(How It All Began: The Birth of the Solar System)
Namebini-giizis/Makwa-giizis (Suckerfish Moon/Bear Moon ) - February 16, 2023
THE DREAM
Many moons ago, when the World was not yet born, there was only something, a Great Mystery - or Spirit if you will - that perhaps comes close to what we would call a Dream. It was a dream energized by the spirit of Gichi-gizhewaadiziwin (a great deal of loving kindness).
This Dream, or Vision, came to life in a Lodge, called Gichi-waawiyekamig ("Great Round Lodge"; the Universe).
This Great Round Lodge enclosed a vast sky. One day this Dream, or Vision, became materialized into rock, water, fire, and wind.
These substances were born spontaneously, seemingly out of nothing, and into each was breathed, again in a loving and tender way, a sacred life breath that is often called GICHI-MANIDOO (Literally: Great Mystery, or sum of all Mysteries). The sky became filled with many planets and stars including the day-sun star, and around the day-sun star circled a planet in the form of a giant sea turtle nowadays called Omaamama-aki (earth).
THE BIRTH OF THE UNIVERSE
So it is understood that from the four sacred substances – rock, water, fire, and wind –, each gifted with their own soul and spirit and nature and shadow, was created Cosmos, or Order. This brand new Order was filled with the day-sun and uncountable other stars and the earth and seven other planets and thousands of exoplanets, and all these cosmic beings were animated by this vital life force named GICHI-MANIDOO.
The solar system was born, a Spirit Nation headed by an ogimaa, or Chief, called Giizis, the day-sun...
Into the day-sun GICHI-MANIDOO breathed the powers of light and heat and rays to warm the earth.
Into the sea turtle earth GICHI-MANIDOO breathed the power of growth and healing, and on and beneath her shield were formed hills, mountains, plains, valleys, lakes, rivers, streams, bays, wells, ponds, and even underground water streams. These waters were given the twin powers of purity and renewal. The wind was given music-making qualities and it was infused by the same power of breath of life as GICHI-MANIDOO'S.
THE CREATION OF THE MOON
But something was missing so a manidoo ogimaa (spirit chief) was sent to the sea turtle earth. The chief, who lived in the belt of the Great Hunter Gaa-biboonikaan and whose name was Aadawaa'amoo, steered his ishkode-jiimaan (flaming canoe), accompanied by uncountable arrows of fire that flashed through space, toward the sea turtle earth with great speed. The chief's canoe collided with the sea turtle earth. At that time a manidookwe (spirit woman) happened to walk the earth, and while she was resting the ishkode-jiimaan hit the earth, right at the spot where she lay. The impact smashed her body into a million pieces! Next, her body parts collected in an orbit around earth to form the night-sun.
The sea turtle earth had conceived a child. Her name was Dibik-giizis, the Night-Sun!
Into the Night-Sun GICHI-MANIDOO breathed the powers of light and the power to watch over the sea turtle earth and all her children at night...it was in the warm light of the night-sun, or the moon as she is called nowadays, that the quality of gichi-gizhewaadiziwin was manifested to the greatest extent...
THE CREATION OF LIFE ON EARTH
Then GICHI-MANIDOO decided the back shield of the sea turtle earth needed to be made habitable! Plants and animals (and birds, insects, and fish) were created and then, finally, the first species of human beings…
But something was still missing...the first species of Anishinaabeg consisted of mere spirit, and they weren't functioning very well... A great flood ensued, which drowned the human beings, along with most land animals. A Female spirit, called Giizhigookwe ("Sky Woman") was sent down from the night-sun, and she lowered a new species of human beings to the sea turtle earth, and although these newcomers possessed a spirit, and a soul, they also had a body! They multiplied themselves and became known as Anishinaabeg: Those Who Are Created Spontaneously. Next, her purpose and nature fulfilled, Giizhigookwe returned to the moon, where she still resides and watches over her children at night...
Once the Great Nation of the Anishinaabeg was placed on the borders of the Great Salt Sea in the East, everything was seemingly in its place and everything appeared to have been adequately infused with the sacred breath called GICHI-MANIDOO, this sacred essence that had brought about beauty and harmony and order.
THE GREAT LAWS OF NATURE
So this is how the Great Laws of Nature came into existence. These laws bound together every living entity that existed within the great order of the Great Round Lodge. The Great Laws of Nature regulated the seasons and all patterns of existence, governing the position and movement of the physical bodies (planets, stars, star constellations) and the four sacred substances (rock, water, fire, and wind), controlling and safeguarding the rhythm and continuity of birth, growth, decay, and rebirth, ensuring they all lived and worked together interdependently.
In short, with the materialization of this Dream or Vision that is often called Great Mystery, and which resulted in the formation of the new Cosmos, came BIMAADIZIWIN; life as we know it.
Giiwenh, thus is the story of the Universe and the creation of the Sun and the Moon and the Earth...
THE RINGS
The design and colors of the above black zirconium wedding ring set, Gizhewaadiziwin ("Loving Kindness"), refer to the night sky and the Spirit Nation that dwells there, headed by Omishoomisimaa Giizis and Nookomis Dibik-giizis (respectively Grandfather Sun and Grandmother Moon). The earth circles around the day-sun; the night-sun, when the day-sun is sleeping, dances around the earth, shedding her soft light on her surface and all creatures that live there, infusing nature and all creatures with her gentle kindness.
14 K red gold, 14K white gold, and 18K yellow gold inlays are used for the moon and the sun and the earth; this is done by hammering round rivet wires into both zirconium ring shanks.