen years or so. It ended when the last of the students left it. We got the knowledge and experience we needed and moved on. Some of us continue to practice the teachings while others, like me, don't. The "school" may be gone, but the teachings remain with all of us, whether we use them or not.