Shamanic Earthwalk: call in an Earth Angel

Curiously,I was guided to undertake an Earthwalk as night/darkness was coming on. The theme for it was described by Horse and Beaver. I took this to mean that I’d be presented with signs proffering messages that would give insight related to difficulties using power compassionately, ego getting in the way, blocking the energetic flow that would otherwise help in working in community, for the good of all. Asking for totems to guide me, I was to follow suggestions put forth by Dog and Mouse.

The appearance of Dog immediately brought to mind a dog skull I’d happened upon on a walk a couple days’ previous. This wasn’t the same one I’d seen on the Earthwalk I’d posted previously, but another one. At the time, I thought, “What? Am I destined to come upon dog bones on every walk I take?”  While I realize that so many of us are here on missions of compassionate service, seeing how Dog is sometimes treated really threw my ability to extend myself.

Once I found my way in the rapidly dimming light to this most recent skull, I took out my flashlight, made like Mouse, and started scouring the trail and forest floor for what details I could find. Whiskers to the ground, I couldn’t help but notice a small spot of brown goo that looked like oil. Having given it a sniff, I found out it wasn’t oil, though for the life of me I couldn’t tell what it actually was (thankfully, it wasn’t faeces, either!). The colour brown is a suggestion to become more grounded. For the fact that it had appeared in the form of a fairly fluid substance (as compared to an object with very defined edges/borders/boundaries), it also seemed to be a message to become more a part of the earth and my/our surroundings, in contrast to existing as such an individual/egoic entity.

The flashlight illuminated tiny white fungi that were on the dog skull and over much of the forest floor. I now understood one of the reasons I was guided to do this walk during darkness; this fungus would have been nearly invisible in daylight. The whiteness of the fungi (~ a reference to our “…innocence, surrender, peace, and protection”, and our angelic nature) is something that’s easiest to see in darkness (~ during difficulties, challenges, our ‘dark times’, when it’s difficult to maintain hope). When the sun is shining and all is rosy, our angelic natures are in plain view (that is, the tip of the iceberg is, at least), but not as easy to recognize or appreciate, without contrast. The difficulties we’re presently experiencing help facilitate that (as in the case of coming upon the dead dogs I seem to keep finding).

At the intersection of two gravelly trails, I found a piece of a white plastic banner with a blue dot on it (~ offering clarity) and a ‘Mini’ logo on it with wings ~ “…a desire for freedom, abandon, glory, self-expression and to take flight from the confines of your earthbound life that you may feel a closer connection to God/Goddess/Spirit”. It had been part of a piece of flagging that someone had used to mark a rally route. In one direction, a path climbed steeply upwards. I followed it (taking the earlier appearance of the wings image as a message to indicate – among other things – attaining some height).

I stopped when I felt I was in ‘the right spot’. My flashlight on for a moment, I found myself looking directly at an incredibly vivid shadow of a butterfly, an effect of the torch casting its spotlight on a lone patch of leaves directly in front of it. I was awestruck by the perfection of the image/experience, and sat down to meditate on it.

Now in the dark, I heard owls in the distance. Wondering about what they might be hunting, I tried to be Mouse – in accord with the ‘Mini’ sign, I thought myself small. Although I didn’t otherwise hear or see anything, (my perception of) what light there was suddenly went visibly darker, twice. Not knowing what to make of that, I (later) pulled a Path of the Soul card for some insight. It talked about friends and loved ones who’ve crossed over wanting me to know that they are with us. In hindsight, it made perfect sense, Owl being (among other things), the go-between to the Underworld.

I got to thinking about the signs I’d been presented and the suggestion of ‘making myself small(/Mini)’; in other words, lessening my ego and loosening my boundaries. I recollected a shamanic death experience during which I’d taken on a demonic energy (for ‘transport’, to deal with at a later time). I couldn’t ever see myself doing that again, but why not take on the alternative, I wondered? (…and then, “Why didn’t I think of it before?”). I opened my arms to welcome in a ‘good’ earth energy, with the intent that it be an energetic entity that’s working towards the healing of the planet. At that moment, the wind picked up. I saw a short, white, ghost-like figure running through the forest in my peripheral vision. Guidance describes it as an Earth Angel.

I don’t know what I was expecting, but I can’t say that I necessarily felt any ‘different’ in the moment. But then, in the case of my realization with the demonic presence earlier, I only became vividly aware of its presence after some time had passed (‘evicted’ since, thank you very much!). As confirmation, on my way out of the woods, I peered through a window frame into the ruins of an abandoned house and caught a brief impression of the movements of a bird that I’d startled with my light. I couldn’t see it directly, but it was definitely in there.

As ever, a Shamanic Earthwalk is a Shared Earthwalk. For those of you finding it challenging to stay your path at this time, Earth is putting this forth as a message for you to call in an Earth Angel (as compared to calling on one). It may be subtle at first, but you’ll find yourself experiencing greater clarity, feeling renewed, and with a deeper understanding of your purpose here on Earth.

Big Medicine Love to You,

~ Black Feather

Italic text in quotations are taken from “I Had TheStrangest Dream: the Dreamer’s Dictionary for the 21st Century” by Kelly Sullivan-Walden.

Shaman’s Earthwalk: feeling tired, drained, ‘blocked’? What Source and Mother Earth have to say about finding balance…

The angelic realm and Mother Earth call out, wanting and ready to help us in every way they can. Sometimes they talk in whispers, and sometimes they communicate by placing messages on our life-path that we could pretty much trip over. That said, we don’t always notice them. Oftentimes, for the fact that there’s so much chatter going on in it, our rational(?) minds don’t do us any favours in that respect; what we’re influenced to think and feel can undermine us by clouding our perception of what’s being communicated. An Earthwalk is a way of getting around the mental gymnastics going on up there. It’s a grounded, meditative, physical walkabout, undertaken with the intention of giving attention to and (later) interpreting the signs directly laid out for our benefit, to see what Source and Mother Earth immediately wish to communicate to us (either as individuals, or ‘us’ collectively, as is the case with this one).

My Guidance suggested that I consult animal medicine cards regarding a theme for this particular Earthwalk. What presented was Pigeon, Skunk, and contrary Beaver, which I took to mean, ‘You’ll be presented with messages to relay from your spiritual (/Universal) family about why it feels to many as though their energies are blocked at this time, a message relevant to what’s affecting many others in your community’.

Lately I’d been noticing that many people (myself included) have mentioned feeling a little lost, their energy depleted, having little motivation to do anything (and internally beating themselves up for it). It seemed that this walk would provide answers for why that was happening.

I also drew a card for a guiding, helper animal, and received Deer.

Previous to pulling the cards, I’d already had an intuitive sense of where I was to begin. I went to an unused gravel (logging?) road I’d seen from the highway, where a shallow quarry had been dug into one corner of the intersection. With no means to flow out, water was sitting in it, muddied and stagnant. In hindsight, it resonated well with the blockage suggested by contrary Beaver.

As I found a place to stow my bicycle, I immediately happened upon a cane staff, cut to just the right length for me. Besides taking it as a confirmation that I was in the right place (after all, how better to start a walk than with the gift of a walking stick?), I recognized it as a traditional symbol of power and masculinity. The staff was of a type of cane that grows here (in Portugal); very similar to bamboo, but not nearly as long-lasting. This particular piece was in good form and would well serve for the time being, but there seemed to be a reference here to ‘impermanence’, regarding the nature of masculinity (on the whole).

As I continued, there was a discarded blue oil drum to my right (~ on the male/masculine side). Blue items typically get my attention, as the colour is a symbol suggesting clarity is being offered. Oil is symbolic of an old form of energy, one that can run out and leaves a lot of residue/pollution when it burns.

As I headed up an incline, there were drainage rivulets washed into the road, making the route less passable, were you to consider using it to move vehicles or goods back and forth over. I took it as a suggestion that in the process of natural cleansing (by rain), old pathways and modes of energy conveyance were being reformed to accommodate more natural processes, a more natural flow of energies.

Just ahead on the left: a pile of garbage ~ “…useless energy that can be recycled, like compost, into fertilizer for something new… suggesting that it is [a time of] change, that you [are] releasing [that which is] no longer supportive to you, in order to make room for that which is.”

The road started curving to the right just ahead. Tuning in to get a sense of where to go from there, the question, “What would Deer do?” came to mind. Deer isn’t as likely as, say, Moose to follow the road. Although the deer in that area had been hunted out years ago, I eyed a path where a deer trail would be likely, and headed cross-country. Deer’s guidance was taking me North ~ the place of wisdom from the Elders.

I came across burnt stumps, symbols of emasculation. The fact that they were burnt suggested that transformation of masculinity as we’ve previously experienced it was taking place.

I crossed a second road and a moth flew up, a suggestion that continuing to head towards the light will help you to understand who you are becoming during this period of (darkness/) ‘not knowing’.

From the viewpoint I had, I could look back and see a civilization in the distance, behind a curve, in the direction I had originally come. It’s a time for letting go of that which we’ve been holding on to, and sharing new information, insights and understanding.

Continuing cross-country, I happened upon very symmetrical (and puzzling) square and round holes in the ground. Both are signs of balance, the square a reference to “…thinking outside the box”; the circle, “…wholeness, infinity, cycles, unity and your connection with feminine essence”. Following the signs through to this point, I interpreted the Earthwalk’s message as saying that the contrasting energies many of us are feeling lately are due to the transformation that masculine energy on the planet is undergoing. Whatever balance of ‘male’ or ‘female’ you identify yourself as, an aspect of masculinity (yours personally, as well as the Divine masculine) is undergoing a cleansing and transmutation process. In hindsight, I remember seeing a power line, crossing the view between myself and the distant civilization ~ even those of us who are not experiencing the shift of these masculine energies in full consciousness awareness carry and are being energetically affected by this alteration that’s taking place.

I noticed fungi at the base of a burnt stump, working to hasten its decomposition/deterioration ~ “…life continues to emerge even from decay…. about the life/death/life cycle, the fact that nothing ever dies, and that there is always a growth opportunity hidden with all things that appear to be maligned”.

…and then a seed that looked like a button ~ a (new) power is about to be uncovered/revealed through the removal of armour, one that contains awareness of intimacy.

I became aware of there being a lot of gravel where I’d been travelling ~ “…take each step mindfully. You may be feeling as if you are on unsteady ground.” Gravel being a primary material for roadwork, it’s also symbolic of repair of (/healing) and creating new pathways. Old restrictions are disappearing, and new pathways are being opened up that will take us further than we’ve been able to go previously.

A lot of the fungi I saw on the ground were very powdery ~ “…a message to soften your touch or smooth out your approach to life”, but also that there’s a lot more going on beneath the surface that isn’t visible at present (like only seeing the tip of the iceberg, but on a much magnified level). While the forces at work are barely perceptible, the actions taking place – the seeds being germinated – are astoundingly prolific.

While some of the trees (eucalyptus, actually) that had been previously cut had been stimulated to produce new growth as a result, some others had died off completely. One (/this) particular tree had three cut-off burnt trunks, which I took as a reference to the transformation of the Divine masculine that’s taking place. It also had a spiral opening at the base of the crotch, a symbol of the Divine feminine, “…openness, receptivity, sensuality, sexuality, the mystery of life, and fertility “. Eucalyptus is a symbol of prudence, a suggestion to move ahead with caution/care; some individuals that don’t take this opportunity for new growth to heart (by accessing their gifts of intuition, for example) will not survive to create in alignment with the new dimensions and realities that Source and Mother Earth are unlocking, to experience the benefits of the indescribable growth that’s being stimulated.

I was guided to follow back on my track a little and bring two different objects together, a mushroom that looked like both a rock and a snail, and a small stone of marble with a piece chipped off of it. This transformation might seem like it’s happening at a snail’s pace, but in the grand scheme of things, what’s being created – the work of art (that is you) being naturally sculpted – is happening at an amazing rate. Alternatively, it’s also a message to take things in your own time, to go at your own pace and not “…rush, and to trust that even if your progress appears to be slow, you are making deliberate and distinct strides forward, and are leaving a legacy trailed behind you. [Also, be aware that you’ll be experiencing] feelings of vulnerability”. For the fact that what’s happening will seem like a bit of a ‘rough cut’, you’ll be “…attempting to protect yourself from being hurt”. In that respect, please be compassionate with yourself.

I started heading back to my point of origin, though still travelling cross-country, as Deer would suggest. I saw a large, white, industrial-sized polypropylene bag discarded on a slope up ahead (that I later realized was a roadside embankment). From a personal perspective, I thought it was just what I’d been wanting as a tool for some yard work I’d been doing. I gently pulled at it to retrieve it, but the earth was already well into reclaiming its contents. Part of the bag was open. I assumed the heaviness I’d sensed in it was earthen refuse, but poking at it with the walking stick (thanks again for the gift of it, Spirit) revealed the desiccated fur and bones of a very large dog. As upsetting as it was (especially considering that it’s not the first time I’d been presented with something like this on an Earthwalk), it’s a message not to cling to the past, and to allow the Earth to take what we’re clinging to from us. We all hold memories of loyalties betrayed, experiences/fears about being hurt over and over again, in present, past, and – in fact – in other people’s (present and past) lives. Not only are we helping to facilitate this transformation within our energetic bodies, we’re carrying the weight of those hurts, all the instances where we and others working in a spirit of compassion have been abused, met with fearful resistance over and over again (the sad fact is, there are people in the world who are so resistant to love and acknowledging the value of vulnerability that they can’t even accept the love of a puppy). The effort of holding onto these traumas is another aspect of why we’re feeling drained lately. Our inclination is that, if we release any tendencies we have to use force to protect ourselves against what force gets used against us, we feel as though we’ll just be hurt again. The inner path of your heart is your greatest strength, though; continue to use it, and sidestep the resistance offered by others who can’t understand the direction you’re taking. Send them loving energy (remotely, if necessary), and watch for the synchronicities that result.

After having a good releasing cry and sending loving energy to the situation (between the dog and whomever had unceremoniously dumped it there), I turned on my heels and saw a sun-bleached goat’s skull, an old, broken battery and a rusty chain on the ground ~ the time is passing/passed where you’ll allow others to make you feel bad. This balancing of masculine and feminine energies will allow you to be more grounded and centred, so that you can freely express more of your true, heart-centred, compassionate nature. While it seems that your battery is running low, it’s more to the point that it’s being reengineered and replaced – the old energy structures, the way we’ve connected with other people, other beings, events, and all of life won’t function any longer.  You’re in a position to “…take better custodianship of your talents, gifts and important relationships”. You’re being recreated, and recreating your world, in effect. It’s time to express yourself.

“In truth, you were born to illuminate the world with your Light. The time has come to get out of your own way and allow yourself to be all of who you are meant to be… it is only the thoughts in your mind that hold you back and it takes a lot more energy to hold yourself closed, than it does to let yourself flow open… allow yourself to take up space, to open yourself up and illuminate this world!” ~ Cheryl Lee Harnish

While there are innumerable Universal energies working with you to do so, if you feel that you’d like me to work with you to help uncover what lies within, your unique, hidden skills and abilities, please don’t hesitate to connect blackfeathermedicine@gmail.com The world needs what you have to offer!

Big Medicine Love to You

~ Black Feather

 

Text in quotations are taken from “I Had The Strangest Dream:the Dreamer’s Dictionary for the 21st Century” by KellySullivan-Walden, except where otherwise specified.

Flowering

channelled on the topic of negative self-talk,
6 Nov, 2012 as visual imagery (in bold) and transcribed into text

[inspired an alternate post, "Is it the Biggest Problem in the World?"
for my joint venture with my twin-flame at thepowerofchange.me]

ship’s wheel turning, a hearing horn in an (right-side) ear
changing course,
actively taking control, rising to meet the challenge of
hearing beyond the self-spoken words to read between the lines,
grappling with your difficulty in hearing or listening to criticism, negativity,
in light of a memorable occurrence

pomegranate power (portal)
rebirth and transformation
the power of the feminine and relationships, nurturing, and healing with intention
allowing your power to flow from within, instead of using force
an opening/opportunity to transform your energies,
to release resistance to that which is naturally you/yours

jaws open moray eel
comparison,
there to teach you the ability to watch (yourself) unseen
for an opportunity to present yourself,
to see how you’ve camouflaged yourself and your emotions

snake (as energy) spraying venom
wisdom, intuition
connecting with your unconscious, mystery and untamed power
your ability to release old incarnations, attachments and identities and reinvent yourself
wisdom that is earned in facing and embracing your shadow
processing through and venting out fear-based words or actions that have injured you,
an influence of your masculine side
the realization that when you harbour poisonous feelings or thoughts
they are energetically spread, such that all around might be poisoned

skull
those who’ve passed before you,
especially those who’ve lived mindlessly,
now encouraging you to open up to another point of view,
to realize the politics of the mind,
the humiliation that is contrast to your joyous spirit
and your infinite potential

arm (as energy) – its underlying structure – (observed,) in space
you are reaching for something
you have the ability to embrace and extend yourself
awareness of self as energy can be disorienting,
crossing through the veil and returning ‘home’
nothing to hold on to,
but the observing,
the awareness that you are the pure potential that
existed before the universe was created
something sacred about to be born

octopus, arms dropping limp (in space)
‘you’, attempting to fulfil your various needs, wants and desires
having been needy, clingy, desperate,
forgetting the truth that all that you need is within you
no longer focussing on the physical, but flowing from within
rather than using force,
acknowledge the Divine flow,
the large spiritual force working with you
the large spiritual force that is you

swimming through space, cotton candy (baby) inside/atop,
rainbow/gas coloured flames, bubbles
navigating through your feelings, exploring your soulful depths
revelling in your sexuality
daring to understand the mysteries of your feminine side
a treat, reward, joyous occasion, through connection to your inner child,
your innocence, vulnerability, and untapped potential
a new project, a relationship is forthcoming,
representing your journey from heaven to earth and from earth back to heaven
growing in your spiritual awareness,
perhaps because you have just undergone an emotional rainstorm
the tendency to hold on to what you know,
but this transformation is necessary and tremendously important
allow it, and you’ll be transformed,
stronger and open to new experiences
after what seems like destruction, all is renewed
try to watch with the wonder of a child,
as though it’s but a reflection
feeling light and joyous
a call for spontaneous celebration of the present moment

orbs (as energy)
beautiful souls,
your beautiful soul,
all around encompassed and guided by the Divine

a flag, staking a claim
an affiliation of which you can be proud
claiming yourself as an earth angel,
and the path you’re guided to walk
staking claim to this now moment
victory won, situation(s) resolved,
having broken the shackles of conditioning,
and reached the truth of your heart,
to say ‘here! now! this is how it is! this is what I am’

wash of milk
healing, detoxing, and releasing negativity,
‘cleaning up your act’ so that you may start again,
fresh, cleansed and renewed
through feminine nurturing of the heart, mind, body, and soul,
you have the sustenance to make it through

mushroom (‘fruitings’)
what you see on the surface is only the fruiting body,
a miniscule part of all that’s been growing beneath
perhaps feeling uncertainty about whether or not a relationship or
opportunity is poisonous or healthy for you
forget about becoming someone special
anything that you take on now,
undertaken with maturity,
will enrich your life and the lives of others
being who you are, it is time to express yourself
(news travels fast)

jellyfish umbrellas
as concerns feelings of helplessness and powerlessness,
protect your thoughts from negative influence
you are well prepared for your current challenge
having a lasting and positive effect on the planet is
part of the Divine plan you created before you came here
the whisperings of your soul calling you to your purpose
take the steps to set this dream in motion
use your gifts in service to others,
in the way that feels right for you

fungus, head of a bird of prey? (not a flesh-eating beak) eyes black, like
crescent moons; stars, guiding
life emerges from decay
nothing truly dies;
there is always hidden opportunity/growth
not being the traditional hunter/predator,
but taking a higher view in your pursuits
seeing the opportunities, the value in
your experience of the highs and the lows,
gained through allowing yourself the freedom of being the observer
in touch with your intuition, your ability to see what is really going on
that which is mysterious, secretive, seductive, unknowable;
a shadow aspect of your power not yet realized
a new beginning in the stage of the feminine
it’s a good time to set intentions
you are Divinely directed, and right on track with your life,
being guided toward your greatest achievement as a guiding star

fleur de lis -being
pay attention to signs, symbols of love,
but know that what’s outer is a sign,
whereas what’s inner – what’s within you – is Love
advance it,
move it forward

necklace theme park archway, midway, roller coaster, ferris wheel, thrill ride(s)
release your inhibited self-expression
amplify what’s within you;
your connection with your childlike, playful essence and the joy of being alive
enjoy your life, even the ups and downs and highs and lows
be open to finding the joy and humour in every situation
enjoy the tumultuousness of the ride
handle uncertainty with an adventurous spirit

fish biting a spit, then gushing water forth
you are ready
no need to fight the masculine you’ve known within you
know your feminine essence,
you as creative element, as sustenance,
and going with the flow
you are yourself, but have yet to know/appreciate yourself,
through exploration of your infinite depths
why wait, celebrate yourself now
your feminine side, emotions and creativity in full flow,
to the benefit of all

[‘broadcast’ tail/fan]

Much appreciation to Osho, Cheryl Lee Harnish, and to Kelly Sullivan-Walden for her book “I Had the Strangest Dream: the Dreamer’s Dictionary for the 21st Century”, which I comprehensively reference in the transcription of the images I receive during channellings.

Coyote Medicine: self-sabotage made easy

What’s your Coyote trick that you pull on yourself? Yah, no… pretty much everyone does have one. It’s a thing that you do to get what you want that doesn’t actually get you that whatever-it-is-you‘re-after, except that the doing of it seems like such the right-smart, clever thing to do, that maybe you don’t even notice that you’re not ever getting it.

A better question, perhaps: what’s beneath your Coyote trick? Or, in other words, is there something added onto your motivation that’s different than what it is you think it is you’re after?

For instance, my Coyote trick is Turkey with contrary Fox, coupled with Moose and contrary Weasel. In translation, when it comes to animal medicines and healing, I have a difficult time just helping people. Don’t get me wrong - I absolutely Love what I do. I consider every opportunity to share medicines a total privilege, a Blessing. (If I’m honest with myself though,) my trick is that I often act on a subconscious push to make myself visible and prove my power. As a result of the karma I exposed myself to early in my present lifedream, I often find myself chasing recognition as a way of boosting my self-esteem, rather than just standing in my medicine, following my soul’s mission, and allowing opportunities for healing to come when and as they do (and they always do. After all, I’m really good at what I do! Oops… damned Coyote!).

Not being aware of your Coyote really is like chasing your tail (seems like a silly thing to do, but some dogs just love it, don’t they). You get caught in loop after loop after loop, after… it can distract you from fulfilling your lifedream mission, keep you from effectively using your abilities. For the fact that your abilities in their right medicine can be of such an immense benefit to others, it’s ‘the Dark Ones’ (for lack of a better term) way of trying to pick Great Spirit’s pockets, of ‘reducing the harvest‘, as it were. How many people are missing out for the fact that they’re avoiding - not ‘you’ necessarily, but - your Coyote’s trick, rather than engaging with your Divinely-gifted medicines?

Not only that, but the frustration of chasing your tail can have its consequences. Let’s say, for instance, that a reading or vision quest reveals what your Coyote trick is, and that it typically puts you in situations where you’re ripe for feeling overpowered or overwhelmed by others (described as imbalanced Horse medicine). In similar fashion to how Louise Hay describes metaphysical reasons for physical ailments, these kinds of contrary experiences might manifest as digestive issues. In and of itself, unbalanced Coyote medicine (~ falling under the influence of a scam artist, a disregard for causality, or not being able to laugh at your own folly, especially) can manifest as diabetes.

So, what’s your Coyote trick on yourself? Our own tricks on ourselves can be laughable, but besides having a good chuckle, how can you balance the medicine?

Meditate on it, ask your guides, use Medicine Cards, or ask your friends (unless putting others’ opinions over you own inner knowing is your particular trick. lol). Some starter questions you might want to investigate:

·        what’s my Coyote trick on myself?

·        what’s the motivation behind my Coyote trick?

·        how do I balance (/counteract) the medicine?

·        what to do instead of what Coyote’s had me doing?

If you feel as though it would help you to ‘cut (to) the chase‘, I’d be more than delighted to assist you myself (with my Coyote in the back seat - he‘s definitely worth keeping around for his entertainment value!).

Big Medicine Love to You

~ Black Feather

Loon Medicine: how conscious dreaming becomes conscious living

Because it’s natural that we do it that way ourselves, we assume that Loon takes an in-breath before diving. Her bones are actually denser than most flying birds, and while this makes her less buoyant and allows her to submerge easier, she actually breathes as much air out as she can before going under, enabling her to dive even faster, deeper.

You need only look at the fact that our breathing slows when we‘re dreaming during sleep to recognize the potential of Loon‘s medicine of breath restriction for accessing other levels of consciousness while awake. She’s a huge proponent of maintaining conscious control - remaining lucid - while doing so, in pursuit of information that will nourish you.

Just as the white dots on Loon’s back are a reflection of the stars, the other states of consciousness she renders accessible open the lines of communication to other worlds and dimensions. While the symbiotic relationship between her physical body and the way she uses her breath teaches us how to coordinate our own in such a way as to enable us to access the astral plane, dreams and other levels of consciousness, it also makes it possible for our guides, angels and spirit helpers in the Dreamtime to access and inform us.

The other day, a friend told me a story in which a pregnant cat had accidentally gotten locked in a neighbour’s backyard shed. She’d given birth while she was in there and didn’t get let out until days later, thoroughly dehydrated and terribly emaciated. Her kittens didn’t survive. That night, I dreamt a version of the story in which I was explaining to someone that - in a previous life - I’d been the man who’d locked the cat in the shed, and that I’d actually been aware of doing so.

What would be the intended purpose of such a dream? It didn’t seem to be as simple as (just) integrating that days events. The guidance I received about it suggested that it was about ‘acceptance concerning others’. While I’d been assured by my friend that the shut-in incident had, indeed, been accidental, the idea that it might actually have been intentional had crossed my mind, if only for a brief moment. When something so seemingly ‘unfair’ happens, it’s a natural inclination to find something or someone to blame - it‘s an anger borne out of feelings of helplessness. Mind you, if you were to extrapolate that inclination, it doesn’t exactly bode well for us as a humane race. Imagine, for instance, how things might play out if the feelings induced by the scenario I just described had been allowed to fester (unchecked); automatic distrust, judgement and anger don’t exactly jive with a world vision of harmonious co-existence. I understood this dream-version to be my spirit guides’ way of maintaining a sense of compassion for others, even in the face of something I’d describe as a ‘heinous’ event, and of helping me to outgrow reactions based on a paradigm that doesn‘t serve intentions for a new earth. By putting me in the position of the perpetrator, I’m reminded that I haven’t been blameless myself, given events in my previous lives (or in this one). Whether it’s of others or of self, no healing can occur without compassion.

Because we do have free will, of course, our spiritual support team will only interject in this way based on our intentions. But in doing so, they influence our mindset in accord with those intentions, thus shapeshifting us and allowing for change in our lifedream’s trajectory. Trusting in them and their input will lead you into more readily trusting yourself. They’re especially good at helping you to get out of your own way, and giving you alternative experiences to learn from, as through your dreams, for instance. Consider that your dreams are the Divine’s dreams. They’re Spirit’s way of helping you to see yourself and others through your angel’s eyes: All (as in ‘all parts of you’) are equally deserving. This is the conscious intention of Loon’s medicine, to increase your awareness by diving within, accessing other dimensions of your Universal self, other realities, and gleaning the wisdom from events that you wouldn’t otherwise experience in your waking, ‘ordinary‘ lifedream.

Jaguar Medicine: Integrity

What does it mean to be in integrity?

We all see enough examples of people who appear not to be living in integrity, from the corrupt politician to the person (‘innocently‘) grazing their way through the supermarket produce section.

I used to run myself through ‘the Ruby test’ as a guide: if I was considering doing something that I wouldn’t feel comfortable telling my daughter about, I figured that I probably shouldn’t be doing it. It was a little problematic as a litmus test, though; after all, there were things that I wouldn’t feel I could tell her when she was an infant that I’d be alright telling her now that she’s older.

I’m not by any means saying that I act with integrity in everything I choose to undertake (I don’t have any fewer shadows on my Jaguar coat than the next light-being shrouded in an egoically-driven body), but now I run my motivations for acting past Raccoon and Turtle…

…would the actions I’m considering be of benefit to someone less fortunate? In other words, am I sharing the wealth of the gifts and opportunities I’ve been blessed with to the advantage of someone who could use them, or am I looking instead to obtain something for myself (think of Raccoon as a masked Robin Hood, passing on good fortune).

…will it teach someone how to help themselves, rather than take advantage of or turn them into a victim (am I kicking Turtle onto its back, or allowing it to right itself)?

…is it honouring the healing of Mother Earth (is Turtle smiling as she plods along, carrying all of us on her back, or is she blinking through oil-stained lids)?

The more I meditate on/live it, the more I realize that the ‘right and wrong’ of integrity is forever in flux. With each new experience, it becomes evident that integrity isn’t a static thing. Once we come across something that’s never been perceived before, we’re into totally new territory, and trying to keep up by making value-judgements based on an old paradigm can be really confusing and limiting. That said, Raccoon and Turtle as guides hold true (for me), especially if I envision a world living in balance, with us still in it.

We’re travelling lately, and are nearing Spain at the moment. It’s a place famous for - among other things - bullfighting. I’ve been considering how that resonates with me, and what it means for ‘us’ (’us’ being everything that Mother Earth/Turtle supports). As a medium and healer, I recognize a responsibility to remain non-judgemental. And while I also realize that facing your fears and insecurities is the best way to grow, my personal opinion is that bullfighting is a way of subduing nature in a way that alienates us from our greatest strengths, our integral nature as a manifestation of Spirit‘s Divine Love. It challenges my hope for our peaceful, loving, joyous co-existence on this lovely planet (as much as does seeing statues of horse-mounted, armoured men spearing dragons).

The realization I’ve come to is that the challenge is to recognize, face and heal what you fear, but to do it with love rather than aggression. If you’re doing it with aggression (and not for the evolution of whatever it is that is your challenge), you’re still doing it out of fear, too afraid to Love. There is nothing external to be conquered. It’s an inside job, and it doesn‘t have to be a fight.

(Hearfelt thanks to Licia Berry for permission to use the accompanying image, as well as her healing and profound insight)

Where's my Love-life?

Of all the things I thought I wanted in a relationship, what I was actually looking for and attracting to myself were romantic interests who stoked my ego. I’d be swimming in caked-on self-worth for a while, but inevitably, I’d at some point start to wonder why things weren’t quite working out. Inevitably, I’d find myself back in the love-quest cycle, looking for that dream something/someone else that I imagined must be out there in terms of the perfect relationship (and getting more and more jaded in the process).

Part of the problem - especially after piling up what I saw as successive ‘failures’ - was that I felt so worried about being myself. Not having really known myself didn’t exactly help anything. In trying to project an image of who I thought people would have wanted to see, I was actually blocking myself from receiving what I actually needed (and Deserved).

As much as we all have what we need at every given moment in every given relationship (but that‘s a whole other story), our couplings so often fall short of what we’ve been led to believe exists ‘somewhere out there’ for us; and it does exist, I can assure you. Wouldn’t you like to cut through the loop? Wouldn’t you like to go into a relationship trusting not only that you’ll find/get what you need, but that you’ll be appreciated for being yourself, naturally?

Our angels and guides know us better than we know ourselves. It helped me immensely to ask for Guidance on a few probing questions, and now my twin-flame and I would like to pass on the blessings of the medicines that were revealed to us. Whether you’re questioning your romantic relationships or friendships, let us help you transform your ‘search’ into ‘flow’, and then get ready to Receive…

“Looking for Love (in all the wrong places)?”

Beginning with insights into what you need and don’t need in a partner, followed by delving into your strengths and challenges, this intuitive reading with Jenny and Black Feather will give you a start on moving into a deeper understanding of yourself as an engaged participant in a fulfilling relationship.

Think of this as a kind of ‘situational analysis’ of your love life. The goal of this introductory session is to focus in on the gifts you bring to a love relationship, oversights you may have made in the past, and recurring patterns that can be adjusted. The purpose is to provide you with clarity and a fresh perspective that will allow you to approach relationships with renewed enthusiasm.

Our desire is for you to attain your most soul-felt longings and to leave behind everything that no longer serves you. Let us help you take a step on that path.

$177 per person. Includes a situational analysis and write-up by Jenny and Black Feather.

blackfeathermedicine@gmail.com