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7 skunk - reputation

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!

34 - Grouse - Sacred Spiral

34

Grouse

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 touch 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

Santa Fe: Bear and Company, 1988

18 - Lynx - Secrets & 39 - Swan - Grace & 36 - LIzard - Dreaming - Swan and Lizard came out of the deck while i shuffled tripling your medicine today.

18

Lynx

Secrets

Lynx . . .
      You know the secrets
            So very well,
       The Dreamtime and the magic,
              But you'll never tell.

May I learn to hold my tongue.
    Observe like the Sphinx,
       Powerful, yet silent,
               The medicine of Lynx.

It is said that if you want to find out a secret, ask Lynx medicine. 

Unfortunately, it is difficult to get the silent Lynx to speak. 

To be confronted by the powerful medicine of Lynx signifies that you do not know something about yourself.

Lynx is the keeper of the secrets of lost magical systems and occult knowledge.

Lynx has the ability to move through time an space, and to go into the Great Silence for

unraveling any mystery. 

Lynx is not the guardian of secrets, but the knower of secrets.

The problem lies in getting Lynx to instruct you. Lynx would rather be off chasing a bird or kicking sand in your face than running circles around you.

Lynx medicine is a very specific type of clairvoyance. 

If this medicine is strong in you, you will get mental pictures concerning other people and the exact things they have hidden, either from themselves or from others. 

You will see their fears, their lies, and the self-deceptions. 

You will also know where they have hidden the treasures, if there is any.

You never speak of these revelations - you simply know.

The only way you can coax information about yourself out of a Lynx medicine person (in case you have forgotten where you hid the treasure) is to respect the practices of his or her tradition. 

If you go to a Gypsy with Lynx medicine, you show your respect by paying with money after the reading. 

If you go to a Choctaw medicine person, he or

she will reach into your midsection, or use other traditional methods to help you. 

A blanket or tobacco should be given in exchange for the medicine he or she has performed for you. 

This operative is known as the law of the Lynx people, and is practiced by Native American, Gypsy, Sufi, and Egyptian cultures, among others.

If you have pulled the Lynx card, you can be sure that "secrets" are afloat in your life at this time. 

If this is your personal medicine, you should listen to your higher self.

Be still and pay attention to the revelations you receive either in the form of mental pictures or through a high singing voice in your ear. 

Perhaps you will receive information in the form of omens. 

You can be sure that Mother Earth is signalling you in some manner.

If Lynx is at your door, listen. Brother or Sister Lynx can teach you of your personal power and of things you have forgotten about yourself. 

Lynx can lead you to lost treasures and connect you to forgotten brotherhoods of sisterhoods.

Some medicine people believe that the Sphinx of ancient Egypt was not a Lion but a Lynx. 

This Lynx does not say much. With an enigmatic smile, the great cat watches over the sands of forever.

Contrary:

If Lynx has appeared in the reversed position, it is time to shut your big mouth.

Something you are jabbering about has let the "cat" out of the bag. 

Are you defiling a sacred trust, or have you broken a promise to a friend? 

If not, you may have pulled a good boner on yourself by blabbing your latest idea to the friend of a competitor. 

Watch your tongue and see if you are able to refrain from gossiping, or talking about your latest romantic conquest. 

Look and see if, in your present state, you are able to listen and truly be interested in someone else's stories or ideas. 

On this level, Lynx is telling you to become worthy of trust. 

Then the secrets will be available to you.

You might look at choosing to have your brain in gear before your babble starts, or your foot may have to replace your tongue. 

This is the "know it all" syndrome. 

Fine - if you want to talk, just sew up your ears.

After all, talking leaves no room for hearing or

learning. 

Lynx is a tough teacher, and if you have let the cat out of the bag, be ready for the consequences.

Become Lynx and wear the Mona Lisa smile. 

Only you will know what you are smiling about.

The cat will not have your tongue - you will - as well as the power over it.

Overview:

The lynx is a large, feline creature with a pretty and smiling face. Some shamans describe it as a "knowing" smile, and one might compare it with the self-satisfied smile of someone who knows something you don't.

In some American Indian mystical traditions, the lynx is regarded as the "Keeper of Secrets" and the knower of that which is hidden. 

So Lynx is associated with the deeper truths and with clairvoyant and divinatory skills.

As a power animal, Lynx can teach you things you don't know - or have forgotten - about yourself. 

Lynx is a silent animal and emphasizes the necessity of going into the silence in order to understand "hidden" knowledge and to obtain facets of ancient wisdom.

Watch Lynx's antics carefully on your journey, for it will rarely, if ever, speak.

Watch where it is leading to and from. 

As you record your impressions, later, consider

that thoughts and mental pictures come to mind. 

They may not appear to have any relevance at first, but this may be Lynx's way of imparting hidden knowledge to you.

Lynx may lead you to things that are lost or hidden, or to recall a forgotten incident which has relevance to your life now. 

It may be the whereabouts of a missing object, or a person with whom you have lost contact. 

Lynx may encourage you to consult an oracle for advice or to seek some means of divining the future. 

Secret Service

Be still and silent. 

Become the one who watches. 

Honour secret wisdom you hold.

39

Swan

Grace

Swan . . .
       The power of woman
             Entering Sacred Space,

Touching future,
       Yet to come,
            Bringing eternal grace.

Little Swan flew through the Dreamtime, looking for the future. 

She rested for a moment in the coolness of the pond, looking for a way to find the entry point to the

future. 

This was a moment of confusion for Swan, as she knew that she had happened into the Dreamtime by accident. 

This was her first flight alone and she was a bit

concerned by the Dreamtime landscape.

As Swan looked high above Sacred Mountain, she saw the biggest swirling black hole she had ever seen. 

Dragonfly came flying by, and Swan stopped him to ask about the black hole. 

Dragonfly said, 

"Swan, that is the doorway to the other planes of

imagination. 

I have been guardian of the illusion for many, many moons. 

If you want to enter there, you would have to ask permission and earn the right.

Swan was not so sure that she wanted to enter the black hole. 

She asked

Dragonfly what was necessary for her to earn entry. 

Dragonfly replied, 

"You must be willing to accept whatever the future holds as it is presented, without trying to change

Great Spirit's plan." 

Swan looked at her ugly little duckling body and then answered, 

"I will be happy to abide by Great Spirit's plan.
I won't fight the currents of the black hole.

I will surrender to the flow of the spiral and trust what I am shown." 

Dragonfly was very happy with Swan's answer and began to spin the magic to break the pond's illusion.

Suddenly, Swan was engulfed by a whirlpool in the centre of the pond.

Swan reappeared many days later, but now she was graceful and white and long necked.

Dragonfly was stunned! "Swan, what happened to you!" he exclaimed. 

Swan smiled and said, "Dragonfly, I learned to surrender my body to the power of Great Spirit

and was taken to where the future lives. 

I saw many wonders high on Sacred Mountain

and because of my faith and my acceptance I have been changed. 

I have learned to accept the state of grace." 

Dragonfly was very happy for Swan.

Swan told Dragonfly many of the wonders beyond the illusion. 

Through her healing and her acceptance of the state of grace, she was given the right to enter the

Dreamtime.

So it is that we learn to surrender to the grace of the rhythm of the universe, and slip from our physical bodies into the Dreamtime.

Swan medicine teaches us to be at one with all planes of consciousness, and to trust in Great Spirit's protection.

If you pulled Swan, it ushers in a time of altered states of awareness and of development of your intuitive abilities. 

Swan medicine people have the ability to see the

future, to surrender to the power of Great Spirit, and to accept the healing and transformation of their lives.

The Swan card is telling you to accept your ability to know what lies ahead. 

If you are resisting your self transformation, relax; it will be easier if you go with the flow. 

Stop denying that you know who is calling when the phone rings. 

Pay attention to your hunches and your gut knowledge, and honour your female intuitive side.

CONTRARY:

If you have pulled Swan in reverse, it is a warning that you must acknowledge what you know, so stop denying your feelings and clutzing up. 

You may be bumping into furniture or forgetting what you are saying in mid-sentence. 

If so, this is a sign that you are not grounded. 

Jump in place and hold the top of your head as you do so. 

This will get you back in touch with the Earth, and keep you from wandering into a dreamy reality

that lessens your focus. 

Baths help, as does going barefooted or doing some gardening.

In any case, Swan reversed says that you need to pay some attention to your body.

It can seem as if you are flying without a pilot's license if you are not aware of when you

take off or land. 

Not recognizing the shift from left brain to right brain is common when you are evolving spiritually. 

This is all a part of developing your intuitive side of your nature and is a sign that you are not being conscious of your entry into other levels of

awareness. 

In the development of higher mind, you are embarking on new territory that has rules or universal laws of its own. 

In the world of Spirit you need to pay close

attention to the unseen. 

You may sense or feel in a slightly different way, but this is gradual. 

Sometimes this shift is lost among your normal activities until you feel "spaced out." 

At these moments it is time to reconnect with Mother Earth.

The solution to Contrary Swan is: 

(1) Notice your surroundings and touch the Earth with your feet, hands, or both. 

(2) Focus on one reality of the other: if you are being called to visit the Dreamtime, stop what you are doing and be still. 

Enter the silence and empty your mind of chatter. Be receptive and open so that the message may enter, your consciousness. 

(3) If you are just preoccupied, daydreaming, or "spacey," you need to focus on doing some physical activity. 

Use the reasoning side of your brain to make a list

of what you need to do next, and this will stop the clutter in your mind that may be causing the confusion.

OVERVIEW:

Swan is, perhaps, the most regal and graceful of birds, yet it develops from a cygnet which is sometimes described as an ugly duckling. 

As a power animal, Swan is a symbol of dreams in which knowledge is imparted to further one's progress in spiritual evolution and to become a creation of great beauty.

So Swan is a helper in a transformational process and teaches the need to accept

change with grace. 

Acceptance gracefully.

Accept gifts of grace. Surrender to the flow. Don’t give up - give over.

36

Lizard

Dreaming

Lizard . . . will you dream with me?

      Travel across the stars?

            Beyond the place of time and space,

                  There live visions from afar

Lizard sat lolling in the shadow of a big rock, shading himself from the desert sun.

Snake crawled by, looking for some shadow to coil up in and rest. 

Snake watched Lizard for awhile as Lizard's eyeballs went side to side behind his enormous closed lids. 

Snake hissed to get Lizard's attention. 

Slowly Lizard's dreaming eyes opened and he saw snake.

"Snake! You sacred me! 

What do you want?" 

Lizard calmly replied..

Snake spit his answer from his forked tongue. 

"Lizard, you are always getting the

best shadow spots in the heat of the day. 

This is the only big rock for miles. 

Why don't you share your shade with me?"

Lizard thought for a moment, then agreed. 

"Snake, you can share my shade spot, but you have to go to the other side of the rock and you must promise not to interrupt me."

Snake was getting annoyed. 

He hissed, "How could I bother you, Lizard? 

All you are doing is sleeping."

Lizard smiled knowingly. 

"Oh Snake, you are such a silly serpent. 

I'm not sleeping. 

I'm dreaming."

Snake wanted to know what the difference was, so Lizard explained. 

"Dreaming is going into the future, Snake. 

I go to where the future lives. 

You see, that is why I know you won't eat me today.

I dreamed you and I know you are full of mouse."

Snake was taken aback. 

"Why Lizard, you're exactly right. 

I wondered why you said you would share your rock."

Lizard laughed to himself. 

"Snake," he said, 

"You are looking for shade and I am looking for shadow. 

Shadow is where the dreams live."

Lizard Medicine is the shadow side of reality where your dreams are reviewed before you decide to manifest them physically. 

Lizard could have created getting eaten by Snake if he had so desired.

Lizard is the medicine of dreamers. 

Whether dreamers smoke you or dream you,

dreamers can always help you see the shadow. 

This shadow can be your fears, your hopes, or the very thing you are resisting. 

But it is always following you around like an

obedient dog.

If Lizard dreamed a space in your life this day, it may be time to look and see what is following along behind you. 

It is your fears, your future trying to catch up to you, or is it the part of you that wants to ignore your weaknesses and humanness?

Lizard may be telling you to pay attention to your dreams and their symbols.

Make a dream log and record all that you remember. 

Be sure to pay attention to each individual symbol or recurring pattern. 

If you do not remember your dreams upon waking

in the morning, set an alarm for 2:00 or 3:00 Am, or drink a lot of water before you go to bed and allow your bladder to wake you up. 

Dreams are very important. Pay attention to

them.

If Lizard has turned up in the contrary position, you may be having a nightmare.

This is a sign of inner conflict. 

Look to the nightmare for a clue to the nature of this conflict. 

What are the feelings your nightmare causes?

Breathe through these feelings and let the sensations flow out of your body. 

See the truth in what your nightmare is suggesting. 

It could be the simple message that you are confronting your fears and therefore do not need to experience nightmarish events in your day-to-day life.

Another message of Lizard reversed is that you may need more sleep or dreamtime. 

It could also imply that you have a lack of dreams for your future.

Imagination is the door to all new ideas and creations. 

As you examine the dreaming process, you will find that the subconscious is processing all of the recorded messages it hold concerning the events you experienced during the day. 

These messages can be suppressed feelings bringing inner conflict, or they can be new ideas or goals, other dimensions of awareness, future events, warning signals, or desires and hopes.

In one sense, contrary Lizard is insisting that you look to your imagination for new experience. 

This is necessary when life becomes dull or full of boredom. 

On the other hand, contrary Lizard may also apply to those who dream too much, refusing to use the dreams as tools to manifest that same vision in their lives.

All levels of awareness are accessible through dreams. Remember, life is not always as it seems. 

Are you the dreamer? 

Or are you the dreamed?

The lizard is a creature found in shady areas during the heat of the day, and is symbolic of the shadowy side of reality - the plane where that is coming into manifestation is being fashioned. 

This plane is sometimes referred to as the "Dreamtime" - the astral plane of constantly changing patterns and shapes.

Lizard is concerned with your dreams of the future and of formulating what you want to become physical realities.

Lizard is thus connected with your subconscious mind, and your hopes and fears.

It can help you to identify those recurrent problems that follow you around like your

shadow; they must be confronted before they will depart from you. 

Your aspirations must have emotion breathed into them to make them manifest.

Next time you encounter Lizard on your journey, look carefully behind you.

Record your observations in a log and note especially any symbols and signs so that you

can identify those that are recurring. 

Ask Lizard to help you to understand what you see.

Keep a dream log, too, so you can become aware of what is occurring both in your dream state and your shamanic state of consciousness.

Make your dreams come true.

Rekindle lost goals or desires. 

Expand your vision. 

Honour messages in your dreams.

Source: 

Sams, Jamie and Carson, 

David. Medicine Cards 

Santa Fe: Bear and Company, 1988