Sonja Grace - Dancing with Raven and Bear: A Book of Earth Medicine and Animal Magic

For Ian

ARTWORK BY SONJA GRACE

'She traveled with Ravens and dreamed herself into the mountain.'

Introduction

M y name is Sonja Grace. I am a storyteller. I received these soul stories from my heart and they reflect my Norwegian and Native American heritage. My blood line includes Choctaw and Cherokee from my mother's side. Years ago, I was adopted on the Hopi Reservation and married into the tribe as well. Of all the blood lines coursing through my veins, I feel Hopi. I tease my Hopi family that I was captured by Vikings and stolen away from the tribe. I grew up in a Norwegian household and as a child, I remember hearing Norwegian folk-lore. The storieas often deapicted the great God Odin accompanied by two Ravens, named Huginn and Muninn. They were Odin's eyes and ears. They reported daily from the realm of Midgard, one of the nine worlds of Norse mythology. Huginn represents thought and Muninn is memory.

As I child I drew Ravens. I did not really understand why these birds were so prominent in my childhood artwork or why they had made their way so deeply into my psyche. It was only around 12 years old that I realized that these ancient beings had been speaking to me since I was a baby. As I approached young adulthood what they were saying actually started to make sense.

Now, they continue to not only speak to me but share incredible information from thousands of years ago. For example, in one of my recent spirit travels I met Odin and his son, Thor, the protector of mankind. Odin and Thor discussed with me the events of 12,000 years ago the beginning of this phase of humanity.

In Norse history and legend, Odin's ravens are symbolic. The tale of Ragnar, an Old Norse King, tells of an embroidered banner he carried into battle bearing a raven called Reafan. The banner would flutter and move as the warriors headed into battle striking fear into the enemy because it invoked the power of Odin. Legend tells of the banner predicting the battle; if it did not move as the battle began then the battle was lost.

Ravens are also aligned with death and war because, like vultures and other birds of prey, they eat carrion. Other Norse myths suggest that the great God Odin and his ravens were linked together because Odin received fallen warriors at Valhalla. The ravens were considered manifestations of the Valkyries, the goddesses who selected the brave warriors as soldiers in Valhalla. Valkyries were known to shape-shift and would appear in the form of birds most often ravens.

Of course, when the Vikings invaded England, Ireland and Wales they brought their mythic stories with them. The symbol of the raven and its power infiltrated the principalities and can be found throughout the United Kingdom including the Isle of Man. Superstition has it that if the ravens that live at the Tower of London should leave the Kingdom will fall.

Different Native American cultures view the Raven in a different light. The Raven can be a trickster or messenger. The indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest view the Raven as a magical creature with the ability to shape-shift into a human or animal. In Native American tradition the Raven is known for playing tricks, keeping secrets and allowing his greed to lead him down the path of gluttony. Even though the Raven is considered to be a trickster those hearing his stories often see him as a hero overcoming adversity.

The Lakota Sioux believe the Raven was once a white bird that warned the buffalo when a hunter was near. One day a shaman, angered by the Raven's warning to the buffalo, caught the Raven and threw him into the fire where he turned black. This is just one story; indigenous people have many stories of Raven.

In my stories, I experience Raven as a teacher and messenger. In my artwork whenever Raven is depicted sitting with a person they are always sitting on their head. It shows the connection of their spiritual center to Creator. The Raven brings messages and protects the crown of the head. Raven is that part of our psyche that chimes in and says I told you so!

In my Hopi tribe the Bear is believed to be the healer who grounds our energy and removes illness. Many indigenous people in America hold the same belief. Bear medicine is powerful and when used correctly it can heal. The Mount Shasta Indians tell the story of a girl raised by Grizzly Bears. She was no common girl, she was the daughter of the Chief of the Great Sky Spirits. He warned her never to stick her head out of the top of Mount Shasta because the wind would take her away from him and she would be gone.

She did not listen. One day she fell out of the top of Mount Shasta and was found by a mother Grizzly. The mother Grizzly raised the girl as her cub and years later allowed her to be married to her oldest Grizzly son. They brought unusual looking children into this world.

The mother Grizzly became old and knew she would soon die and felt she must come clean with the Chief of the Great Sky Spirits that she had his daughter. Once he learned where his daughter had been he came storming down the mountain. His footprints can be seen to this day on Mount Shasta, giant patches where nothing will grow. The Chief expected to see his little girl but instead a woman stood before him and strange creatures were gathered around her. He learned they were his grandchildren and with a rage of fury grabbed his daughter and took her back up the mountain. He cursed all grizzly bears, demanding they get on their hands and knees. He took away their ability to talk and made them walk on all fours. The strange grandchildren were cast out and wandered all over the Earth. According to Shasta legend they were the first Native American Indians.

Native American people love to tell stories in order to teach and to heal. Just like my ancestors I too am a storyteller. My personal experience of Raven and Bear comes from my heart and is woven with the influence of my heritage. My life as a mystic and healer has allowed me to be in service to Creator and the Earth. Daily I talk to people all over the world helping with broken hearts, the loss of a loved one and all kinds of health issues. I mend torn ligaments, blocked arteries and cancerous tumors throughout the body. I see where the client is resistant and how tricky their ego has become to shield them from their truth. Much of my healing ability comes from the many indigenous stories that I embody. Earth Medicine connects us to the truth. To me the stories in Dancing with Raven and Bear remind us that the simplicity of the Earth and all that we have been given can get lost in a complicated technological world. The answers are often in the stories. It is through the Earth and her energy that we are able to connect and learn what real freedom is.