Have we lost contact with that part of ourselves that connects us with other animals and nature? It is that part of ourselves that enables us to experience the spiritual unity of our own being with all beings and to know intuitively that we and all life are of the same origin and creation. The objective knowledge of the modern sciences of ecology, evolutionary biology confirms this intuitive wisdom. There is a deeper wisdom and humility that are the gifts of understanding animals, plants, and the rhythms and cycles of life and nature. Without this understanding, human life becomes disconnected. This is manifested as dis-ease, rather than ease, which is a symptom of Life out of Balance.
The Navajo say that a man deserted by the deities is one who "shows too much confidence". The best path is the middle way - neither high nor low. In healing, animals give freely of their medicine but only to the deserving, not to those who think they deserve.
(courtesy of Stonehawk)
A Winnebago story :
A man was going to die.
He went to the top of a hill and lay down.
Briefly he slept.
When he awoke there was a circle of animals
Each animal gave the man his personal medicine
Raven spit on the man and gave of his own medicine
The man felt better
Turtle gave the man of his own boiled medicine
The man felt better
Black Hawk said nothing
He gave the man of his medicine right on the place where the man hurt the most
Then all the animals said
"Human, in a similar way,
You will cure your fellowmen"
And the man was given the Flutes of Power.
And he became a great Healer, a powerful
Medicine Man and it was because the animals
Gave freely of their Medicine