Bear
Introspection, Primal Power

Anthropologists state that Bear was one of the first animals to be revered by humans. In the Celtic tradition the Primal Mother is the Bear goddess, Artio, a fierce protector.

Those who hike or live in areas populated by bears know (or may quickly learn) that the most dangerous animal in the woods is a bear mother protecting her cubs. I learned this during my first encounter with bear, and since then it has entered my life on several other occasions.

The bear sleeps during winter, and the female gives birth to the cubs while asleep. This practice has led to Bear being a symbol of the deepest inner wisdom and of the dreamtime. When we surrender ourselves to sleep we allow ourselves to be receptive and nurtured by the Great Mother. As we shed layers of identity and ego and return to our primal and elemental natures we discover that we are part of eternity and of the One.

Winter, a symbol for darkness, death, and the inner world, is a time of year which many humans fear. Yet part of the beauty of the Bear totem relates to its connection to the pattern of the stars during this season. The Druids associated the Pole Star of the constellation of the Great Bear to King Arthur (whose name means Bear). At the time of the Winter Solstice, the darkest night, the Pole Star guides us.

So, when our worlds seem dark and confused, when our physical senses and reason and logic fail us, when there seems to be no path to follow, we go within to find our deepest resources, and the light of intuition and inner knowing helps us to find our way home.

Bear is one of the Wild Earth Animal Essences. Bear images are available in pocket totems and power stones, and jewelry.