Saturday, 19 September 2015

7 - Skunk - Reputation - Contrary & 39 - Swan - Contrary; flipped out of the deck today doubling today's Animal Medicine




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.


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!


Overview:

Attract what you need in order to grow. 

Walk your talk. 

Know yourself.


39

Swan

Grace

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

Touching future,

       Yet to come,
            Bringing eternal grace.

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.



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.


Source: 

Sams, Jamie and Carson, David. 
Medicine Cards
Santa Fe: Bear and Company, 1988

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