Medicine Cards

I decided to treat myself to a little gift of Medicine Cards. They arrived today with a beautiful hard-bound book of animal totems. It is suggested that each soul can find its personal pathway through the medicine of animals. The teachings vary from tribe to tribe, so the cards used certain aspects of each animal's medicine to relay life lessons coming from the elders of the Choctaw, Lakota, Seneca, Aztec, Yaqui, Cheyenne, Cherokee, Iroquois, and Mayan traditions.

The term "medicine" is anything that improves one's connection to the Great Mystery and to all life. Mind, body, spirit, personal power, strength, understanding, are all part of the medicine of living life in a way that brings healing to Mother Earth and to all our family, friends, associates, and other creatures. It is a way of life.

The idea is to be in complete harmony with the strength of that creature's essence when calling upon the power of an animal. It must be approached with humility and intuitiveness.

"Small native children know that if they are lost, they can call on the medicine of their parents - which brings to the child the strength of the parents even though they are not physically present. The parents will feel the pull of the child's need, and oftentimes will be able to see psychically through the eyes of their child and determine its location."

In this same way one can call on the power or medicine of an animal when one is in need of specific talents, which is based on the concept of unity - or the law of oneness. 

Anyway, I'm looking forward to finding my nine power, or totem, animals. (I hope one of them is an elephant.) After all, they represent my abilities, talents, and challenges that I face in my Earth Walk.

Also, I really want to know why we hear and see so many coyotes!

Coyote Totems

Since we have been visited nightly for weeks, and on our way to dinner the other night a big, well-fed, coyote crossed the road in front of us, I decided to see what that animal totem might mean. Here from this website:

Coyotes, also known as the Desert Wolf, are recognizable by their thick bushy tail, pointy nose, and ears. In the winter their coat grows thick to protect them from the harsh weather. They can run up to 30 mph, and their call will be heard up to 3 miles. Coyotes can live in urban areas as long as food and shelter is available. They form loose family groups which form for short periods of time then break apart, depending on the food supply. This large group formation will work together to catch deer. Normally coyotes hunt alone or in pairs. In this situation, one may intentionally chase small prey into the jaws of another coyote so they both can share a meal. A good way to tell a coyote apart from a wolf is its tail, which they carry low while the others carry their tails high.
Coyote teaches us to laugh at our mistakes so we won't get mired in the pain of life's lessons. Coyote comes into our lives when we need to understand the balance of wisdom and foolishness.


It is also known for carrying with him lessons that are crucial to growth and change, yet always with a sense of fun or folly. Hmmm, I wonder if this applies to me, my husband, or Lucy?

I have to admit I could use a laugh, especially leading up to the midterm elections, but their howling is starting to get a little unnerving - especially when Lucy barks and then you hear them trying to imitate her. Here, from U-Tube: