Medicine Bags and Memories

Iroquois White Pine of Peace

Have you ever had a day, where you just felt sad? Or lonely? Or out of sorts? We all have those days and our minds then look for something to distract us or blame for our unsettled, unhappy feelings. We read books, watch shows, listen to music or a friend and think, "if I just had that", or "it may be true for someone else but not me..." How does anyone really feel connected and happy? Is it money, lovers, friends, fame?

This morning, I've been feeling lonely. Being me, the first thing I recognize is that I haven't eaten breakfast. Low blood sugar makes people, particularly me, feel out of sorts. After a few hard-boiled eggs, I stop for a few moments, going out to the garden and sitting on the ground in the sun. Feeling lonely is our bodies way of telling us we aren't letting ourselves feel connected. Maybe we've been stressed. Or don't feel it's the time. Believe we don't deserve to feel love or don't know how to feel it- instead waiting for something or someone to make us, give us permission to feel good.

When all is said and done, we get to choose when, how and why we feel love. The benefits are many. Feeling love gives us a silver tongue, a trustworthy energy, a warmth that sparks, a health that radiates, cooperation, generosity, security. When you're ready to feel good, feel love, here's what you do. Stop. Sit. Pay attention. Consciously choose to look for love. Consciously choose to find love. Let yourself love anything and anyone then slow down for a moment and feel it.

We all get busy and forget our desparate body and soul need to feel love. Not to receive it, although that's nice, rather, to spark it within ourselves. Because that's really what love is... an emotion, a chemical our brains or body say it's time to release. That idea seems to take the romance and the mystery out of love, and at first, it feels that way. But really, the magic and the miracle is that we have the capacity to feel in the first place. Happy, sad, frustrated, irritated... How amazing that we can get up in the morning, brush our teeth and live. The complexity is mind-boggling.

It's easy to get run down. It's easy to forget. Loneliness and sadness are our cues that it's time to do something- whether it be eat, move or feel love. So, the question we all have is...how does one do that? The universe has given us the gift of imagery. Everything we see and think is represented as a symbol. Everything represents a symbol to us. We have symbols in common with the rest of humanity and symbols that are uniquely our own. When we're looking for love, the best way to find it is to shamelessly use our symbolism to spark a feeling of love.

Many cultures understood the healing properties of love. They knew that feeling love performed all sorts of physical and relationship miracles. Because of this, many cultures created medicine pouches, bags, tokens, symbols that would remind them of the best parts of themselves and who they wanted to be. They might put locks of hair from a loved one, herbs to smell and remember, a talisman to help them feel safe, a pretty stone to keep them grounded... They would carry these symbols everywhere, to help them remember and feel love. 

So surround yourself with carefully chosen symbols to keep you feeling good. Wear a charm, make a medicine bag, paint your toenails, open a window. Choose to love anything, anyone, no matter how right or wrong. The love you feel will help you stay healthy and light up your darkness.