Product Description

When the late Sun Bear first had his vision of the Medicine Wheel, he did not know how far-reaching that vision would be. Millions of people around the world have read the Medicine Wheel books, and untold numbers have participated in Medicine Wheel ceremonies to honor and heal the Earth Mother. Sandra Stanton's series of paintings beautifully illustrate the system of Earth Astrology that invites us back into harmony with the earth. Traditional Earth Astrology wisdom accompanies the paintings. In this calendar you will learn more about the positive and healing qualities of people born under, or passing through, the twelve different moons. The Medicine Wheel teachings help us better appreciate the diversity of all Earth's people and find our own special place in the sacred web of the natural world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1037174 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Calendar
• 26 pages

Review
Medicine Story Out of a secure traditional wisdom that once maintained the harmony of Creation in this land, Sun Bear and Wabun bring a needed message to the children of a confused and disintegrating civilization. It is a message of balance, of self-reliance, of attunement with the spirits of the natural world -- skills well nigh lost to our overspecialized, pre-packaged, left-brained education. This is more than just another system of personality classification and analysis, it is a compendium of fascinating information about various animals, minerals and plants, including their characteristics, their healing and spiritual qualities, as well as the uses made of them by the native people of this continent. This is a new vision, a vision for our times. -- Review

Review
"Sun Bear is a proud example for the generations to come....I am proud that I have lived at the same time as this great, warm, loving and caring person."

-- Elisabeth Kuebler-Ross, M.D., author of On Death and Dying

"His medicine power is authentic and hard-won; his caring wisdom is real. Sun Bear is one of the quiet heroes of our time."

-- John White, author of Pole Shift

"[A] compendium of fascinating information about various animals, minerals and plants, including their characteristics, their healing and spiritual qualities....This is a new vision [for] our times."

-- Medicine Story, author of Return to Creation

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

THE MOONS AND THE TOTEMS

The moon, or month, during which you were born determines your starting place on the Medicine Wheel and your beginning totem in the mineral, plant and animal kingdoms. The first moon of the year, the Earth Renewal Moon, marks the time when the Father Sun returns from his journey to the south and begins, once again, to precipitate growth in the Earth Mother and all of her children. This moon begins at the time of the winter solstice, which usually occurs on December 22. This is the first moon of Waboose, Spirit Keeper of the North. It is followed by the Rest and Cleansing Moon and the Big Winds Moon. The moons of Waboose, those of rest and renewal, bring the time to contemplate the growth of the previous year and prepare for the growth of the year to come.

Following the moons of Waboose are those of Wabun, Spirit Keeper of the East. These three moons are those of awakening growth, when the Father Sun begins to illuminate all of earth's children and prepare them to bring forth their proper fruit. The first moon of Wabun is the Budding Trees Moon, which begins at the time of the spring equinox, which usually occurs on March 21. The other moons of Wabun are the Frogs Return Moon and the Complanting Moon. The moons of Wabun are those of illumination and wisdom, as earth's children prepare to grow in their proper way.

Next come the moons of Shawnodese, Spirit Keeper of the South. These are the moons of rapid growth, when all the earth comes to flower and bears fruit for that year. The Strong Sun Moon is the first one of Shawnodese and begins on June 21, the time of the summer solstice. It is followed by the Ripe Berries Moon and the Harvest Moon. This is the season of growth and trust. Trust is necessary in this season, since growth is so rapid there isn't time to ponder progress.

The autumn is the season of Mudjekeewis, Spirit Keeper of the West. The first moon of Mudjekeewis is the Ducks Fly Moon, which begins on September 23, the day of the autumn equinox. It is followed by the Freeze Up Moon and the Long Snows Moon. These are the moons that bring us the time of introspection, the time of gathering strength to look within and contemplate the growth and progress made in the preceding seasons. These are the times to prepare for the season of resting and renewing to come.

Each moon has a particular totem, or emblem, in the mineral, plant and animal kingdoms, which shares characteristics with the people who are born during this time. From your starting totems you will learn about yourselves, at the same time you learn more about your other relations on the earth. People do have a responsibility to their totems, to give them respect, liking and gratitude for the lessons and the energies they contribute to the continuation of life on our common Earth Mother.

As you travel around the wheel, you should strive to learn as much as you can about the totems of any place that you stand, so you are always growing more knowledgeable about those who share the earth with you. When you stand in the place of a different moon, you have the capacity to take on the characteristics of the totems for that moon and to learn from them, as well as from your fellow two-leggeds. The more you are willing to learn, the further you can travel on your journey around the Medicine Wheel.

Remember as you read of the moons that not all people will have all of the same characteristics, even though they share the same moon and totems. All travel the wheel at their own speed. It is possible, during the time you stand at one position, to sometimes have moods or phases that seem more fitting to those of another moon. These can remind you of positions through which you have passed or give you hints of the places you'll be traveling to next. The important message of the Medicine Wheel is that you allow yourself to keep traveling, rather than tying yourself to one position and blocking your energies from growing and changing.

Copyright © 1980 by Sun Bear and Wabun Bear

Customer Reviews

Everything that comes around goes around.
I have only read one book by Sun Bear and was facinated by the fact that anyone, Native or not, could find peace by just doing something spiritual like this. I am a member of two Ojibway tribes, and yes, I did grow up on three different reservations in my life so I feel I can speak with confidence on this matter. I do not care if people agree or disagree with the Native religions because they are all different and it is not up to me,or anyone else, to tell you what is native or non-native so if you believe you can find happiness from reading "astrological" points of view from Sun Bear then buy the book because it is better to love and practice something than to practice nothing at all. I would also recommend traveling to a nearby "Rez" for an introduction to religion, and they don't have to be Chippewa like myself or Sun Bear, because I know the best spiritual advise cannot be found in books. To correct a few reviews and from an Anthropological view, the Chippewa, or Ojibway, were not buffalo chasers like the plains natives, but fisherman and farmers from Canada with a HEAVY influence from the French (hows that for a European astrology connection) so please correct your review Apacheman because we, the Chippewa, are woodland indians so how could you know if we kept a calender or not (especially the Apaches being a Mexico indian). Native religions do not hate like others do so please do not give us a bad name because I read your profile and it seems all your reviews were negative. And as far as two bears is concerned I would like to know who named you or what naming ceramony you attended because we all have two lives, the one everybody see's and the one we hide(naming yourself does not constitute an indian name).

Not traditional but interesting nonetheless.
I bought this book years ago (before Amazon.com even existed). I've met Sun Bear, Wabun and the whole Bear Tribe in person, when they were located near Spokane, WA. (I even met Medicine Story, one of the reviewers up there. Hi again!)

Several of the reviews take issue with the idea of an astrological-type system because there was no such thing among the native peoples of this continent. Well, Sun Bear himself said the same thing. The ideas in this book weren't meant to represent traditional Chippewa or Native American beliefs. They're a completely new idea, given to Sun Bear in a vision that he had.

Other reviewers mention that you are not locked in to particular personality traits due to the time of your birth, but that anyone can change. Sun Bear covered that as well. First, this system is just symbolism to try to give people some insight into how they are. It's not a hard-and-fast type of thing. It's more like Rosarch ink blots- just a tool to help you learn about yourself. Second, he says in the book that people often move around on the medicine wheel as they go through life, sharing traits with and seeing from the perspective of the various different totems.

As a self-analysis or self-help book I recommend Medicine Wheel. It's well worth a read.

A different approach to astrology
I first read this book in 1988 and got it out again today as I recommended it to someone. Am glad to see that it is still in print.

Astrology based on moon at time of birth is a different idea, but in my case being a brown bear really is on target. I liked all of the information on minerals and plants, too.

I've read several of Sun Bear's books and find them thought provoking.