Mike Gerardi commented on my Caribou post about collecting little rocks, as our fire ring has bones/rocks/sticks on it...
Whenever I hunt, we collect all manner of objects that catch our eye; bones, antler, rocks, feathers, cool sticks, etc. while we hunt, and bring them back to the fire...we purposely make a fire ring that has places to put these objects on...over the course of the years, we have gotten better and better at it (because we have more intention)...
It becomes a Talisman, an Homage to the circle of life...
This Summer, I found in an old box, a partial bag of tobacco that was mixed in with a bunch of things I had shipped back to Wisconsin from Alaska (when I lived in Fairbanks)...I went to toss the tobacco in the trash, but stopped at the last second, and decided to take the remains of it back to Alaska with me, and sprinkle it on the Earth there, as an offering of thanks to the
Creator, and I thought it symbolic as well, coming back to the place where I had gotten it in the first place (coming full circle)...
In the picture of the fire ring, the little circular rock on the left side of the lower rim of the fire ring has some of that tobacco tucked in a depression under it...you can see it sticking out around the edges of the circular pebble if you look very closely...
(http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/dkauss_photos/AK-BadassRing_zpsdcf5cb5a.jpg) (http://s944.photobucket.com/user/dkauss_photos/media/AK-BadassRing_zpsdcf5cb5a.jpg.html)
I am wondering if anyone else does this, or other rituals when/before, or after they hunt...even if it is a "lucky" pair of socks or hat, I'm curious to know...
Thanks.
That is really weird and really cool all at once. I kind of dig it.
We were hunting one time and found some sticks on the ground that looked like something out of the Blair Witch project. Scared the bejesus out of my brother. He is convinced we stumbled onto something. Maybe it was just another hunters homage.
Don, your avatar picture scares the bejesus out of me every time I see it! :p
I have long thought of myself to have a connection to bears...sort of a spirit animal. I've talked to hunters who have been in the woods for 50 years and never seen a single bear while hunting. In my short 23 years here (about 15 of those years spent tagging along on hunting trips/hunting myself) I seem to see a bear a good percentage of my time in the woods. I've probably seen over 100 in their natural habitat without being seen.
Anytime I hunt I wear my (fake) bearclaw necklace that I got some time as a kid, and take a rock that has a bear paw engraved in it with me. I suppose those are sort of good luck charms/talismans.
A large part of what we do is call upon the appeal of our actions and activities. They mean something to us, whether spiritual or simply soothing and fun, who cares, it has its own meaning and it can become an important part of the activity.
Collecting tidbits that catch our eye, talking to whatever you call that which you converse with out there, thanking the Gods or the Spirits at the wonderful experiences or special happenings, a plethora of wildlife sightings in your lap, a successful shot, a close encounter.
All of these things can be very personal and very moving to a person, each in their own way.
I for one have never done the fire ring thing, but I would sure like to hear more. I have collected auspicious things from around the world in my travels, including right here on my hunts. Each item caught my eye and I imparted some meaning.
I have more conversations with . . . whoever and whatever is listening. . than with anybody else and I know I smile a lot more when I am out in the woods.
ChuckC
:thumbsup:
I do this as part of my everyday life, more so when I have an important intention, as with hunting.
Part of who I am.
I carry a an old indian arrowhead , a worry stone, and a buffalo tooth in my pocket on my quiver. Also have an hawk feather I picked up on the outside. Good luck stuff I guess.
Not me. I'm into reality. Whatever you do is fine with me too though. - John
Thanks John, we appreciate that...
For probably twenty years I wore an arrowhead talisman necklace that I made out of a piece of desert ironwood which I collected on a jeep trip south of the border many years ago. Every deer I killed with my bow I would say a prayer of thanks for the deer's life and and life my family would draw from it, touch the arrowhead to the deer and put a drop of the deer's blood on it. I lost the necklace in the ocean last year (I never took it off for anything). I plan to make another one soon and restart my ritual. I have a piece of mopane wood from Zimbabwe that I plan to use for the purpose. That's my little thing. I like such...
I don't believe in luck per say... any rituals I might have are unintentional, or aimed at turning my focus back to my creator and redeemer. I think it is a fine thing to recognize the beauty of our world, but (personally) it seems as though a slight lifting of the gaze from creation to creator is even better.
All of which to say, I don't have any monuments or talismans, but I will occasionally collect a bit of the natural world (a feather perhaps) and carry it with me for a day while I hunt.
Peace (and short blood trails) to you all. :campfire:
I'm with Trumpkin.
Charles I second you.I feel the same way!!!
MAY THE SPIRIT OF FRED BEAR GUIDE OUR ARROWS.
Trumpkin X3!