Mudjekeewis (Grizzly Bear) is the Spirit Keeper of the West and is also Chief Council of all Spirit Keepers and Animal Totems. His power is strength and introspection due to the West being the season of Autumn. West wind represents a time of strength gained from knowing yourself and a time of stability. The totem colors are blue for spiritual strength and black for looking within. The time of day represented by the West Wind and Mudjekeewis is evening and this can relate to a time in your life, where you are in your present journey, or the time of a specific project that you might be involved in. Mudjekeewis is your Spirit Keeper if you were born under the directly moons September 23 to October 23 (Raven), October 24 to November 21 (Snake), and November 22 to December 21 (Elk). The major lesson of Mudjekeewis is that of responsibility; responsibility for self, responsibility for the Earth, and responsibility for all of our relations on the Earth.
Mudjekeewis, Father of all of the Winds, is under the element of fire and provides a home for the Thunder Beings. Mudjekeewis (Grizzly Bear) brings the gifts of maturity, of experience, and of expertise to our lives and our situations.
Like all bears, the grizzly is extremely intelligent, cunning, and resourceful. A problem solver, Grizzly Bear, uses his hands and his heart to find ways to do things that will benefit both himself and his brothers and sisters in the bear kingdom. The grizzly bear is an animal that sometimes inspires fear in humans in much the same way the truly mature individual can inspire fear in those who are hesitant about reaching their own maturity.
A person can be in the time of Mudjekeewis and not have Grizzly as their Spirit Keeper. It will be a time when people have established themselves. They have a career, a profession, family, and a home. They are stable and responsible. They have reached a point where they are carrying on their backs not only the young ones that they provide teaching, leadership, and healing to; but also the older ones who are no longer capable of caring for themselves as they once did. While the time of Mudjekeewis appears to be a straightforward time, it does contain a paradox. You will be experiencing your highest point of strength, but you are also aware of the little deaths that you see around you. You feel you could conquer the world and you become aware of your own mortality and what that truly means.
The plant totem for Mudjekeewis is the cedar and the mineral totem is soapstone.
~Mitakuye Oyasin~ We are all related