I'm adding a special extra Spirituality post today.

I actually wrote this up a few years ago for a group I was facilitating on Magical thought.

I do a lot of work with Totemic spirits. I first met Bear when I went to a sun wheel in New York state back in 1984.

My shamanic teacher and two friends came with me to this weekend Native American festival and we were camping during it.

At the beginning of the festival I had realized I forgot my money and only ad a few dollars in my pocket (Thankfully meals and such were provided.). I was feeling a bit foolish but since I didn’t need for food or anything else I decided to buy myself a quartz crystal. I bought a small shard and it hummed lovingly in my hand. I knew this would be a wonderful time.

We started the festival a few minutes later with a circle of us holding hands and chanting around the Medicine wheel. As we started to channel the energy from one to another I went dead inside and got the feeling I was not wanted there.

I panicked and joined the hands of the two people I was holding hands with and ran into the woods crying. I was probably about a quarter mile away from the fest when I stopped and sat down on a log in the woods.

I took the crystal I had just purchased and said to the Great Spirit “If I’m supposed to be here and this is my path show me! I need a sign!”

I went quiet inside all of a sudden and walked back to the “Taj Mahal” (The tent my friend Eric and I were using was something like a 12 man tent. It was huge and the people around us named it the Taj.)

I lay back on my sleeping bag and listened to the sounds around me. Then it got surreal…

I was looking over to where I could see the shadows of people passing by on the side of the tent when I saw her/him there was a huge golden glowing bear image. I could see right through it but it was there none the less. As I sat there unable to believe what was happening I heard Annabelle (My teacher) and Shelly walking past the tent. I said aloud “Annabelle! Could you look in here please?”

She popped her head in and looked directly at where I was looking and said “Joe This is between the two of you. Just remember what I’ve told you about spirits.” And she shut the tent flap and walked away FAST!

Knowing that this was my destiny I got on my knees (the tent was still to low to stand in for my 6’2” frame and crawled over to the bear. He/she opened it’s arms and we melted into one another. From that moment in my life I have always known I was to be a healer and walk the path of BEAR.

And yes this is the true story with no deviations.