People of Nature

 Years ending in 3 and 8.

A Nature Year signifies Transformation.

According to the Dagara tribe, the medicine of Nature asks us to be real, to be ourselves–to drop the mask the world expects us to wear and to see what is around us as it truly is. The element of Nature asks us to go in and in  to ourselves and find what is authentic.

Nature invites us to change consciously and to welcome change. Just as mineral stores information for our benefit, nature’s complex paradigm is a library those who pay attention. The magic we crave and out attraction to the supernatural are nature in their essence. This is because the tree, the plant, the landscape and the serpentine river zigzagging down hill on its way to the ocean are all golden hieroglyphs capable of bringing a deep understanding to those willing to pay attention. Indeed, to the indigenous it seems that the tree is the essence of consciousness.

Landscapes and physical geography to indigenous people are a language, a writing that can be read. Elevated areas function function very much like antennae, relaying or downloading information from far away places, from the outer world to the inner world.

Nature People

The nature people embody the principles of radical change, transformation, authenticity and magic. They're born in the years ending in 3 and 8. Nature people are eager to evolve and expand their consciousness. They have a deep understanding of the cycles of life, death and rebirth and are often sensitive to the changing rhythms of nature.

A nature person demands authenticity and is very in touch with their True Self. They can't stand fake-ness or pretending and will often challenge us to drop our masks and be as real as possible. Therefore, a nature person brings the best out of others.

Nature people tend to be their family's mystics, healers, diviners and light workers. They are often deeply spiritual. They are very interested in the supernatural and they crave a life full of magic, excitement and alchemy. 

A nature person is often very playful and joyful.  They want to have fun! Many nature people possess a lot of "coyote energy" because they know how to use humor, jokes, tricks and laughter to break down other peoples barriers. This is a nature person's soft-hearted approach into tricking others to drop their guard and show up as truly authentic.

People of Mineral

 Mineral is the storage place of memory, the principle of creativity, resources, stories, and symbolism.  In the cosmological wheel, mineral is located in the west and is colored white. The elemental energy allows us to receive messages from the Other World, and to remember our origins and purpose in this life. In Dagara physiology, our bones, not the brain, are the storage place of memory.  In the village, it is not uncommon to hear an elder say, “This is in our bones as it was in the bones of our ancestors.”  In the West, there is a similar saying, “I knew it in my bones,” which refers to a deeper, more elemental knowing than is possible through rational thought. To the indigenous person, mineral is also equivalent to stone.  As they say, the bones of the earth are the stones and rocks we see.  To know the true story of our earth, including the story of ourselves, is to listen to the rocks.

Mineral is about communicating, the ability to translate things, the ability to converse. It has a lot to do with social connections. A lot of Mineral people are relatively talkative. In the indigenous world they are the Storytellers, the Great Communicators. Mineral is also something that we must see in terms of the conveying of energy, to convey energy that comes through you on its way somewhere else. This is why any person who is a Mineral person is supposed to be running energy, whether it is through your hands or your body or whatever. Mineral people are also recognized as Stone people–not that they’re stone but because the stone is seen as the one that stores information. They say if you want to know the story of the earth, listen to the stones or listen to the rocks.

Mineral People

Born in the years ending in 4 and 9, mineral people have great social skills. They're excellent communicators and listeners and thrive when it comes to relationships and connecting with others. Mineral people love to teach, speak and tell stories because they carry the ancient energy of remembering. Therefore, they have powerful memories. So, you'll find that mineral people are usually fascinated with myths, legends, rituals, traditions, metaphors, symbols, songs and poems

A mineral person should also know that the answers they seek are always within themselves and not "out there". They understand that they already possess the wisdom they're seeking.  They usually contain a knowing that is deeper than rational thought and exists within the minerals of their bones. Just like a crystal, our bones contain ancient wisdom, history and information that has been passed down to us throughout many lifetimes. A person in touch with mineral knows how to access this knowledge within them.

Non-mineral people often get frustrated with mineral people because they enjoy the art of debating and arguing. They like to use eloquent language and take their time to "get to the point". They crave deep and meaningful conversations.

People of Earth

 earth people

grounded and rooted, the earth person was born in the years ending in 0 or 5. they are, as malidoma would say, the "great mothers" who helps everyone around them feel at home, nourished, supported and comforted. earth people love taking care of others and have a knack for accepting others as they are, without judgement

a person who embodies earth energy is firm, solid, stable, patient, strong and wise. they care deeply about creating a safe and loving home and family. they have a strong sense of belonging and identity. essentially, they know who they are and where they're going, which is comforting to those who have lost their way

earth people are able to bring out the best in others. this helps to empower others by building them up and making them feel a sense of belonging. if you are an earth person, then you know all about unconditional love and you are generous with your care and attenti

the downside of being an earth person is that they can give so much of themselves to others that they often forget to fill their own cup up. earth people need to consciously care and nourish themselves first and foremost so that they have more to give to those they love. as the saying goes, "you can't pour from an empty cup."

People of the element Water

 

Water People

If you were born in a year ending in 1 or 6, then you are a water person, a peacemaker and a harmony seeker. Water represents compassion, empathy, deep feelings and emotions, forgiveness, healing and reconciliation. A water person's strengths are often centered around community, relationships, friendships, love and harmony. 

The voice of a water person is smooth and peaceful. They're often good at resolving conflicts and helping others to find harmonious solutions. They know how to reconcile differences with others and within themselves. Someone with a lot of water energy will appear cool, calm and collected even while weathering the storm. They are flexible and adaptable.

Water people are also very reflective and focused. They like to move at a slow and flowing pace so they have time to observe and understand the bigger picture and what's best for the greater good. A water person takes the term, "Going with the flow," to a whole new level.  But, because of this, they can sometimes appear to others as moving too slowly or lacking motivation and ambition.

People of the element Fire

 Fire kindles and sustains an animating and pervasive energy in all that lives. Fire is in the water that runs, it is in the trees, the rocks, the earth, and in ourselves. It is the mediator between worlds since it is very close to the purest form of energy. Any connection with ancestors, spirits and the Other World is mediated by Fire. Because Fire burns, those who relate to Fire are often tense and must be clear about their intention in working with Fire. The tension referred to here is like a charge of energy about to burst. Those who carry such fire energy are being prepared for energetic action that reflects, and is the result of, a touch from the Other World. Fire is the rising force that makes us do, see, feel, love, and hate. Fire has great power, both outside of us and within us. On the outside, visible fire drives us to perform our respective duties, to fulfill our life purpose. But a fire burns also within us. The fire within connects us to our real family—the people we are always drawn to when we see them—and causes them to recognize us. This fire originates in the Other World and connects us always to the ancestors. Through the fire within we can converse with those we left behind in the Other World by being born here. The inner fire is a rope that connects us to the world we abandoned when we were born into a human body. To the indigenous, that world is our real home. This does not mean that this world is not real. It is a place we pass through.

Fire People

Born in the years ending in 2 and 7, fire people tend to have strong visions and passions. Fire properties include powerful emotions, action, energy, heat, authority, power, courage, confidence, willpower, enthusiasm, success and vitality.

In Dagara, fire is associated with the Ancestors and the Spirit World. Fire is seen as the doorway to the Ancestral realms and the connecting rod between the seen and unseen. Fire people are often highly instinctive and are vivid dreamers. Our dreams are believed to be direct messages sent to us by the Other World and should always be taken seriously. 

Fire people are considered the conduits through which the Ancestors pass on information through intuition, dreams and perceptions. Because a fire person is usually deeply connected to both worlds they sometimes struggle to feel like they belong or fit in.

Fire people like to be active and are usually always moving and doing. They often like to take control and challenge everyone and everything that stands in their way. But, because of this, they can sometimes be seen as impatient, restless, impulsive, hyperactive or intolerant.

Magical Drumming

 There is something magical about watching people from different backgrounds come together and create beautiful music. Uniting cultures through drumming is just one of a myriad of ways drums help us become better people, more authentic and honest with one another than we might be otherwise. When it comes down to it, we are all pretty much the same and drumming, no matter the historical reference, helps us tap into that truth.

Attempts at uniting cultures through drumming have many benefits. The most important may be that these activities help remind people that we are more than our belief systems or where our ancestors come from. Drumming together reminds us that it is possible to rise above our differences and connect one human being to another. It also reflects our ability to find harmony amidst seeming chaos. When the drumming first begins, it may not sound like everyone will be able to connect but eventually the music created becomes hypnotic and provocative.

 Drums can mimic speech, issue battle orders, maintain rhythm in a jazz performance, or invite friends to gather. They can be made of natural or synthetic materials and take a form as simple as a hollowed-out log or as flashy as a glittery red snare in a 16-piece kit.

The drum is one of the oldest communication tools. It was used for two-way communication long before the advent of the telephone and sends an immediate message to anybody who can hear it.

For Indigenous people in present-day British Columbia, drums are more than communication tools and musical instruments; they are tools for a lifelong connection to and relationship with all living things and the Creator.

Many drum teachings by First Nations in BC use the circle to represent balance and equality, wholeness and connection. The circle is unbroken and made of equal, connected, and infinite points. The Creator is the center, around which all living things—including humans, sit. Each animal, plant, and human is the same distance from this center and has a unique and direct connection to it. The drum voices our connection to all creation when we drum and strengthens our connection to each other when we drum together.

Circular drums are made by stretching an animal hide over a wooden frame that can be small enough to fit in a child’s hand or large enough to seat a six-member host drum at powwow. There are also different traditions. For example, the Tsimshian and Kwakwaka’wakw also make and play box drums, which are rectangular.

The playing of the drum helps us listen to our soul so we can understand our purpose and our connection to each other in the Circle of Life. The drum is female and human. The big drum was a gift from the women to the men a very long time ago, so that men could experience a resonant connection to the Earth Mother that naturally occurs with women. This is why it has been a tribal custom (in most tribes) that women not sit at the drum or play it.