7 Wisdom/CIB (Cherokee, Owl U’GUKU’ O’JJ)
7 Wisdom/CIB – Owl
Galactic Tone 7: Reflective; 7 stands as the mirror to divide light and dark and reflects all that is and is not. 7 is associated with the source of creation and the flow of divine will. 7 establishes the purpose to current and future goals.
Wisdom/CIB: The old ones. Wisdom of the ancients. Wisdom persons are aligned with the ancient memories that wait in the stone of temples and sacred sites all over the world. Wisdom people grow luck like a crop using a balance of prudence and tenacity. The tremendous inner strength of this sign, enables silent introspection to discover areas of oneself that contain wisdom more valuable than any trove of archaeological treasure. Wisdom persons are valieant defenders of family and community. They may become hardened to life and sentiment turned cold. In these cases, they need much forgiveness for their uncaring errors. Periodically connecting with nature and or visiting sacred sites will bring great stability to wisdom persons. (A good day to sit on a rock.)
Cherokee, Owl U’GUKU’ O’JJ: Symbol is the Owl is Arcturus, the brightest Star in the Constellation Bootes. The Cherokee Bear constellation (Ursa Major) includes the Big Dipper plus four stars in Bootes. Owl is a hunter, who stands for the wisdom and ability of all great hunters, the cunning of a fox, the tenacity of a bulldog and strength of a bear. Energy for deep thinkers, strong-willed, rigid convictions, bold and authoritive. Owl is the Mystic Ferryman who guides Earthlings on the return path to the stars holding the torch aloft.
The Old Stories
7 Wisdom/CIB calls us to draw near the wisdom of our ancestors. The number Seven plays an important role in the ceremonies of the Cherokee. Seven represents the 7 clans of the Cherokee, and is also associated with directions. In addition to the 4 cardinal directions of East, South, West and North, 3 others exist: Up Above, the Down Below, and the Center. The number Seven also represents the height of purity and sacredness, a difficult level to attain.
“In olden times it was believed that only the owl and cougar had attained this level and thus have always had a special meaning to the Cherokee. They are honored in some versions of the Creation story because they were the only two animals who were able to stay awake for the seven nights of Creation, the others having fallen asleep.” (Cherokee.org)
Maintaining a relationship with the ancestors is a practice common among all indigenous tribes. From the Dagara tradition of western Africa, “Rituals are activities in which we call the spirits of our ancestors to come forward. Our ancestors can see cross-dimensionally, which means they can help us to plot our course. In the Dagara tradition, the ancestors are the ones you go to before you go to God. The ancestors know you. They know how you feel. They know about certain issues.” Sobonfu Somé
The Spirits of our Ancestors are in a position to offer Wisdom learned from the shared experience of living in the natural world. They have a personal understanding our human struggles and desires, and are now able to see things from both sides. The Ancestors speak our own language to share their wisdom in simple ways that are easy for us to remember. My Grandma Naomi used to say, “you can catch more flies with honey, than with vinegar.”
To all my relations, may I remember the paths of my Ancestors and be thankful for the wisdom shared from generations long before. May I be drawn near to feel their presence in the old places, and to hear again the old stories. May I remember to listen for the voices that speak to me still to help me along my way.
in lak’ech, i am another you
Jaguar Woman, 9 Eagle/MEN
mo sah thi wey ney
