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The Bear

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Happy Monday Steem Fam,

It's been awhile since I shared a Spirit Animal card with you, so can you guess which animal I picked from the deck for this week? You got it! The Bear

The Bear is quite an interesting creature and deserves a little bit of deep understanding in both the physical and spiritual aspects. Let us give some respect to this magnificence by finding out a little bit more. The Encyclopedia Britannica defines bear as:

The (family Ursidae), any of eight species of large short-tailed carnivores found in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is the smallest, often weighing less than 50 kg (110 pounds), and the largest is a subspecies of Alaskan brown bear called the Kodiak bear (Ursus arctos middendorffi; see grizzly bear). The polar bear (Ursus maritimus), however, is the largest bear species. The black bear (Ursus americanus) is common in parts of the United States and Canada.

Bears are generally omnivorous, but dietary preferences range from seals for the entirely carnivorous polar bear to assorted vegetation for the largely herbivorous spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus). The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) eats only bamboo. Usually gaining weight beforehand, most bears sleep fitfully through much of the winter, but they do not truly hibernate. Despite their bulk, most bears climb with ease and swim strongly.

I don't know about you but the last two movies I saw regarding a bear they ripped the men to shreds. That pretty much freaked me out and every time I go into the wilderness I am on high alert. A part of me wants to just hug, cuddle, and maybe keep the fur (maybe a claw or tooth too), maybe it's the NdN in me ... shrugs.

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When Native Americans think of Bear Medicine these are the attributes a person will have when this creature has been called to your side:

• The primary meaning of the bear spirit animal is strength and confidence.

• Standing against adversity; taking action and leadership.

• The spirit of the bear indicates it’s time for healing or using healing abilities to help self or others.

• The bear medicine emphasizes the importance of solitude, quiet time, rest.

• The spirit of the bear provides strong grounding forces.

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As with all things in the Native American culture the bear is a sacred creature that provides oil, pelt, healing, and celebration. This week I feature a lovely dancer, Laura Grizzlypaws from British Columbia who is a descendant of the St’át’imc tribe, and she belongs to the people of Xwisten the Bear Clan.

Her words about the bear are as follows:

The Grizzly Bear dance is an expression of culture that is unique and authentic.

I walked where the Grizzly Bear dances. I feel his pleasure, excitement and freedom on the earth and in the wind that carries his messages from the past. I dance where the Grizzly Bear danced his steps leaving an ancestral footprint on the land like a cellular memory in my blood. His face is a shadow that calls to me as the wind calls his name “St'alhalam.” The Grizzly Bear he sings his songs as we unite under his skin. I now walk where he left his ancestral footprints. I heard his prayer, I felt his pain, I am his anger, I am his hope, I am his faith. He now dances upon the earth, now, only where I leave my ancestral footprints.

Enjoy a short video as Laura Grizzlypaws presents her dance:

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All of my readings are geared towards a healing; breaking through mental, spiritual, or emotional blocks that will assist us in overcoming every day obstacles.

If this is your first time swinging by, my Medicine Card Monday initiative is my positive intention to pull a card of healing or medicine for the community. This is different than tarot in that the cards I use are on the medicinal aspect of humanity other than the most common cards found in a tarot deck.

The decks I use are The Wild Unknown - Animal Spirit, Mystical Shaman Oracle, and the Chakra Wisdom Oracle. The cards will assist in helping those interested, find comfort in things going on in our community and the world we are now dealing with. Namely, issues around the world, astronomical, or overcoming health issues of all sorts, etc., maybe just something out of balance that we are feeling on any particular day that needs guidance.

By pulling a card for Steemit this will in turn assist with my Medicine training, give back to the community, and help those seeking answers. I will take some of the reading from guidebooks provided with the cards, but primarily give intuitive and medicinal words to help our community. We all have days when we need encouragement, inspiration, and comfort.

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The Card

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^{Photo taken by @eaglespirit}

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The card I pulled was The Bear from The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit deck.

Meaning

Waking from spiritual slumber, beginning anew.

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The Message

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After a long winter, the Bear arrises from deep slumber. At first the movement and efforts are difficult, but the Bear knows it's time to awaken and move toward the dawning light. The Bear card represents an individual on the cusp of new directions and personal transformation. The initial weeks and months of this spiritual quest may feel tricky, cumbersome, and full of obstacles. But you have no choice, Bear. Winter wanes, the warmth of spring emerges, and your transformation begins.

Things to be aware of

When in Balance: inner strength, yearning to grow.
When out of Balance: withdrawal, lethargy, heaviness.
To BRING INTO BALANCE: movement, exercise.

Are we possibly losing sight of how we can grow on Steemit? Are there other avenues instead of just sticking to the same crowd? How about making new friends, encouraging new people on the platform, or find new groups. The call to develop spiritually does not entail religion it means to grow as a human being.

Are we doing all we can to communicate, share new ideas, have fresh perspectives or sticking to the same routine of trying to capture the attention of everyone important? How about making yourself available to mentor, teach, or train. The choice is yours ...

A'OO,

Eagle Spirit

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I hope you liked the reading for this week. If so, please leave a comment below. I'd love to hear what you think (but not if you think it's all BS!) That's typical Eagle Spirit humor right there.

If you would like a personal Medicine Card reading:

• Send 2 STEEM per card.

• Choose a deck and spread: Animal Spirit (1, 2, 3, 4, or 13 card spread), Chakra Wisdom (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 7 card spread), or Mystical Shaman Oracle (1, 3, or 4 card spread.)

• Each person is given a special one-on-one healing energy session with a reading sent from a Reiki Master Teacher (that be me), and a Native American ceremony is included.

• Photos will be provided and explained. Please do not share these publicly.

• You can find me on Discord under the name Eagle Spirit #4491.

Have a glorious week and come back next Monday for another Medicine Card reading!

Greetings,
Thank you for stopping by to read my blog. I’m a First Nation member of the Hopi & Apache Native American tribes, Medicine woman in-training, first time blogger since November 2017, (right here on Steemit), paralegal, researcher, and writer based in the Mountains of Colorado, USA. I work closely with fellow planktons and minnows in a few groups by helping them adjust to Steemit and curate quality content. I’m especially interested in finding others who love natural medicine originating from ancient practices, gold and silver, energy work, and the spirit world. Additionally, I'm the creator of #MedicineCardMonday, so if you are interested in receiving a Native American blessing stop by my blog every Monday, or just say hello!
See you soon, @eaglespirit

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^{Eagle Spirit’s Disclaimer
Energy therapy is a natural method of energy balancing, but is not meant as a substitute for medical, or psychological diagnosis and treatment.
Energy practitioners do not diagnose conditions, nor do they perform medical treatment, prescribe substances, or interfere with the treatment of a licensed medical professional.
Energy therapy or any other natural healing therapy should not compete with medical doctors and their treatments. All therapies are meant to complement medical treatments.
If you wish to learn more about energy work or the methods I use to assist others in Native American medicine practices feel free to contact me privately.}