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Excerpt from “Medicine Cards” by Jamie Sams and David Carson To understand the concept of medicine in the Native American way, one must redefine “medicine”. The medicine referred to is anything that improves one's connection to the Great Mystery and to all of life. This would include the healing of body, mind, and of spirit. This medicine is also anything which brings personal power, strength, and understanding. It is the constant living of life in a way that brings healing to the Earth Mother and to all of our associates, family, friends, and fellow creatures. Native American medicine is an all encompassing “way of life,” for it involves walking on the Earth Mother in perfect harmony with the Universe. Our fellow creatures, the animals, exhibit habit patterns that will relay these messages of healing to anyone astute enough to observe their lessons on how to live. The precious gifts of true medicine are free. Each lesson is based on one major idea or concept and, for the sake of simplicity, each animal in creation has hundreds of lessons to impart, and all of those lessons are powers that can be called upon. When you call upon the power of an animal, you are asking to be drawn into complete harmony with the strength of that creature's essence. Gaining understanding from these brothers and sisters of the animal kingdom is a healing process, and must be approached with humility and intuitiveness. Certain aspects of the lessons given by these brothers and sisters have been chosen to reflect the lessons each spirit needs to learn on the Good Red Road. These are the lessons of being human, being vulnerable, and seeking wholeness with all that is. They are a part of the pathway to power… Tiger - Power and Passion Tigers are symbols of focus, patience, inner sight, clairvoyance and healing. Tiger's orange gold coloring represents vitality and regeneration. Courage, power, energy, strength, will-power, devotion, passion and sensuality are all characteristics of the tiger. Its cycle of power is nocturnal, the full moon and the new moon. Tigers are magnificent animals that hold an air of independence and confidence. Being solitary animals, males and females come together only during the mating season. The tiger is an excellent mothers. The cubs stay with her into their second year, partly because they are born blind. To compensate for this their inner sight is fully operational. This is symbolic for those with this medicine. Children born into this medicine are natural clairvoyants and prophets. Mysticism and mythology surround the tiger. The Chinese believe that the tigers head often carries the chinese "mark of wang," or king, on its forehead. This is can be seen within the patterns of its fur, one vertical line with three horizontal ones passing through it. Because of this Tiger is one of the 12 signs of Chinese astrology. Tiger
