28 - Armadillo - Boundaries - Contrary & 7 - Skunk - Reputation - Contrary

Armadillo fell out of the cards while I was shuffling doubling animal medicine today.

28

Armadillo

Boundaries

Armadillo. . . 

      Armour all my boundaries,
      Teach me my shields,

      Reflect all the hurt,

      So I will not yield.

Contrary:

Go ahead, roll up and hide. This, sarcastically, is the message of reversed Armadillo. 

You may think the only way to win in your present situation is to hide or to pretend that you are armour-coated and invincible, but this is not the way to grow. 

It is better to open up and find the value and strength of your vulnerability. 

You will experience something wonderful if you do.

Vulnerability is the key to enjoying the gifts of physical life. 

In allowing yourself to feel, a myriad of expressions are made available. 

For instance, a true compliment is an admiration flow of energy. 

If you are afraid of being hurt and are hiding from feeling anything, you will never feel the joy of admiration from others.

The key is in allowing Armadillo to help you to stop hiding and to use Armadillo's armour to deflect negative energies. 

In this way, you are able to accept or reject any

feeling, action, or energy flow without having to hide from it.

The underside of Armadillo is soft, but its armour will protect this softness if the boundaries are in place. 

Hiding from your true feelings and fearing failure or rejection will amplify your need for cast-iron protection. 

You have the power to rid yourself of

these doubts and to touch the deepest part of beingness. 

You will know you are doing the right thing. 

Whether it is communicating, or painting, or surfing - the creation belongs to you. 

The only real rejection is in not trying break out of the armour you have used to protect yourself. 

Is the armour now becoming a jail, and your fears the jailer.

Overview:

Respect your Sacred Space. Drop hesitations and banish abuse. Use proper boundaries

and thrive.

7

Skunk

Reputation

Skunk . . . tell me the story,

        So I will know it well,

        Of how to attract,

        And how to repel.

Contrary:

Skunk Medicine operating through the contrary or reversed position indicates that your self-esteem may seem to others as if you are putting on airs.

Observe whether or not you are repelling others in your vicinity because of envy, jealousy, or a projection of their low self-esteem. 

Examine your feelings. 

Be truthful with yourself. 

Right the situation by assuming the attitude of Skunk: nonchalance. 

In assuming nonchalance, you are neutralizing the effect of leaking energy.

In leaking vital energy, you may be stinking up your environment. 

This is similar to dumping all of your woes on anyone who will listen. 

If you are doing this, it may be time to shut your mouth and go within. 

You may also be leaking sexual energy and

repulsing the object of your interest. 

That person may be too shy to tell you to lay off.

Look deeply at your self-image and how others are reacting to it.

To balance the causes and effects of your actions and energy flows, you must decide whether or not you need to spray in the direction of others to repel their envy, greed, jealousy, or over-amorous tendencies. 

On the other hand, you need to always maintain your "right to be." 

Self-respect is the key to all of these situations, whereas ego is merely what you believe yourself to be.

Skunk says, 

"If your ego is not your amigo, you know it stinks.

Source: 

Sams, Jamie and Carson, David. 

Medicine Cards 

Santa Fe: Bear and Company, 1988