"...the first cycle of winter ... contains the Winter Solstice which brings with it a time for refreshment and renewal. People born at this time are practical and ambitious and though they like to have people around them are reluctant to let relationships develop beyond the superficial.
"The North winds are associated with purity ...[They] encourage patience and inward growth, and renewal of the mind and body.
"The power of the North was represented by some Indian tribes by the totem animal of the buffalo ... who gave totally of itself so that the people could be renewed completely and for this reason it was revered above all animals."
"Once a beautiful woman dressed in white buffalo fur appeared. She brought to the Lakota the sacred pipe which showed how all things were connected. She taught the men and the women many mysteries of the earth, and she taught them how to pray and follow the proper path upon the earth.
"The appearance of the buffalo ... implies that the law of synchronicity is operating withon your life at the moment. Things will happen in the time, manner and means that is best for us if we allow it."
"All animals are sacred, but in many traditions White Buffalo is the most sacred.
"Buffalo medicine is to smoke the pipe in a sacred manner, and to give praise for the richness of life to be shared with all races, all creatures, all nations, and all life. It means smoking for others so that their needs are met.
"You achieve nothing without the aid of the Great Spirit and ... you must be humble enough to ask for that assistance and they be grateful for what you receive."
"Sensation relates to what is established by our sense of sight, touch, etc."
Sometimes instead of the buffalo, the goose is considered the totem for this first month of winter. Both animals are seen to sacred in all forms, but particularly the white buffalo and snow goose. It is the purity of the senses that offers us the greatest good, as we can function more effectively when our sense inform us clearly about the nature of current reality. Whereas we experience the world without judgment, at least in the first moment, most of us leap to judgment far too quickly. The buffalo demands that we meditate or pray before passing judgment, and it offers itself as the reward - all that we need is provided from Universal Mind or the Great Spirit, and all we need to do is be clear about our needs.
Sources
Andrews, Ted, Animal Speak. St. Paul, Llewellyn 1995.
Clement, Stephanie and Terry Rosen, Dreams: Working Interactive. St. Paul, Llewellyn, 2000.
Meadows, Kenneth, Earth Medicine,. Rockport, Element, 1991.
Sams, Jamie and David Carson, Medicine Cards. Santa Fe, Bear & Company, 1988.
"...the first cycle of winter ... contains the Winter Solstice which brings with it a time for refreshment and renewal. People born at this time are practical and ambitious and though they like to have people around them are reluctant to let relationships develop beyond the superficial.