Seasonal Changes & Native American Traditions BY VALERIE
LANDY TWENTY YEARS AGO I MET a man who I had prayed to meet. His name was Kendal. I was looking for a Native American medicine man who would teach me his native ways. I had worked with others in the past who helped me along my path of learning and assisted me in overcoming spiritual darkness. But this was a different request. I asked Spirit to connect me with a very knowledgeable man who would be my friend and instruct me on the beliefs of his tribe. Spirit does this from time to time to get us to move along the path and obtain more knowledge just before we need it or right at the time when we need a good friend who will help us fight our spiritual enemies. Yes, all of us sometimes need somebody to come into our world to help us maintain our health and to grow. I just experienced getting a call from a woman who asked for my expertise as a medium and clairvoyant, which I gave her. When I realized that she was a Native American woman with the wisdom I so needed at the time, we kindly exchanged knowledge. It was comforting to know Spirit had arranged this phone meeting prior to us actually talking about what she needed and about my pending problem. I smiled and thanked Spirit for having us meet like this. Spirit has a way of connecting two complete strangers at the time when we needed each other. It happens to people all of the time, but most of us do not realize how often it comes into play. How does it happen? First, we put our thoughts or request on a platter and hand it over to the Creator. He, in turn, picks it up and asks my guides begin to work on my behalf. In critical circumstances, the Creator acts instantly. I have experienced it both ways. Spirit guides, who have a human aspect to them, are heavenly creatures designed by God to work with us. Native American spirits are different. They may be animals or old ancestor spirits
who come to us as we hold tobacco in our pinched fingers and have sweet grass (sage) burning in our abalone shell. They also go to work for us and do the necessary things we need to be done. God can do anything, so He involves all of His spiritual helpers for us if we know how to access them at the time we need them. It is important for us to be in tune to our spirit helpers, especially during the seasonal time of shortened sunlight. With the changing of the season from the summer solstice to the autumn equinox, we may experience familiar feelings and remember people from our past who may be good or not so good for us. At this time, plants in the Midwest die. Days of light become shorter in length. Weather temperatures decrease and we feel the loss of both. These changes began between September 22-23, and we shift to the Winter Solstice from December 21-22. We can feel this shift and it will affect our mood. It inspires us to remember past situations and occurrences in our lives. As a result of these memories, and a lack of sunlight, we can get depressed. Knowing and understanding this reality is still not dealing with what our minds and bodies feel from it. So when you feel your moods changing because of all of this, be patient with yourself and know that we have the natural ability to change with the seasons. We may not like it, but humans do adapt. Please remember to call upon your spiritual helpers during this seasonal transition! May you too enjoy the beautiful days of autumn ahead of us and blessings to you all. a VALERIE LANDY is a psychic/medium/card reader and clairvoyant. She is the published author of FairyTale to Murder by Satin Maize, My Blogs for your Soul, written by a Medium and many other articles written and published in The Edge magazine over the years. She does spiritual readings out of her home office in St. Cloud, MN. Schedule an appointment time directly on her website at www.innerintuition.com or call 320.267.4218. COPYRIGHT © 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
The Powhatan Tribe’s Use of Plants BY KELLY BAKER THE POWHATAN TRIBE occupied Eastern Virginia in and around the 1600s. It’s the same land that English settlers attempted to call their own. Due to conflicts with each other over land and food, the Powhatan tribe forced the English settlers into “the Starving Period.” Both parties are my ancestors, so I take deep satisfaction in embracing the intriguing facts of this era, including the amazing medicinal remedies mastered by the Powhatans. They used 89 local remedies. Their use was vast, including various treatments for the lungs, eyes, skin, menstrual cramps and pain. Aletris farinosa, often called the unicorn root, was utilized as a tea for menstrual cramps. It can be found in eastern parts of the U.S. and Canada. Aside from easing the pain of menstrual cramps, it helps to prevent miscarriage, ease digestive issues, and relieve muscle pain. The plant itself is tall and thin and displays beautiful white flowers that resemble a unicorn.
Prunus serotina, also known as black cherry, is a beautiful tree that is widespread in North and South America. The Powhatan tribe steeped the bark or berries to treat lung issues, such as whooping cough. The rest of the plant is toxic, so it’s important to
be careful to only consume the berries and/ or steep the bark. Sphagnum peat, now a favorite source of beauty for gardeners, was once used to treat wounds by the Powhatan tribe. Sphagnum prevents bacterial growth and lowers the pH levels in wounds. It creates a sterile environment under bandages. Much can be learned from indigenous wisdom on medicine from the Earth’s natural gifts. Many herbs, plants and flowers are medicinal, but many are also toxic. We have to fully research anything we use and how much is safe to use. We can all take a page out of the books of our ancestors, especially those who are native to the land, and learn how to make the most out of what’s growing right in our own backyards. a KELLY BAKER is an author and freelance writer. She mainly writes non-fiction, but has also published poetry. Her first book, White Supremacy: Behind the Eyes of Hate, is a true story about a brave man who infiltrated a hate group in order to help shut them down. Kelly has a certificate in Nutritional Therapy and enjoys taking many related courses to expand her education and assist in her writing. She is an animal lover and lives with her dog and guinea pigs. Contact her at kellydenisebaker@gmail.com. COPYRIGHT © 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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