10/21/2026
What does it mean to become a hollow bone?
Frank Fools Crow, an Oglala Lakota holy man and ceremonial leader, spoke of becoming a clean, hollow bone, a vessel through which Wakan Tanka (often translated as Great Spirit or Great Mystery) and the spiritual Helpers could work.
“The cleaner the bone, the more water you can pour through it, and the faster it will run.”
For Fools Crow, this meant an ongoing practice of clearing away the inner obstacles that might interfere with that connection. It wasn’t just about personal spiritual growth but about becoming a clear vessel in service to others.
He described hollow bones as “the pipeline that connects Wakan Tanka and our community together.”
I’ve found the hollow bone to be a meaningful metaphor in my own spiritual and energetic practices.
So much of our lives is spent trying to direct what happens, often through the expectations, attachments, and conditioned ways of being we’ve accumulated.
But what becomes possible when we recognize these patterns, allow for possibilities beyond what we’ve known, and open ourselves to choosing differently?
Perhaps we don’t need to become something more.
Perhaps we simply allow more of who we truly are to come through.
Inspired by the teachings of Frank Fools Crow, as shared in Fools Crow: Wisdom and Power by Thomas E. Mails.
