The circle, no beginning and no end …the continuing journey of our soul from conception to birth to life to death an infinite loop of energy and influence. Birds build nests in circles, the wind send it’s breath through on swirling breezes through the trees. Fire dances and leaps twisting in circles as it reaches out from its point of origin to snap at what is before it. Water which is life will circle in currents swirling as it moves over the earth. The Great Mother Earth herself is round traveling in a circle around Grandfather Sun. All are examples of the circle, no beginning, no end, continually evolving with us as we walk the human, teaching us as we journey on our paths through life.
Thus is the same of the Medicine Wheel, sharing teachings that allow us to understand and shed insights to the purpose of our existence and relevance with all things Sacred. Keeping this in mind I will share with you the teachings I have been given over the years and how they can not only enrich our lives, but strengthen our being.
The Medicine Wheel as I was taught teaches us the four parts of who we are. Beginning with the North which represents the Mental aspect, to the South that represents the Emotional aspect, and to the East sits the Spiritual aspect and West Representing the Physical aspect of self. In order to be healthy we must learn to understand and balance all of these aspects. It is comparable to the Zodiac and Chinese Zodiac in astrology in that it is also divided into sections of birth months with the totems of creature, plant, mineral, elemental and more giving us the insight into who we walk with as we are born into this world. This does not mean that the sign or totems that we are born under are the only ones that will walk with us through our lifetime. It simply means that we often have the strengths and traits of our birth totems.
So let us begin with the period of the Raven/Crow Birth Totem from September 22/23 to October 22/23
The Time of Leaves and Harvest
Animal: Raven or Crow
Plant: Mullein
Mineral: Jasper
Color: Brown or Blue
Spirit Keeper: Grizzly Bear
Power Direction: West
Element: Air
Elemental Clan: Butterfly
Keeper of Sacred Law
Raven shows itself reminding us to believe in the impossible, reach for what we feel is unattainable and we will see just what it is we are looking for, what we have been asking for as long as we are willing to accept it. The truth is before us, we simply have to be open to it. Raven rewards us with a like past the every day illusions that we create as humans… Raven will bring you the story we have not been open enough to understand and see in truths. Be strong, have Faith and remember within all things are lessons and positives.
Magical …Mystical.. Slipping to time beyond time … Often I hear people say, where are the miracles, where is the magic, and I tell them it is but at your fingertips if you will but open your eyes! We need to remember that we all have abilities and they are all unique. yet with saying that we are all part of the puzzle and without us, life would not be complete. Remember that the next time you look into a mirror, or start to doubt what and who you are. Embrace yourselves in positives, and if you don’t, the Raven will pop in and start squawking at yah until you do.
Raven is here to tell us that we are exactly where we need to be at the precise moment in time. We are also being shown things that are in and around our Sacred Hoops are reflecting back to us what we need to learn about ourselves in order to move in positive motion ahead on our paths.
Raven teaches us about rebirth, recovery, renew and recycling, self reflection and healing our inner spiritual. Shine our light into the dark as we transition in to the change we are facing. Open our thought process to help us understand that there needs to be balance between light and the dark … that one does not occur without the other. To know one is to know the other, to understand them is to balance self.
Raven teaches us to listen closer to the world of spirit, for they are guiding us forward, helping us to remember what is important, what is sacred. That our souls can not take the material with us as we move and transition through life, but rather that it is the intangible things that imprint on us and we imprint on others that are most important.
Allow that magic to spread to your soul and enlighten your spiritual.
The Next Totem to fall on the Wheel is the Snake Birth Totem October 23/24 to November 21/22.
The Time of Frost
Animal: Snake
Plant: Thistle
Mineral: Copper
Color: Orange or Violet
Spirit Keeper: Grizzly Bear
Power Direction: West
Element: Water
Elemental Clan: Frog
Wisdom – Healing – Symbol of Eternity
Snake Medicine is all about learning to balance it within our lives. So what does that mean to us as human? Well for today to speaks to making our way through the day by depending on all our senses and understanding that this movement is part of our human experience. To make sure we use our time wisely and not waste it on frivolous negativity. Things happen for a reason and it is up to each of us to decide how it impacts and imprints on our lives.
Snake Is a difficult teacher at times, and one that is not easy to master. Lessons that Snake brings with it are of life cycles and change, remembering as we grow we shed and transform into new energies and new experiences. Snake also teaches us about poison and that we need to be able to rid ourselves of the toxins that can be placed within our Sacred Hoops or learn how to use that poison in positive ways or it can kill our spirit, or balance needed to walk a good life. The choice is up to us.
Snake can be a hard teacher. His lessons involve a transmutation of the cycle of life, death and rebirth. Snake symbolizes this cycle with the shedding of his skin. We learn to the whole energy of life, the cosmic consciousness and have the willingness to experience anything without resistance. It is also about the poisons that we might take in. Those poisons can be eaten or ingested in some way but they also may be integrated into our lives. The goal is to not let the poisons taint our body or spirit.
Since Snakes can shed they teach us about the levels of our human, of our spirituality, our experiences. It is time to seek our inner knowledge before moving ahead with decisions. It is time to coil and go within to make sure we are well prepared before we strike out.
Snake also reminds us as it makes its way across the Great Mother Earth, to ground ourselves, to use our energy wisely and not to rely on primal instincts of lashing out. For at times it is more empowering to hold back and use that knowledge that energy in wise ways. At other times it is best to strike and seize the moment with a precision and quickness. Snakes often retreat long before biting defensively because they sense that it may cause consequences/damage to others and drain you of healing energy.
Snake is also very old and powerful healing medicine. Once harnessed, Snake will help you to position yourself carefully so that you will trust your gut when making important decisions.
Until Next time, live in the moment and breathe in all the beauty life shares with us all, for we Are All Related!
“I am dedicated to educating and sharing culture with the World. It is not enough merely to teach the ways of our Elders. We must honor those traditions by sharing and educating the World. Inspiring others …Inspiring our Youth. Through the Music… the Arts…the stories…”
Mitakuye O’yasin
~bear Medicinewalker
Music provided by Chris Ferree and available at http://www.chrisferree.com as part of the Wolf and the bear Network 2017
***Article Appeared in Omtimes Magazine November 2016
