Today the Praying Mantis shows up in the 7th card, bringing with it the insights of prayer and meditation. It is easy for all of us to focus on the negatives of the world simply because it’s all around us everywhere. But to find what are souls are searching for is part of our purpose and journey here as we walk the human. When one looks to Buddha, Prophets and Saints the human ideology is to see them as the answer. But what they all have in common and what we should be doing more of is we all have, the gift of Unconditional Love. Do we need to look for something that is so easy to feed our souls with? I think we all can do better by looking at ourselves and loving ourselves for who we are… an imperfect human who is perfect and fits into this big Universe to help bind us all together. Part of that great jigsaw puzzle that works in harmony with the rest of the world. So bring about balance for yourselves by simply understanding we are all no better than, less than eash other.
Praying Mantis reminds us this day that as Humans we need to walk hand in hand with this amazing world we share with so many… Not only others like us, but ALL Creatures and Life that are part of the Great Mother Earth. We need to remember that even the smallest pebble, the tiniest blade of grass have purpose in the Great Sacred Circle, and it is up to each of us to keep it protected and safe. Just as it is the same with each other… we must keep each other protected and safe from all the negatives in this world.
Praying Mantis shares that we have gotten lost in the daily activity and chaos of our own lives. That we have forgotten to listen to our own voice. With that said it is time to take a step back and breathe in the 7 Sacred breathes. Reground, replenish what we have given away to this moment. Possibly do some simple meditation to recenter ourselves and remember our true self, our true path. Take a moment and breathe, look at all that is Sacred around us. the beauty of even the simplest thing or thought. Time to contemplate before stepping back into life. By doing this you will rekindle the purpose and meaning that are needed at this time.
Praying Mantis teaches us to return to the core of who we are born as. To step on our path with thoughtful placement of how we will imprint ourselves into the world around us. To carefully consider how we will move forward in positives and be prepared to step quickly and decisively when we need to. It is time to listen to our intuition, do not push it away it has guided you through your life sometimes without us realizing. Trust what you are sensing, what you are feeling and move or stand accordingly to that inner voice.
I thought it was fitting sinceGrandmother Moon has been ever so playful of us as of late, keeping us on our toes and eyes wide open during her reign in our night skies, that I once again revisit the story of the Snow Moon. It has long been a favorite of mine and a story that delights the children as well as the child that dwells within. Yet it also holds valuable lessons of community, trust and working together. So I hope you can enjoy the story as much as I do telling and sharing it. Perhaps it will shine a little light in your life and illuminate your world to a better understanding of things….
As it was long ago and far to the north… winter nights were very long, dark and bitter cold. Nights were so long, dark and cold that all the Four Leggeds and their friends could barely gather enough food to survive the season. No matter how quickly they tried to gather nuts and seeds, the darkness covered them and stopped all their efforts. On such a day Squirrel decided that something had to be done. Her first stop would be a visit to her friends the field mice.
“Oh, we do not know what to do,” said Father Mouse. “We have so many children to feed, and the winter nights are so long and dark.”
“I will help you my little friends,” Squirrel replied.
Next Squirrel went to see Porcupine to ask him if he too had been having trouble finding food during the long dark winter.
“Oh, yes,” said Porcupine,“ nothing can be done it has always been this way.”
“I don’t believe that,” said Squirrel. “There must be something that can be done.”
“It’s best to leave things as they are for you never know what could happen if you try and change things,” said Porcupine. With a bristle of quills, he scurried off through wintery wind and snow.
Squirrel sat and thought for a bit and then decided to seek out Owl. Owl rested by day and flew the woods at night, with eyes bigger than all the other animals. Perhaps Owl would know a way to bring light to the winter forest.
Squirrel climbed high in Owl’s maple tree and waited for Owl to wake.
“What brings you to me Squirrel?” asked Owl.
“All of the small woodland animals need to hunt by darkness as well as day. The northern winter nights are far too dark for us. If we could only find a little light to help us see we could gather our food with ease”
Owl agreed to ponder on this problem. He lifted his feathery head and then buried it into his shoulders to think. He thought all day long, while Squirrel shivered on the windy branch. Finally, he startled with thought, “I will talk to the Sky Father and see if he can bring the stars closer to us during the winter time.”
Squirrel flicked her tail in excitement and hope as she raced down the tree to her spot in the woods. A few days went by and then Owl flew in and landed at Squirrel’s burrow.
“Tell our small friends that the Sky Father has decided he will bring the stars closer to us at night. But first, he must clear all the clouds from the sky. We must all prepare for a strong and terrible blizzard.” With that said, Owl flew off to his tree.
All the animals worked as quickly as they could to forage all the nuts, berries and seeds that they found. Then they gathered and huddled in a hollow log and watched as the huge storm clouds gathered in the sky above.
For three days the Sky Father gathered the storm clouds in the sky, stacking them in huge towers. The animals shivered below, waiting. On the third day, the storm arrived. The blizzard howled through the woods. The animals were frightened, all except Squirrel for she believed in what Owl had promised.
When the storm died away, a huge snowdrift had blocked the hollow log so that the animals could see nothing but the wall of snow and the darkness from inside the hollow space. They were scared and disappointed, thinking that only hunger and darkness awaited them.
Brave Little Squirrel made her way through all her friends and turned to them, “Wait here, I will tunnel out and see if the stars are closer as the Great Sky Father promised.”
Squirrel dug and dug, pushing through the cold and wet snow finally reaching the top. When her head popped out through the snow, she gasped in surprise. The winter stars hung so low in the evening sky, it seemed that she could almost touch them.
A large, antlered moose stepped forward and bowed his head, “I have been sent to help you, if you little animals can gather all the snow you can and push it into a giant snowball, I will then carry it cradled in my antlers across the highest mountain ridges, where it will shed light on even the darkest winter nights.”
So they all worked together with the help of the moose and the Sky Father to create the first Snow Moon. Now despite the cold and the long nights of darkness, all are happy in the winter when the stars come close and the moon shines bright like great snowball in the sky.
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…
Blessings to you All,
bear Medicinewalker
Music provided by Chris Ferree and available at http://www.chrisferree.com as part of the Wolf and the bear Network @2021
Tradition, an important piece of a puzzle that helps define who we are…
“In our modern world today, we may seem like drowning men because of the loss of much of our spiritual tradition.”
-Thomas Yellowtail, CROW
My spiritual tradition shows us the way to live in harmony, balance and respect. The tradition taught me how to behave and how to conduct ourselves. The spiritual way taught me to pray and to purify myself. Handed down from generation to generation were the teachings about a way of life that many have forgotten. A way that many now seek to remember and learn. The relationship to Mother Earth and to each other is very clear. The Modern World does not relate to spirituality but to materialism. If we do not allow spirituality to guide our lives, we will be lost, unhappy and without direction. We are spiritual beings trying to be human, not human beings trying to be spiritual. And it is time to not only remember this…but to embrace it as well
It will bring us back to balance.
Definition of TRADITION
1a : an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom)
b : a belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable
2: the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction
So if we stop and take a look into our own histories…our own histories, we will perhaps be surprised as to what we find, what we remember… whether it is an aunt or uncle that shared a story, or a Grandparent that taught us a skill or way of life… it is through those teachings that our traditions and histories are passed down from generation to generation.
If we choose to embrace this as part of who we are, and remember that the spiritual and the words from those that have walked before us, is what shows us the way to finding our own balance our own empowerment.
So take a moment and join me in offering 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 look to our Ancestors and our Elders for guidance… that we remember stories of long ago, that we are guided to that reconnect of spiritual of family …of tradition. For within it all is a part of who we are as people, humans…allow that to help us bring balance not only to ourselves…but to the world around us.
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 look to the past generations, remember or learn the traditions. Study the rituals of prayer and celebrations… embrace the cultures …the family…and when you do may you find a peace and joy in your hearts that will instill balance to your world…
May Your day be filled with blessings from this moment and beyond.
Connections I want to take some time this morning and speak of Connections.
Everything that is…is somehow at some point connected. And often many of us take that for granted. I know I have ni the past. And when I come to realize that I am …I slow down and stop to stand still for a moment and think about how connected everything in life is.
Elementals… Water-Air- Earth one can’t exist without the other…all powerful in their own right, and all part of us in some rhyme or reason.
Wow connections… I would say that defines a big part of us as Humans, whether we accept it or not…we are all very connected.
Now when we look at being connected we have to think also how we interact with everything in our world. We have Air…we breathe air… air is life for many things here. Wouldn’t be here if we couldn’t breathe the air. Yet stop and think how different our air smells between a city…and a country spot. We have all been there; we have all heard the remark of wow… the air smells so fresh. The smell of fresh grass in a meadow, water running in a River, Birds that sing their cries in the trees,,, all carried to us through the air…it sustains life.
Earth is what we walk on…run on… drive on…work on… it grows our food, it changes and grows, evolves with us. Through all our changes …good or bad. the earth keeps up right along with us. Many times we are destructive of her, yet I wonder if we took a moment or two to remember who She is…if we would do some of the things we do to her? Yet she continues to sustain life. Water makes up the majority of our bodies as humans. It is the liquid that descends from the clouds as rain, forms streams, lakes, and seas, and is a major constituent of all living matter . It also sustains life… We need to remember even after we forget, to honor these elementals as Sacred…for without them we would not be. Because of them we are all connected.
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 honor all connections as Sacred. That we share respect with all that is, no matter if we are aware of the impact of those connections or not. That we are guided to care for these elementals, by replenishing, replanting, using only what is needed. And remembering that they are each sacred gifts that we depend on for life itself. They connect us all to each other.
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 look around you and see how many gifts that we have received from the elementals. The air we breathe, the beverages we drink, the foods we eat, the paper we write on, the electricity that powers our tools… and that we give back. We plant seeds of awareness to others as gentle reminders of what a great gift we have been given and share in. And that through that our connections with each other, that awareness becomes stronger. That we care for all life in a gentle and giving way, returning and continuing the cycle of giving and replenishing.
May your day be bright and filled with faith. For it is way past time we remember we are all related.
Rose Quartz is a stone that most people are aware of, it is a popular go to. But what I have found over the years it is also a stone that can also hold a great amount of healing energies. It takes to charging very simply when called upon and will actually turn to a clear quartz once it is charged. Turning back to a beautiful pink once the energy is used.
Rose Quartz is known as the stone of unconditional Love. It resonates to one’s very soul. The high energy of quartz gives rose quartz the property of enhancing love in virtually any situation. Bringing love in to life and daily situations not only brings inner warmth, but it also lowers stress and soothes those around it. Rose Quartz is also all about Self Love and balancing that acceptance we all need for us to move in positives!
It works with the heart and crown chakras and brings energy gently when it is needed. Helps with written words, creativity and unleashing imagination bringing with it balance to our lives. Pretty powerful for a little bit of stone… or big in my case. It surrounds the spaces in my home helping to keep it in attunement with life around me with a calming effect.
With that I tell you to explore and enjoy the stones and crystals you come across. Remember too that even though there is a traditional way they may be described, they can work differently for you, they are like people all have different personality and energy even among their own kind. So Have fun with the possibilities!
Blessings to You All!
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…”
Some Carnelian from my own collection (above)
Carnelian is a stone that I have always been drawn to and used throughout my lifetime for healing and protection, it is a stone that always has worked for me. Perhaps because I am an Artist, perhaps it just works well for me on many levels. None the less it is a stone to be recognized and used for a number of things. People ask me all the time about stones and crystals I use… so I will set about in the next few weeks to give you examples of the ones you all have asked about and the ones I use in my every day life.
It enhances creativity it is also known as ‘The Artists Stone’. It also gives you confidence, motivation and the individuality needed to succeed. Its rich earthy color and grounding energy is helpful for anyone to carry.
Normal color ranges from an orange to a deep burnished reddish orange. This is one of my favorite stones and always has been. Carnelian helps with how we see and view things. It also is said to provide a link to the spiritual worlds and inspires people in positives. In ancient Egypt it was believed they offered protection in the afterlife and warded against evil spirits. Many priests and nobles were buried with this stone, which shows just how important carnelian was at the time..
It is said to protect against fear, rage and envy ( you know that green eyed monster) and helps one to release sorrow so that they are able to move forward once again. It assists one to bring about stabilization in the home and heart by cutting through things so that one can get to the truth of the matter reconnecting the emotional and inner self in a more balanced way.
Also a great stone to use to get rid of negatives for cleansing other stones/crystals and acts as a great clearing stone for people as well, dispelling negatives from our life when we keep it close. Works with the 1st thru 4th chakras. Often used on conjunction of treatments for neuralgia, allergies and kidney issues, as well as spinal and pancreatic disorders.
Is said to be one of the stones that was used in the breastplates of the High Priests, and to hold great value and energy.
With that I tell you to explore and enjoy the stones and crystals you come across. Remember too that even though there is a traditional way they may be described, they can work differently for you, they are like people all have different personality and energy even among their own kind. So Have fun with the possibilities!
Blessings to You All!
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…”
So as some of you may or may not know, I speak with Nature around me, have since I was little. As with Spirit, I didn’t know others couldn’t do what I am able to do and see. With that said I will also tell you all you can do it as well if you are open to it and slow down for a moment to observe our surroundings, cause truly … it isn’t rocket science.
So what prompted me on this today was someone who I have never seen or heard speak about animal communication offering a class on Mediumship and connecting with Animals and charging close to $200 for the class, seriously not sure what drives these people to do such things but I guess it is what it is. The thing that irritates me is the fact we are all capable of tuning in I guess I will call it, we just have to allow ourselves to slow things down and pay attention. Because when we do, wow can we learn things. Creatures share the knowledge we Humans need to be kinder, gentler, more respectful and absolutely 100% more accepting of each other. So after seeing this earlier today and not being able to shake it, I decided to step outside to clear my energy, my head and thoughts. And of course wouldn’t you know it something special happened.
The world we all live in at the moment is very angry and hateful and in order to stay positive, be positive as example for others to follow…. we need to remember WE can be the positive that shares that great example for other. So as I stepped outside and took a seat next to the lake a set of ducks showed up. Not an ordinary set, but rather one that yes indeed I would pay attention to. It was an unusual set of Teals.
Teal Duck Story
Normally by this time of the year we have mostly Mallards and all of what I consider the more exotic types, have moved on to other locations after the migration through our Lake here. But this Mama Teal Duck had 6 little babies with her that she was ever so watchful of. I knew they were her young ones as they all made a more chirpy sound than that of a full grown adult duck.
They little ones played and swam and were as per normal of young ones, oblivious to anything but playtime and exploring. Then as a couple of them strayed from their Mom, she called them back. When they refused and adventured farther she started swimming towards them scolding them the entire time. Just as we human parents would do with our own kids, and let me tell you she was not happy they were not obeying her call. That is when I looked closer to them. Five of them were showing the same markings of a teal, four defiantly males and two were females, but wait one of the babies was not a teal? Upon looking closer it was a female Mallard Duckling, and her Mom was no doubt the Teal Duck that went to get her and apparently her brother.
So here it is, Nature at it’s best. Mom had probably set on an abandoned Mallard nest and the egg had hatched with her own eggs. The Duckling was obviously not hers, but it was hers as she had sat on the nest and it hatched with her young. I sat and watched some more, and she was treating this small female just as her other babies, they were bonded and loved. So why is it that we as a Human race can not do the same. Accepting of those that are different yet treating them with love and respect regardless of differences.
Because I posed no threat to her or her young I was gifted enjoying the time they spent on the lake ever so close to me, happily going about their day of bugging and swimming. Another lesson that was shared by the creatures that continue to live their lives oblivious to hate and anger that occurs from differences and judgements. So if they can do it without thinking… why is it so hard for us?
With that said… take time out to connect with Creatures around us, All Creatures Great and Small. You don’t have to be Doctor Doolittle to do it, all you need to do is quiet your self long enough to see what life has to offer around us.
Blessings to You All!
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…”
