Bear

(Ursus arctos)

The brown bear belongs to the large bears, which there are eight species of worldwide. When it is upright it can reach a height of up to 3.5 meters (11.48ft). The bears are heavily built with a large skull, fat legs and a short tail. The brown bear is, among bears, the best known species and varies in size depending on which food it has available and what its habitat is. There are three known subspecies of the brown bear: Grizzly, Kodiak and the European brown bear. The latter is regarded as very threatened (Ursus arctos) because of the hunting and the quick loss of its habitat.

Bear in Mythology: The bears have always been worshipped by shamans and native people of the northern hemisphere because they are awarded strength and courage. Within the Hopi Indians, there was a clan of bears, which was responsible for the special ceremonies. The bear embellishes many coats of arms and emblems and it is the one that gave name to, for example, the Bear of Berlin in Germany or the Bear of Bern in Switzerland. It is also a part of many names, such as Urs, Ursula, Björn or Bernardo. Within the tribes of Antarctica, the shamans summon bears as they are considered to be protectors of children, the forest and the nature. It is said that they protect the justice, even with their own life. The bear goes back to the wisdom of the goddess of nature, since it lives in unison with nature. In Ancient Greece, the bear was related to the moon goddess Artemis, for the Romans, Diana. The Celts represented the goddess of the moon, Berne as a bear. In Norse mythology, it was the way to represent Thor. They also talked about Attila and Atil, they were bears which described male and female energies.

Dreams: It represents the messages of our unconscious. It can refer to some energy of that moment or to a certain danger. They request us to hear our inner voice and to pay attention to our inner world instead of putting it aside.

Bear Essence: The bear conveys the idea of strength and kindness. In everyday speech it is said "to have the strength of a bear".

On the body level: It helps us recover our strength when we feel lacking energy or strength. It also helps us release a higher potential of strength during a sport competition and it helps people gradually recover their energy after a long illness.

On the emotional level: It strengthens our self-confidence and opens our heart. We learn to release our inner fears and to develop self-confidence and kindness. We notice our own strength and enjoy being able to protect others and to show kindness toward other people. We learn to communicate clearly with other people and to develop tenderness.

On the spiritual level: The bear teaches us the importance of hearing our inner voice and become creators of our life. By shaping our lives, we prepare the changes and create something new. We learn to act, on the basis of our strength, in accordance with God and nature and so we find stability and inner guidance being able to help others with our protection and strength.

Note: During the preparation of the essence I saw the bear standing on its hind legs and communicating through the heart. When I finished the preparation, it returned to its four legs.