Healing the Earth/Ourselves Newsletter February 2010 Vol.
10 No. 2
Greetings! Osiyo! Clearing A Path
By
Jim PathFinder Ewing (Nvnehi Awatisgi)
This second month of the year was in the old days called Bony Moon, or
Medicine Moon. It’s because it was the cold time when the last of winter
was still strong (strong medicine, or a time for medicine) and fall food
stores were nearly gone; it epitomized the inner strength of the people.
The
animals that were hunted were getting more elusive and crafty, and bony
themselves. Deer actually change their bodies to cope with this time of
year, the acidity of their stomachs changing to match the browse that’s
available. They often must live on the bark of trees, and their digestive
tract adapts to the food that is available.
So
it was with the people. They would stay mostly in their “winter house” –
a small dwelling with nothing but a small hole in the roof (which also,
at times, was used as personal or family “hot house,” or what is known
today as a sweat lodge). The people would actually change their
metabolisms to adapt to the cold, in a semi-comatose condition, like the
bears in hibernation. These are the things that were told to me, and I
tell them to you.
People
today don’t follow our ancestors ways of adapting to winter, we have many
conveniences, so there is no physical need to. A woman told me once, “the
closest I want to come to the outdoors is the parking lot of the mall.”
But the Powers of the Earth are always with us, even at the Mall. And
though we do not 'hibernate' in winter, it feels good to slow down a bit,
and honor the season.
With
the earthquake in Haiti, we are reminded how powerless we are to nature's
maelstroms. This can shake our illusions of security. However, we do have
the power to take compassionate action; sending much-needed monetary
support to one of the many relief organizations, keeping the Haitians in
our prayers, sending good energy, love and/or reiki to all those in need.
In
the Celtic tradition, the time of the goddess Brigit is approaching. We
think today of this time in February as holding Groundhog Day and
Valentine’s Day. Both are cartoon characters of the Powers of the season.
Groundhog Day arose from the Power of the season as a time of foretelling
the future; being the second month past Solstice it is a time of choices.
We co-create our world, and now is a good time to think about the choices
we want to make in coming weeks, months, the year.
Valentine’s
Day acknowledges the power of procreation. In Spring, the new beings are
born, but first there must be the action of causing beings to come into
physical existence. We allow the Spirit of being (our dreams, thoughts,
ideas, envisionings) to come into material being, or existence.
This
is a time of choices. Reach into your own divinity, the nvwati (medicine;
spirit, Creator’s light) within you. Decide the path you wish to take
(procreate). Then, co-create with Creator the allowing of it to come into
being.
Let
the Powers show you the way.
Aho.
