Health and Healing
Traditional native Indian remedies.        

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The Legend of Apache Leap Mountain

In the late 1800’s a small group of Apache warriors were trapped on a mountaintop near Superior, Arizona.  When faced and outnumbered by General Crook’s troops of the U.S. cavalry, these Yavapais Indians (Mojave Apaches) chose death over capture and leaped off the high mountain cliff!

It is believed The Great Spirit looked down on their grieving loved ones and everywhere their tears fell, the tears turned into everlasting black stones so that those who see the stones will remember the courage and loss of those warriors.  Even today, at what is now called ‘Apache Leap’ the black stones still lay scattered on the Arizona desert. 

Today Apache’s tears are only found on a few Indian reservations in the Western United States.  Mostly, in Arizona and Utah!  These round or oval obsidians are really volcanic rock glass, created by the sudden cooling of drops of lava coming into contact with water or ice. 

Stones are rated on a scale between 1-10 for their hardness.  Apache’s tears come in at a 7.  These stones are often used to reduce apathy and psychological disorders.   They can alleviate poor digestive problems and intestinal disorders as well.  They soothe stomach upset and stimulate vitamin B and E in one's body.  This helps to improve the blood and therefore improves one's skin.

Apache’s tears are also known to dilute depression about the future and help to stimulate emotional harmony within one’s self. 

Apache’s tears are black and translucent.  The small mixture of such metals as manganese, iron or titanium will cause some colour variation in these stones.   

Wash these stones in a bowl of warm water once a month.  They may also be recharged among rock crystals to promote even greater power.

Black, although not a true colour, can signify detachment, seclusion, elegance, power and hidden security.  It dissolves energy blockages and relieves pain.  Black may also mean that something is wrong and that one is seeking an answer from deep within.  The expression, “black as night” spells out hidden knowledge of things.  Not all is being openly dispensed.  Black is mysterious and is able to inspire one's self and others.  Black is secretive and strong.  Black can be alluring!   Black is dark and rich looking!  Black is bold and black is the colour of Apache’s Tears!

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Introduction

It seems only right for me to begin my first session of Health and Healing with a story based on my own experience! 

When I was around the age of eleven, I was a real tomboy!
I was also exploring my horizons and curious about the village that I grew up in. One day, my girlfriend Kathy and I decided we were going to investigate an old building just up the gravel road from my house. It was told to us that it used to be an old blacksmith shop, or something of that sort. The windows were purposely boarded up, so snoops like us couldn’t peer in. Well, we managed to do just that anyway and were we excited!  After we had our fill of doing something that we shouldn’t, we decided it was time to get down off the roof before we got caught. Yes, I said roof! 

Kathy was the first to jump off and land safely on the ground below! I, on the other hand, was not so lucky. When I finally got up the courage to make my big leap I lit full tilt onto a board with a nail sticking straight up! The board was approximately twelve to fourteen inches in length. This was before the days of meters. 

Anyway, being more frightened of being caught at the time than the nail in my foot, I decided to hop straight for home; and I did! Board and all! My mom, was frantic when she saw me coming hopping up the front steps of our veranda with a board attached to the bottom of my running shoe. 

I quickly sat myself down on the couch, stunned by what I was looking at. I remember pleading with my mom to please just leave it where it was! Obviously, she wasn’t about to do that, but this was not an easy negotiation even for my diplomatic mother. 

However, once she had done her best to convince me that when she pulled the board and nail out of my foot, that all of my insides wouldn’t seep out the hole, I reluctantly bit the bullet and let her pull it out. 

As you can well imagine, blood poisoning rapidly set in.  Living in ‘The Village’, as we called it, folks didn’t run to the hospital like they do now a days. Especially, when the nearest one is twelve miles away. So, unless you were pretty much dying, it simply wasn’t unheard of. 

Luckily, mom had remembered an old remedy a native Indian man had once shared about a similar situation with his son.

Down to the pond behind our house she headed. Gone to fetch the ingredients needed.  When she returned, she had pulled and collected the long white fiber roots from the bottoms of cattails, or bullrushes, as we used to call them. She steeped and mashed them.  Then, she made a poultice dressing in cheesecloth, placed it and secured it over the hole in my foot.

I can remember to this day, literally being able to watch and see the red line of blood poisoning drop back down my leg like a thermometer that had been placed in cold water. It was nature’s medicine. One that we had never tried before, but it worked just like magic! 

Nature’s medicine is all around us, and I will share other cures and stories with you.  If you have one that you would like share with me, please email me!

Health and happiness,
White Sparrow

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