The Medicine Man
- Marcel Courteau
- Aug 18, 2024
- 7 min read
Dedicated to Roberto, my father. The true Medicine Man..
Is there a connection between our reality, the power of vision, and art? Across the vast plains of North America, shamans like Black Elk from the Lakota tribe, the great Vilca Humu of the Inca Empire, or the Nahualli of the Aztecs—who crafted horoscopes, predicted illnesses, and treated them with secret methods and symbolic rituals—not only healed the sick, but also connected with the beyond, these spiritual leaders predicted the weather, devised strategies, and ensured the prosperity of their people through dreams, dances, and ritual drawings.
What lies behind these practices—dreams, drawings, dances, and songs? Were they created only to entertain us, or do they serve as tools that help us change our reality?
Whatever could be ailin' you I got music to dispel your blue
At the tender age of 13, Black Elk, the Lakota's Medicine Man had a vision that would shape the destiny of his people. On a warm summer night, just before dawn on June 25, 1876, across the vast plains of Montana, he fell into a deep sleep where the spirits of his ancestors transported him to a vast field.
In his vision, he saw a sacred circle of Lakota warriors, their bodies intertwined by a red thread symbolizing the life and unity of the tribe. He awoke with astounding clarity and knew he had to share his dream.
That morning, under a pale sky, Black Elk approached Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, leaders of the Lakota, and recounted his vision.
They needed to lure Custer’s 7th Cavalry Regiment, with 600 men, into a trap: simulating a retreat to then surround them with over 1,500 warriors who would attack from all flanks, armed with bows, arrows, and repeating rifles. When Custer fell into the trap, Crazy Horse, with unmatched bravery, led a fierce charge that broke through the enemy’s right flank, plunging the soldiers into chaos. Custer was surrounded and died in battle.
By the end of the day, the battlefield by the Little Bighorn River lay silent, marked by the Lakota victory and the revelation that a young Medicine Man had received from the beyond, ensuring that the land would remain theirs for another day.
I got potions that'll heal your wounds and the rhythms that drum will soothe
Before setting out on the hunt, the tribe members engaged in a deep and significant ritual. They took a moment to clearly articulate their desires, naming the specific prey they aimed to hunt—whether an antelope, a monkey, or another animal. Seeking permission from the spirits of Mother Earth, they honored the sacred bond they shared with nature. Only after this request did they commence a ritual dance, a symbolic act that not only solidified their intentions but also prepared their minds and spirits for the hunt
Similarly, the community gathered once a year in a special place to collectively cultivate the state of mind they wanted to maintain throughout the year. This process always began with a clear declaration of their desires, followed by playful interaction, with dance and song among the participants, marking the start of a ritual designed to manifest what they longed to achieve.
In both cases, art was not merely entertainment. It was the tool that amplified their intent.
The Medicine Man knew that art had the power to transcend the mundane and connect directly with the divine. The drawings he created were not mere decorations, but spiritual maps that guided his tribe toward a safe future.
The dances he led were invocations, each movement a prayer, each step a petition to the cosmos. Through these ceremonies, the Medicine Man reminded his people that reality could be shaped, that the power to manifest a better future was within everyone’s reach.
There is nothing that I cannot do, I’m a Medicine Man. Healin's my plan
After a year of dating, my partner, who at that time was raising her 8-year-old daughter on her own, and I decided to take an important step: we moved in together. During the two years we spent as a small family, the question I was often asked was, "So, when are we getting married?" She, the treasurer of the company where I worked, held a much higher executive position than mine as a junior engineer. Every month, it was she who paid my salary, and with a serious but tender look, she would listen to my usual response: "We’ll get married when I make more money than you."
Finally, the opportunity came. I was hired by a company that allowed me to grow professionally, with a better income. That's how we got married and, with an executive package in hand, we moved to another city. This new beginning allowed me to save enough to buy our first house. Since then, I’ve made a habit of keeping a notebook for my professional matters. In it, I record the progress of projects and decisions from meetings, and I used to write in it in the afternoons while María did her schoolwork in the living room. Amid the sound of the television and the family atmosphere, I would sometimes let my mind wander, sketching as a way to "vomit" what was inside me.
Years later, we were finally able to buy our house, although it had to be expanded and modified, which delayed our move-in by a couple of years. By then, I had changed companies, and when we arrived with all our belongings, we found ourselves surrounded by boxes filled with memories of our life. While unpacking, with our little Ignacio, now two years old, running around the house, I took a moment to go through old notebooks, deciding what was worth keeping. Sitting amid the boxes, with my wife, María, and the little one by my side, I opened a notebook I had written five years earlier. I was astonished to discover a drawing I had made without much thought at the time. I had drawn, with astonishing detail, the house we were now living in. Our house.
The four of us stared at the drawing in silence, surprised and speechless, witnessing that miracle as if the universe, or whatever it was, had reminded us of it. The journey from paper to our eyes.
I got melodies to take you home and my dance will help your blood to flow
What if today, in a world where we are so focused on external stimuli, we’ve forgotten that what happens to us could also be the result of our own words and intentions? Perhaps, without realizing it, we’ve let the intentions and projects of others diminish our innate ability to manifest our realities. Just like Black Elk, maybe we all carry within us something that enables us to transform our daily lives through the power of vision and art.
In my case, it was art—without me knowing it—that amplified my desire: years before knowing our home, I drew it in a notebook, never imagining that this simple act would predict the shape of our future. If we reconnected with that Medicine Man within us, would we still be captives of a reality that seems unchangeable?
I'm a medicine man, healin's my plan
Throughout history, art has been much more than just a form of entertainment. It has been a sacred tool, a bridge to the divine that resides within each of us.
Art is the playful manifestation of our desires, a way to play with our intentions and enjoy in advance the reality we long for, celebrating it even before it becomes tangible.
No matter how humble it may seem, every drawing, every written word, every dance, is a channel that amplifies our desires and connects us with the power of manifestation that we all possess.
Just as the Medicine Men used their visions and rituals to transform the reality of their peoples, we too can rediscover this innate ability. Art invites us to shape the world around us, aligning our intentions with our deepest aspirations.
It may seem naïve or sound like a pep talk, but what if it could happen? Let’s play a game. After reading these lines, I invite you to take a pencil, a brush, or any tool that allows you to create. Draw or simply write under this title: “The List of Miracles” and organize your daily goals with your words.
Let’s not underestimate our power, no matter how simple it may seem. Let your soul express itself, allow your visions to come to life, and remember that, just like Black Elk or Sitting Bull, that divinity within you might just reveal itself.
"The most important peace, the first of all, is the one that comes to the souls when people recognize their relationship and unity with the universe and all its powers. It is when they understand that at the heart of the universe resides the Great Spirit, and that this center is not in one place, but in each of us." — Black Elk (Lakota Tribe)
Medicine Man · Bobby McFerrin
Medicine Man. Bobby McFerrin.
I am a medicine man, I do a medicine dance
I am a medicine man, I sing a medicine chant
I am a medicine man, I have a medicine tale
I am a medicine man, I walk a medicine trail
I got potions that'll heal your wounds
And the rhythms that I drum will soothe,
I got harmonies to give you hope
I'm a medicine man
Healin's my plan
I am a medicine man………….(chorus)
I got melodies to take you home
And my dance will help your blood to flow
I got words to make the devil go
I'm a medicine man, healin's my plan
Solo
Whatever could be ailin' you
I got music to dispel your blue
There is nothing that I cannot do
I'm a medicine man
Healin's my plan
Source:
Jose Luis Parise - The Art of Creating Your Own Reality-
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