The Four Medicines: Water, Walking, Forests, Gardens

Several years ago, in a dream, I encountered a large white bear. He was wearing a medicine pouch, in the tradition of an indigenous shaman. I realized the pouch contained medicine, and the white bear wanted me to have it. For years I wondered what that medicine was and I began thinking actively about the medicine I needed.

I came to understand I need four medicines:

Water
Walking
Forests
Gardens

These situations—a combination of place and active engagement—sustain me. They are the inspiration and often the subject of my art. They also, separately and in combination with each other, sustain human life. They are systems at the intersection of the Earth’s ecology and human behavior. In my life, these medicines interact with each other as they nurture and heal me.

In reflecting on the Call for Art invitation from “What’s Next for Earth” Art Project, I began thinking about my personal guideposts—my four medicines—and flashed on an image from my childhood, sometimes called a “Fortune Teller.” It is a simple combinatorial machine, leading to surprising suggestions. I decided to make one, incorporating my photographs, my local knowledge, and my knowledge of sustainability and resilience.

Ultimately, I made two fortune-tellers, one highlighting actions that heal and inspire me, and one prompting me to think about community actions leading to a sustainable future. I think of these as “four medicines toward healing” and “four medicines toward change.”

The outer ring of each Fortune Teller identifies my four medicines—Water, Walking, Forests, Gardens. The next ring specifies directions, or portals, in relation to where I live--NE, SE, SW, NW. The inner ring contains prompts. Healing prompts being with “Visit” or “Walk.” Action prompts begin with “Host,” “Grow,” “Plant,” or “Drink,” among others. By opening and closing the Fortune Teller I am prompted to engage one of my Four Medicines, to sustain myself and help envision a more resilient community.

Origami folded paper with images and text, 8 ½” x 8 ½”

Thanks to the Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere for hosting the online exhibition of which this project is part. See https://mahb.stanford.edu or https://www.instagram.com/mahbglobal/ and https://www.instagram.com/whatsnextforearth/