On this day of Thanksgiving, I am contemplating how families celebrate this U.S. holiday. The Thanksgiving Day celebration may have a “traditional” turkey dinner with football on the television or the “traditional” turkey dinner with grownups sitting at one table and children at another. Some families remember to include gratitude when they say grace and some families are content with just being with family and their gratitude is silent.
In my family, we are a blend of cultures (North American Native American, Aztec, German, and French) we typically have celebrated this American holiday together but not necessarily for the “traditional thanksgiving dinner”. Yes, we gather for a very large meal and yes, there may be a small turkey on the table (usually a wild harvested turkey), but we also have enchiladas, venison roast, tofu, fry bread, cranberries, wild rice and bread stuffing. A virtual smorgasbord table of culturally diverse food fills our table.
The thanksgiving begins much earlier than the meal itself. Some of my family members will give tobacco in the morning, some will go to church, some will be out deer hunting and communing with nature. The sacredness of this Thanksgiving Holiday actually is year round, as my mother taught her children to give thanks to the Creator for our lives, for what we have in our lives and for our family every day.
As, I reflect on my family’s way of celebrating Thanksgiving Day, and how I personally observe gratitude, I turn to the Medicine Wheel for a deeper understanding of this time of the year. This year, Thanksgiving Day holiday falls in the energy of the West of the Medicine Wheel, specifically during The Frost Time – October 23-November 22.
The Frost Time Totem or birth animal is the Snake. Snake medicine according to Kenneth Meadows, Earth Medicine, learn about patience and allow their many ideas to build in energy before sharing them with others-the art of timing. This Birth Totem correlates with the Western Astrology sign of Scorpio. According the Ancients, Snake is the protector of Mystery Schools, guarding access to knowledge and wisdom.
The Power Animal for the Spirit of the West is the Grizzly Bear, who is self sufficient with a profound strength that comes from within. The Grizzly Bear hibernates in the winter and makes careful preparation during the autumn for the long sleep ahead. The Grizzly symbolizes the energy of the West for preparation and for gathering within which can be seen as a human’s gathering of information and self knowledge.
The energy of the West brings our awareness to our physical bodies, things that are solid and holds energy. The holding of energy is regarded by the Ancients as a reflective pause between the transfer of giving and receiving. The Celtic people called this the Betwixt and Between, where magic occurs. In my imagination, I imagine the pause being like the top of a cleansing breath.
As spirit with physical bodies, humans can use the energy of the West to get things organized with clear directions, like the Grizzly preparing for the coming time to draw our energies in for the Long Nights Time. As we gather our energies, our thoughts, our knowledge we can give thanks for how the Universe/Creator provides all that we need.
May you be blessed with a bountifully abundant Thanksgiving day.
Copyright, All rights Reserved, Neshi Lokotz, November 2007