Gathering Medicine

BY SHERRY MORGAN

In August 1997, I had the great good fortune to be introduced to an Ojibwa elder by the name of Carolyn Oliver who became my teacher for a year. 

On the day we met, after interrogating me for about an hour, Carolyn gave me some teachings indoors then we walked to a park where she introduced me to a format for prayer. I was to offer these prayers outside in nature twice daily - in the mornings before sunrise and in the evenings before going to bed.

My instructions were to give thanks to everything I witnessed in nature and could think of to give thanks to. In the beginning, she said, these prayers would take me 5 or 10 minutes, but soon they would increase to 20 or 30 minutes, then an hour, and even more. She was right!

I did as she instructed every morning and every night, no matter how early sunrise was, how late I went to bed, nor how tired I happened to be. Very soon I spent a minimum of one hour twice each day offering gratitude. I stood outside as early as 4:30 am in summer and in every weather condition imaginable through an Ontario winter. The spot I chose for these prayers was overlooking a river in front of two large cedar trees, in whose presence I felt safe.

CAROLYN TOLD ME THAT THIS IS HOW HER PEOPLE GATHER THEIR MEDICINE.  

I gave thanks to many trees, plants, animals, birds, fish, insects, etc. for a multitude of their gifts. I expressed appreciation for many things about the river, our moon, Mother Earth, Father Sun, the sky, stars and planets. I witnessed and acknowledged changes in the landscape as the seasons came and went. I thanked the seasons themselves, and all the weather beings. I was moved by my own feelings of appreciation. Until these prayers, ‘thank you’ was about being polite.

Aspects of nature seemed to appreciate my appreciation. Various aspects of nature began speaking back to me, teaching me or inspiring me with ideas. I learned that only we humans wonder what we should do or who we should be. Cedar trees don’t wonder if they should shed their leaves in winter. Beavers don’t wonder if it would be better to be a fox. The clouds know it is winds job to move them around. These prayers transformed me. I was no longer consumed by negative thoughts and for the first time I felt connected and related to life around me. I felt known and loved.

I became prone to hippity-hopping down the streets and singing from my joy.  I continue to give much gratitude daily (mostly inside at my altar now) to aspects of our world that I feel particularly connected to, those that give me life, and those that have been most helpful with teachings, lessons or guidance. I continue to gather medicine in my daily prayers and highly recommend a similar practice.