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You Are The Medicine

13 Moons of Indigenous Wisdom, Ancestral Connection, and Animal Spirit Guidance by Asha Frost​

I love Obsidian, a writing app. It is a great tool to organize my thoughts, dreams, ideas, inspirations, frustrations, and snippets from the books I am reading. The Obsidian page that I filled with notes from my reading of You Are The Medicine is by far the most extensive of any book I have read. Ever. This book had, and is continuing to have, a profound impact on me.

If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. If you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.

  • Lilla Watson, Aboriginal Wisdom Keeper

My Activism​

Over the last year I have become very involved in common sense gun legislation activism through Connecticut Against Gun Violence & Moms Demand Action. It is very rewarding work but it is also gut wrenching, draining, and sometimes seems so pointless. Even with 10 Million plus members across the nation (in Moms Demand Action a part of the Everytown Network) it often appears to be impossible to make any headway against the stalwart determination of the pro gun factions of our society who are opposed to saving lives, reducing violence, and restoring peace and tranquility to our communities. Our news is filled daily with horror story after horror story of violence, carnage, destruction, and hate. Our country is literally tearing itself apart. As the past year has unfolded I have become more discouraged, more depressed, and frustrated.

Then I began to read Asha Frost's book. It was as if the winds began to stir and push rain clouds into the dry desert of my soul. With each turn of the page I felt more and more like a child again. I splashed in the newly formed puddles and felt the rain of restoration, rejuvenation, love, peace, acceptance, encouragement, and empowerment seep into my soul.

"Every human's purpose in this lifetime is to raise the consciousness of this planet and help it evolve to a greater state of love." I loved this wisdom. How do we help the Earth evolve to a greater state of love? We do this through engaging in our healing work and focusing on how our soul is calling us to share our gifts.

My Complicitness​

Yoga Unity Activist Susanna Barkataki says in her book Embrace Yoga's Roots, "To get to true oneness, we have to face the ways we may have been complicit in causing separation."

I am now entering my fourth year of de-conversion and deconstruction from the systems of oppression, indoctrination, fear mongering, patriarchy, racism, and white supremacy that I was enmeshed in through the decades I spent in the evangelical church. My actions then were not malicious but rather rooted in lies, false truths, and fear. However, I did participate in systems of harm, separation, and violence that have left me grieving as I come to discover how deep these lies have run into my psyche, soul, spirit, bones, and heart. Because of my de-conversion from christianity I have begun exploring other faith traditions. Where I live in Connecticut, my home resides on the lands of the Mohegans and Pequot. I even have Native American archeological sites on the small piece of land where my home resides! When I go for a walk in the woods near my home I can sense the energies of the people who resided, who hunted, fished, foraged, loved, died, and thrived on the land.

Reading Asha's book has lead me down the path to discovering my connection to the land. It has also helped me identify the plant and animal spirits that can help guide my efforts, my activism, my journey, and my spirit into healing, restoration, and harmony.

My Medicine​

Owning your Medicine and sharing it doesn't have to be complicated. It's the most uncomplicated thing in the world, because it is something you have always walked with. - Asha Frost

An idea that Asha planted in my mind, as I read her book, was about finding my own medicine. For me this has been accomplished by journeying along and among my life's challenges. Through this pain, stretching, and uncertainty I have begun to find my medicine. The violence of our society has been especially prevalent in my neighborhood. There are reminders of guns, republicans, and trump on nearly every street corner and neighbors yard. The hate, malice, discontentment, and fear has permeated and overtaken nearly every facet of life in our quaint rural town. Because of this I have been seeking a respite from the oppressive and every present negative energies that surround our home and the land we have been entrusted to care for. Combined with my experiences with violence and hate in the US Marine Corps as an Infantryman and my mother's death by suicide with a firearm I have been galvanized to action. For one year I worked tirelessly but lately I could sense that I was burning out, that I was mentally and physically exhausted. I began to turn more and more to alcohol to deaden the pain and frustration.

Then I read about the Bear and how it served, helped, and cared for the plants and animals. However, it does not only exemplify caring for others but also self care. The Bear hibernates and rests for longs periods of time. Like the Bear I too must practice self-care and recognize when my spirit and my energy need to be protected. This is especially true as I have come to recognize the trauma of not only my youth but the trauma of my religious upbringing and my deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Moving Forward​

"In Native American tradition, there is a Haudenosaunee legend that claims that the violet is a child born of both sky and earth. Therefore, it is often considered to be a symbol of harmony, balance, and opportunity."

There is so much that I would love to share about this book that impacted me but I won't. Why? Because it would be a disservice to you, my reader. You must make the effort and put in the emotional labor of reading this book. Reading my cliff notes would provide only a tiny infinitesimally small sliver of benefit to you versus reading Asha's book from cover to cover yourself. If you do read this book, I promise you will benefit immensely from the effort and it will be well worth your time. I especially enjoyed the book because it was clearly directed towards women from a woman's perspective yet it felt relevant to all sexes. As a hetero-normative presenting white male I found the female centric nature of the book to be refreshing. Through our societies long standing patriarchal systems men have been centered for far too long. I appreciated the fresh perspective that Asha afforded me, a male reader, to her journey and spirituality. It was a fascinating read full of hope and promise. A hope and promise that I had sought for so long but never found in christianity despite decades of searching.

Namaste✌🏽