BIG BEAR
MEDICINE WHEEL
THE
BIG BEAR MEDICINE WHEEL:
NATIVE AMERICAN EARTH KNOWLEDGE
APPLIED TO DROUGHT
Some of the local residents may be wondering if the six-year drought in
the San Bernardino Mountains (and Southern California) has come to an
end, given the unusual precipitation last fall. What they may not know
is that an ever-growing group of locals as well as others off the mountain
have been working since September 2004 to heal the earth using Native
American earth knowledge and technology.
Eighteen residents of the San Bernardino Mountains were among 300 participants
at Journey
To The Heart’s “The Gathering”, a conference of indigenous
healers from 30 countries, held near Big Bear from September 9th through
12th, 2004. During this conference, mountain residents solicited the assistance
of Bennie E. LeBeau, Sr., an elder with the Eastern Shoshone tribe in
Wyoming. Mr. LeBeau was one of the presenters at the conference. He explained
that just as our human bodies have acupuncture meridians and energy centers,
the earth has an energy grid system, with sacred sites and ley lines.
When energy flow is cut off to a part of the body, an organ for example,
can start to malfunction. When ley lines are severed on the earth by bulldozing,
mining, drilling and bombing, the weather patterns are disrupted because
the connections between the mountains, waterways, and clouds have been
broken. Mr. LeBeau is not claiming that all these activities need to stop,
but that the ley lines need to be repaired.
Repairing the grid is done through ceremony where the earth is vibrated
in a positive way through drumming, singing and dancing, as well as pure
intention and prayer. A medicine wheel was created in a 120-mile radius
of Big Bear Lake, where ceremony was performed on eight “spoke”
sites along this circle, as well as in Big Bear, which was the “hub”
of the wheel, on November 15, 2004.
The Big Bear Medicine Wheel Ceremony was modeled on the “19 + 1 Grand
Tetons Medicine Wheel Ceremony” in which Mr. LeBeau coordinated simultaneous
ceremonies at 19 spoke sites plus the hub, in a 600 mile radius of Yellowstone
on May 8, 2004. A volcano under Yellowstone Lake was threatening to erupt.
That medicine wheel resulted in alleviation of the excessive volcanic
activity and rains returning to the drought-ridden areas within the circle.
Mr. LeBeau flew to California from Wyoming on October 22. His sister,
Jola LeBeau joined him shortly thereafter, and was an integral part of
all of this work. It is noteworthy that the participants were from diverse
cultures and traditions, and were primarily female. There were no “right”
or “wrong” ceremonies. Most important was the reverence for
the earth and all life, and our intentions that the earth be restored
to a healthy balance.
This has been an absolute grass roots effort. All monies were donated
by individuals to cover expenses. Neither Bennie nor Jola LeBeau received
payment for their loving services. Hundreds of people have been involved
from all over Southern California and even from out of state. An Abenaki
(Algonquin) shaman flew in from New Jersey, and a spiritual healer flew
in from Houston to participate at the Big Bear hub.
In their desire to bring more water to our forest and lake, the local
government and water agencies were prepared to spend nearly one-half a
million dollars over a three-year period to seed the clouds. The Big Bear
Medicine Wheel accomplished more than cloud seeding could have at best,
and without great expense, or the introduction of toxic materials into
the environment.
Here is a general chronology and map of the Big Bear Medicine Wheel:
September 9, 2004. Healers at The Gathering located an ancient
medicine wheel in the forest. Observing that the line between Big Bear
and Mt. Baldy had been broken, they performed ceremony to reconnect the
energy between these sites. It poured all day although no precipitation
had been forecast.
October 24-25. Ceremonies were performed at Mt. Baldy and Claremont.
October 26. Twenty-five people attended a training class in Big
Bear Lake, and performed a ceremony that brought two feet of snow!
The ski slopes opened a month early.
October 27. November 14. Many preliminary ceremonies were performed
on the spokes of the Medicine Wheel in preparation for the final Big Bear
Medicine Wheel Ceremony on November 15.
November 15. Sacred ceremonies were held simultaneously at 8 sites
on the spokes of a Medicine Wheel on a 120-mile radius of Big Bear Lake,
plus at the hub (Big Bear) from sunrise through late afternoon. Ceremonies
include offerings of that which the earth gives us—food, flowers,
crystals, minerals, etc., loving intentions and prayers for the earth
and all life upon her, and gentle vibrations of drumming, singing and
dancing.
November 20. A celebration honoring the participants was held at
Big Bear Lake. Danza Azteca Xochipilli, Rainbow’s End Song and Drum
Circle, and spiritual leaders from the Mayan and Otomi nations contributed
their blessings and sacred ceremonies to the event. It started snowing
that evening leaving almost 3 feet of snow two days later. A “dusting”
of snow had been predicted!
As of March 14, 2005, the water level in Big Bear Lake has risen 12 feet
since the beginning of the Big Bear Medicine Wheel project. For further
information, use our Contact Form or
visit www.teton-rainbows.com
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