The Four Sacred Medicines of the First People

Alright. This was a weird dream sequence, even by my standards. Last night, I was being shown tobacco in WordPress posts, mostly extolling its sacred properties. But the ending demonstrated that as far as the native population is concerned, it is being used in a way that is harmful to them.

This seems way outside my remit.

Ordinarily, I would avoid subject matter like this, as I am not a smoker and never have been. (Like Bill Clinton, I never inhaled.) But I do have some awareness of how sacred tobacco was in the 17th century, when I was a fur trader. Tobacco was considered a gift from the gods, and was to be used sparingly. Smoking it in a peace pipe and giving it back as an offering to the gods were considered the correct usages of the medicine. Anything else would be sacrilegious. How different it is today.

I am reminded of John Lennon’s lyrics from the Beatles’ song “I’m So Tired”:

I'm so tired, I'm feeling so upset
Although I'm so tired, I'll have another cigarette
And curse Sir Walter Raleigh
He was such a stupid git

Now I want to put forward another idea. It’s not new, but it might have some more immediate impact than the way I’ve spoken of it before. Is it possible that tobacco as a ‘gift from the gods’ may have actually been from some time travelers from the future who went back to the past, in order to introduce the plant and its properties to the indigenous people again? Well, is it?

If, in the future, the natural healing remedies of the past have been lost, forever, wouldn’t it seem likely that the sacred needed to be restored? How better than with those who are close to the earth, and mindful of spirit in their daily existence.

https://www.pbs.org/video/tpt-co-productions-reclaiming-sacred-tobacco-promo/