Guest guest Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 Bear Medecine Excerpted from " Sacred Plant Medecine " by Harrod Buhner Much of the energy of Osha is bear energy. Bears respond to it as a kind of ursine catnip. They will roll on it and cover themselves with its scent. Males have been seen to dig up roots and offer them to females as part of courting. When a bear comes newly out of hibernation it will eat osha if it can find it to cleanse its digestive system. The bear will chew the root into a watery paste then spit it on its paws and wash its face with the herb over its body. The herb possesses strong action against bodily parasites. How did the bear learn these things? No one knows but the herbal knowledge of the bear is legendary in all cultures. The bear is considered a primary healing animal because it uses plants for its own healing. Any plant that is considered bear medecine is a primary and potent plant medecine. The bear is the archetype of healing animal and hence there are many stories about its healing power. There is one story about a village on Turtle Island a long time ago. An old man came to the village. He was covered with sores and he smelled. He was very ill. He had no possessions or food. He came to the first lodge in the village and asked the people there, " will you help me? I need a place to stay and some food, I am very hungry. " The people drove him off, fearing he would infect their children. They did not want such an old sick man in their lodge. The man then went from lodge to lodge in the village and each time was driven off. Sick and in despair, the old man came to the last lodge in the village. It was set off a little from the others and sheltered under the branches of a great tree. The old man approached the lodge and called out, asking for help. A woman saw he was sick and in need. She brought him into the lodge, fed him. and gave him her place to rest. He ate and sank onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep. The next day the old man was much improved but still too weak to go on. He ate what the woman gave him and rested. Upon waking the next day, however, he was much worse. The woman applied what knowledge of healing she had but to no avail. Each day the old man became sicker and sicker. At last, having exhausted her healing knowledge, the woman knew the old man would die. He knew it too, and lifted his hand and called her over. " I was told in a dream from Spirit, " he said, " that there is a certain plant that grows in the forest that can heal me. Spirit told me to tell you of it. " The old man described it exactly, saying, " Go and fetch it. " The woman went into the forest and found the plant, growing where he had described it, picked it with prayers and ceremonies of preparation and how it was to be made into medecine. She did these things and the old man became well. Each day he grew stronger and stronger. But before too long he began to get ill again. The woman tried all her healing knowledge and again it was to no avail. The old man just got sicker. Then, again, when he was on the point of death, he called her over and told her of a second dream from Spirit about a plant that could heal him. Again she followed the instructions and again he was healed. This happened over and over again for a year. In the end, after taking the final plant into his body, the old man grew well. He did not get sick again. Eventually he rose from his bed and went to the door. He turned to the woman and said, " Spirit told me to that there was one in this village who was to be taught how to heal the people. I was sent to find you and teach you all I know of healing. I have done so. " And turning once again the old man went through the door of her lodge and into the light. The woman ran to the door and looked out. As the old man passed into the forest he turned into a huge bear and walked on. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 Interesting post, Wallace! Amazing how knowledgeable bears are. I did not know they were so wise in matters of medicine! I can't wait to read this book one of these days soon... Connie > > Bear Medecine > Excerpted from " Sacred Plant Medecine " by Harrod Buhner > Much of the energy of Osha is bear energy. Bears respond to it as a > kind of ursine catnip. They will roll on it and cover themselves with > its scent. Males have been seen to dig up roots and offer them to > females as part of courting. When a bear comes newly out of > hibernation it will eat osha if it can find it to cleanse its > digestive system. The bear will chew the root into a watery paste > then spit it on its paws and wash its face with the herb over its > body. The herb possesses strong action against bodily parasites. How > did the bear learn these things? No one knows but the herbal > knowledge of the bear is legendary in all cultures. The bear is > considered a primary healing animal because it uses plants for its > own healing. > > Any plant that is considered bear medecine is a primary and potent > plant medecine. The bear is the archetype of healing animal and hence > there are many stories about its healing power. > > There is one story about a village on Turtle Island a long time ago. > An old man came to the village. He was covered with sores and he > smelled. He was very ill. He had no possessions or food. > > He came to the first lodge in the village and asked the people > there, " will you help me? I need a place to stay and some food, I am > very hungry. " > > The people drove him off, fearing he would infect their children. > They did not want such an old sick man in their lodge. The man then > went from lodge to lodge in the village and each time was driven off. > > Sick and in despair, the old man came to the last lodge in the > village. It was set off a little from the others and sheltered under > the branches of a great tree. > > The old man approached the lodge and called out, asking for help. A > woman saw he was sick and in need. She brought him into the lodge, > fed him. and gave him her place to rest. He ate and sank onto the bed > and fell into a deep sleep. > > The next day the old man was much improved but still too weak to go > on. He ate what the woman gave him and rested. Upon waking the next > day, however, he was much worse. The woman applied what knowledge of > healing she had but to no avail. Each day the old man became sicker > and sicker. At last, having exhausted her healing knowledge, the > woman knew the old man would die. He knew it too, and lifted his hand > and called her over. > > " I was told in a dream from Spirit, " he said, " that there is a > certain plant that grows in the forest that can heal me. Spirit told > me to tell you of it. " The old man described it exactly, saying, " Go > and fetch it. " > > The woman went into the forest and found the plant, growing where he > had described it, picked it with prayers and ceremonies of > preparation and how it was to be made into medecine. She did these > things and the old man became well. Each day he grew stronger and > stronger. > > But before too long he began to get ill again. The woman tried all > her healing knowledge and again it was to no avail. The old man just > got sicker. Then, again, when he was on the point of death, he called > her over and told her of a second dream from Spirit about a plant > that could heal him. Again she followed the instructions and again he > was healed. > > This happened over and over again for a year. In the end, after > taking the final plant into his body, the old man grew well. He did > not get sick again. Eventually he rose from his bed and went to the > door. > > He turned to the woman and said, " Spirit told me to that there was > one in this village who was to be taught how to heal the people. I > was sent to find you and teach you all I know of healing. I have done > so. " > > And turning once again the old man went through the door of her lodge > and into the light. The woman ran to the door and looked out. As the > old man passed into the forest he turned into a huge bear and walked > on. > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---------- > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 6, 2007 Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 Thank you Wallace, I loved this story. It gave me chills. Sounds like I need to get the book and read more. > > Interesting post, Wallace! > Amazing how knowledgeable bears are. I did not know they were so wise > in matters of medicine! > I can't wait to read this book one of these days soon... > Connie > > > > Bear Medecine > > Excerpted from " Sacred Plant Medecine " by Harrod Buhner > > Much of the energy of Osha is bear energy. Bears respond to it as a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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