4.8.1.5 Ripe Berries Moon: Sturgeon (Sun Bear MWEA 79-88)

• July 23 - August 22
• Garnet and Iron are mineral kingdom totem
• Raspberry is plant kingdom totem
• Color is red
• Thunderbird elemental clan
• 4.8.1.5.1 Mineral Kingdom: Garnet and Iron
  • Garnet, a silicate crystal, fairly hard with a resinous luster
  • Six types of garnet minerals: red to brown, green, yellow, black and white
    • Four aluminum silicates that form garnets are
      • Almandine (deep red or violet red)
      • Grossularite (golden yellow or reddish yellow)
      • Pyrope (deep red to black)
      • Spessarite (red or more often brown)
    • The iron garnet is andradite (wine to yellow or green or black)
    • The chromium garnet is uvarite (emerald green with a glassy luster)
  • Garnet is found with either 12 diamond-shaped faces or 24 trapezium-shaped faces
  • Usually in crystal form; found in mica, limestone, serpentine, peridiotes, granite
    • Can be located in these rocks, near them on ground, or in nearby streams
    • Also sometimes found near anthills (ants dislike mineral, carry it to surface)
    • Different forms found in most areas of US and other nations worldwide
  • Red is color of garnet most often associated with this moon
    • Red garnet associated with heart and blood like the carnelian
  • Historically
    • Powdered garnet used as a poultice believed to act as a stimulant to the heart
    • Also believed to warn its owner of danger
      • Ensure a good, honorable life if engraved with figure of a lion
    • Also believed that a garnet bullet would always penetrate the heart of an enemy
    • Also believed to have power to balance sexual energies
    • Romans used to engrave garnets with busts of famous men
    • Persians considered the garnet a regal stone, engraved Shah's likeness on them
    • Native Americans used it as a ceremonial and jewelry stone
  • Contemporary uses include use in gem jewelry, variety of industrial & commercial purposes
    • Used in watches; pulverized for use as an abrasive on paper, molded into grinding wheels
  • Iron is one of the hardest of minerals
    • Brings cultures to the threshold of the technological are
      • Gives them new tools that often destroy their old culture and traditions
    • Celtic people believe that the Iron Age caused fairies and other magical little folks to turn backs to humans
    • Iron does not mix well with other minerals, often responsible for red color of various gems
    • Also the central ion in the hemoglobin molecule upon which the human body depends for survival
  • Sturgeon people, like their minerals
    • Can be found in wide variety of forms & settings
    • Common characteristics make them easy to identify
    • Often identified with their hearts (tend to be large, affectionate, magnanimous)
    • Function best from feelings they have in their hearts
    • Usually ones of friendliness and benevolence toward fellow humans
    • Tend to be intuitive, perceptive people who usually have clairvoyant talents
    • Have ability to do and say things that can penetrate straight to hearts of friends, enemies
      • This makes them powerful friends or powerful enemies
    • Out of balance, must guard against their own power (impulsive, erratic)
      • Fall prey to variety of diseases that further foster erratic actions
    • Regal in bearing and attitudes
    • Are doers who literally will go where angels fear to tread

• 4.8.1.5.2 Plant Kingdom: Raspberry
  • An elite and popular member of the berry family
    • Actually not a berry, but an aggregate of about 20 juicy drupelets
  • Canes usually erect, freely branched, covered with slender prickles
    • Grow to three to four or more feet in height; perennial
  • Leaves are pale green on top, grayish-white beneath
    • Have a double serration off a rounded base
    • Usually 3" long, 2" wide
  • White flower blooms in May, berries ripedn in June or July for most varieties
  • Leaves, roots, and berries considered to be medicinal
    • Berries are cleansing to the system
  • Once considered effective for breaking up, expelling gallstones and kidney stones
    • Also reputed to stimulate the action of urinary organs
  • Root is astringent and has some antibiotic and healing properties
    • Contains a concentrate of tannic and gallic acid
    • Has been used as a gargle for sore throats
    • The tea, as a compress, has been applied to bleeding wounds and cuts
  • A tea from the leaves has many purposes
    • Supposed to cure diarrhea, especially in infants
    • An easy tea to give babies, have mild and pleasant taste
    • Said to remove cankers from mucous membranes and to tone tissues simultaneously
    • Has many beneficial effects on uterus, prevents miscarriage, eases birth
    • Helpful for female problems during women's menstrual cycle
  • A tea from the twigs has been used to relieve colds, flu, difficulty in breathing
    • Can aid in balancing a person's blood sugar level

• 4.8.1.5.3 Animal Kingdom: Sturgeon, the king of fishes
  • An old and primitive fish, probably existed from time dinosaurs disappeared
    • Depending on location and species, comes in a variety of sizes
    • Can reach 12' lengths and 300 lb weights
  • Has rows of bony plates on body
    • Gives appearance of a knight who did not quite have enough time to finish putting on his armor
    • Fishermen have been reported to have said that if completely covered, it would be necessary to skin them with an ax
  • Have a long snout with the mouth and 4 barbels, or sense organs, on underside
  • Tail lobes are unequal in size, the upper are larger
  • Skeletons usually mainly of cartilage
  • Live in mud bottoms off coasts
  • Usually reach sexual maturity at about 20 years of age
    • Females spawn in spring or early summer, go up streams or move to shallow water
    • Female lays 2 million or more eggs, but probably does not spawn every year
  • Most common varieties of sturgeon in US
    • Atlantic sturgeon, the largest species
    • Shortnose sturgeon
    • Lake sturgeon, inhabits the Great Lakes, the upper Mississippi and bays in that area
    • Shovelnose sturgeon, smallest species
  • Sturgeon species exist across all continents of the northern temperate zone
  • Used to be considered the royalty of fishes among Native people of Great Lakes area
    • It was the sturgeon who gave Hiawatha a fight for his life
      • Immortalized in verse for his efforts, bravery and strong heart by Longfellow in his "Song of Hiawatha"
    • All Native people paid respect to this fish
    • Sturgeon Clan in the Ojibwa nation, a teaching clan for this nation
      • To the Ojibwa the sturgeon represented depth and strength
  • Unfortunately Europeans did not have same respect for this fish
    • Considered it a nuisance when caught in their nets
    • Later almost fished it to extinction after discovering its value for flesh and roe
      • The roe are better known as caviar
    • The sturgeon is rare now

• 4.8.1.5.4 Color: Red of the ripe raspberry and the prized garnet
  • Color signifies the high physical energy, the natural power
    • The abundance of vital life force and strong will
  • Also the color of the heart and the blood
    • Emphasizes the connection of Sturgeon people with both
  • Can also mean erratic action, sensuality, pride, greed and selfishness
    • If those manifesting it allow the color to be flowing from less evolved parts of their beings
    • This red is both a validation and a warning to the people of the Sturgeon
  • People who have this color have a tendency toward nervous problems
    • Can lead to deeper problems of the body if don't take time for periods of quiet when involved in things outside normal sphere of abilities
  • Some Sturgeon people find it beneficial to sit quietly, reading or meditating, every day
    • Keeps their bodies in a good and healthy state
    • However it does not come naturally, often a trait they have to cultivate

• 4.8.1.5.5 Moon: Ripe Berries Moon
  • The second moon of Shawnodese
    • Adds warmth to the Sturgeon's external nature
    • Shawnodese's gift of trust helps them to feel more of this quality within
      • Need to learn to trust more, on a deeper level
      • Before they can accept other gift, that of growth
  • The Ripe Berries Moon is one of opennes s
    • When all of earth's children are fully opening themselves to the Father Sun
    • And bringing forth the fruit they are supposed to bear
    • Also the month when the warmth of the sun tends to always be evident

• 4.8.2.5.6 Elemental Clan: Thunderbird Clan
  • Adds to warmth of Sturgeon folks
    • Stability of nature needed to display to the world
  • Clan membership increases their energy and ability to successfully multitask
    • Also increases the necessity for these folks to be careful
    • Should not overextend themselves and allow their health and energies to deteriorate
  • Sturgeon people compliment Otter people
    • Are most easily compatible with Red Hawk and Elk people (Thunderbird Clan)
    • Also with others of the Butterfly clan, the Raven and Deer people

Introduction: Page One ~ | ~ Page Two ~ | ~ Page Three ~ | ~ Page Four ~ | ~ Page Five ~ | ~
~ | ~ Sacred Altar ~ | ~ East ~ | ~ South ~ | ~ West ~ | ~ North ~ | ~
Inner Circle: Owl ~ | ~ Cougar ~ | ~ Hawk ~ | ~ Coyote ~ | ~ Wolf ~ | ~ Bear ~ | ~ Raven ~ | ~
Outer Circle: Snow Goose ~ | ~ Otter ~ | ~ Cougar ~ | ~ Hawk ~ | ~ Beaver ~ | ~ Deer ~ | ~
~ | ~ Flicker ~ | ~ Sturgeon ~ | ~ Bear ~ | ~ Raven ~ | ~ Snake ~ | ~ Elk ~ | ~ Blue ~ | ~

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