Many tribes have called this space of inner-knowing the Dream Lodge, where the death of the illusion of physical reality overlays the expansiveness of eternity. It is in the Dream Lodge that our ancestors sit in Council and advise us regarding alternative pathways that lead to our goals. This is the power of Bear.
The female receptive energy that for centuries has allowed visionaries, mystics, and shaman to prophesy is contained in this very special Bear energy. In India, the cave symbolizes the cave of Brahma. Brahma’s cave is considered to be the pineal gland that sits in the center of the four lobes of the brain.
If one were to imagine an overview of the head, the top of it would be a circle. The South would be the forehead, the North the back of the skull, the West would be the right brain, and the East the left brain.
Bear is in the West, the intuitive side, the right brain. To hibernate, Bear travels to the cave, which is the center of the four lobes where the pineal gland resides. In the cave, Bear seeks answers while he/she is dreaming or hibernating. Bear is then reborn in the spring, like the opening of spring flowers.
For eons, all seekers of the Dreamtime and of visions have walked the path of silence, calming the internal chatter, reaching the place of rites of passage - the channel or pineal gland. From the cave of Bear, you find the pathway to the Dream Lodge and the other levels of imagination or consciousness. In choosing Bear, the power of knowing has invited you to enter the silence and become acquainted with the Dream Lodge, so that your goals may become concrete realities. This is the strength of Bear.
CONTRARY: If you are operating from Shadow ...
If you have drawn Bear reversed, your internal dialogue may have confused your perception of your true goals. In seeking answers or advice from others, you may have placed your own feelings and knowing aside. The time has come to regain your authority, for no one knows better than yourself what is proper and timely for your evolution. Reclaim the power of knowing. Find joy in the silence and richness of the Mother’s womb. Allow the thoughts of confusion to be laid to rest as clarity emerges from the West, nurturing your dreams as the Earth Mother nourishes us all.
Bear in the contrary position is teaching you that only through being your own advisor can you attain your true goals. Anything less than the doing of that which gives you the most joy is denial. To achieve happiness you must know yourself. To know yourself is to know your body, your mind, and your spirit. Use your strengths to overcome your weaknesses and know that both are necessary in your evolution.
Journey with Bear to the quietness of your cave and hibernate in silence. Dream your dreams and own them. Then in strength you will be ready to discover the honey waiting in the Tree of Life.
~ The Medicine Cards ~
The Discovery of Power Through the Ways of Animals
by Jamie Sams & David Carson ~ The Medicine Cards |
