Rattling the Bones

PHOTO: Haida Gwaii Totem Displayed at the old Provincial Museum, in B.C. What does the word “totem” really mean?  More and more these days people explore the word “totem” by studying and exploring animals, plants or minerals as a symbolic representation of themselves or their spiritual journey.  Often, people speak of totems as protective artifacts or even as spirit guides.  In late adolescence I met a Mohawk man, an artist who sculpted totems all day long in the back of his home.  He was the kind of person who didn’t mind being watched, a natural teacher.  He explained that traditionally Totem Poles were sculptured monuments of red cedar trees; which ranged between 3 to 20 meters long.  A Totem Pole basically depicted shape-shifting figures of people and animals.  You’d find these poles often towering over lodges (often the Chief’s home); or carved in doorways to inspire a shift in attitude for ceremonies.  A good number of Totem Poles represented the lineag

What I love about the Medicine Wheel is that it emphasizes the beauty and benefit of shifting perspectives?  A basic Sacred Circle emphasizes 36 different points of view to an experience, an issue, a question, or even a memory.   When you start considering that each stone of a Wheel is the centre of another full Wheel you start realizing that perspectives are endless and every breath can deliver a new feeling; a new impression; a new flavour; a new sound etc….  Essentially, the Medicine Wheel tells us that if we don’t learn to adapt, to transition, to change and to transform we will most definitely get stuck in illusions and old programs. My question this week:  “Is it so bad to repeat over and over the same illusions and the same old programs?” Why try so hard to heal; to learn; to grow when there’s no sense of where it’s heading?  This seems to be a important and popular question these days especially amongst young people.  Today I learnt that the French