"Hamlet"

My guides suggested I do an intuitive portrait for "Hamlet". At first, I'd assumed it to be a description of the lifedream of the actual person that the famous Shakespearean character was based on, but it's perhaps more likely that it's intended for someone who's alive presently, having Hamlet as a nickname.

(click on the image to see it in greater detail)

If the theme or some of the imagery resonates with you (perhaps you'd like me to describe the symbolism of some of the characters for you, leading to an interpretation), send me an email: blackfeathermedicine@gmail.com

Accepting the Wind

Most of us don’t see angels, in the same way that we don‘t see wind. What we see is evidence of their effects. Focussing upon (or close to) the present moment, we might see a tree’s branches waving, for instance. In extreme conditions, branches may break or a tree might be blown completely over. As in the case of seeing trees that have fallen in the forest, we may not have seen the actual event, but we still infer that it was previous wind activity that caused it (you could say we’re observing ‘evidence of evidence’ of wind).

Taking a longer view, wind has an impact on the shape of a tree. Notwithstanding the countless other influences that can also come into play (the relative angle of the sun, the activities of animals, insects and disease, the availablity of water and nutrients, to name just a few), due to the effects of wind, they don’t grow to be perfectly symmetrical. In much the same way as our muscles are stimulated to grow when we put extraordinary stress on and then rest them, when wind moves a branch in such a way as to cause considerable stress on its holding wood (such that the tree ‘worries‘ it might break there), the tree is motivated to send additional nourishment there, to strengthen itself in that location. The supplementary wood added will cause a tree’s branches and stems to grow in a different direction than it otherwise would (that’s why trees along shorelines - where the winds come at them in one predominant direction - are so obviously assymetrical).

Hypothetically, if the wind (and all other influences) acted upon a tree in all directions at once/equally, a tree would grow perfectly symmetrically. If no influences acted upon the tree, it wouldn’t hold together. In other words, it wouldn’t exist. Why would a tree grow a trunk or stretch out its canopy, if not to reach for the sun?

The initial prompt for writing this post came in the form of a vision I was shown that depicted two opposing hands, their inner edges shaped in such a way that they delineated the outer form of a tree. The shape of the tree itself was how we might draw a simplified evergreen: triangular, symmetrical, ‘perfect’. Surprising to me, but the large, ‘Divine-looking’ hands looked like those of a demon. It had started me wondering. Besides thinking about how forces affect trees, the vision got me to thinking about influences that act upon our selves and our experiences. In this material reality, we don’t grow perfectly symmetrically, either. Without the influences acting upon our own ‘edges‘, neither would we exist.

In our minds, when the wind stirs a branch, it’s a beauty to behold, but - generally speaking - when it breaks a branch, it’s a shame. Considering the natural biases in how we’re designed as humans, from an aesthetic viewpoint, the flowing lines of an intact branch are more pleasing to our eyes, whereas the jagged edges of a broken one can appear as an affront to our sensibilities. A smooth, even line is more likely to be associated with peace; a jagged shape with pain or disharmony. But we wouldn’t consider the wind itself is ‘bad’ for having brought about the effect of a broken branch, though. We wouldn’t label it as evil. However, we do have a tendency to label some of the influences acting upon our selves that way.

In terms of what they present to us, our Demons are as necessary as our Angels. Put in perspective, I don’t think anyone would argue that the Angel of Death isn’t essential. To this point in our evolution at least, our demons (our shadows) have provided the necessary resistance that allowed for our edges to be delineated. Not only have they been part of what made our existence on this plane possible and stimulated us to become the multifaceted beings we are, they’ve helped make us Aware of our preferences - in fact, the nature of our very Be-ing - in our struggle towards the light.

Having said all of that, don’t think for a single now moment that I’m espousing an affiliation with the demonic realms. The truth is, though, that the best way to realize the essence of what you Are is to send love to wherever resistance has impacted you. If the entity you’ve sent love to can’t accept it, it’ll realize it’s not in resonance with you and move on. More importantly, perhaps, you’ll realize that you’re not in resonance with it. Accept it - without judgement - as having been part of your growth, and realize that it can never diminish you as Spirit. It‘s served its purpose of getting you to know something of your true nature.

It’s been a struggle down here, sure, but goodness, hasn’t it been damned illuminating?

Gentleness: Demon Medicine

In my healing work, I sometimes find energies/entities ‘hanging on’ to the person I’m working with. I call them ‘riders‘, for the fact that they’re relying on the person for something they can’t provide for themselves. Most often, they’re present because we feel that we need them for something we can’t do for ourselves. Although there are a great many categorizations, to all intents and purposes, many people would describe what I’m talking about as demons.

Personally, I used to wonder whether demons existed or not. I figured that they were probably just a construct, something that people took advantage of to describe behaviours they engaged in that maybe weren’t so nice. It seemed a great way to put responsibility for things outside of yourself, as in, “Sure, it appeared as though it was me bonking you upside the head and making your life miserable, but it was that external supernatural force made me do it!”

Well, from my own experience, I can assure you that they do exist. That said, though, they’re (also) a projection; they function as a mirror, reflecting unseen aspects of our deeper self and supporting us to become whole. Taken in that light, I can also assure you that they’re nothing to be afraid of. For all intents and purposes, it’s most effective to view them as entities separate from ourselves…


A demon only has power in three ways. One: they use yours. Two: they’ll persist so long as you remain consciously unaware that they are present. And three: by permission.

Sometimes, their influence is fairly benign. As an entity unto itself, a demon might be drawn to a person mostly for the sake of the protection that person affords them (go figure). In other instances, we might invite them in inadvertently, at a time when we’re so challenged by life, so engrossed in our hurt and anger and the earthly unfairness of our situation that we lose all sense of connection to the Loving power that we innately came into the world with. Sometimes, as in the case of severe emotional abuse, we might even call them in, so that we can feel stronger than our abuser; taken further, as a wish for harm upon them. In a position of seeming weakness, it’s a natural tendency to want to feel more powerful than the person who’s inflicting pain upon us. Because our experience was that our abuser had the capacity to hurt us, aligning with the qualities that they exhibit but to a greater extent should make us more powerful than them and leave us better protected, no?

We see this kind of perversion of power in the world around us all the time, in the competitive nature of politics or business, for instance. Because we see it so prevalently as the overriding power, it seems that it’s the only alternative. Other forms of power - that of gentleness, for instance - get pushed to the wayside as not being nearly as effective (or as interesting, but that‘s a whole other topic).

Sometimes, people purposefully invite demons in because of the magical powers they seem to afford (they’re often handed down generationally, even). Ultimately, though, it’s a feigned power that diminishes the host. In fact, it’s your power, and in effect, you‘re draining yourself of it.

As part of the relationship, they do help you to be a little more aware of your own power, but never let you realize to what extent it’s actually your own. If you are conscious of their presence, you’re most likely to be under the delusion that it’s theirs and that you need them for it. It’s like only being able to notice the carrot dangling on the stick in front of you, when in fact your back pockets are bulging with them.

I’m not advocating going out and worshipping them, but I will say that demons serve a sacred purpose, just like anything else. They’re as much a part of Great Spirit’s plan as you or I. On a greater soul level, nothing happens without our permission. We might allow a rider to act in a symbiotic relationship with us for the purposes of keeping us out of awareness of our full power until such time as we can handle it with integrity. This might seem a bit simplistic an explanation, perhaps, but I believe another of their Divine purposes is to help earth angels (such as yourself) to realize the aspect of your own considerable power described as Gentleness.

A demon is most often present as a means of making you aware of something that isn’t serving you.. It’s there to constantly poke you, as a way to call attention to some belief, thought pattern or behaviour that you‘ve become conditioned to believe about yourself. As an example, if you’re constantly choosing love interests who can’t commit because experiences in your early life influenced you to hold the misguided opinion that you aren’t worth committing to, a demon might serve to steer you (with glazed eyes) into a relationship with someone even less suited to the vision of the faithful partner you think you want than your previous one.

Let’s face it, we often learn best through adversity. While a demon can take you to your absolute ‘bottom’, the purpose is to point out to you that you actually are worth loving, to take you back to that childlike trust and knowing you had before you incorporated whatever erroneous belief you‘ve been holding that suggest otherwise. Sometimes, that means things getting progressively worse, until that moment when we’re forced to - yet again - ask ourselves the question, “Do I really deserve this?” Except this time, there’s no other possible answer but “No!”

So, if you believe you have one, what do you do with a demon? Open yourself to the realization that every part of you is loveable. Be gentle. Be innocent. Smile. Sing. If you’re moved to express yourself that way, even encorporate a joyful dance (laughing joyfully kicks ass, too). They won’t necessarily, but if you feel you need to allow your demon to spit, bellow and moan until it fizzles itself out, go right ahead. As I mentioned, they’re a reflection, a reflection of your own accumulated pain, fear and anger. In essence, you’d be letting them vent it for you. Just don’t project it onto your self (that’s most certainly what you’ve been doing since you picked them up). And if they are kicking up a stink, be aware not to feed them (anger, fear, self-importance, etc), and don‘t take their expressions personally. They can’t exist in your lifedream without your say-so, so tell them to give you a gift (and actually, ‘demand’, rather than ‘ask‘), thank them for whatever they‘ve been there to help you with, integrate the lesson, and send them on their way. You have places to go yourself; you’re on your way to Sacred Mountain.

it’s not the old paradigm any more
we’re not in Kansas (we’re somewhere much, much more interesting)



Postscript for energy healers: if you happen into a situation where it seems there’s an energy/entity somewhere associated with your patient that you’re not quite sure is ‘good’ or ‘bad’, perhaps you’re asking questions of it, and the answers you’re getting - while the intent seems to be one of reassurance - don’t seem quite satisfying, try this lovely little ‘trick‘. It’s a beautiful technique, not least because it’s so effortless. It doesn’t require any second-guessing of yourself, such as, “Gee, in the movies, demons use a person’s weaknesses against them. With the skeletons I’ve got in my closet (and who doesn‘t?), if this is what I think it might be, am I gonna be screwed here?” Use your hands as a mirror to send energy from the entity back onto itself. They don’t much like that - it‘s a great way of letting them do themselves in. Once you’ve ascertained that it’s something neither you, your guides, your patient and their guides feel would be happy to have remain, tell the entity that it’s served its purpose, thank it for having done so, and tell it that it’s time for it to go. As much as it’s likely unaware of the fact, it’s given a deeper permission that its presence be revealed at this time. No negotiation is necessary, but before you send it off, tell it to give up its gift to its host. In most cases, the gift will shed light on the reason for it having been there. If it seems that the entity is lingering, I can’t advise strongly enough against taking the entity upon yourself, even if it is out of compassion for your patient. For one thing, it isn’t your medicine to carry - you‘d be doing everyone else involved a disservice. For another: been there, done that, don’t go there. Afterwards (provided it‘s alright with your client, of course), send me an email to tell me what happened; I’d love some fun reading.

blackfeathermedicine@gmail.com

The Pink Elephant

Is “The Pink Elephant” yours?

Sometimes I’ll be guided to do a portrait before someone has requested it. For the fact that past, present and future actually occur simultaneously, it happens sometimes. I see it as Spirit’s way of getting me do the work of creating a portrait at a time when I’m not overbusy or otherwise occupied. It’s usually not long thereafter that the intended person shows up. In the most recent instance, during her healing session, a woman mentioned what she remembered as a waking dream to me that she‘d had as a young girl. I connected the dots and realized that a portrait I’d started previously included an illustration specific to the incident. What was revealed eased her mind about something that had puzzled her about the situation ever since, by providing an explanation as to why a certain significant other had responded to her in the way that she had at the time.

That said, this particular intuitive portrait has me a bit puzzled. It’s been occupying a space on my desk for some time now, and it’s ‘owner’ hasn’t shown up yet! (Okay, maybe I’m not as puzzled as I am impatient. Ha!)

So, how’s about I try to mention just enough of the portrait to make it recognizable, without giving away overmuch personal information? Okay? Okay…

The woman drawn in darker outline wearing the light blue turtleneck sweater is the portrait subject. She’s reaching her right hand out towards something that she senses is there but that (I don’t think) she actually sees - it’s represented by the pink elephant. The woman has a surprised look on her face, though, because in return she’s experiencing a physical feeling/response as though something is actually responding by touching her back. I’d describe the woman’s reaction as ‘disconcerting’. She might be worried that people will see her as crazy, but - I assure you - she’s not. As much as exploring the situation might seem really frightening (she‘s certainly worried about getting out of her ‘comfort zone‘), I’m sure that her going over this portrait with me would clarify an immense amount for her. Not to mention that it would bring her into a place of power, as compared to the feelings of fear and weakness she’s likely experiencing now.

To identify things further, I believe that some of the characters above her illustrate something to do with an environmental issue in the family history. I’d describe it as a ‘sore spot’, even. It has to do with a difference between what was acceptable as a fix as far as human-made laws went (thus the appearance of the crow and its reflection in the water), but which you wouldn’t see as acceptable in regard to Higher/Spiritual/Divine law. A manufacturing plant/factory took a measure intended to at least make it appear that it was doing something to clean up its act. It ‘fixed’ the (auto/vehicle?) plant’s toxic output by scaling down the outflow from one (pipe), but actually, mostly just diverted it through the other, and made it less conspicuous by extending that second outflow so that it wasn’t as visible (Mother Nature is not the only one who wasn’t happy about it).

So, if this sounds familiar to you personally, or a close friend has confided in you and you feel that it’s hers, I’d be more than delighted to do what I can to help this particular person out. That be the case, you can contact me via phone or email. Otherwise, if it resonates with you to spread the reach of this message a little further, I (and she, I well imagine) would appreciate you passing it on by sharing it.

Big Medicine Love to You

~Black Feather

If you’d like more information about intuitive portraiture, this site is a little dated, but it’ll give you pretty much all the information you’d need: http://wix.com/intuit/intuitiveportraiture

The Nature of Change: Turning Fear into Bear

Wow! When people told me 2012 would be a year of change, I couldn’t have foreseen how wholeheartedly - how whole-souledly - I’d be throwing myself into it!

I was away for most of the winter at my long-lost sister’s in Austria. Besides the gratitude I have for the opportunity to have been able to reconnect with her and be part of some amazing healing experiences within the family, being in such a loving environment also afforded me the security of a safe place to release through some life-changing experiences with the process of shamanic death.

Winter… season of hibernating, introspection, and death. Having an appreciation for the processes/seasons of nature is one thing, but - Shaman or not - ‘on the ground’, there was a lot more resistance involved on my part (as compared to what an ascended being with a Divine overview might experience. Ha!).

Sure, somewhere in the back of my mind lay (dormant) the knowledge that spring would come, and rebirth, fresh, new and squeeky-clean. But while you’re in it and your adult mind is playing you, one Coyote trick after another (argghhh), hell is a womb. Oddly enough, as scary as it was, after a few shake-ups, it actually felt weirdly warm and comfortable for me to be there. At some point, I became aware that the Fear I felt had become so familiar that I actually started to feel more vulnerable about coming out of it than staying in… a good sign (in hindsight. Ha!). I realized that since I’d been courageous enough to accept this journey in the first place, reminded myself that we do this over and over, birth after birth, I stopped resisting. I came to the point where I felt that there was nothing I could personally ‘do’ to ‘fix‘ things. I gave it up to my higher power, opened myself up, and reached out for love. As inevitably follows, ‘spring’ did, indeed, come.

I gained a real appreciation of the idea that death is not the unfamiliar, the unknown that we all fear. It’s a return to the centre, and where we come from. Without our mind’s machinations getting a hold of us, we have in innate awareness that it is, on the deepest level, a journey about Love, a re-birth, a return to greater Love. What lies ahead is more of ‘us’.

I say ‘us’, because we’re not just rebirthed as individuals…

Look at Bear. Bear gives birth, hardly waking, in the sleep mode, the ‘death’ mode of winter. As the days get longer, the light starts to get brighter. She wakes up and leaves the den with her cub(s). Having gone in as bear, she emerges as mother.

Sure, not having eaten for so long, she’s bound to be a little shaky at his point, but her transformation is not unsupported; as nature would have it, all the things that will sustain her also wake up and start their new growth cycles.

Part of what the shamanic death experience is is being willing to face your successive deaths as a natural process of growth, and of reaching for the sun. Thankfully, I was prepared to die (even more thankfully, I didn’t have to. Hahaha!).

So, did anything else come out with me when I got ‘birthed’? Yes!! And thinking about it now, I just realized that it’s no coincidence that my partner has Bear as a totem!

Throughout the winter, my twin-flame and I were separated (geographically speaking), each of us going through our own individual experiences of letting go (long story short). Thankfully, we were there for each other in support through our ordeals, to remind each other (metaphorically) what winter teaches us, and - most thankfully - helping each other navigate a course through the darkness.

Rubbing our eyes and shaking the weariness out of our heads, we came out into the luscious green of spring‘s new growth to realize that something new had indeed been created, and we’re really excited about it. Tip of the iceberg: we’ll be working together a lot more, combining our individual talents, abilities and experience. Jenny’s an exceptional intuitive and healer.  She's especially good at helping people to access the powerful transformative energies of change. If you feel that you've benefited from my help in the past, you'll Love what she and I can do for you together! 

As a taster, I’ve made some changes to the 'Services and Mission' page, and added one of our combined offerings, so you can take advantage of Jenny‘s expertise already. ‘Pinpoint Your Power’ is our commitment to helping you access your power in a way that best enables you to squeeze out every drop of magnificence that you are. It’s like tapping into fuel you didn’t even know you had! On top of everything we’ve been working on, we’ve also developed a great referral program that enables you to take advantage of things like, well, your own ‘Pinpoint Your Power‘ session, for one! …as well as credit towards any of the services I offer.

Black Feather Medicine will still exist, but it’ll be part of something Bigger. As I alluded to, what I’ve offered previously will still be available, but ‘morphing’ somewhat. Please be patient as the transformation is taking place. Big Medicine Love to You, and more coming!!

~ Black Feather and Jenny Griffin

blackfeathermedicine@gmail.com

White Mountain Rainbow: ‘seeing into the pictures’

Although it’s primarily a visual process, this is a description of how my channelings appear and how I interpret them. As much as I’d Love to be able to relay what it is that I actually see, I couldn’t possibly do justice to how intricate the images themselves actually are, so – until I get hooked up to a brain scan imaging device – I have to settle for literal transcriptions.

The sections marked with asterisks* are descriptions of the imagery, and following them in italics are my translations…

*At a space in the alphabet, a (jagged) white mountain, with frequency lines in rainbow colors following its contours above it

*A space shuttle launch with two fuselages, one on either side of a charcoal centre, all on a charcoal pad
… a sign of a(n upcoming, successful?) launch, as the fuselages were shown (still white and) intact

*Star trek symbol in black
…going out on a mysterious (/secretive), exploratory mission… some ‘bravado’ associated with it

*Clouds above, black (being) like a neuron/ brain nerve connecting to it from below
…a symbol of a veil/mystery, but also of Divine presence (things that can only be known with the heart)
…connection can be made through consciousness (the mechanical means are unnecessary)

*Chameleon/lizard eyes, pterodactyl emerging, with a gold ring in its beak
…lizards have disguised themselves (ourselves?), but ancient identities are emerging, coming full circle in completion, successful negotiation, partnership, strength, unity, wholeness (on a macro and individual level)

*Potato chips in a hatband/belt
…(sustenance and creative fuel, but also) over indulgent behavior, makes for rotten communication
…you want others to see you as something they’ll like, but you’re presenting something that isn’t good for them
…a disguise, distraction, and now, a need to protect yourself from the influence of those around you
…holding back your personal power and individuality, vulnerability

*Triangular eye, spilling from a vent/(hole)
...a sacred, unified vision, integrate body, mind and spirit, aspects of self
…feeling the tension of important/influential people in your life

*(ship,) hair in a ‘V’ on the edge, rabbit, owl
…(ship,) your power is considerable, but hanging on the edge
…you’re frightened, you are deceiving (or feeling scared that you’re being deceived)

*God hands, temple
...God holds All in His hands (including You), in this place of connection, the alignment of heaven and earth

*Removing an object, ornate with ruby (eyes/gems)
…you are passionately Loved, a tool of the Divine
…rise from your martyrdom to know and Be Love, True nobility, wealth, respect

*Teeth in the distance (top set)
…you’re only communicating half of what’s being said

*Temple, water flowing through, hatch closing

* “…leaving, “leaving…?”, leaving, Leaving”

Lotus Illusions

This is the mission statement on the official Carl Sagan website: “…to awaken the broadest possible public to the wonders of nature as revealed by science.” Through my connection to shamanistic practices and intuitive knowing, (it seems) my own mission is to awaken the broadest possible public to the wonders of Be-ing, as revealed by communion with nature, your nature, specifically.

Carl advocates the scientific reality that everything around us and everything we are made of is made of earth, and that that material was born in the hearts of long extinct stars …’starstuff’, he calls it. While this seems like something we could take for granted, it’s an extremely powerful concept.

How many times do we hear that we came from and will return to dust? That be the case, what’s left? …consciousness. We are consciousness that’s attached itself to the physical. Unfortunately (while I say ‘unfortunately’, I realize that that’s a bias on my part), we fear that we’re not conscious without physical attachment; the more physical things we can attach to, the more we’re convinced that we ‘exist’. Perhaps more to the point, we hope that it’ll keep us away from the idea that, otherwise, we won’t.

I think that our concern ought to be more a concern about conditioning, about what we’ve been led to believe regarding what’s acceptable or unacceptable for us to attach to (for us to identify ourselves with/’as’). Following Carl’s precept, we’re the same material as All… the grass, the birds, the cardboard, sewage, tomatoes, cornflakes, gunpowder, spiders, pillows, etc. It’s only the focus of our awareness (or non-awareness) that separates us, individuates us from any other thing (living or non-) in this dimension. What’s the point in being here as an earth angel if you’re not prepared to see the value of every aspect of your communal physical existence?

Entertain the idea that you’re here practicing Ant medicine… you’ve come here with the awareness of your (present) physical incarnation to carry your leaf, grain of sand or dead insect; to do your individual part so that You – the Whole – can realize yourself. “We are a way for the cosmos to realize itself.” ~ Carl Sagan.

What version of ‘reality’ are you going to choose? The version where perception says you’re limited by the known/presupposed laws of physical reality, or the quantum view that says your consciousness is more powerful than that, that the act of observation can change the outcome of an event?

Test it.

Investigate your ability to create magic in your life with this simple ‘experiment’. Ask a question of the Überverse, and go for a walk ('Shaman's Earthwalk'), with the intention that you’ll receive an answer. Feel where to go (the beauty of it is that, once you start, it’s not possible for you to make a mistake), and watch for the signs that ‘happen’ across your path. Try not to judge the signs you’re getting; i.e. don’t just look for the ‘glamorous’ signs (Wolf, Eagle, Rainbow, Flashy Car), but go into it with the innocent eyes of a playful child, as if you’re seeing everything – including ‘garbage’ – for a first time (I still wouldn’t recommend putting everything you find into your mouth, though! Ha!). After you’ve returned and interpreted the answer you were given through the physical signs you saw, ask yourself the question, “Is it possible that I created those physical occurrences?” Then, open yourself up to the expansiveness of what that might mean for you, and what the implications are for your heart, body, mind and soul.

If you open yourself to this process, I guarantee you growth. At the very least, you’ll grow in appreciation (man or woman) of the strength of your feminine aspect, your ability to receive. If you feel resistance to that (perhaps it manifests as appearing foreign/strange to you), don’t let it frighten you; it’s just a feeling that’s arisen to call attention to the difference between your authentic self and previous conditioning.

You'll find that this is a really effective means of connecting you with Whale and Elephant medicines. Through the subconscious murmurings of your own, unique (imperceptible) frequencies, it opens your communication channels to the vast library of information that is your connection to the Wisdom that this physical world facilitates. If you’re ‘missing words’, experiencing feelings of insecurity, powerlessness, stress, empowering this connection - the earth as your Ant 'antennae' - will help with that. And then, having realized what it is that you came here to learn, you'll no longer need the things that you've attached to. You can open to the Source that you are, and share of yourself fearlessly. What's the risk? The shattering of your old perceptions. To give yourself an idea of how ready you are, though, I'll ask you this: when you look at the picture above, when you see Dragonfly on the unopened bud, do you not also hold in your consciousness an image of what the lotus looks like already bloomed?

Regardless of how you compare to anyone else, for you, is it 'enough is enough' time? Noone else knows themselves any better than your own soul knows you. If you're reading this, I believe it may be your time for a magical union, integration, self-creation, New Life.

Big Medicine Love to You

~ Black Feather
blackfeathermedicine@gmail.com