What’s in Your Medicine Bundle?

A “medicine bundle,” also known simply as a “bundle,” holds immense sacred and ceremonial significance within various Indigenous communities across Turtle Island. These revered collections of items play pivotal roles in rituals, ceremonies, and healing practices. Typically, they contain gifts or objects meant for ceremony use or as life journey guides. These bundles remind, strengthen, teach, and guide us in our life paths.

While medicine bundles’ precise contents and purposes can vary among communities and individuals, they often share common elements such as feathers, stones, herbs, animal bones or fur, shells, and other natural materials. These items are carefully chosen for their symbolic and spiritual importance, reflecting personal connections to specific symbols or cultural traditions. Some things may have been passed down through generations, carrying ancestral wisdom and power.

Medicine bundles feature prominently in healing rituals, spiritual ceremonies, and practices promoting physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. They possess the power to establish connections with the spiritual realm, offer guidance in significant decisions, and facilitate positive transformations. These bundles are integral to various Indigenous ceremonies, including those linked to birth, marriage, death, healing, vision quests, and rites of passage. Typically, shamans, medicine people, or spiritual leaders employ them.

The selection and arrangement of items within a medicine bundle hold profound symbolism, conveying specific meanings and intentions such as healing, protection, or guidance. They are handled with utmost respect and care, usually wrapped in a particular manner and stored in a special container or pouch. Their use is deeply rooted in traditional practices and varies according to beliefs and customs.

I have a medicine bundle filled with physical and non-physical items that help me to get grounded, whether at home or traveling. While the physical objects are natural, my medicine bundle is more of a metaphor I use that represents the medicine I need, the “goodness” or “good things” — a gift to my mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional wellness that keeps me strong. For example, I journal, meditate, exercise, and smudge. I also have an eagle feather and some crystals I bring wherever I go. The earth’s elements keep me close to nature and remind me of my connection to Mother Earth and all living things, all our relations.

Some people have a favourite coffee cup and must have their coffee every morning or feel their day has yet to get off to a good start. Others start their day with a brisk walk to clear their head and ground into the day.

I’m curious… what ritual do you have for your wellness? What’s in your medicine bundle?