North Shield Incense Sticks - Wisdom Buffalo

Product Information

They Say: The Medicine Wheel is the sacred hoop of life's lesson that all must follow. Life begins in the south shield on the sacred hoop path and each of us will travel the circle until death. From death our spirit passes to physical life on the blue spirit trail. On the medicine walk, the north shield teaches us about the path of expression and personal growth.

Naturally handmade with a bamboo centre, a charcoal based coating essential oils. Contains no hydrocarbons or petroleum distillates. Results in a slow burning and low smoke incense.

Approximate Number of Sticks: 12
Stick Length: Approx 25cm
Approximate Burn Time: 45 minutes

Country of Origin: New Mexico

What Holisticshop staff think

"The energy and smell around the Buffalo incense really brings to mind buffalo (not that I have actually ever smelt a buffalo!). Buffalo energy is strong, wise, powerful, spiritual and no nonsense. This incense is not all flowers and buttercups. That is to say it isn’t all “nicey nicey”. It smells and feels quite animalistic, deep and quite pungent. There is an essence of burnt nutmeg and bonfires and it is manly and robust.

I think it will appeal to those wishing to connect with the direction of the North in the Native American medicine wheel as I think it represents that really well. It will also appeal to those who like incense that is stronger or less floral. As with all in this range this is a very low smoke incense."

By Brett Almond

Dictionary Terms Explained

Buffalo - Abundance, prayer
Buffalo brings abundance. But the lesson in connection with this is that life is a circle and to continue living in abundance we must honour what we receive though prayer and honouring the Creator.

Buffalo teaches that we manifest exactly what we need by walking in balance and listening to inner guidance. Buffalo tends to take the easiest route in the right time. It does move to a new place ahead of the seasons and it does not go over a mountain when the pass is where he is meant to be. This way buffalo is exactly where he/she is meant to be at any time and in this way manifests exactly what is needed. Then we complete the circle by saying thank you. Buffalo teaches us we can have all that we ever dreamed of. Life doesn’t have to be this hard.

Medicine Wheel - Wheel of life
The medicine wheel is an all encompassing system of life common to most Native American traditions. It has four directions: the East, South, West and the North. Here is one simple interpretation of what each direction represents:

East: yellow / mental / air / birth / eagle

South: white / emotional / water / childhood / coyote

West: black / physical / earth / adulthood / bear

North: red / spiritual / fire / elder / buffalo

Whole books have been written about the medicine wheel and what each direction represents and the exact colours and positions of the various elements can vary between tribes and teachers but this does not matter too much (as long as you stick with the system you become familiar with) as the basic message is that to live to your highest potential and happiness you must put all four aspects into balance. This is a system (like the Kaballah is a system) that can be studied and applied to daily living. The medicine wheel as a symbol is a symbol of balance and reconciliation with yourself. To wear or have around you this symbol states your intention to live in balance and manifest the joy and peace this balance will bring. The four colours also represent the Asian people / white people / black people / and the native people so in this way the medicine wheel is also a symbol of world peace as well as inner peace.