|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
The following
is used with permission from pages 26 & 27 of the
'Circle of the Turtle Clan'
Anishnabe 101 Teachings
The information that follows regarding ‘Medicines’ is based on the accumulation of many years of
oral teachings by members of our Circle, and it is supported by that found in Dancing with the
Wheel: The Medicine Wheel Workbook, by Sun Bear, Wabin Wind, & Crysalis Mulligan. The Section
on Stone Medicines has been adapted from the work of Nancy Anderson, They Came from the
Earth.
Plant Medicines
The medicines most commonly used in Anishnabe ceremonies are tobacco, sage,
sweetgrass, cedar, & strawberries. Plant medicine can be harvested from the wild,
but it should be done in a respectful manner, ensuring that it will continue for the
future generations by taking only every fourth one "
Tobacco always comes first. It is used as an offering before you harvest
anything from Mother Earth. You must place your offering in a respectful way on
the earth near the plant or animal or stone you wish to take, and ask its permission
for you to take it. This ensures that more will come to take its place in nature.
Tobacco is believed to open the door between our world and the Spiritual World, so
it is used to carry your prayers to the Creator. Hold it in your hand as you pray,
then leave it in a special place on Mother Earth when you are done, or offer it to a
sacred fire.
Tobacco can be kept in a pouch and carried with you: some say that its the
Anishnabe 9-1-1 number, always make sure you have some. It offers us clarity
when it is used in the proper way. It was not meant to be used in the recreational
way that smokers use it today. Whenever possible, use traditional, naturally cured
tobacco rather than the chemically-treated varieties you buy in stores. Some
people choose to grow their own.
The proper way to ask a favour of someone is to offer them tobacco. Generally
speaking, the bigger the favour, the more tobacco you offer. Tradition holds that
if they are able to do the thing that you ask, then the tobacco will compel them to
do it for you. But if they cannot, then they will return it to you, perhaps with a
referral to someone else who might be able to provide the help that you need. Of
course, requesting assistance in this way must not be done frivolously.
Sage is women’s medicine. It is said to be a masculine plant, and it reduces, or
eliminates, negative energy. Often in women’s circles, only sage is used in the
smudge. There are many varieties of sage, but this sage is not the kind that is
available as a spice – that’s a different genus all together. You can buy white
desert sage in some gift shops, you can buy seed or plants and grow them in your
garden, and depending on where you live, you can find sage growing wild. Here, in
Eastern Ontario, our wild sage is commonly known as Pearly Ever-Lasting – a silvery
green single stalk plant, 12 - 18 inches tall, with a crown of white fuzzy blossoms.
It grows everywhere, especially where there is poison ivy, and it can be picked in
late August.
Cedar offers us protection and grounding. Most ceremonies include making a
protective ring around the activity circle with cedar. Boughs can be hung on the
entrances to your home, small leaves can be kept in the medicine bag that you wear
daily or put in your shoes when you need extra grounding, and ground cedar leaves
can be offered for prayers.
Cedar tea is especially good to serve during times of teachings and circles, so that
all can keep focused on their task at hand. Boil four palm-sized cedar leaves in
about 2 litres of water for about 5 minutes. Let it steep for 15 to 20 minutes
before serving.
Sweetgrass may be the best known of our plant medicines. It is said to be a
feminine plant whose teaching is kindness because it bends without breaking. Its
braids are unique to Anishnabe culture: because it is considered to be the hair of
Mother Earth, we show respect to her by braiding it before it is picked.
It has been used in basket weaving and other gift items, where its gentle scent is
renowned. But in a smudge, it is used to attract positive energy. It grows in
wetlands and is ready to be picked in mid-summer. In case the scent is not enough
for you to identify the plant, it has a purple section that is only about ¼ of an inch
wide in the first inch of its stalk. Sweetgrass is also available from nurseries so
that you can grow it in your own garden."
~ to learn more about Anishnabe Culture please visit ~
www.thealgonquinway.ca
Sweetgrass Perfume Body Oil,
in a handy roll-on dispenser,
can be purchased at:
www.ottawavalleyfood.org
Visit Laurie's website:
www.opeongo.com
| Home | About | Archives | Contributors | Contact |