THE ESSENCE: The Ghost Dance of the American Plains Indians united the spirits of the living with those of the ancestors to bring peace to the world. When the ancestors are honored, they bring harmony to us. When we hold them responsible for all that is wrong with us today, they haunt us. Honor the…
ESSENCE: Before we cultivated grains, we collected the wild bounty of nature. The Gatherer finds abundant seeds, nuts, berries, and wild greens where the ordinary person sees only barren soil. The gatherer is the provider, the forager, and the gardener who collects roots and vegetables for the long winter when game is scarce. She does…
THE ESSENCE: There is a natural movement of events in the world. You can see it in phenomena such as the tide, the ebb and flow of oceans and rivers that rise up from the earth then flow to the sea. The symbol of Flow represents the effortless and natural movement toward a certain destination.…
THE ESSENCE: Fire consumes anything that it touches. The flames remind us of the impermanent nature of reality, and how situations can quickly transform into beauty or chaos. Fire is passion, and its dancing flames invite us to reach to the sky. Warmth and light are heavenly, yet too much heat can scorch us. To…
THE ESSENCE: Just as you’re involved in co-creating your world, you are also responsible for its well-being. The Earthkeepers are dedicated to the stewardship of the Earth and all life. They choose to hold the sacred dream of a planet where all beings live in peace and where the rivers and the air are clean.…
THE ESSENCE: Earth represents the gift of life. The symbol on this card refers to the body of the planet Earth, the human body, and Nature herself. We’re reminded by this symbol that all creatures are born of the Earth and human beings are the stewards of all life on this planet. It refers to…
THE ESSENCE: Eagle comes from the east, the place of the rising sun, of new beginnings. She soars high in the sky, sees the smallest detail with clarity without losing track of the bigger picture, and nests in the high mountains. For Eagle, there are no obstacles, only opportunities. She calls you to ascend, to…
THE ESSENCE: The rhythm of the drum tunes you to the beating heart of the universe. Its wood frame links you to the trees and helps you journey to the lower world via the roots and the upper world through its branches. The drum skin gives the shaman the powers of the animal kingdom. Striking…
THE ESSENCE: Crow is the keeper of universal law, the law of truth. Crow teaches us to walk our talk, to find congruence between who we say we are and who we really know ourselves to be. This winged one insists that we speak truth, that we create truth instead of searching for it, and…
THE ESSENCE: The Coyote is the symbol of the sacred trickster, the one who provides detours for growth and understanding by ensuring that things don’t go as planned. The Coyote brings the energy of divine deception to set you free from the shackles of that which doesn’t serve you. Sometimes it appears that you will…
