7
Skunk
Reputation
Skunk . . . tell me the story,
So I will know it well,
Of how to attract,
And how to repel.
Non-Contrary:
This furry little animal has a reputation that contains a great deal of power.
Due to its distinctive behaviour, humans give this tiny, smelly creature a wide berth.
The keyword here is respect.
Unlike other predatory animals, Skunk does not threaten your life but threatens your senses.
You know this to be true if you have even been in the vicinity of its spray.
In observing the habit patterns of Skunk, it is easy to notice the playfulness and nonchalance of its natural behaviour.
The "I-dare-you" attitude of this four-legged creature commands you, as the observer, to respect its space by mere reputation alone.
Skunk is teaching you that by walking your talk and by respecting yourself, you will create a position of strength and honoured reputation.
The carriage of your body relates to others what you believe about yourself.
There is no need to bully, aggravate, torment, or overpower other being when your sense of "self" is intact.
As with Skunk, the resonant field of energy around your body is relayed through the senses.
Self-esteem permeates the body's energy, and is instantly recognized on an extrasensory level by
others.
Learn to assert, without ego, what you are.
Respect follows.
Your self-respectful attitude will repel those who are not of like mind, and yet will attract those who choose the same pathway.
As the odour of Skunk attracts others of its kind, it repels those who will not respect its space.
Skunk medicine people have the ability to attract others, and they are very charismatic.
At the same time, the other side of their natural power is to repel those who seek to take energy from them without recycling the gifts they have taken.
Skunk medicine people also know how to use the energy flows that will attract a lover.
Some people call this sexual magic, as it is akin to the musk scent that animals excrete to attract a mate.
It can be dangerous to leak sexual energy if you are not looking for a mate.
It puts you into a games condition that may feed your ego but not how others feel about you.
If you are attracting others who have an interest in you, you are in a sense saying, "I'm available."
This can cause hard feelings when the truth comes out.
It also leaks energy that you could have used in a more constructive way.
In Skunk medicine, it is good to learn how to handle energy flows.
Modern psychologists call this body language.
In tribal teachings, this is your personal medicine
which you are showing to others.
Use your medicine well, and know that you are known by your reputation.
How you use your energy will attract either honour or disgrace.
You may want to examine what energy you are putting out that creates your present situation.
If you have chosen this symbol, you are being asked to notice the kinds of people who are attracted to you.
If they emulate favourable characteristics, have enough self esteem to recognize those characteristics within yourself.
Walk tall and be proud of your accomplishments.
Bear in mind that what you believe about yourself is your ultimate protection.
Project self-respect!
3
Elk
Stamina
Elk . . .
Your antlers reach for the sun.
Show me that strength
and stamina are one.
Elk wandered through the forest looking for a partner.
The mating season was in full swing, and the bucks that usually traveled with the other males had dispersed to find mates for the season.
As Elk bellowed his mating call through the forest, his bugling alerted Mountain Lion that a feast could be in the making.
Mountain Lion circled Elk, getting closer to his prey moment by moment.
Elk sensed the impending danger when the forest grew suddenly silent.
He broke for the high country when he
spotted his pursuer, but Mountain Lion was far behind.
As Elk made a running leap for the timberline, Mountain Lion gained on him, but Elk continued to run onward, displaying tremendous stamina.
Finally Mountain Lion gave up, having spent his energy in spurts as he tried to jump over boulders to reach Elk.
Elk paced himself, making headway as he climbed skyward toward the high country.
Elk had no other defence except his ability to go the distance, setting a pace that allowed him to utilize his stamina and energy to the fullest.
Elk medicine teaches that pacing yourself will increase your stamina.
Elk medicine people may not be the first ones to arrive at a goal, but they always arrive without getting burned out.
If you have taken on too much recently, it might be a good idea to look at how you plan to finish what you have started without ending up in the hospital.
Elk have a curious kind of warrior energy because, except at mating time, they honor the
company of their own gender.
They can call on the medicine of brotherhood or sisterhood.
In discovering the strength which is gained from loving the gender that is your own, you will feel
the comradeship that arises from similarity of experience.
This is a special medicine that allows the friendship of others of your same sex to overcome potential competition or jealousy.
If you have picked Elk medicine, you may be telling yourself to seek the company of your
own gender for awhile.
You may need a support group to realign yourself with the stamina of the warrior/warrior-ess energy that you are a part of.
This communication with others of your own
sex allows you to air your feelings in safety and to get feedback from others who have had the
same experience.
You may need a new sense of community - communication in unity.
Elk could also be telling you to look at how you are holding up physically to the stresses
in your life, and to pace yourself so that you maintain an equilibrium of energy over the distance you plan to cover.
Vitamins or high-energy foods may be one solution, along with some personal quiet time for replenishment.
Contrary:
If Elk has appeared in the reverse position, you may be stretching the rubber band to the breaking point.
Be careful of undue stress levels, or you might just create an illness to force you to take a break.
On another level, you may not be honouring your desires for companionship with the opposite sex, and you may have forgotten the excitement of mating season.
If this is the case,you may find that your best option is to invite friends of the opposite sex for dinner or an afternoon outing.
This is not to say that you would be sexually interested in these friends; it is merely suggesting that the exchange of opposite energies could be rewarding.
If you are in a relationship, it may be that the honeymoon is waning and that you need to
stir up some excitement.
Persistently creating a "change of pace" is the kind of stamina needed for any relationship to last.
In all cases, Elk is telling you to look at how you choose to create your present pathway, and how you intend to perpetuate it to reach your goal.
Your best weapon is the same as Elk's: to stop when you need to, to persist when you need to, and to allow room for change and exchange of energies.
Overview:
Elk stresses friendship and co-operation - the sense of unity that comes from belonging to
a group or community.
It emphasizes the need to establish relationships. If you are engaged in some kind of competitive activity, whether in your working life or in a personal relationship, you may feel threatened and under pressure.
You need some equilibrium. Elk shows the value of
friendships and of sharing your interests and experiences with others.
Elk stresses the importance of finding time for refreshment and reflection, and of renewing one's strength. Elk has to do with stamina and the need to go to those of the same gender for support. Bonding and renewal.
Persistence brings rewards. Support your health and stamina.
Honour your ability to endure.
34 |
Sacred Spiral
Grouse . . . of the Sacred Spiral
Leading us on,
To reach the everlasting heights,
Where we can live as one.
Grouse once flocked in abundance throughout North America, but now, even on the plains, where these birds were so plentiful, there is an absence of them.
Many Plains Indian tribes dance the Grouse Dance to honour these birds.
The movement of the dance follows a spiral, which is the ancient symbol of birth and rebirth, the ribbed tunnel of
eternal return.
The Sacred Spiral is also one of the oldest know symbols for personal power.
When you think of Grouse medicine, visualize a whirlpool or even a tornado, for the Sacred Spiral will take you to the Centre.
The spiral is a metaphor for personal vision
and enlightenment.
Many initiates on Vision Quests paint spirals on their bodies and believe that the Great Mystery will favour them with visions of power and purpose because of this symbol.
The whirling dervishes of certain Sufi orders are masters of the spiral dance and can transcend to higher states of awareness through the repetition of this sacred movement.
It is said that dervishes can travel to the centre of the spiral and return with any magical power they choose.
In the dervish state, on enters the Great Silence and has direct communication with the Creator.
By spinning clockwise or counter-clockwise, the
dervish draws or repulses specific energies.
Sufi dancing is a system which connects one with the Divine Source through ritual treatment of motion.
If you have Grouse Medicine, undertake a meditation on the various qualities of movement within your world.
Begin by visualizing the sun as one member of a huge group of stars swirling in the massive pinwheel shape of the Milky Way.
Then draw yourself out of this pinwheel of light and into the spiralling of your own DNA's double helix, an arrangement similar to a rope ladder coiled like a corkscrew.
Analyze the way you move through your world.
How do you picture yourself in the act of locomotion?
What kind of reaction do you create with the energy you send into the universe?
What words would you use to describe the way you move through both the material and spiritual worlds?
In the final analysis, is your movement compatible with your greatest desires and goals?
Many spiritual disciplines ask that you cease all external movement in order to recognize the inner life. Grouse medicine, however, is an invitation to the dance.
Grouse celebrates the Divine Source through its sacred spiral dance, and offers this dance to you
as a gift.
You can spend a lifetime learning Grouse's lesson on how to harmonize your dance with Mother Earth's cycles, and how to offer the dance as a creation of selfless beauty.
Drawing the Grouse medicine card in the reverse position signals a dissipation of energy and lack of control and discipline.
It is symbolic of a lost connection to the Source, and signifies a lack of clear intent behind an outpouring of energy.
You may feel like you are in a tailspin or going down the drain.
Confront confusion either in yourself or in others who may be in the picture.
Examine the way your energy may be causing
friction, sparks, or a convolution of a situation that needs clarification.
Work towards harnessing your energy and directing it towards clearly defined goals.
Such is the nature of the Sacred Grouse Dance.
In using this sacred dance as a tool to right contrary Grouse, you may also find that it is a tool to centre or ground you.
In grounding, you are once again connecting to
Mother Earth and balancing out the spinning in your head.
If you have become so involved with an idea or problem that you are no longer seeing it clearly, you may feel dizzy or lacking in concentration.
This is a sign that you have entered the thought universe and are not connected to physical reality.
You need grounding if this occurs.
Dancing or walking will put you back in tough with Earth and your body.
Grouse may then teach you how to notice the energy flows that put you in harmony and balance
with body, mind, and spirit.
Find your rhythm.
Honour the synchronicity.
Spiral into your potential.
Source:
Sams, Jamie and Carson, David.
Medicine Cards
Medicine Cards
Santa Fe: Bear and Company, 1988
No comments:
Post a Comment