BEAR - ART

[Donata]

Primal Power, Sovereiginity, Intuition married with instinct.

Bear connects you with the veery deepest of your ancestral roots. Here at this level you are in touch with the Primal Mother - the Bear goddess Artio who will defend ou fiercely from all danger. You are connected also with the Bear god Artaois, the mighty warrior Arthur, the guiding Pole Star of the Great Bear. Your intuition will never fail you if you will isten to it in the still darkness of the night. Working with the Bear gives you the opportunity to become a Spiritual Warrior like Arthur. You can find the way to come into your power by marrying your strength with your intuition. Integrating your primal power with your intuition merans uniting your star power with your animal power - nd both are symbolized by Art the Bear.

DAO, Philip Carr-Gomm

[Donata]

My personal experience with Bear is very meaningful for me.

Grandmother Bear spoke with me in meditation. She told me she sleeps and dreams visions all winter in her womb- cave. She lives off her own fat - her excess, what she no longer needs to hang onto. She emerges transformed in the spring, young again, slim and energetic. She released the past while also gaining from it, in the form of the excess fat that sustained her all the long winter. She has gone through the transformation of allowing her dreams and visions to be free and complete, and emerges with the power of her dreaming within her.

Grandmother is now an important ally for me.

BB
Donata

[Abhaill]

Donata, thank you for sharing your personal experience with Grandmother Bear.  It really resonates with me.  I also have a close personal connection with Bear.  When I first discovered that the OBOD grove saw Bear in the North (as I'm in the Northern Hemisphere) I knew I could be happy there.

When I look at this card I smile.  I love it.  I wonder, what is the bear looking at?  Is that a wand or a staff beneath its paw, with an egg at its tip?  What does it symbolize?  As a student of Celtic archaeology and art, I love the detail of one red-enamelled eye in the face on the armband in the snow.  I'm not sure exactly what the intent was, painting only one eye red, but it reminds me of the many artifacts we have with missing enamel.  The relationship and the symmetry between the Bear of the Earth and the Bear in the Stars really resonates with me deeply.  I love that you can just make out the constellation in the deep blue sky between the Scots Pines and the mouth of the cave.  In the middle of the winter, why is this bear emerging?  Why isn't it hibernating?  Has something awoken it and now it must investigate?  Perhaps that pale glow of light on the horizon is the coming dawn, and the Bear has emerged because winter is coming to an end as is the night.

~ Abhaill

[Dryadia2]

Donata,
Here's a pic of Art, while you wait to get the 'official' DAO pic with the boarder around it.



Peace and Blessings,
/|\

[Donata]

Thank you Dryadia for putting up the DAO pics!

BB
Donata

[Tynan Elder Oak]

Thankyou for putting bear on....

I never really thought about the deeper significance of being friendly with bears....  I have loved to watch the nature programes, to see the great bear in the night sky, to talk to bear in circle, in a rather distant if loved manner, to hold the 'teddy bear' my father gave me the day I was born.  I didn't realise I had such a deep link with the reality that is bear until that is I had to go to the dentists.

I have had a really painful and very nasty infection in my jaw and tooth, my wisdom tooth grows just under this pesky molar, horizontally! and this added complication, and my dentist being very conservationalist, decided not to remove it despite having had many years of difficulties.  Believe me by this time I would have been prepared to lose a lot more than one tooth.  

As a child I had been abused, and this had casues a severe problem with things in my mouth so I took my very dear friend who knew with me.  He held my hands all the way through and was so intuitive as to when I needed more energy etc... but there was one moment of sheer terror when I thought i was going to loose it altogether.  Im not just talking about getting a little upset you understand.  I was so close  to totally disassociating that I thought I wouldn't be able to come back swoon:   , then all of a sudden I felt this huge presence of bear.  I felt her warmth, her fur, her strength going into the length of my back as she pulled me close into her embrace as she would a cub.  I felt the deep darkness of her safety and the dark smell of her earth womb body.  for that moment, which was a lifetime I felt safer than I ever had.... and I am so grateful she was there.

So, although I am afraid this may be a rambling entry, I am reminded and want to share , they may be beautiful cards, but the presence behind them is awesome and wonderful.

 :-(  :yikes:   :

[~*Blackbird*~]

I know its been ages since people posted about Bear but I had to say that Tynan Elder Oak's description of her experience with Bear was beautiful. I too feel protected and nurtured by the Bear-whenever I fall asleep at night, I feel as though I'm held in a big bear hug, safe, secure and warm. Same for when I'm feeling sad or lonely or frightened. And I have the 'big dipper' part of the Ursa Major constellation across my chest in freckles which reminds me of Bear's protection and care

For me, Bear holds the balance of male and female-as Earth mother, wisdom, nurturer, keeper of dreams and intuition, and as Sky father, the Great and Little Bear, warrior, courage, strength and protector.

Bear is also thought to be the oldest deity in Europe. Much evidence has been found of prehistoric bear worship. From as far back as the Palaeolithic (around 50,000 years ago) there is evidence of bear cults in which the bear was seen as lord of the animals, a god, and even the ancestor of humans. It is the totem or form of many gods and goddesses throughout many cultures, and bear folklore is widespread-especially in the Northern hemisphere.
Also the great Norse warriors, the Berserkers (translated as 'bear-skin') were renowned for fighting in an uncontrollable rage or trance of fury; the berserkergang. They intimidated their enemies with bear like strength and savagery, going into battle clad in bear or wolf skin. There are many theories as to how and why the berserk rage was achieved but one theory suggests that it was achieved through possession by the animal spirit of either a bear or a wolf. Berserkers would allow the animal spirit to take over their body during a fight.

There are loads of stories about bears. One of my favourites is a Tibetan folk tale about how the Panda became black and white.
http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we ... /index.cfm

Anyway, enough rambling for now!

Blackbird

[Miiranda]

Hi Bear Folks,

Thanks for all the insights about the Bear card. I have a question - does anyone have any thoughts on the staff/rod that the Bear has her paw on. This is relevant to a recent meditation I did on the card, but I'm not clear what the object represents.
Any ideas anyone?

Thanks Miiranda.

[Lialea]

Hello to all,

curently I am searching for any information about if there is any instrument assigned to the bear?
I came up with a contrabass so far from "das Konzert der Tiere" (concert of animals).

[Willowen]

Hmmm "Chosen reversed, the bear card give a clear warning that you must take care not to be overwhelmed by the ferocious mother, by the berserk warrior--by forces of anger and primal ferocity that untempered with the human qualities of compassion, can damage not only your own life but those around you. Art brings a strong presence and great reserves of power, and with perseverance you will be able to integrate your spiritual, intuitive qualities with your primal instinctual qualities."
My Mother picked a grizzly bear as my totem and I wasn't happy with the choice at first. Still, my personality traits follow in line with her choice. Sometimes one needs to quit growling so much and pay attention to the business at hand. Instinctual qualities can be a hindrance at times when you think you are acting out of protection for something you love. Harsh words and thoughts need to be mediated by logic as well as compassion before rage sets in. Spiritually; well time for some "grounding" for this "mother bear".

[Aphritha]

When I think of the mother bear, I think of the firm protectress. She doesn't dare allow her cubs to be harmed, but she isn't so destructive she risks harming them. As noted in the elemental ritual, it is an 'earthy' creature, very much capable of taking care of its own needs. She also represents balance to me. Have the ability to kick some butt if she needs to, but not going out to seek trouble.

[Willowen]

Today again the card reversed. At first I was like really? When it comes to the ones I love, animals or offspring, I've been known to attack to protect them because that is how I am. It doesn't matter how old a son is you will always protect them, and try to get them to see what you think is right. But what if he has a chance at happiness, and I start with my advice (good intentions mind you) to interfere where he needs to make his own decision I can be destructive and actually hurt someone's feelings.
What if my husband would have used my past to judge me? What if everyone judged me by my past? I wouldn't have the life that I have now. Sometimes, it is best to back off and just let things happen.
Also, another reminder that with the spiritual tools I have I can make it through the challenges I face. Being a warrior all the time can hinder my progress. Basically sometimes I don't have control over everything, and sometimes I need outside help. Power comes to me if I quit being such a control freak and work hard at the tasks I need to complete. A lot to think about today, but definitely some things I need to look at.