powers? (tradition, elder, America)

[9harmony]

my husband recently purchased a used teepee (tipi), and the lady he got it from gave him 2 buffalo (bison) skulls. She told him that one of them she was told held magical powers and was over 200 years old. (I think she said it belonged to a medicine man) They are very cool

Just wondering if anyone has any insights to share about what i should do with them. I want to give them proper reverence.

Also, what type of powers could be assumed that they hold?

Thanks!

I might be absent for a couple days, but i'll be back.

-Amy

[Comet]

Originally Posted by 9harmony

my husband recently purchased a used teepee (tipi), and the lady he got it from gave him 2 buffalo (bison) skulls. She told him that one of them she was told held magical powers and was over 200 years old. (I think she said it belonged to a medicine man) They are very cool

Just wondering if anyone has any insights to share about what i should do with them. I want to give them proper reverence.

Also, what type of powers could be assumed that they hold?

Thanks!

I might be absent for a couple days, but i'll be back.

-Amy

Interesting......... if true I would really worry as to how it came to be in your hands, or the hands of this lady for that matter. Most things used by medicinemen are held in high regard and tend to pass down to the next in line.

When my garden finally grows, I will be happy to send you sweet grass braids and sage. That might make them feel more at home at least.

[Feathers in Hair]

I do not have the cultural background to know how the skulls would traditionally be shown reverance, but I'll offer some suggestions, at least.

The best and most concrete way I know to honor the skulls is to 'ask' them how they would like to be honored. They may also offer you their names, depending on if they wish to. The 'powers' that they brought to the woman might be different from the ones that they bring to you, so you may also wish to ask them how they would like to be 'used'.

[EnhancedSpirit]

Originally Posted by Comet

Interesting......... if true I would really worry as to how it came to be in your hands, or the hands of this lady for that matter. Most things used by medicinemen are held in high regard and tend to pass down to the next in line.

When my garden finally grows, I will be happy to send you sweet grass braids and sage. That might make them feel more at home at least.

oooohhhh, I would like some sweetgrass. I do not like to buy it, and have not started growing my own. It does grow wild here in Florida, but there is such a worry about it's being harvested, that I do not want to wildcraft the sweetgrass.

As for the skulls, I would agree with other posts. I think the word "powers" here means 'energy'. Like the crystals and feathers I use in my healing contain 'energy', and not just the natural energy, but also my energy, and the energy of the person I'm working on. Sometimes a stone will get so full of energy, it will break for no apparent reason. I usually cleanse my stones of negative energies they have collected, and re-charge them with healing energies.

The skull of a medicine man will contain more energy that just any old bison skull (which is powerful enough all my itself). What this means is not like the Brady's finding the talisman and bringing bad luck. This is a good, healing energy, and can be used to enhance your own energy. As for how to honor it, here are some things I have found. . . .

The buffalo and it's placement on the medicine wheel:

The buffalo is associated with the color white, and is attributed to purity, renewal, and cleansing. And is located at the North point on the wheel. Sweetgrass is the plant totem for the North. It not only sustained the buffalo, but is the most popular ceremonial and smudge plant next to sage. Sweetgrass draws in positive energies and calls the ancestors.

The mineral totem for the North is alabaster. Because it is easy to carve, it has been used for many of thousand of years for both sacred and decorative carvings.

Using this information, I would place the skulls on a Northern area of your house or garden, and surround it with alabaster and sweetgrass.

[9harmony]

Originally Posted by Comet

Interesting......... if true I would really worry as to how it came to be in your hands, or the hands of this lady for that matter. Most things used by medicinemen are held in high regard and tend to pass down to the next in line.

When my garden finally grows, I will be happy to send you sweet grass braids and sage. That might make them feel more at home at least.

Hi Comet,

thanks!

My husband got very sketchy information from her, i'm going to email her and see if she can give me some more details. But from what i gather so far, is they were given to her by an elderly Native American man, (i don't think he's a medicine man). But she feels he was instrumental is her kicking her addictions and getting her life straightened out. He told her that the one skull held magic, but that's all i know at this point.

That would be wonderful if you could send me some sweet grass and sage. Let me know when it's ready and i'll email you my address. (If you're serious about that.)

Thanks again!

Loving Greetings, Amy

[9harmony]

Originally Posted by FeathersinHair

I do not have the cultural background to know how the skulls would traditionally be shown reverance, but I'll offer some suggestions, at least.

The best and most concrete way I know to honor the skulls is to 'ask' them how they would like to be honored. They may also offer you their names, depending on if they wish to. The 'powers' that they brought to the woman might be different from the ones that they bring to you, so you may also wish to ask them how they would like to be 'used'.

Thank you Feathers,

good advice!

I appreciate your help.

Loving Greetings, Amy

[9harmony]

Originally Posted by EnhancedSpirit

oooohhhh, I would like some sweetgrass. I do not like to buy it, and have not started growing my own. It does grow wild here in Florida, but there is such a worry about it's being harvested, that I do not want to wildcraft the sweetgrass.

As for the skulls, I would agree with other posts. I think the word "powers" here means 'energy'. Like the crystals and feathers I use in my healing contain 'energy', and not just the natural energy, but also my energy, and the energy of the person I'm working on. Sometimes a stone will get so full of energy, it will break for no apparent reason. I usually cleanse my stones of negative energies they have collected, and re-charge them with healing energies.

The skull of a medicine man will contain more energy that just any old bison skull (which is powerful enough all my itself). What this means is not like the Brady's finding the talisman and bringing bad luck. This is a good, healing energy, and can be used to enhance your own energy. As for how to honor it, here are some things I have found. . . .

The buffalo and it's placement on the medicine wheel:
Using this information, I would place the skulls on a Northern area of your house or garden, and surround it with alabaster and sweetgrass.

Thank you ES,

very useful information, I greatly appreciate it.

we will be putting the Teepee up on the North Hill when i get the repairs done, so i will try to find a suitable area to place them up there.

And yes, i agree with you that the powers referred to are energy, and i also agree that it is a good healing energy, as the woman we got them from attributes them and the man who gave them to her as the reason she was able to kick her addictions.

Thanks again!

Loving Greetings, Amy

[painted wolf]

First off I would sit with both skulls, giving them gifts of sweetgrass, sage and Tobacco are very reccomended... especally Tobacco. (loose tobacco should be put in a bundle of red cloth)
I would suggeest keeping them wrapped in red cloth when they are not out. Red is a very sacred color and is used to wrap/protect important items.
I wouldn't put either of them outside, they will decay quite quickly in the weather. Unless this is thier wish naturally.

You should smudge both yourself and them, with a mix of Tobacco, sweetgrass and sage...

As for any "powers" they may have, that is up to them. There is no list of what is and isn't a "power" for anything.
They are individuals and the spirits within them will do what they think is apporopriate for whomever they deal with.

I wouldn't worry about specific placements, except to put them in a place of honor.
Many people put bundles of sage, tied with red string, in the eye sockets, and wrap sweetgrass around the base of the horns, some put more sage or sweetgrass in the nose.
Some paint the skulls, some bead them with wax to hold down the beads...
Some leave their skulls natural, some let them return to the earth.

As for Alabaster... I haven't heard anything about that.

wa:do

[9harmony]

Hi Painted Wolf,

Thank you very much!

It's greatly appreciated.