Elk - Spirit Animal

 North American Elk picture from Wikipedia

 

 

Whenever we drive to the mountains, to Banff or Lake Louis, or in other park areas, we were constantly on the alert for Elk.  I have had past encounters with Elk on the road, and, in their majestic way, neither the bull or cow Elk will give way.  If Elk appears in your life, and you have a strong, personal energy, Elk may be reminding you that you descend from a lineage of royalty, and to carry yourself accordingly.

Elk is very strong and agile, and can run for miles.  When wolves or cougars attack the herd, all the Elk scatter in different directions to confuse the predator.  And, if cornered Elk will fight to the death either predator.  The message that Elk's strength and courage sends to you is to first understand the environment you are in - either home or work - and watch for changes in energy indicating that some danger is occurring for you.  The message is also about standing your ground and answering to your own principles.  When you are attacked, fight for what is true relentlessly.  To keep from being provoked, Elk cautions that you should take time for yourself and retreat to Nature occasionally, or simply spend time in solitude, away from friends and family.  This time of recharging will regenerate your strength and power.

Elk is well known to The People of the plains and the mountains.  Many of the stories told by the Ancestors tell of Elk being very large - as in giant large, and that in the days of creation, Elk created the mountains and the valleys by dragging its antlers through the ground in pursuit of those who would harm Elk.  Elk is also known as an animal that protects, and therefore is the totem animal for some, and the spirit guide for others. 

When Elk walks into your life, you may be sure that you are in for an adventure!

Many Blessings,

Judy

My First Drum

 

Picture is from the website native-drums.ca 

My first drum came to me in 2001 when I was out in Vancouver.  I was in this great shop of indigenous crafts and clothing.  The lady managing the store asked me what I was looking for and I told her that I was guided to the store to buy a drum but that I was not seeing a drum that called to me.  She said, “Aaahhh.  Wait a minute.”  

She came back about five minutes later carrying a beautiful drum.  She said, “I think this drum is for you.  It just came in this morning.  It is made by a young lady after her first moon and brings the strength of the young girl now woman and her Ancestors. She said that the first drum that a person makes is special and that she was guided to not keep it.”

I took the drum and the drum stick and gently beat the drum.  The tone was powerful but gentle and vibrated through my body.  I knew the drum was for me.  I turned the drum over and there was a little carved paddle attached to one of the support sinews.  I asked what the paddle was for.  The manager replied that it was a gift of good luck.  Again, I knew the drum was for me.  I beat out a few more notes and happily paid for the drum.

I took it back to the house we were staying at, and smudged the drum and hugged it and introduced myself.  I asked the drum for its name but it was not ready to share it with me.  During the next week, we were at several drumming sessions.  Every time I played her, my drum sounded sweeter.  And yes, eventually the drum gave me her name.

Now twenty some years later, the drum is still beautiful and still sounds sweet.  She hangs on the wall in our meditation room when I am not drumming.

Clients and students have asked me if they should buy a drum or make a drum.  I have made several drums.  Each is different.  My first drum still resonates with me the most.  I do not think it matters whether you buy a drum or make a drum as long as the drum or the drum making process speaks to you at a soul level.  I think everyone should have a drum for the resonance of the drum beat creates balance and healing like nothing else.

Many blessings,

Judy

Sadness On Losing Someone

 

Picture Taken by Judy Hirst in Summer of 2022 in Elbow Falls Recreation Area

I know that we have all lost someone and that we all grieve in different ways.  I want to talk about the sadness that we can feel when someone we have had adventures with and laughed with and made plans with, passes suddenly.

My Uncle died several weeks ago.  I didn’t feel grief like I have with other people who have died.  Instead, I felt and still feel this heavy sadness that is like a blanket that I cannot shake off.  It stays with me.  I am doing fun things, liking walking my dog with my friends and out of no where, the weight of the blanket wraps around me and I lose track of the conversation.  I look up to the sky.  I am lost momentarily.  And then someone calls me back.  

Or, I am busing doing household chores, and I stop because I remember a time where we were out to dinner or sitting on the house steps drinking iced tea and telling stories.  Or he was showing me pictures of my cousins, spread out in different places.  

I am sad.  I am sad for me. I am sad for his wife and for my cousins.  I am sad for all the people that knew him and loved him. 

I am sad for all the people that have lost people this year in wars, violence, illness, and accidents.

I know that time will balance out the sadness to memories and the happy times.  Eventually, peace will come.

Blessings,

Judy

Mother Moose - Spirit Animal

Animal mothers always amaze me in that they know who is around them, and if there are people, which people are trustworthy and which are not.

Last weekend, Mother Moose and her young calf were ambling through the bushes, and M. Moose was eating to keep up her strength while the young moose was exploring.  When she saw me, M. Moose turned to face me and assess whether she should flee.  She chose not to.  I wondered how she made these decisions.

Here are some lessons from Mother Moose:

1. Stay close to cover. To be too far out in the open puts the newborn at risk.
2. Don’t walk under rocks or too close to them because the big cat (cougar) hides there.
3. When the new shoots are green, eat your fill. You may not have time to eat later. 
4. Bed down where your back is protected.  You need only fight on one front if you are attacked by wolves.
5. Keep the young fed so they have the strength for the journey.

Many blessings,

Judy

Wolverine Power - Spirit Animal

When I watched the movie “Wolverine”, I realized the significance of the warrior adapting animal characteristics.  Certainly, Logan was a warrior by the nature of his upbringing – parentless and on his own since he was very young.  However, combining Wolverine’s power with his morality and hero complex, a new type of evolution of man is portrayed.  Perhaps this is not so fictional as it seems.  The indigenous people have always believed that one may call on their power animal or spirit animal for help in any situation.

Picture of wolverine from email




Wolverine, a member of the weasel family, was once found through out Europe, Russia, and North America.  It is now only in sparsely populated areas. (The wolverine is distributed primarily in remote reaches of the Northern boreal forests and subarctic and alpine tundra of the Northern hemisphere, with the greatest numbers in Alaska, Canada, the Nordic countries of Europe and throughout western Russia and Siberia. – from Wikipedia)

Although it looks bearish, it has the cunning and speed of the weasel, and, it is extremely strong so it can vanquish animals several times its size.  Its ability to survive comes from its ability to adapt.  Wolverine has been appearing to people in dreams and in pictures with a very clear message.

“It is time to retreat from the mass population of humans.  Seek the quieter, wilder places because this is where you will find the abundance of nature to clear the air of pollution and to purify the water that runs with pesticides and fertilizer.  The chemicals change us all.  It is not the way of the Circle (Great Spirit).  The Circle gives us the gift of our strength, speed, and knowing to use to keep our species going (natural selection).  We gladly lend our strength and knowing to those who call on us because we would like to see humans shed the unnatural ways that man has become.  
Once, the wise ones of the tribes, the Ancestors of us all, spoke together and exchanged information.  They taught one another and helped each other keep the balance.  Man has now broken the balance of the Circle.  When that happens, then the Breaker is punished.  In the case of man, who can tell who the Breaker is?  Each thing that man does causes harm.  We say to you, “Dig in!”  Dig into the earth and see how beautiful it is.  See too, how damaged it is in places.  Fix this!  When others try to force you to bend to their will, call on us.  We will gladly come!  We will share our power, unlike the humans who covet power so much.  We will stand with you.
To find your link to us, meditate on the nature of Wolverine. We are not filled with anger.  We are filled with love.  We will fight though, for what is ours by Nature’s law.  We follow the wisdom of the moon, of nature, of the laws of life.  We feel the pulse of the changes coming.  We will help you.”

Many Blessings,

Judy

Gorilla on Strength -Spirit Animal

Teachers tell us that when animals appear in our dreams, visions, and through pictures in our daily lives, that the animal has a message or wisdom to share.

Gorilla has been showing up to give remarkable demonstrations on strength.  Some of her thoughts are:

• Strength must be both physical and mental.  To achieve your strongest physical capability, you must practice (workout). To achieve your clearest mental state, you must take on challenges.
• Your personality must be clearly defined with a strong sense of goodness and fairness.  Bullies and nasty actions are not accepted.
• Make either your hearing or your sight one of your strongest traits.  Hearing will let you hear those that plan to harm you.
• Strength lies in the loyalty of the tribe to one another and to finding food for the good of all

Gorilla tells us to evaluate where we stand with family, with friends, and with our colleagues at work.  She asks us to measure the worth of sticking with them.

Many Blessings,

Judy

Robin Sings

The Robins returned to our yard and each morning, at about 4:20 AM, they begin singing and sending cheer throughout our yard and surrounding neighbor yards.  Much like the Monks who rise at 4 AM to chant in the day, Robin's music meditation lifts your spirits and lets your imagination soar.  

Robin, legends say, is celebrating that it could steal a fire ember and bring fire to earth.  In the process, its breast feathers were scorched red and its head was blackened with smoke and soot.  So, Robin sings of bravery and of going beyond your self.

Many Blessings,

Judy