Medicine Cards: Horse Power
“Stealing horses is stealing power,”
was a statement made frequently in historical native America and a reference to
the esteemed role which Horse played in the native cultures.
Horse is physical power and
unearthly power.
In shamanic practices throughout the
world, Horse enables shamans to fly through the air and reach heaven.
Humanity made a great leap forward
when Horse was domesticated, a discovery akin to that of fire.
Before Horse, humans were
earthbound, heavy-laden, and slow creatures indeed.
Once humans climbed on Horse’s back,
they were as free and fleet as the wind.
They could carry burdens for great
distances with ease.
Through their special relationship
with Horse, humans altered their self-concept beyond measure.
Horse was the first animal medicine
of civilization.
Humanity owes an incalculable debt
to Horse and to the new medicine it brought.
It would be a long walk to see one’s
brother or sister if Horse had not welcomed the two-legged rider upon its back.
Today we measure the capacity of
engines with the term “horsepower,” a reminder of the days when Horse was an
honored and highly-prized partner with humanity.
Dreamwalker, a medicine man, was
walking across the plains to visit the Arapaho Nation.
He carried with him his pipe.
The feather tied into his long black
hair pointed to the ground, marking him as a man a peace.
Over the rise of a hill, Dreamwalker
saw a herd of wild mustangs running toward him.
Black Stallion approached him and
asked if he was seeking an answer on his journey.
Black Stallion said, “I am from the
Void where Answers live.
Ride on my back and know the power
of entering the Darkness and finding the Light.”
Dreamwalker thanked Black Stallion
and agreed to visit him when his medicine was needed in the Dreamtime.
Yellow Stallion approached
Dreamwalker next and offered to take him to the East, where illumination lives.
Dreamwalker could share the answers
he found there to teach and illuminate others.
Once again, Dreamwalker thanked
Yellow Stallion and said he would use these gifts of power on his journey.
Red Stallion approached, rearing
playfully.
He told Dreamwalker of the joys of
balancing work and heavy medicine with the joyful experiences of play.
He reminded Dreamwalker that he
could better hold the attention of those he taught when humor was integrated
with the lesson.
Dreamwalker thanked him and promised
to remember the gift of joy.
Dreamwalker was nearing his
destination.
The Arapaho Nation was close at
hand.
White Stallion came to the front of
the herd. Dreamwalker mounted White Stallion’s back.
White Stallion was the message
carrier for all the other horses, and represented wisdom in power.
This magnificent horse was the embodiment
of the balanced medicine shield.
“No abuse of power will ever lead to
wisdom,” said White Stallion.
“You, Dreamwalker, have made this
journey to heal a brother in need, to share the sacred pipe, and to heal the
Mother Earth.
You have the knowledge through
humility that you are an instrument of Great Spirit.
As I carry you upon my back, you
carry the needs of the people on yours.
In wisdom, you understand that power
is not given lightly but awarded to those who are willing to carry
responsibility in a balanced manner.”
Dreamwalker, the shaman, had been
healed by the visit of the wild horses, and knew that this purpose in coming to
the Arapaho was to share these gifts with them.
In understanding the power of Horse,
you may see how to strive for a balanced medicine shield.
True power is wisdom found in
remembering your total journey.
Wisdom comes from remembering
pathways you have walked in another person’s moccasins.
Compassion, caring, teaching,
loving, and sharing your gifts, talents, and abilities are the gateway to
power.
If your ego has gotten in the way,
you may have failed to notice the lack of respect you have been receiving from
others.
You may, on the other hand, be
struggling with others who are abusing their power.
“Should I say something?
Should I fight my desire to put them
in their place?” you may be asked.
Remember the times in your own life
when you have fallen out of grace with Great Spirit, and then have compassion
for the brothers and sisters who are now doing the same.
If you are overpowering another or
feeling overwhelmed, Horse medicine in both the dignified and contrary
positions is a simple reminder of how to balance your shields.
In allowing all pathways to have
equal validity, you will see the power and glory of the unified family of
humanity.
This is the gift of the Rainbow
Warrior or Warrioress.
The “I” has no place in the Whirling
Rainbow that comes from the Great Mystery and is replaced by the universal
“we.”
All colors of the rainbow and all
pathways are honored as one.
Apply this knowledge and reclaim the
power you have given away by forgetting to come from compassion.
Untangle yourself from the present
situation and understand that every human being must follow this pathway to
power before galloping upon the winds of destiny.
Overview
Perhaps more than any other animal,
the horse has been humanity’s closest partner in the animal kingdom.
In ordinary reality, it has carried
its rider over distances and made communication possible.
It has helped to shift heavy loads,
and in the tilling of the soil.
In non-ordinary reality, the horse
has carried the shamanic journeyer to communicate at other realms of existence,
to shifts of consciousness, and to till the soil of deeper levels of the mind.
American Indians honored the horse
as a sacred animal.
In Britain and Northern Europe,
magikal fraternities once practiced both the natural and supernatural powers
associated with the cult of the horse.
As a power animal, Horse, is
primarily a message carrier and is often concerned with traversing “gateways.”
It is associated with the power and
responsibility that comes from exercising authority, and the wisdom required to
use it in a balanced way.
On an emotional level, Horse is
connected with the need for compassionate understanding.
Horse is related especially with the
power of knowledge and wisdom and with communication and sharing.
Communicate.
Honor your medicine.
Stand tall.
Use your talents.
Own who you are becoming.
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