44 Hummingbird Joy - Contrary - 16 Raven Magic - 35 Horse Power - Animal Medicine Tripled

44

Hummingbird

Joy

Hummingbird . . . 

       Joyful little sister,

             Nectar you crave!

All the sweetness

     Of the flowers,

         Is the love you gave.

Contrary:

If contrary Hummingbird is in your cards in any configuration, it speaks to you of matters of the heart. 

How or why has your heart centre been closed? 

Have you done something callous to another, causing them to shut off the love they once felt for you?

The contrary Hummingbird may presage sorrow and the inability to see the many blessings we two-leggeds have been given and the primordial beauty that surrounds us. 

If contrary Hummingbird sings its forlorn song, perhaps you should journey into your personal pain and know that your sorrow is your joy in another reflection.

Overview:

The hummingbird is a magnificent little creature that, unlike any other bird, can fly in any direction and even hover. 

Its long beak enables it to draw succulent nectar from every variety of flower. 

Its movement from one flower to another is a dance of delight, and its singing is a melody of ecstasy.

In American Indian folk stories, the hummingbird is associated with love and joy.

Its appearance as a power animal is indicative of the sheer delight of living, and of living the bliss of loving. 

It implies an ability to see beauty in everything and it is concerned with bringing out the best in people and the good in every situation.

Hummingbird embraces the highest principles and brings the magic of the spiritual realm into earth activities. 

Hummingbird can help you make the progress of living a Dance of Beauty. 

Dance in beauty.

Embrace what makes you happy. 

Be joyful. 

Count your blessings. 

Open yourself to pleasure.

16

Raven

Magic

Raven . . 
     Black as pitch,
          Mystical as the moon,
               Speak to me of magic,
                   I will fly with you soon.

Non-Contrary:

Throughout time, Raven has carried the medicine of magic. 

This has been true in many cultures across the planet. 

It is sacred, in the medicine way, to honour Raven as the bringer of magic. 

If the magic is bad medicine, the carrier may be honoured out of fear rather than out of respect. 

Those who fear Raven may do so because they have been dabbling in areas in which they had no knowledge, and a spell may have backfired on

them. 

Rather than analyzing the dark side of sorcery, realize that you will fear Raven only if you need to learn about your inner fears or self-created demons.

Raven magic is a powerful medicine that can give you the courage to enter the darkness of the void, which is the home of all that is not yet in form. 

The void is called the Great Mystery. 

Great Mystery existed before all other things came into being. 

Great Spirit lives inside the void and emerged from the Great Mystery. 

Raven is the messenger of the void.

If Raven appears in your spread, you are about to experience a change in consciousness. 

This may involve walking inside the Great Mystery on another path at the edge of time. 

It would portend a signal brought by the Raven that says, "You have earned the right to see and experience a little more of life's magic." 

Raven's colour is the colour of the void - the black hole in space that holds all the energy of the creative source.

In Native teachings the colour black means many things, but it does not mean evil.

Black can mean the seeking of answers, the void, or the road of the spiritual or nonphysical. 

The blue-black of Raven contains an iridescence that speaks of the magic of darkness, and a changeability of form and shape that brings an awakening in the process.

Raven is the guardian of ceremonial magic and in absentia healing. 

In any healing circle, Raven is present. 

Raven guides the magic of healing and the change in consciousness that will bring about a new reality and dispel "dis-ease" or illness. 

Raven brings in the new state of wellness from the Void of Great Mystery and the field of plenty.

Raven is the messenger that carries all energy flows of ceremonial magic between the ceremony itself and the intended destination. 

For instance, if a ceremony is being performed to send energy to a disaster area where people need courage and strength,

Raven would be the courier for that energy flow. 

The intention could be to allow the people of the devastated area to feel the concern and support of the participants in the ceremony.

If you have chosen Raven, magic is in the air. Do not try to figure it out; you cannot. 

It is the power of the unknown at work, and something special is about to happen. 

The deeper mystery, however, is how you will respond to the sparkling synchronicity of this alchemical moment. 

Will you recognize it and use if to further

enhance your growth? 

Can you accept it as a gift from the Great Spirit? Or will you limit the power of the Great Mystery by explaining it away?

It may be time to call Raven as a courier to carry an intention, some healing energy, a thought, or a message. 

Raven is the patron of smoke signals or spirit messages represented by smoke. 

So if you want to send a message to the Blue Road of spirit, in order to contact the Ancients, call Raven. 

Or, who knows, the Ancients may be calling to

you. 

Remember, this magic moment came from the void of darkness, and the challenge is to bring it to light. 

In doing so, you will have honoured the magician within.

Contrary:

Raven reversed is not to be taken lightly! 

It can mean that the boomerang is coming home. 

If you have wished harm to another, beware - you have asked for this harm to teach you in turn what it feels like. 

If you have not been wishing evil on another,

contrary Raven may be bringing you a warning that you are not equipped to move into

another level of consciousness until you have mastered the one you are currently working

with. 

On yet another level, Raven may be telling you that you have forgotten the magic of life and have settled into a mundane rut. 

If this rut suits you and you do not want to

experience the extraordinary magic in your life, ask Raven to fly through your dreams and

give you a taste of its medicine. 

If you do, you may never be the same again.

Contrary Raven may also portend a time of smoky, confused messages that you cannot see or hear because your "intellect" is insisting that magic is not real. 

If you cannot imagine or pretend due to your lack of faith in magic or miracles, healing cannot

take place. 

Raven may be pecking at the door to your consciousness, but you will not receive unless you clear the smoke and seek the other realms of imagination and awareness where magic lives.

To right the contrary Raven, you may need to seek a trained shaman to clear the energy field you have created. 

You might need to block some negative energy sent by another person, or cancel the harm you wished on someone else. 

Keep it clean! 

This is the message when the magic moves into smoky shadows. 

Seek healing and a clearing of intention, the reach for the stars and honour Mother Earth and all other living things. 

Fill yourself with the magic of being alive and call Raven to teach you the proper way of using energy. 

Ground that energy so that manifestation of the magic can occur. 

Do this in love and simplicity. 

Raven will tell you this magical truth: never go beyond that which you have prepared and trained for. 

Life is good, so use the magic to aid the entire family of Earth.

Overview:

Because of its blackness, Raven has, in western cultures, been considered an omen of ill-fortune and associated with dark deeds. 

But in American Indian medicine tradition,

light comes out of darkness, and black is associated with the Void - the source of all

energy - Raven its messenger. 

That is why it is associated with magic and with fate, for it is a messenger of that which is to come. 

Raven heralds the need to make dramatic

changes in your attitude and in the way you perceive things. 

Raven is encouraging you to put some real magic into your life - to expect the unexpected, to prepare for plentitude.

Disperse that negative attitude that has been holding you back for so long, and replace it

with the zest and excitement for "aliveness.

" Feel good about being alive."

Raven is the courier of the energy-flow that brings about changes and creates new realities. 

In American mystical traditions, Raven was the Guardian of Ceremonial Magic and Absent Healing. 

It therefore represented the power that carried the "message" or intention of the ceremony to its destination, and thus brought about its manifestation.

Heralding changes.

Open yourself to miracles. 

Use new eyes. 

Believe in magic. 

Embrace life’s wonders.

35

Horse

Power

Mighty Horse . . .
     Power to run
            Across the open plains,

Or to bring the vision,

      Of the shields

            Dancing in purple dream rain.

"Stealing horses is stealing power," was a statement made frequently in historical native America and a reference to the esteemed role which Horse played in the native cultures. 

Horse is physical power and unearthly power. 

In shamanic practices throughout the world, Horse enables shamans to fly through the air and reach heaven.

Humanity made a great leap forward when Horse was domesticated, a discovery akin to that of fire.

Before Horse, humans were earthbound, heavy-laden, and slow creatures indeed. 

Once humans climbed on Horse's back, they were as free and fleet as the wind. 

They could carry burdens for great distances with ease. 

Through their special relationship with Horse, humans altered their self-concept beyond measure. 

Horse was the first animal medicine of civilization. 

Humanity owes an incalculable debt to Horse

and to the new medicine it brought. 

It would be a long walk to see one's brother or sister if Horse had not welcomed the two-legged rider upon its back. 

Today we measure the capacity of engines with the term "horsepower," a reminder of the days when Horse was an honoured and highly-prized partner with humanity.

Dreamwalker, a medicine man, was walking across the plains to visit the Arapaho Nation. 

He carried with him his pipe. 

The feather tied into his long black hair pointed to the ground, marking him as a man of peace. 

Over the rise of a hill, Dreamwalker saw a

herd of wild mustangs running toward him.

Black Stallion approached him and asked if he was seeking an answer on his journey. 

Black Stallion said, "I am from the Void where Answers live. 

Ride on my back and know the power of entering the Darkness and finding the Light." 

Dreamwalker thanked Black Stallion and agreed to visit him when his medicine was needed in the

Dreamtime.

Yellow Stallion approached Dreamwalker next and offered to take him to the East, where illumination lives. 

Dreamwalker could share the answers he found there to teach and illuminate others. 

Once again, Dreamwalker thanked Yellow Stallion and said he would use these gifts of power on his journey.

Red Stallion approached, rearing playfully. 

He told Dreamwalker of the joys of balancing work and heavy medicine with the joyful experiences of play. 

He reminded Dreamwalker that he could better hold the attention of those he taught when humour was integrated with the lesson. 

Dreamwalker thanked him and promised to remember the gift of joy.

Dreamwalker was nearing his destination. 

The Arapaho Nation was close at hand.

White Stallion came to the front of the herd. 

Dreamwalker mounted White Stallion's back. 

White Stallion was the message carrier for all the other horses, and represented wisdom in power. 

This magnificent horse was the embodiment of the balanced medicine shield. 

"No abuse of power will ever lead to wisdom," said White Stallion. 

"You, Dream walker, have made this journey to heal a brother in need, to share the sacred pipe,

and to heal the Mother Earth. 

You have the knowledge through humility that you are an instrument of Great Spirit. 

As I carry you upon my back, you carry the needs of the people on yours. 

In wisdom, you understand that power is not given lightly but awarded to those who are willing to carry responsibility in a balanced manner."

Dream walker, the shaman, had been healed by the visit of the wild horses, and knew that this purpose in coming to the Arapaho was to share these gifts with them.

In understanding the power of Horse, you may see how to strive for a balanced medicine shield. 

True power is wisdom found in remembering your total journey.

Wisdom comes from remembering pathways you have walked in another person's moccasins. 

Compassion, caring, teaching, loving, and sharing your gifts, talents, and abilities are the gateway to power.

Contrary:

If your ego has gotten in the way, you may have failed to notice the lack of respect you have been receiving from others. 

You may, on the other hand, be struggling with

others who are abusing their power. 

"Should I say something? 

Should I fight my desire to put them in their place?" 

you may be asked. 

Remember the times in your own life when you have fallen out of grace with Great Spirit, and then have compassion for the brothers and sisters who are now doing the same. 

If you are overpowering another or feeling

overwhelmed, Horse medicine in both the dignified and contrary positions is a simple

reminder of how to balance your shields.

In allowing all pathways to have equal validity, you will see the power and glory of the unified family of humanity. 

This is the gift of the Rainbow Warrior or Warrioress.

The "I" has no place in the Whirling Rainbow that comes from the Great Mystery and is replaced by the universal "we." 

All colours of the rainbow and all pathways are honoured as one.

Apply this knowledge and reclaim the power you have given away by forgetting to come from compassion. 

Untangle yourself from the present situation and understand that every human being must follow this pathway to power before galloping upon the winds of destiny.

Overview:

Perhaps more than any other animal, the horse has been humanity's closest partner in the animal kingdom. 

In ordinary reality, it has carried its rider over distances and made communication possible. 

It has helped to shift heavy loads, and in the tilling of the soil.

In non-ordinary reality, the horse has carried the shamanic journeyer to communicate at other realms of existence, to shifts of consciousness, and to till the soil of deeper levels of the mind.

American Indians honoured the horse as a sacred animal. 

In Britain and Northern Europe, magical fraternities once practiced both the natural and supernatural powers associated with the cult of the horse.

As a power animal, Horse, is primarily a message carrier and is often concerned with traversing "gateways." 

It is associated with the power and responsibility that comes from exercising authority, and the wisdom required to use it in a balanced way. 

On an emotional level, Horse is connected with the need for compassionate understanding.

Horse is related especially with the power of knowledge and wisdom and with communication and sharing. 

Communicate.

Honour your medicine. 

Stand tall. 

Use your talents. 

Own who you are becoming.

Source: 

Sams, Jamie and Carson, David. 

Medicine Cards 

Santa Fe: Bear and Company, 1988