Celtic Knot with Native American Eagle Feather

Inspiration: The artist Paula Bidwell is Native American and married to an Irishman from Dublin, Ireland. In their many years together they discovered their cultures and traditions are very similar. Paula feels it is important to be able to create jewelry which is significant in it’s meaning whether Irish or Native American and to bring to the future the ancient customs and cultures of both of their people.

Symbolism:

The Irish Celtic Knot never breaks or ends, because of this it is a symbol of the eternal. It also tells us that time has no meaning. For instance, our ancestors and their knowledge is as alive as it ever was, there was no ending to it. Wearing these earrings is a strong reminder that we have lost nothing. Our history, knowledge and culture and spirituality are completely alive. The Irish Celtic knot is also a warning to expect complexity in life and relationships, to never forget the interconnectedness of all people, places and things. As the knot weaves, so do we.

The Native American Eagle Feather will take our prayers, wishes and desires directly to the Creator. Many of us have watched the eagle as it soars upward in the sky only to see it go so high it literally disappears from sight. This is why the eagle is considered to be in direct communication with the Creator. The feather is considered a great gift from the Eagle who listens intently to our words and even our silent thoughts. The Eagle also closely watches all of our actions.

Combining the Irish Celtic Knot and the Native American Eagle Feather are the perfect symbols of life on earth and how to live it. Both cultures benefit and enhance each other in ways nothing else can. Bless both of our cultures and the ancestors that gave us this knowledge and wisdom.

Artist: Paula Bidwell of Native Talisman Art is an American Indian artist, jeweler and author. She is also considered an Indigenous Healer and spent many years on the reservation learning traditional healing and ceremony. She combines being an artist and indigenous healer into her art. Paula believes strongly that we are all related and there is very little separation between us. Her art resonates with all cultures and peoples.

Blue Tipi Tepee Native American symbols

Blue Native American Bead Design Earrings with Six Dangle Eagle Feathers

Description: The bead design rectangle is .75 inches wide by 1 inch long. The six dangle eagle feathers are .25 inches wide by 1 inch long. The entire earring with eagle feathers measures .75 inches wide by 2.5 inches long. Made of hardened acrylic and hand cut. The ear wires are surgical steel. These earrings are extremely light weight and can be worn even through the night.

Symbolism:

The beadwork pattern on these earrings represents the home, the family or the clan. There are four tipis (teepees) facing above and below. This represents the past, present and future. It also states that we carry the memories of our ancestors and we are protected and guide by them.

The Eagle Feather will take our prayers, wishes and desires directly to the Creator. The feather is considered a great gift from the Eagle who listens intently to our words and even our silent thoughts. The Eagle also closely watches all of our actions.

Inspiration:

I’m 57 years old and when I began beading many of the old ways were still in effect. I wasn’t allowed to just jump in and start beading. I had to hear the stories about beads and their history. How our patterns and designs came into being and how they changed throughout time. How to earn the rights to various designs and how to dream new ones. Throughout this education some of my favorite patterns were the tipis because they represented family life. I believe these patterns are important to everyone so I created this set of jewelry. I hope you wear the pieces in good health and well-being. Mitakuye Oyasin (We are all related)

Artist: Paula Bidwell of Native Talisman Art is an American Indian artist, jeweler and author. She is also considered an Indigenous Healer and spent many years on the reservation learning traditional healing and ceremony. She combines being an artist and indigenous healer into her art. Paula believes strongly that we are all related and there is very little separation between us. Her art resonates with all cultures and peoples.

Available for $17.95 plus $3.00 shipping

Native Talisman Art

Raven Crow Irish Celtic Gaelic Brown Earrings with Whirlwind and Dangling Black Raven Feather

Description: 1.25 inch diameter Raven with 1.25 inch long dangling black Raven feather. Made of hand cut hardened acrylic. Surgical steel ear wires. Very light weight.

Inspiration: The artist Paula Bidwell is Native American and married to an Irishman from Dublin, Ireland. In their many years together they discovered their cultures and traditions are very similar. Paula feels it is important to be able to create jewelry which is significant in it’s meaning whether Irish or Native American and to bring to the future the ancient customs and cultures of both of their people.

Symbolism: Raven is very important in Irish, Celtic and Gaelic cultures and spiritual practices. In general, Raven is known as an oracle, protector, and guide in both this world and the next. The two circular whirlwinds on Raven’s body and wing make Raven an even more powerful protector. One whirlwind spins counterclockwise which causes confusion to negative influences. The other spins clockwise and sweeps away all unwanted negative influences. The Raven feather dangling below is a gift from Raven representing this world and the next and reminding us to fear nothing in either world.

Artist: Paula Bidwell of Native Talisman Art is an American Indian artist, jeweler and author. She is also considered an Indigenous Healer and spent many years on the reservation learning traditional healing and ceremony. She combines being an artist and indigenous healer into her art. Paula believes strongly that we are all related and there is very little separation between us. Her art resonates with all cultures and peoples.

Turtle Native American Symbols

Symbolism: Turtle Island is another term for the North American continent. I remember hearing the story when I was a little girl. I’ll tell it as best as I can remember.

A long time ago there was a tremendous flood. The survivors were the creatures that could swim and fly. Immediately after the flood, the turtle, dove to the bottom and brought up a clod of earth and placed it on it’s back. Soon the other animals and birds followed the turtle and dove and dove into the water bringing up more and more earth placing it on Turtles back. Suddenly winds from all four directions gusted and gailed and the turtle became large and larger and the clods of earth grew larger and larger eventually making a new earth on the turtles back. Everything re-populated and we have the turtle to thank for saving the North american continent.

Symbolism: The Eagle Feathers take our prayers, wishes and desires directly to the Creator. The feather is considered a great gift from the Eagle who listens intently to our words and even our silent thoughts. The Eagle also closely watches all of our actions.

Inspiration: The turtle shield earrings have a green circle showing the earth and the red and green triangles showing the healing medicines from above and below. Head and tail pointing north and south show us we will never be lost. The Eagle feathers remind us that if we ask we will receive. The Eagle Feathers in these earrings are my design with the black tip in the shape of a Water Bird. The Water Bird dives into the water and brings up medicine from the bottom of lakes depositing them on the shore for us to use. Much like the Turtle, the Water Bird has an affiliation with land and water. These earrings are deeply symbolic and remind us that we have available everything necessary for a successful life in this world.

Teachings: Some turtles are engraved with thirteen segments on their shells. These represent the thirteen moons in a lunar year and the thirteen cycles in a woman’s body. In each of these moon segments there are teachings. I cannot tell all the teachings, but in general there are lessons of patience in the slow movement of the turtle, perseverance in the Turtle’s untiring completion of every journey, awareness of surroundings, knowledge that we have everything we need represented by Turtle’s home on it’s back and adaptability represented by the fact that Turtle can live on earth or in the water.

Artist: Paula Bidwell of Native Talisman Art is an American Indian artist, jeweler and author. She is also considered an Indigenous Healer and spent many years on the reservation learning traditional healing and ceremony. She combines being an artist and indigenous healer into her art. Paula believes strongly that we are all related and there is very little separation between us. Her art resonates with all cultures and peoples.

These Earrings are available for $18.95 plus $3 shipping at:

NativeTalismanArt.com

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Native American Bear Dreamer - A true Story

In the late '80's I had a vivid dream. It haunted me for months. Little did I know this dream would take me into experiences beyond anything I ever imagined.

After an "Inipi" or "Sweat Lodge" where I was visiting in Green Grass, South Dakota on the Cheyenne River Sioux reservation, I told the dream to a Medicine man. The dream happened to be one that was foretold in prophecy regarding the White Buffalo Calf Pipe. The prophecy was that one or two members of various tribes would have this exact and specific dream and would come to the Buffalo Calf Pipe with it.

The requirement for fulfilling the dream was to fast and pray on a high hill. I was told I had 4 years to prepare. And I took 3 and one half years to do it. I really didn't feel worthy or ready or any number of excuses I held at the time. But after 2 years, I asked my elder uncle to help me prepare for a "Vision Quest" or as it is called in Lakota - "Hanbleceya".

I spent a year and a half preparing by fasting regularly, spending much time in prayer, by attending various ceremonies, especially "Sweat Lodge". Even though I spent so much energy and time preparing, I still wanted to delay the event. But one night a mysterious and still unexplained event happened.

I had just gotten into bed and was ready to fall into a deep sleep. I pulled the blankets up and nestled in, shut my eyes and started to drift from this world. Suddenly, something fell on my chest. It felt heavy. I was startled and a little frightened. Not knowing what to expect, I quickly got out of bed and turned on the lights. There on top of my blanket was a perfectly round ball of South Dakota sage. As soon as I saw it, I heard someone say, "Go on the hill to fast and pray in the middle of May". Without a doubt I knew this was true. I also knew the sage came from another world. I didn't have any South Dakota sage in my house. Nor did I have any kind of sage rolled into the shape of a ball.

After this event, many mysterious and wonderful things occurred. But I will save the stories for another time. Instead, I will briefly tell you what happened during the Vision Quest (Hanbleceya) as I wrote it for the drawing I made of my vision.

"On a high hill, the woman stood alone with her ceremonial pipe. She lifted her voice in a song calling the one she had awaited many years, the Medicine Bear. The Bear heard her song, felt her heart and approached. The woman and Bear loved each other so much that they merged into one being. Just before they became one, the Bear said: "It is the women who know of pain and suffering and it is the women who are the true healers. Many women will dream of me."

Mitakuye Oyasin (We are all related)

Paula Bidwell

Native Talisman Art

This drawing and other vision art are available on the web. Please see my website at: http://www.nativetalismanart.com

Or visit my Etsy store at: http://nativetalismanart.etsy.com

Native American Bird Medicines

Native American Bird Medicines

There are so many bird medicines. They are complex and tricky to describe. I have hesitated to write about them. Then the idea came that it would be better to start by sharing a few and then adding other stories later. The one’s I know are from personal experience and training.

Water Birds

These are the birds that dive to the bottom of lakes and rivers and deposit on the shore the medicines we need for healing. Water birds are one of the important and significant medicines of the Native American Church or Peyote Way.

Song birds

These are the birds that give us songs and enhance our voices with power to heal and strengthen the people. Some of these birds are the Blue bird, the Eagle and Finches.

The eagle has many uses in traditional Native American life. When it comes to singing they bring songs to the singers. That is why northern singers such as the Lakota sing at a very high pitch. They are imitating the sound of the eagle.

Warrior Birds

These birds are generally birds of prey such as eagle, owl, and hawk. Eagle takes our prayers and thoughts up to the higher realms where the "helper" spirits live and also is great protection. Hawks deal more with the earthly realms in areas such as food and shelter. Owls are not just messengers, they have healing ability in their talons, and they guard us.

There are individual types of birds that give us medicine. Their medicines usually come through the usage of their feathers, rather than their songs or behaviors.

Flicker

Flicker feathers from the tail, because of their sharp point at the tip, are used in doctoring to open the area on the body that needs something removed. Such as a blood clot, tumor, or a foreign object. I use the term “foreign object” rather than what Indian people know as “Bad Medicine”. Bad Medicine is when a person “shoots” something into another’s body or sends a spirit or other type of entity to make the target victim ill, to make them die, or to cripple them. Unfortunately, this is quite common.

Flicker feathers are also known as “Love Medicine” which supposedly brings a lover into someone’s life or finds a “soul mate”. This type of medicine is considered lower level of usage of a powerful medicine. I often call this type of use, “manipulative magic”. Because of my lineage and training I am forbidden to use this sort of medicine. I can never change, alter or influence a person’s life without their permission and the permission of the “Tunkasilas” ancient spirits. Manipulative magic doesn’t ask, it invades and is very harmful.

Raven

Raven is a “trickster”. Raven appears in a variety of forms making us think they are another type of bird. Their voice can make us think they are human. They often appear to be another color instead of black. The “trickster” keeps us alert and aware. Honing our skills of observation and broadening our personal perspectives. If we communicate with Raven it is best to remember that they are true “tricksters”. Sometimes the answers they give are straightforward and other times the messages are the opposite of what it should be. The listener must be very in tune with which type of message the Raven is giving. Raven will show us the brighter side of life with sparkling and shiny objects in its beak or when it dives repeatedly at a shiny object on the ground. When raven does this, it is such an uplifting experience and so necessary for our well being in this illusionary world.

To read more see my article and personal story of the Raven Heart Woman. NativeTalismanArt.com.