WHITE BUFFALO CALF WOMAN

Original pen and ink by Manitu Okahas.

Legendary Spirit of Native American
For prayer, abundance, and ceremony
Elder's message of teaching
Healing prophecy of harmony

One of the legends that is closely associated with tobacco is the story of the White Buffalo Calf Woman.  This legend has a number of variations, each tied to the specific Native American culture that is telling the story.  However, it is most closely associated with the Lakota of the Northern American plains.  I am not going to do a full telling of the story here, but what follows is the basic outline.

During a time of struggle and famine, a white buffalo came to the village and transformed into a beautiful woman.  This spirit woman brought with her a gift for the people and teachings on how to live a sacred life.  The gift that she brought was the sacred pipe.  The pipe represents the marrying of the masculine and the feminine,  the life of harmony and balance, and the sacred way of prayer.  She brought the teachings of cultivating proper thought, action, and service.  She taught of seven sacred ceremonies.  She gave a gift of a prophecy.  When she left, she transformed four times into buffalo of different colors.

I encourage you to check out some of the full tellings of the story.  The wisdom to be gained from a masterful rendition is worth the time.  Here are some excellent sites to check out.
inspirationforthespirit.com
thepeoplespaths.net
animaldreaming.com
Each website has a slightly different telling of the legend.  Each of these is much better than any version that I am able to tell here.

What I would like to discuss is the teachings and the symbology of this sacred spirit of the Native Americans.

The first teaching that I pick up from the White Buffalo Calf Woman is the power and place of prayer in life.  This type of prayer is that of gratitude, honoring and respect.  It is a recognition that we are a part of the cycle of life around us and of the abundance that flows from the earth.  In this recognition and respect, we understand that the other beings on this planet are just as important for the cycle of life and we strive to live in balance with the earth and all of her systems.

The second lesson relates to cultivating your own garden.  It is important in life to keep your thoughts and actions positive and respectful.  That which you put into life is that which you get out of life.  It is important for yourself, your community, and your world to live a life that strives to respect people, the environment, and spirit.  An abundant life takes cultivating an optimistic attitude, living in balance with the environment, and being in service to building healthy communities.

Her third lesson is of the importance of ceremony and ritual.  Her teachings included seven sacred ceremonies.  Exactly what those ceremonies were varies a  little by the tradition of the telling.  In each version, the ceremonies revolve around building community, marking life's transitions and initiations, finding one's spiritual path and path of service, and gratitude.  Ceremonies and rituals are an important part of the glue that holds communities together.  They also create important structures and frameworks for living a harmonious life and the framework for viewing our world.

The last lesson that I want to discuss is the message of hope and healing the White Buffalo Calf Woman brought to the people.  In her time with the village, she brought abundance and an end to famine.  She brought lessons for continued abundance.  And she brought a prophecy.  She spoke of a prophecy of difficult times to come.  But at the end  of those difficult times would be peace, abundance, harmony, and balance.  According to this legend and prophecy, this new age would be signaled by the birth of the White Buffalo Calf.

In a nut shell, the White Buffalo Calf Woman has great spiritual significance to Native Americans.  She signifies living a sacred life.  She reminds us of the importance of prayer, ceremony, and ritual.  She teaches us to live a life of gratitude, honor, and respect. She is a spiritual messenger of hope, healing, and abundance.  She is a teacher of truth and wisdom.

It might just be time to live in the balance, harmony, and respect of the teachings of White Buffalo Calf Woman.