35 - Horse - Power & 14 - Dog - Loyalty - Contrary

Horse galloped out of the cards today while shuffling doubling Animal Medicine today.

35

Horse

Power

Mighty Horse . . .
     Power to run
            Across the open plains,

Or to bring the vision,

      Of the shields

            Dancing in purple dream rain.

"Stealing horses is stealing power," was a statement made frequently in historical native America and a reference to the esteemed role which Horse played in the native cultures. 

Horse is physical power and unearthly power. 

In shamanic practices throughout the world, Horse enables shamans to fly through the air and reach heaven.

Humanity made a great leap forward when Horse was domesticated, a discovery akin to that of fire.

Before Horse, humans were earthbound, heavy-laden, and slow creatures indeed. 

Once humans climbed on Horse's back, they were as free and fleet as the wind. 

They could carry burdens for great distances with ease. 

Through their special relationship with Horse, humans altered their self-concept beyond measure. 

Horse was the first animal medicine of civilization. 

Humanity owes an incalculable debt to Horse

and to the new medicine it brought. 

It would be a long walk to see one's brother or sister if Horse had not welcomed the two-legged rider upon its back. 

Today we measure the capacity of engines with the term "horsepower," a reminder of the days when Horse was an honoured and highly-prized partner with humanity.

Dreamwalker, a medicine man, was walking across the plains to visit the Arapaho Nation. 

He carried with him his pipe. 

The feather tied into his long black hair pointed to the ground, marking him as a man of peace. 

Over the rise of a hill, Dreamwalker saw a

herd of wild mustangs running toward him.

Black Stallion approached him and asked if he was seeking an answer on his journey. 

Black Stallion said, "I am from the Void where Answers live. 

Ride on my back and know the power of entering the Darkness and finding the Light." 

Dreamwalker thanked Black Stallion and agreed to visit him when his medicine was needed in the

Dreamtime.

Yellow Stallion approached Dreamwalker next and offered to take him to the East, where illumination lives. 

Dreamwalker could share the answers he found there to teach and illuminate others. 

Once again, Dreamwalker thanked Yellow Stallion and said he would use these gifts of power on his journey.

Red Stallion approached, rearing playfully. 

He told Dreamwalker of the joys of balancing work and heavy medicine with the joyful experiences of play. 

He reminded Dreamwalker that he could better hold the attention of those he taught when humour was integrated with the lesson. 

Dreamwalker thanked him and promised to remember the gift of joy.

Dreamwalker was nearing his destination. 

The Arapaho Nation was close at hand.

White Stallion came to the front of the herd. 

Dreamwalker mounted White Stallion's back. 

White Stallion was the message carrier for all the other horses, and represented wisdom in power. 

This magnificent horse was the embodiment of the balanced medicine shield. 

"No abuse of power will ever lead to wisdom," said White Stallion. 

"You, Dream walker, have made this journey to heal a brother in need, to share the sacred pipe,

and to heal the Mother Earth. 

You have the knowledge through humility that you are an instrument of Great Spirit. 

As I carry you upon my back, you carry the needs of the people on yours. 

In wisdom, you understand that power is not given lightly but awarded to those who are willing to carry responsibility in a balanced manner."

Dream walker, the shaman, had been healed by the visit of the wild horses, and knew that this purpose in coming to the Arapaho was to share these gifts with them.

In understanding the power of Horse, you may see how to strive for a balanced medicine shield. 

True power is wisdom found in remembering your total journey.

Wisdom comes from remembering pathways you have walked in another person's moccasins. 

Compassion, caring, teaching, loving, and sharing your gifts, talents, and abilities are the gateway to power.

14

Dog - Contrary

Loyalty

Dog . . .

     You are noble,
     Until the bitter end,
     Your medicine is the teaching,
      Of true and loyal friends.

Contrary:

In the contrary position, Dog may be telling you that you have become critical or mean due to the company you are keeping. 

The reversal of this medicine could also imply that it is time to stop cowering with fear, and time to begin to tackle the adversaries of your confidence. 

The key is to realize that these are not external enemies, but thought-forms in your own mind which tell you that you are not worthy of loyalty -

either to yourself or to others. 

You may want to examine the patterns of disloyalty in your life. 

Do you, for example, pass on gossip, or not speak up when someone else is rumour-mongering? 

Do you make jokes that belittle others? Do you refuse to return kindness? 

These are characteristics of fear, and particularly of a fear that is common to the human, two-legged family: the fear of not belonging or of not being approved of.

Reclaim the power of loyalty to self and self truths. 

Become like Dog - your own best friend.

These noble animals would often give warning signals of approaching danger.

They helped in the hunt and were a great source of warmth on long winter nights. 

Since the canine tribe has many breeds, early Indian Dogs were usually half- wild. 

This wildness, however, never divested the owners of their Dog's innate loyalty.

Dog has been considered the servant of humanity throughout history. 

If a person carries Dog medicine, he or she is usually serving others or humanity in some way. 

Here you will find the charity worker, the philanthropist, the nurse, the counsellor, the minister, and the soldier.

Dog was the servant-soldier that guarded the tribe's lodges from surprise attack.

Dog is a medicine that embodies the loving gentleness of best friend and the half-wild

protector energy of territorial imperative. 

Like Anubis, the jackal dog protector of Egypt,

Dog is a guardian. 

Throughout history, Dog has been the guardian of hell, as well as of ancient secrets, hidden treasures, and babies - while mothers were cooking or in the fields. 

Dog honours its gifts and is loyal to the trust placed in its care.

In examining Dog medicine, you might find that you have fond personal memories of owning and loving Dog as a pet. 

The message that Dogs are trying to give you is that you must delve deeply into your sense of service to others. 

Canines are genuinely service-oriented animals, and are devoted to their owners with a sense of

loyalty that supersedes how they are treated.

If Dog has been yelled at or paddled, it still returns love to the person who was the source of its bad treatment. 

This does not come from stupidity, but rather from a deep and compassionate understanding of human shortcomings. 

It is as if a tolerant spirit dwells in the heart of every canine that asks only to be of service.

You can also see Dogs that have had the loyalty beaten out of them. 

They cower and cry at the slightest look of disapproval, but this is not their normal nature. 

Some varieties of Dogs have even been trained against their natures to be brutal and vicious.

Out of a sense of service, these breeds have adopted the attack-oriented desires of their

owners. 

They carry an altered genetic memory of what service means if they are to be approved of by their masters.

Dog medicine asks you to look at how readily your sense of loyalty is countermanded by your need for approval. 

If you have pulled the Dog card, there are several questions you need to consider, depending on the situation about which you are asking. 

(1) Have I recently forgotten that I owe my allegiance to my personal truth in life? 

(2) Is it possible that gossip or the opinions of others have jaded my loyalty to a certain friend or group? 

(3) Have I denied or ignored someone who is trying to be my loyal friend? 

(4) Have I been loyal and true to my goals?

Overview:

Be loyal to yourself. Be true to others. Bolster your integrity.

Source: 

Sams, Jamie and Carson, 

David. Medicine Cards

Santa Fe: Bear and Company, 1988