When I think about star medicine, I recognize the way they fill our lives with wonder, and wishes. Sometimes, they mesmerize us, with their dazzling display of light. Lately, I've learned to appreciate the way some stars twinkle in many different colors, like quarts crystals, casting rainbows all around.

I've heard that the stars wish to be seen. I feel delighted considering the possibility that the stars are happy when we notice their brilliance and beauty. People are this way too, in my experience. My family lights up when I give them my full attention, and my compliments, and my gratitude.

I believe there's some kind of secret medicine in the stars. The energy they hold is easily felt in the Sun–the nearest star. Here on Earth, we appreciate the warmth and the light of our local star. We rely on Polaris to guide. And we recall the constellations, with their various interpretations. Still, there is mystery.

Maybe the stars hold the keys to healing and well-being. Maybe they know the secrets about what it means to be human, and why we are here. Maybe knowing them will help us to better understand ourselves, and our destinies.

Illustration by Cabe Lindsay.

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The Story

Right now, I'm resonating with a book called Sacred Plant Medicine - The Wisdom In Native American Herbalism, by Stephen Harrod Buhner. In the book, I'm reading about the roles of vision quests, dreams, and songs, as ways to experience the divine. Depending on our intentions, these experiences can bring healing, connection, purpose, and vision.

For example, Black Elk was a Sioux holy man, who envisioned a ray of light coming up from a flower, reaching the heavens, and all the creatures of the universe saw this light. This vision led him to an herb, which existed in reality, called the Daybreak Star. This herb had two stems and all the colors of the four directions: red, yellow, black, and white. Black Elk discovered a sacred plant.

According to the Sacred Plant Medicine book, working with a mixture of herbs and water is not a "medicine," it is merely a tea. These plants may help the bodies of a sick person, but they do not cure him. The herbs do not become a true medicine until the healer activates the herbs in ceremony, through the use of breath. Then, in the close relationship with Spirit, the medicine is infused into the plants and causes the drinker to awaken into the medicine for healing.

In my personal experience, I can testify to the healing power of plant medicines and sacred songs. I believe these songs are the catalysts that activate the herbs, through the power of positive intentions. In these songs, we verbalize words that resonate in the high intelligence of the heart, and often times we sing them in groups, in harmony.

"Songs are thoughts, sung with breath when people are moved by great forces and ordinary speech no longer suffices." –Orpingalik, in Shamanic Voices, by Joan Halifax

On a related note, I saw something interesting when I visited the Standing Rock Reservation, in North Dakota, during the height of the water protectors' movement there. It happened after a tipi meeting, before dawn's light, when a sister was praying. We saw a star watching us. First it grew in size, drawing near to us, and then it casually drifted overhead. Then, when the prayer was complete, the star dashed away to the horizon.

That same day, I read about the Native American legends involving the Star People. The Cherokee legends, for example, recall their people's origin in the Pleiades. They came to this world as Starseeds, to bring Light. Along these same lines, I've heard that these Starseeds brought sacred plants with them as gifts. I'm told these plants include peyote and cannabis. I'll say about that much.

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The Vision

Blue star Maria shows to me
You are awe-inspiring
I find myself drawn to your light
Peaceful and strong

Out in your orbit is a little moon
You are magnetizing
I am with you even when
We are far away

Viva to the melody and harmony
We are wonderworking
My heart is expanding
Like the depth of the sky

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💎

"Each sacred song represents a time when a human being entered the world of the sacred and brought back something from that place for help in the human world." –Buhner, in Sacred Plant Medicine

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The Process

The writing process for this song began with a melody. I heard it late one night, when I was outside, staring at the stars. A bright blue star caught my eye, and it felt as if the star and I were holding the same gaze, seeing each other. As I watched this star, a red dot flashed momentarily, as if it was a little red moon orbiting the star.

In this week's Vision Quest, I made many attempts to capture the "breath" that activates the medicine, in the form of a song. I experienced some challenges in the recording process, memorizing a complex song, troubleshooting a few tech issues, navigating some noisy kids... Ultimately I learned a lot.

My creative process for this song is a matter of entering the Flow, and documenting. I closed my eyes, played a hypnotic riff on the guitar, and breathed my way into the vibration. For the recording, I setup a camera (GoPro) and audio recording device (Zoom 4), to handle the documentation.

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The Quest

This is my entry to Steemit Vision Quest - Week 13: Star Medicine. Thanks to the SVQ team, who is a steady force of encouragement for all of us willing to bring our collective Visions together for the higher good of all: @eaglespirit, @rensoul17, and @girlbeforemirror. Thanks to all the Vision Questers, and thanks to all of the supporters. Thanks to the creators of Steemit, and thanks to those who continue to make this platform great. I appreciate you all.

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This post contains 100% original content by @cabelindsay.