Swan flipped over in the deck while shuffling revealing itself quite appropriately as I was calling on Grace today.
39
Swan
Grace
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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."
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.
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
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
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
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
In the world of Spirit you need to pay close
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.
(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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
(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.
Bat refused to be shuffled back in the deck on last shuffle and is the last contrary card which I was waiting to appear; before the whole deck righted itself.
I was waiting on this timing to start shuffling the cards and flipping them while shuffling ;in order to see which come up Contrary , by doing so, adding another dimension to my choosing and readings.
Surrender to the flow.
Don’t give up - give over.
Bat refused to be shuffled back in the deck on last shuffle and is the last contrary card which I was waiting to appear; before the whole deck righted itself.
I was waiting on this timing to start shuffling the cards and flipping them while shuffling ;in order to see which come up Contrary , by doing so, adding another dimension to my choosing and readings.
42
Bat - Contrary
Re-birth
Sacred Bat . . . flew to me,
From the darkness of the cave.
Wound like reflections,
Answers it gave.
Birth, death, rebirth,
Cycles of the whole.
Never-ending,
Just eclipsed,
Journey of the soul.
Non-Contrary:
Steeped in the mystery of MesoAmerican tribal ritual is the legend of Bat.
Akin to the ancient Buddhist belief in reincarnation, in Central America, Bat is the symbol of rebirth.
The Bat has for centuries been a treasured medicine of the Aztec, Toltec, Tolucan, and Mayan people.
Bat embraces the idea of shamanistic death.
The ritual death of the healer is steeped in secrets and highly involved initiation rites.
Shaman death is the symbolic death of the initiate to the old ways of life and personal identity.
The initiation that brings the right to heal and to be called shaman is necessarily preceded by ritual death.
Most of these rituals are brutally hard on the body, mind, and spirit.
In light of today's standards, it can be very difficult to find a person who can take the abuse and come through it with their balance intact.
The basic idea of ancient initiations was to break down all the former notions of "self" that were held by the shaman-to-be.
This could entail brutal tests of physical strength and psychic ability, and having every emotional "button" pushed hard.
Taunting and spitting on the initiate was common, and taught him or her to endure the duress with humility and fortitude.
The final initiation step was to be buried in the earth for one day and to be reborn without former ego in the morning.
This ritual is very similar to the night of fear practiced by natives of Turtle Island.
In this ritual, the shaman-to-be is sent to a certain location to dig his or her grave and spend the night in the womb of Mother Earth totally alone, with the mouth of the grave covered by a blanket.
Darkness, and the sounds of animals prowling, quickly confront the initiate with his or her fears.
As the darkness of the grave has its place in this ritual, so does the cave of Bat.
Hanging upside-down is a symbol for learning to transpose your former self into a newborn being.
This is also the position that babies assume when they enter the world through the womb of woman.
If Bat has appeared in your cards today, it symbolizes the need for a ritualistic death of some way of life that no longer suits your new growth pattern.
This can mean a time of letting go of old habits, and of assuming the position in life that prepares you for rebirth, or in some cases initiation.
In every case, Bat signals rebirth of some part of yourself of the death of old patterns.
If you resist your destiny, it can be a long, drawn out, or painful death.
The universe is always asking you to grow and become your future.
To do so you must die the shaman's death.
Contrary:
If Bat is still hanging upside-down in the cave and immersed in darkness, you have met its contrary medicine.
This position leads to stagnation of the spirit and a refusal to acknowledge your true destiny - which is always to use the talents you have to the
fullest.
Is there some area of your life that has dammed up and therefore stopped your desire to create?
If so, look at surrendering to the death of that stagnation.
Bat can also imply that in the reversal of your natural cycle of rebirth you are trying to go at life in a backwards mode.
This is a breech birth, in a sense.
This type of occluded understanding of how to go about freeing yourself can lead to a stillbirth if you
struggle too long in the birth canal.
The final outcome can be death of the body.
Some people think themselves into a corner with obstacles that are illusionary.
By the time they decide what to do, the opportunities are gone and old age is upon them.
All of their dreams have passed them by.
Reversed Bat says to use your mind, courage, and strength to insure an easy labor and quick delivery into your new state of understanding and growth.
Surrender to the new life you have created from thought and desire, and bravely greet that dawn.
If you are concerned with today and tomorrow but not much further, you may forget to see further down the road.
Tribal teachings say that you are responsible for
future generations because you are the ancestors of the future.
Whatever you do today will affect the next seven generations.
Every decision, every thought, is to create a state of stagnation or rebirth for those that follow you on the Good Red Road.
If you are blocking yourself, you may be blocking the generations to come.
Bat flies at night, and in the night are born your dreams.
These are the dreams that build future civilizations, so nourish them well.
Non-Contrary:
Steeped in the mystery of MesoAmerican tribal ritual is the legend of Bat.
Akin to the ancient Buddhist belief in reincarnation, in Central America, Bat is the symbol of rebirth.
The Bat has for centuries been a treasured medicine of the Aztec, Toltec, Tolucan, and Mayan people.
Bat embraces the idea of shamanistic death.
The ritual death of the healer is steeped in secrets and highly involved initiation rites.
Shaman death is the symbolic death of the initiate to the old ways of life and personal identity.
The initiation that brings the right to heal and to be called shaman is necessarily preceded by ritual death.
Most of these rituals are brutally hard on the body, mind, and spirit.
In light of today's standards, it can be very difficult to find a person who can take the abuse and come through it with their balance intact.
The basic idea of ancient initiations was to break down all the former notions of "self" that were held by the shaman-to-be.
This could entail brutal tests of physical strength and psychic ability, and having every emotional "button" pushed hard.
Taunting and spitting on the initiate was common, and taught him or her to endure the duress with humility and fortitude.
The final initiation step was to be buried in the earth for one day and to be reborn without former ego in the morning.
This ritual is very similar to the night of fear practiced by natives of Turtle Island.
In this ritual, the shaman-to-be is sent to a certain location to dig his or her grave and spend the night in the womb of Mother Earth totally alone, with the mouth of the grave covered by a blanket.
Darkness, and the sounds of animals prowling, quickly confront the initiate with his or her fears.
As the darkness of the grave has its place in this ritual, so does the cave of Bat.
Hanging upside-down is a symbol for learning to transpose your former self into a newborn being.
This is also the position that babies assume when they enter the world through the womb of woman.
If Bat has appeared in your cards today, it symbolizes the need for a ritualistic death of some way of life that no longer suits your new growth pattern.
This can mean a time of letting go of old habits, and of assuming the position in life that prepares you for rebirth, or in some cases initiation.
In every case, Bat signals rebirth of some part of yourself of the death of old patterns.
If you resist your destiny, it can be a long, drawn out, or painful death.
The universe is always asking you to grow and become your future.
To do so you must die the shaman's death.
Overview:
The bat is an animal steeped in mystery, and one which arouses unease in some humans because it is related to darkness and the unknown.
Some are afraid of it, perhaps because of its association in horror movies with the supernatural and with ritualistic death.
The bat lives in a cave or a dark place; this is symbolic of the womb, and the animal's position hanging upside down parallels that of the unborn self, immersed in darkness.
To encounter Bat as a power animal, therefore, signifies the process of initiation - the ending of an old way of life and a rebirthing into a new life pattern.
Bat is there to help you to let go of old habits and a previous way of life, and to face a new dawn.
You cannot make progress by hanging on tightly to the very things that are holding you back.
So, confront your fears head on, and they will flee from you.
Bat is there to help you see in the darkness and to find your way to a new understanding.
Face your fears.
Be flexible.
Prepare for rebirth.
The time is now, the power is you.
11
Moose
Self Esteem
Help me to honour the gifts,
And recognize my worthiness long as I live.
Moose is found in the North of the medicine wheel.
North represents the place of wisdom.
Self-esteem is the medicine of Moose because it represents the power of recognizing that wisdom has been used in a situation and that recognition or a pat on the back is deserved.
Moose is the largest member of the deer family, and has great strength.
The call of the male Moose is an awesome thing to hear.
His pride in his maleness and his desire to share his seed with a Moose cow are displays of his sense of self-esteem.
The bellow of a male Moose can be viewed as a positive force, since it represents his willingness to
"tell the world" about his feelings.
This "tell the world" trait contains a joyfulness which only comes with a sense of accomplishment.
There is no greater joy than a job well done.
This trait is therefore not a seeking of approval, but rather an enjoyment of sharing because of the spontaneous explosion of joy that comes from the deepest part of one's being.
The wisdom woven throughout this scenario is that creation constantly brings forth new ideas and further creation.
Moose is telling us that joy should be shouted with
pride.
The wisdom in doing this shouting is that the joy is "catching."
In a sense, the bellowing is a way for all of us to lighten up and give ourselves or each other a "well done!"
The wisdom in doing this shouting is that the joy is "catching."
In a sense, the bellowing is a way for all of us to lighten up and give ourselves or each other a "well done!"
Moose medicine people have the ability to know when to use the gentleness of Deer and when to activate the stampede of buffalo.
They understand the balance between giving order to get things done and having a willingness to do things themselves.
The wisdom of Moose medicine is akin to the Grandfather Warrior who has long since put
away his war paint and is now advising the young bucks to cool their blood.
Moose medicine is often found in elders who have walked the Good Red Road and have seen many things in their Earth Walk.
Their joy lies in being the teachers of the children, and in being the first ones to give encouragement.
This is not to say that Moose medicine people do not use their wisdom to warn as well as to give praise, because they do.
Moose medicine people know what to say, when to say it, and to whom.
The elders are honoured in tribal law for their gifts of wisdom, for their teaching abilities, and for the calmness they impart in Council.
If you are wise beyond your years and have the gift of Moose medicine, use this gift to encourage others to learn and grow.
There are many facets to the wisdom of Moose medicine.
If you have chosen the Moose card, you have reason to feel good about something you have accomplished on your journey.
This may be a habit you have broken, a completion of some sort, an insight on a goal, or a new sense of self that you have fought hard to earn.
It is a time of feeling harmonious pride, and of recognizing those who aided you in the process.
One good exercise in Moose medicine is to write down things that you can love about yourself and your progress in life.
Then apply these same things to friends, family, coworkers, and life.
Don't forget to share the findings with others.
They need the encouragement as much as you do.
Contrary:
If Moose is upside-down when you draw it, you are being reminded that ego can ruin your sense of accomplishment.
Remember that others have the same potential you
have, and do not become careless in your appreciation of their gifts.
Reversed Moose implies that in tooting your own horn you have failed to be interested in others, and have there forgotten that everyone teaches everyone else in some way.
Reversed Moose implies that in tooting your own horn you have failed to be interested in others, and have there forgotten that everyone teaches everyone else in some way.
Contrary Moose medicine may be asked you to grow quietly for awhile, to calm your spirit and allow the strength and wisdom of silence to enter your heart.
This is the core of Moose medicine:
knowing the wisdom of silence, so that when it is proper to speak you can take pride in your words.
Overview:
See your potential.
Take pride in yourself.
Honor your right to be.
Take pride in yourself.
Honor your right to be.
Source:
Sams, Jamie and Carson,
David. Medicine Cards
Santa Fe: Bear and Company, 1988
Sams, Jamie and Carson,
David. Medicine Cards
Santa Fe: Bear and Company, 1988
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