Spirit Animals – Bear Moves Into Winter

  Picture of American Black Bear From Wikipedia

 

I was out walking with my dogs in Fish Creek Park, and we hooked up with a First Nations Grandfather with his grandson.  As we walked, we talked.  Both of us have been noticing signs of a black bear or cinnamon bear along the river, and in the surrounding field.  First, there is the scat of the bear that draws attention. It is quite distinctive.  Then there is the smell it leaves behind for about two to three hours after it has travelled a trail – it is what we would call “rank”, and seems to be a cross between wet dog and badger, along with the smell of old socks.  And, there are also beehives, torn up and discarded in the field as well as sucker fish chewed up and the carcass and head left either along the river or in some unlikely places amongst the trees.  His paw prints are around the muddy places on the bank.  He even was rolling over some logs, looking for grubs.  It is clear that he is getting ready to hibernate and is stocking his body to carry him through the winter. 

What is most interesting is that Bear, invisible to us, is leaving a trail that we can follow.  In many traditions of the First Nations Peoples, Bear is a powerful, invisible ally.  Bear is considered to be fearless, and is said to be sent by Great Spirit to “care take”  Mother Earth by digging for grubs, pulling apart dead trees, and culling the insects and fish and small animals that multiply more quickly than the food supply.  Bear is said to have a path that it can take from Earth to the Heavens.  This path was lit by “Great Bear”, in the sky.  Today, we know this as Ursa Major.

Picture of Ursa Major or “Great Bear” from www.windows.ucar.edu  Notice that Ursa Major incorporates the Big Dipper

 

Why is Bear, then, showing up without showing himself?  Perhaps it is that Bear moves around both day and night.  He is aligned with both Father Sky and Grandmother Moon.  This means that he has both solar power – high, sustainable energy and great strength as well as knowledge, and lunar power – how to walk with the moon and the stars without fear of the darkness, and how to harness the sixth senses – clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, clairgustance, and claircognizance.  Bear is telling us that not all of our senses are physical, and that we must learn to use our intuition and third eye abilities.

Bear also reminds us that even though our strength may be invisible, it has power.  We must learn to use our power, even if it feels strange and new to us.  Like Bear, we must be discerning in how we appear to others.  When we show strength where none is expected, people are afraid, and will hunt us and kill us, rather than try to understand us – as they do Bear.

May your interactions with Bear be full of true teachings and laughter because Bear does like to play!

Judy@angelsandancestors.com   See access to “THE STORY OF LIGHT” on www.angelsandancestors.com    See list of upcoming events as well.

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