The Turkey represents Family, nurturing and care for self and others. It is about abundance and strengthening bonds. They represent renewal and teach us to care for others and through that we will imprint and open new avenues for positive growth and opportunity. But once again we must learn to honor that process.
No matter what others are setting the tone for, we must learn to listen to our souls voice to achieve our hopes, dreams and aspirations for the higher good. This is not always an easy thing to do because we are always being pressured to move with the masses, be a sheep and follow the herd. We must learn to take risk and allow our own voices to be heard above the crowds at times. For there are times to sit, watch and listen in order to learn how to move forward…and there are times to stand up and shout purpose and positives so others may wake. Turkey also shares with us the lessons of living harmoniously with the Great Mother Earth and all that dwells on her surface. To assist in keeping the balance between it all.
Turkey also speaks to us of making sure we keep our ego in check and that although we should be proud of self, love self, there is no reason to flaunt what we are or have to others. Honor the sacrifices we make, honor the family we have…and be thankful for All that is Sacred! Embrace your families and your community because in doing so our Humanity is fed in positives.
I am bear Medicinewalker and I am dedicated to Educating and sharing the lessons, teachings and culture I have been taught by my Elders and journey with the World. It is not enough merely to learn 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…”
“Join Me as I continue the Sacred Hoop Project into this Year 2017…the year of Atonement!”
Mitakuye O’yasin!
Music provided by Chris Ferree and available at http://www.chrisferree.com as part of the Wolf and the bear Network @2017
Rabbit pops in today to remind us all not to miss out on what is happening around us today.. take time to slow your heart beat. Don’t let your shot for something positive to pass you by.
Rabbit reminds us all to remember we need to nurture our selves in order to allow our Spiritual growth to occur. It shares with us that we have all the tools needed inside of us if we just stop for a moment to collect ourselves and reach into that toolkit we all carry. By stopping for that moment and listening to that inner voice, it will give us a chance to strengthen our plans that are in motion, or review the ones we are contemplating.
Rabbit tells us not to be so quick to jump to conclusions, rather look at the larger picture and then move quickly as your instinct guides you rather than allowing fear to move you forward. Pursue your dreams, your goals with a little more adaptability, network with friends and family to help you get the results that are desired.
They also represent fertility, but of course it is up to us to make sure that that fertility shows up as positives such as creativeness, happiness, success and not negatives that we hold onto that eventually turn into fear, anger, bitterness, depression, illnesses.
Rabbit teaches that defending ourselves doesn’t always mean fighting back; it can also be accomplished by listening to what is happening in and around our Sacred Hoops and then using our intuition for the best possible outcome.
Rabbit has a short life so it also reminds us to take advantage of every waking moment for all life is Sacred. Don’t get stuck on the little things in life or life around you will pass by in a blink of an eye and you will have missed the journey.
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…
Mig`wetch,
~ bear Medicinewalker
Music provided by Chris Ferree and available at http://www.chrisferree.com as part of the Wolf and the bear Network @2017
Western moose in Isle Royale National Park, Michigan
Moose stops in today reminding us of Life and the inner Strengths that each and everyone of us has deep down in our Soul’s. Moose is all about listening to our instinct and remaining in balance when using our strength, for sometimes situations call for gentle strength and at other times it calls on us to be fierce! They remind us to look to our Elders, our Wise ones in and around our Sacred Hoops for advice and perspective.
As large as Moose are they are still graceful in movement, stealth and quick when called for. That is a huge lesson for us to learn as we walk the Human. It isn’t always about being first, or always thinking that our way is the only way… it is about honoring and respecting all points of view and then choosing the most positive for you. Knowing our Soul’s true purpose is to walk in positives and experience life itself. Moose tells us to be proud of who we are as individuals and let no one tell you that you are less than.
Moose encourages us to be true to ourselves and who we are… Self Love is one of the hardest things to attain for many, so get your bootstraps, pull them up and walk proudly for who you are and remember it isn’t about ego, it isn’t about what others see in us… it is about balance and pride in the positives we are able to step forward in.
I am bear Medicinewalker and I am dedicated to Educating and sharing the lessons, teachings and culture I have been taught by my Elders and journey with the World. It is not enough merely to learn 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…”
“Join Me as I continue the Sacred Hoop Project into this Year 2017…the year of Atonement!”
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
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.
In the last article I spoke to the basics of the Raven and Snake Birth totems, today I will address the next two totems on the wheel which are the Owl and the Snow Goose.
The period of the Owl November 23rd – December 21st
The Time of “Long Winter Nights’
Animal: the Owl
Plant: Poinsettia and Mistletoe
Mineral: Obsidian
Color: Gold
Spirit Keeper: Falcon and Salmon
Power Direction: North-West
Element: Fire and Earth
Elemental Clan: Hawk Clan (Fire)
Life Path: Elevation
Owl brings both Magical and Spiritual with it’s presence. always Sacred to me, and to be revered by all. It shares with us the Great Mystery and all that is to be understood in life as we walk the human path. Teaching us to be open and see with wonderment the life that is around us, interacting with us, sharing with us, part of us even in the smallest of ways. In return showing us how we can impact it all in return.
To keep our eyes open in even in what we may perceive as dark times, for that glimmer of hope and light to shine through. Remember to fly beyond and look at the larger picture so better to plan ahead how to approach situations, people or the journey itself. It teaches us to use our intuition and deep connections with wisdom that has been seeded deep within our souls.
The Owl will take us on a journey so that we may discover that whatever is needed for balance and positives in our lives, first must be attained within our own Soul. When we achieve the balanced required of us we are then able to obtain our own highest potential.
In order to imprint on the world around us, we must first learn to be kind and love ones self.
The period of the Snow Goose December 22nd – January 19th
The Time of “Renewal”
Animal: the Snow Goose
Plant: Bramble
Mineral: Peridot
Color: White
Spirit Keeper: Bears, Ravens and Beavers
Power Direction: North- North West
Element: Earth and Air
Elemental Clan: Turtle (Earth)
Life Path: Adaptation
Snow Goose teaches us to respect traditions; for the past indeed holds keys to our futures it reminds us of what is important so that our own Sacred Hoops remain healthy and balanced. teaching us it is a cautious time with the energy shifts that are occurring, to be making any large changes in our lives with out great thought and preparations.
Snow Goose also teaches us about asking for help and support, working together with others within your circle to accomplish more than what could be done alone. Working alongside another or in a group teaches us the benefits of cooperation and belonging.
Snow Goose shares the talent of communication through writing and storytelling.
Stay open to new ideas, to spiritual quests, and traveling just be prepared before you do so. It’s time to move forward with your life. Move with care and enjoy. Be flexible. Let go of the old allowing yourself to move into positives with an ease of motion.
The Goose will lead you on a path towards completion, allowing you to develop your wants, needs and desires to their full capacity if you listen to its guidance. It teaches you to adapt and bend when needed. In order to do that we must learn to let go of the past in order to learn that when the moment presents itself to us, we will have a fuller understanding of “All that is Sacred.”
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 and insight with all that we can. It is not enough merely to teach the ways of our Ancestors, we must honor those traditions by sharing and educating the World. Inspiring others …Inspiring our Youth. Through the Music… the Arts…the Stories… the Teachings and Knowledge ”
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
Today I call for Snake Medicine… teach us that we are Universal beings… and that through accepting all aspects of life you can help us bring about balance and light the fire so we can cast the shadows out.
Definition of DARK ENERGY
: a hypothetical form of energy that produces a force that opposes gravity and is thought to be the cause of the accelerating expansion of the universe
The dominant component (about 70 percent) of the universe. Its nature is not well understood, but it differs from matter in being gravitationally repulsive. Dark energy is detected by its effect on the rate at which the universe expands. Many explanations have been proposed for dark energy; the simplest is that it is an energy density inherent to empty space.
Definition of LIGHT
1a : something that makes vision possible
b : the sensation aroused by stimulation of the visual receptors
: a source of light: as
a : a celestial body
a : spiritual illumination
b : inner light
c : enlightenment
d : truth
Fear…darkness… evil… shadows… demons…hell …the devil… all labels given to bad things that as humans we may witness throughout our lives. If you don’t think they exist, or don’t want to believe they exist, that is your choice. But myself…I feel that we are better prepared if we understand it…so that we can walk in balance and stay the course of light.
As our voices are heard for good…and as they grow louder…we are often challenged with doubts and fears, sometimes we are challenged by the darkness itself… and when that happens we need to be true to who we are…and allow that energy no place with in our lives. I am not a Preacher…or a Prophet… But I am not naive in thinking that the darkness will not grow if we allow it to seep and flow into our lives….
Story of Two Wolves
Here is the same story, but it is called “Grandfather Tells” which is also known as “The Wolves Within”
An old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice, “Let me tell you a story.
I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times.” He continued, “It is as if there are two wolves inside me. One is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him, and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.
But the other wolf, is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger,for his anger will change nothing. Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit.”
The boy looked intently into his Grandfather’s eyes and asked, “Which one wins, Grandfather?”
The Grandfather smiled and quietly said, “The one I feed.”
So should we be scared of darkness? My answer to that is now…we must be aware of it… we must understand it… so that in turn we do not feed it.
Let us join spiritual hands to offer prayer.
I call to the sacred winds…to carry my words
To the Grandmothers and Grandfathers of the North, the south, the east, the west, Above …below and within…
I call to the sacred winds to carry my words to the Winged ones…the Four Leggeds…the Plant People…the Crystal Keepers, the Thunder Beings, the Angelic Realm…Mother Mary and Magdalene…my Brother Christ and all the nations that love us.
I thank you for all the many blessings that you have shared with us today and beyond and I ask that you hear our prayers whether spoken our held silently within our hearts.
Today I ask that you hear our prayers as we stand humbly before you, small and human.
Help us to remember we are all but a tiny part of a great universe, that we are all connected as one…
Bring us the strength we need to walk our paths without ego or judgment…
Allow our hearts to hear what our ears are missing
Teach us how to allow forgiveness for others and ourselves
Fill our being with the unconditional love that you so freely offer all.
I call that we be reminded we are all no better than or less than one another.
Guide us through our days, to help us with our humanness…that we learn to reconnect with others in a gentle and positive way. Offering smiles when they are needed without thought, shoulders or ears to help ease another…and words that will uplift or soothe.
Keep our children safe and strong in this troubled world… I ask that on this day and days to come…guidance is shared with our children to help them as they walk their paths. Help open their eyes so they can learn and see the right way of things, teach them to respect all life no matter how small, open their ears and minds so that they may understand things that are being taught to them in a good and gentle manner…open their hearts so that when the harshness of the world falls at their feet, they can cope and handle it with compassion and understanding.
I ask that today and all days ahead, that we are held in your loving Grace Creator…that we are able to understand the darkness that shadows parts of our world and allow the light to shine upon those very shadows. May we feed the good in ourselves and others. May we be protected from the very shadows that challenge the lights we all carry…Knowing that in the end… shadows will exist no longer when light shines through.
I thank all those who have walked with us and answer our calls…this day and in days to come…and honor you …
AHO
So my wish to you all today is that you feed the light, with an understanding of the darkness…the shadows… use that knowledge to move forward and into a better space of mind, body and soul… and remember we are in control of the energies…the things that can affect us… be a positive to a world filled with negatives…and let yourself outshine all the shadows…and stop to think…which one will you feed? Many blessings to you and yours…
And May Your day be filled with blessings from this moment and beyond. And today ask yourselves… Which Wolf is it that You are Feeding?
“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
“Join Me as I continue the Sacred Hoop Project into this Year 2017…the year of Truths!”
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
Long ago, when all people and animals spoke the same language, there was only one tobacco plant in all the world. From far and wide they come for their tobacco. All was well, until the greedy Dagul’ku geese stole the plant and flew far to the south with it where they guarded it night and day. Before long the people and animals began to suffer greatly because the tobacco was gone.
One such person was a beloved Elder woman who had become very ill, so thin and weak that it was felt by all that she would die soon, and could only be saved by their Sacred tobacco and it disturbed them all that they could not provide what was needed. So it was decided that they should hold a council and make a plan on how to retrieve the tobacco that had been taken from them. They all agreed that the animals should be sent to see if they could get it back.
One by one, the animals all tried to get the plant, but each time they were seen by the Dagul’ku geese and could not reach the Sacred tobacco plant. From the largest to the smallest, the Four Leggeds failed. Then one among them, the Mole decided he should be the one that he would go. Everyone thought this to be a good idea since he would tunnel under the ground to the plant and be able to get it back. So off he went tunneling ever closer to the Sacred tobacco plant. However the Dagul’ku geese were waiting for him for with their keen sense of hearing they heard him underneath as he was digging his tunnel and they waited at the plant for him to come out. As soon as he raised his head above ground the Dagul’ku geese attacked him and he went back to the village without the Sacred plant.
The mood within the council was very somber after that. None could think of any way to get the Sacred tobacco plant away from the greedy Dagul’ku geese. No one wanted to go only to be attacked and sent back in defeat.
As the Hummingbird sat listening to all of the plans she had come up with one of her own. She boldly arose in front of the council and told them all that she could retrieve the Sacred plant. They all looked at her and laughed, “How could you do this, you are so small? How could you get to the Sacred plant past the Dagul’ki geese? She held her ground and told them that she knew she could do it and if they wanted they could test her. So they pointed to the middle of the meadow, they showed her a plant that all could see and said to her, “Go, sit on that plant, but do not let us see you getting there.”
No sooner than the words had been spoken then they all could see the little Hummingbird sitting atop the plant in the meadow. And then again before their very eyes she disappeared again only to reappear within the council circle with not one of them having seen her go or return. The all sat Stunned at the feat and skill she had shown them all and it was soon agreed to give this little warrior a chance. She wasted no time flying off straight to the Sacred plant, right under the noses of the Dagul’ki geese. She flew right up to the plant without them even suspecting her being there. Quick as a wink she used her long beak to cut off the top of the plant that had a few leaves and the seeds, then off she flew straight back to the council circle.
By this time the Elder woman was thought to have died, but smoke from the Sacred tobacco plant was blown into her nostrils and with a cry of “Tsa’lu”, she opened her eyes and regained her strength.
From that day forward, all looked with favor and respect to the little Hummingbird who managed to out wit the Dagul’ku geese to return the Sacred tobacco plant back for all to use.
“I am Dedicated to Educating and sharing cultures 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
“Orange Dragonflies” from Cross Roads: The Beginning of a Brand New Day by Jonny Lipford. Released: 2008. Available at https://www.jonnylipfordmusic.com/
