Earth medicine, p.29
Earth Medicine, page 29
Note also the things you want to bring into your life and the day the desire came into your mind. Record eventually what actually happened about those desires. I don’t mean the subjects of fantasizing and day-dreaming, like becoming a millionaire overnight through luck on the pools or gambling, or gaining instant recognition or fame, or being drooled over by a pop-star or TV idol. I mean those desires that are within the range of practical possibility and which you yourself can make determined efforts to bring about.
What you are recording is the outset of a willed desire and of its ultimate outcome, and over a period of time discovering that those desires that are actually satisfied are the ones that ‘catch the tide’ of the Moon’s cycles, and the ones that are frustrated are those whose timing goes against the flow of energies.
You can work consciously with these tides. Again, keep a record. Make a note of new plans begun, and when they come to manifestation. Note down, also, any attempt to get rid of unwanted situations and circumstances.
Three nights from the time of the New Moon is the time for generating new ideas and for beginning new projects.
From the fourth night and throughout the Waxing Moon to the night before the Full Moon is the period when the Moon’s energies influence the emotions and the tides of growth, so this is the time to put effort and feeling into the projects you are working on and the plans you want to bring about.
Though there is plenty of light at the time of the Full Moon, the lunar power has reached full blossom and is about to fade. So this is the time for completing what was begun at the New Moon.
Figure 43.
The period of the Waning Moon is the time for making changes and for disposing of things, for bringing things to an end, and for banishing troubles and unwanted conditions.
The last four nights of the Old Moon is when the dark side of the Moon is facing the Earth. This is a good time for meditation and for seeking wisdom and guidance, and for rest.
By synchronizing with the lunar cycles you put yourself more in tune with cosmic energies also, and thereby gain more control of your life and the attainment of greater success and fulfilment.
3.5
Totems – the Symbolic Sensors
THERE IS A SUBLIMINAL NETWORK BETWEEN ALL FORMS OF LIFE which enables an interchange of information to take place between them. Totems act as symbolic sensors in tapping into this network. The Amerindian found that totems served as connectors between different levels of awareness whether human, animal, vegetable or mineral.
In Nature there are three kingdoms ‘below’ humanity – Animal, Plant and Mineral – and all four are interconnected and interdependent. The plant kingdom is nourished by trace elements from the mineral kingdom and absorbs these minerals into itself and by so doing provides a means for ‘inert’ minerals to ‘evolve’ and move through a ‘higher’ life form and expression. Similarly, the plant kingdom provides sustenance for the animal kingdom and furthers its own development.
The fourth kingdom – the human – is dependent on minerals, plants and animals for its survival. Indeed, the human being comprises elements from all three ‘lower’ kingdoms, just as the animal comprises plants and minerals, and the plant minerals. Each higher order characterizes the items it consumes so they become more complex elements of itself.
In Nature, it can be observed that everything exists for something else. Everything, in fact, gives of itself and everything receives to itself. The Sun gives its light and heat so that the Earth may have life. The Earth gives of itself to the plants and trees and vegetation, which give themselves to animals and birds and creatures that crawl and swim. And they give themselves to humanity. And all die and give themselves back to the Earth out of which they sprang and were formed, and the cycle of Nature goes on. The circle is completed.
The kingdoms are states of existence. So when we use a totem we have a link with another state of existence which can help to condition our own. These states of existence are not entirely external to ourselves as they may appear. They are an integral part of ourselves, for though we are humans we contain within the human energy system elements of the mineral, plant and animal kingdoms. Each plays an essential and vital role in the dynamics of our own individual solar system – the little universe that revolves around the ‘Sun’ that is our individuated self. When we enlist help from these ‘kingdoms’ in furthering our progress we are extending our understanding and comprehension of the way Nature works, and helping to raise these other forms of consciousness towards a ‘higher’ nature. We become participators and partners in joint spiritual ‘evolution’ on our Earth Walk – our terrestrial journey.
A totem is a means of alignment with other levels of being. It is a means of linking one’s own organism with energy sources and formative forces that are beyond external manifestation and the range of appearances.
Animal Totems
An animal totem mirrors aspects of our own nature, and partly for this reason: the animal kingdom comprises the husbanders of the Earth and forms the link between the plant kingdom and the mineral kingdom. The three together provide a harmonious Earth environment for they balance the atmosphere and the fertility of the planet and provide the ideal conditions to support human life. The extermination of whole species of animals and the exploitation of others has gravely weakened the link, and the delicate balance of Nature is being upset. This is not only harming the Earth but threatening the survival also of the entire human race.
Regretfully, much of humanity regards the animal kingdom as unfeeling matter that can be used for whatever purpose it sees fit. Animals reared for food by factory farming methods or for experimentation to further scientific or medical ‘research’ can be subjected to horrendous suffering for the use of humanity. Through greed, humanity in general chooses to remain ignorant.
Animals – all animals, whether they run, crawl, swim or fly – have a conscious awareness like you and me. They suffer pain like you and me. They have a love for their young, like you and me. They are feeling, intelligent, living creatures whose guidance system is predominantly instinctive, and who have much to teach us if we will only watch, respect, listen and learn.
Look around for some tangible representations of the animals that are your totems. A totem does not have to be claw, tooth, fur or feather, though fishing tackle shops which sell items for fly-fishing are one source of possible supply for feathers or fur of some animals. You may need to stretch your imagination, but a representation does not have to come directly from the creature itself. The representation serves merely as a tangible link with the qualities and energies the totem represents and a vital means of getting through to the subconscious mind. It serves, also, as a valuable aid to meditation, and for developing the intuitive senses. Intuition is information that comes from within and a totem token held in the hand or used as a point of focus whilst meditating can advance such progress.
Browse around gift shops, general stores, shops that sell dress accessories, craft shops, and market stalls. My Eagle is an attractive pendant. My Mouse is a charming porcelain miniature that really captures the character of the little creature. Some may be a little more difficult to acquire unless you live in the United States or Canada. I have clippings from the fur of a grizzly which were given to me, but a taxidermist might help in your search. I obtained the shed skin of a snake from a local zoo. A totem can be represented by a small picture, a visual representation on a ring, or thimble, or any small item of artwork or crafting.
This search is part of the process of tuning your inner senses. Once that process has begun you may be surprised by how just the right thing comes to your attention unexpectedly and how often ‘coincidence’ seems to be playing a part in your life. It is the working of the subconscious links.
Plant Totems
Study the nature of the plant or tree that is your totem of the plant kingdom. Find out the surroundings it prefers, the kind of soil in which it thrives, the conditions it likes and dislikes, how it responds to change, whether it transplants safely from one place to another, the kind of plants it mixes well with, the phase of the Moon that is best for its planting, and so on. In so doing you will discover facets of your own nature.
Try to discern the auras of plants and trees. Trees and plants each have their own aura. If you look at a plant or tree silhouetted against the sky you may discern a fuzzy glow around it. Just before dusk you might see little swirls of energy around the leaves as they grasp the last rays of the sunlight. Remember, animals express themselves and they move about as we do. Plants and trees express themselves in one place and do not move, hence they can tell us a lot about the place in which they grow.
If your plant totem is easily available, it is best to go out into the countryside and obtain a cutting, or a twig if the totem is a shrub. If this is difficult, try a nursery or a herbal store. Otherwise, a small picture or other representation of the plant will suffice. My thistle totem is the flower-head embedded into a clear plastic dome which I discovered in a craft shop among similar items being sold as small paperweights. Remember, though, if cutting a plant or shrub to tell the plant the purpose for which you need it. It will indicate telepathically which piece may be taken. Place your finger where you will cut and give the plant or shrub time to withdraw its life-force. Afterwards, spit on the fingers and wipe over the bare cut surface as a thank-you and to prevent infection in the plant as spit contains an antiseptic.
Mineral Totems
The mineral kingdom not only provides the substance for the body, which is the physical expression of ourselves, but the food we eat contains elements from the mineral kingdom that provide us with vital and essential needs that enable us to function on the Earth.
Stones and rocks are part of this Earth, and were here long before plants, animals and humans appeared. They have experienced the evolution of the planet itself, and the vast geological and atmospheric changes as Age has succeeded Age. They were around through the rise and fall of civilizations and great empires. They have absorbed much good and bad.
Humanity has always regarded some stones as ‘precious’. Nowadays the most ‘precious’ stones are those which have a scarcity value and, therefore, a greater monetary worth.
But stones were valued by the Amerindian and by ancient peoples not out of material considerations, but because of the energies which were channelled through them. In some way, each stone was a receiver and transmitter of energy that could be used in many ways – for healing, for protection, for channelling thought vibrations, for tuning in to psychic patterns, for meditation, and many more.
Just as we each have something in common with our blood relations, however near or distant they may be, because something in our genes, perhaps, binds us together as ‘family’ and enables us to be supportive and share a sense of ‘belonging’, so we have an affinity with a gemstone.
A gemstone, too, is a ‘relative’, but one that exists in a ‘lower’ – or, rather, denser – realm of existence, though it is one that, to an extent, interpenetrates our own. There is a similarity that extends beyond the material – a similarity of qualities.
A gemstone can help the human being to enhance and develop the qualities they share. The human being, in enlisting the help of a gemstone, enables it, too, to elevate its own evolutionary development because it is given the opportunity to participate in the awareness of a being with a ‘higher’ level of consciousness.
A crystal, for instance, is more highly evolved in its path of evolution than any human is in his.
The selection of stones as totems in this book are those revealed to me by Silver Bear and represent twelve potential characteristics of humanity. They should not be compared with the birthstones of Sun astrology or so-called ‘lucky’ stones. Each has practical value in developing the virtues assigned to them. They operate in ways similar to the chakras of the energy body – as connectors or transformers between different levels – in bringing into manifestation the characteristics they symbolize.
There is thus a great difference between a gemstone used as a mineral totem and a ‘lucky’ birthstone. A birthstone is generally regarded as an inanimate object which through an association with certain planetary vibrations is able to draw ‘magnetically’ fortunate influences to the one who wears it.
The gemstone totem, on the other hand, was regarded by the American Indians as a manifestation of the Great Everything and an organism with ‘aliveness’, though very different from our own. The stone generates subtle energies which are related to human qualities and virtues. These qualities, in either their positive or negative aspect, are an integral part of humans born at a particular period in the Earth’s yearly cycle. Each personality category exhibits something of the related gemstone characteristics or a need for the qualities it emphasizes.
Gemstones given in this book can be obtained fairly easily from dealers in semi-precious stones, from some department stores, and specialist shops. Wherever possible let intuition be your guide in your choice of stone. I am told that ideally it is not a matter of us choosing a stone, but of the stone choosing its humans partner.
If you are presented with a tray of similar stones, or see several exhibited or on display, don’t be persuaded by what a salesperson or someone else may say, nor by the physical appearance alone of a particular stone. Seek inner guidance in making your choice and you will understand what I mean. Bear in mind that it is the inner harmony of the stone you are seeking to contact and to work with.
Your totem stone is going to be of particular importance to you because it is on your own ‘wavelength’ and shares certain of your attributes or is able to connect you with what you lack or require. It is going to be your connection with the mineral kingdom, so the selection is important. Ask to hold a stone that appeals to you. Hold it in your left hand (which is your receiving hand) and scan over it with your other hand (your giving hand). You may be able to feel its power. Ask yourself mentally, ‘Is this the stone that is right for me?’ Your True Self knows. So let your True Self be your guide.
Any stone you acquire will have passed through many hands and been in contact with many different environments, so it is necessary to cleanse it of any negative vibrations. This is done simply by putting it into a glass containing a solution of clean water and a pinch of salt with, perhaps, a teaspoonful of cider vinegar for a while. Then hold it under running water from a tap or in a stream. Afterwards leave it for a day or two on a shelf where it can bathe in the sunlight or moonlight.
Next, the stone has to be ‘awakened’ or attuned to you. This, again, is simple. Just hold it in the palm of one hand and think and feel love into it. If it helps, think of love as a ball of energy around it. Ask the ‘spirit’ within the stone to work with you. You may feel a response from the stone if you cup your other hand over it gently and close your eyes. It may be a gentle warmth, a slight tingling sensation, or even a slight pulsation.
This same procedure can be adopted for any further stones you acquire, and especially with crystals. Then, respect and treasure them: don’t just hide them away. Expose them to the sunlight or moonlight. Let them add their lustre to the aura of your home. If you want to carry one around with you, put it in a soft little pouch or bag.
The Amerindian shaman regarded stones as living beings that aided him in his multidimensional activities and extended the range of his extrasensory abilities.
Once you have chosen and ‘activated’ your stone in the way I have described and had it with you for a time you will discover for yourself what a valuable aid you have.
This, of course, is true of all your totems which serve as ‘helpers’ in bringing you into harmony with the Earth rather than in conflict with it, and by so doing restoring the harmony your own energy-system craves.
3.6
How to Obtain Your Own ‘Readings’
ONE OF THE BIG ATTRACTIONS OF EARTH MEDICINE IS THAT IT does not require the setting up of natal charts or any complex astrological calculations. With Earth Medicine you work with Nature, not an ephemeris.
Earth Medicine is a system that puts its user into contact with Nature and with the Earth’s natural cycles. As we have seen, it occasions a study of the phases of the Moon as indicators of how the Earth influences are flowing. It can become a highly personalized system because it exercises and develops the user’s own intuitive senses and restores the vital lost contact with the Inner Self and with Earth. It most importantly provides an understanding of why all is as it is, and it engenders a love and respect for Mother Earth as our guardian and teacher.
So let us get down to some practical work and build up some ‘Readings’ in stages.
Say we want to seek guidance for a particular day. The first step is to check the date with the Earth Web to determine the time section in which it falls and its position within that section – that is, whether it comes at or near its beginning or end or its middle.
For instance, say the date we have in mind is 24 March. By referring to the Earth Web we find that 24 March comes in the time-section 21 March – 19 April, which is Awakening Time. The totem for that period is Falcon.
I have explained elsewhere that the Time conditions to an extent the quality of the days its period embraces, and that the name allocated to each time-period describes a feature of its essence. The Awakening Time is when spring is in the air, and Nature is bursting forth into new life. So put yourself in harmony with Nature’s own cycle by getting a ‘feel’ of that particular time-cycle and what it means to you.
