Categories: animal magic (bears) + spirit work
Purpose: self-confidence
In a lot of Slavic languages we see the word for bear
(the animal) being formed from epithets. In Russian, the modern word for bear
is transliterated as medved.
That, along with the Polish niedzwiedz
both translate roughly to honey eater.
This same use of epithets is demonstrated in a lot of Germanic and Scandinavian languages—the Old Norse bjorn,
the less-common English word bruin,
and even the German baer,
all ultimately refer to the animal's color: brown. Indeed, this use of epithets for the animal was so widespread in the ancient north that, according to The Linguistics Encyclopedia (2002) we now have no record of what the actual name for the winter sleeper was in any northern Indo-European dialect.
But why did this taboo exist against saying the name of the honey eater? Until effective post-mortem communication is established everything is speculation, of course, but the most common consensus on this issue among paleo-linguists is that the people of the ancient north were very... let us say respectful of honey eaters. Nobody wanted the winter sleepers to steal their kills, raid their camps, or—worst of all—actively hunt them. Bears (let us be brave with this name) have power; they are massive, strong, and deadly apex predators.
Who are also very cute!
Bears also get very fat every autumn and then sleep through the winter in order to avoid the problem of otherwise not having enough food available through the lean months of the year. Smart! But also fat. Very, very fat. So fat, in fact, that the United States National Park Service hosts an annual contest called Fat Bear Week where people can vote on their favorite bear every autumn. The linked website says it best:
For bears, fat equals survival. Each winter, bears enter the den where they will not eat or drink until they emerge in spring. During this time, they may lose up to 1/3 of their body weight as they rely solely on their fat reserves. Survival depends on eating a year's worth of food in six months.
So what does this mean for us humans? It means... stop hating yourself and/or others for being fat. This spell uses the spirit of the bear as an animal ally (if you are white like I am, please do not use the term totem
or spirit animal
due to those terms being cultural appropriation) to inspire yourself towards a better sense of self-love when it comes to your weight. And if you really struggle with internalized fatphobia, then you can at least use this spell to see yourself in a more neutral way that doesn't reflect negatively on your self-worth.
When pondering the nature of the primordial winter sleeper, I was initially drawn to food-focused witchery—because is it really a spell channeling the power of bears if you don't eat at least one salmon? (this is a joke)—but this isn't always an accessible option for people who struggle to cook and/or have a history with eating disorders. Therefore, the goal with the honey eaters' spell is to nourish your body—but not necessarily with food if that doesn't work for you. Therefore, more specifically for this spell you need to give your body what it needs to not just survive, but thrive.
And you know your own body infinitely better than I (a rando on the Internet) certainly do, so you get to decide what exactly your body needs to thrive. It could be 8+ hours of sleep, a solid meal, and/or an extra bottle's worth of of water throughout the day... but these are just the basics. Maybe you need something more complex than that. Maybe you need a lot more than that. That's okay. It's okay to need things, and also okay to want things that aren't necessities. It's okay to pursue the things you want and/or need, like a bear tearing through a blackberry patch in search of the ripe, tart fruit. If you feel like you need permission to go after what you want, this is your sign to give chase with all of your power.
Please keep in mind that this spell lasts 24 hours once begun.
You will need:
Directions:
First, draw a picture of a bear with your supplies. It doesn't need to be fancy. Arguably one of the most famous pictures of a bear ever made was created more than 30,000 years ago in a cave called Chauvet in France. It looks like this:
(If you want to learn more about the cave paintings of Chauvet, you can do so here).
If you don't have the spoons to draw, lack confidence as an artist, or otherwise just don't want to draw a picture, you can find a picture of a bear online and save it to your phone or another device for quick/frequent reference. Remember the power of the honey eater as you do so, and know that you are keeping that power close to you throughout the day that this spell will last. The attention of the winter sleeper is upon you, and though not cruel the honey eater will ask that you be kind to yourself; winter is never too far away, and you need your strength to survive the cold.
Once your image of a bear has been created or saved, the spell is begun. For the next 24 hours, your mission as a magical practitioner is to ensure that your body thrives. Take care of yourself as much as you are able; live lavishly, indulgently, and without regret. If you ever find yourself caught in a sudden trap of shame or doubt, think of the honey eater—refer back to your image if necessary—and say an epithet or name for bear
that feels comforting to you (some examples: Arktos, Ursus, Medved). You can say the name aloud or just think it really hard; the point of doing this is to interrupt the shame/doubt and not allow it to take root and fester in your mind and heart. Keep doing this until the 24 hours are finished. Repeat as you see fit.
The purpose of this spell is to help your body and mind escape negative patterns of behavior and thought through the power of the winter sleeper. Remember that bears are fat, and that bears were some of the most awe-inspiring and terrifying animals ever encountered by ancient humans. There is nothing wrong with being fat, and fat is often necessary for survival through the long, hard months of winter. Unlike bears, we can't sleep away months of darkness and cold—whether that darkness and cold be mental illness, abuse, or something else entirely—but we can bring the strength of the honey eater into ourselves for the eternal quest to continue living until the next spring.