Tag Archives: metaphysical

Totems

The Regal Heron

It’s very common for people who are interested in totems to search Goggle or go to different books and look up the meanings of them. And you learn some great information. But…..often times the meaning of the totem is one that is not necessarily a generalized one.

For instance, lately when I’ve been walking the dog along the marinas, I’ve seen more Herons than normal. Now I see Blue Herons all the time but these particular ones are fishing. And I see them catch the fish.

There is one who usually hides behind a small boat and at the opportune moment spears the fish. It’s interesting to watch him, as he is very focused. First, he stands perfectly still…never moves. Then, when he sees his prey, he very very carefully and slowly moves one leg and then other to get closer. And almost so fast you don’t see it, he spears the fish. What amazes me is how still, focused and patient he is while waiting.

A day or two after watching that Blue Heron, I was writing at my desk when I heard a ruckus outside….sounded like dinosaurs fighting! (At least what I imagined they would have sounded like) There was a Blue Heron with a fish and 3 gulls trying to get it from him. He was not about to let them and even with the fish between his bills, managed to make a lot of noise about it. Before living at the beach, I had no idea at just how noisy Herons can be and what bullies gulls are at times!

Blue Heron Medicine typically means the ability to be a Renaissance man or woman. They follow their own path, which is unstructured. Not everyone is comfortable living this way as they perceive it as being without stability or security and yet it actually has it’s own security. Heron Medicine indicates that if one approach isn’t working then try another.

As I carry much Heron Medicine, I was familiar with all these attributes. This seemed different though. Maybe because they were getting my attention….even to the point that one of them was screeching at me to notice him.

So what does it mean?

When trying to analyze the meaning of a totem or message from the universe, one trick is to notice what specifically captured your attention.

Two things stand out in the experience for me. The first Heron showed massive patience, focus and goal orientation. That’s a pretty good lesson. Regardless of how much we vibrate to a specific feeling or desire we must put in the physical work and focus on our desire.

The second Heron’s “work or reward” was jeopardized by the gulls. This to me was a clear message that is common to the witnessing of smaller birds attacking a larger bird. To many aboriginals, this is a sign that someone is or may make an attempt to jeopardize or basically “make small” of something you’re doing.

Both of these messages made perfect sense to me. I am in the process of refocusing my business on a path that I’ve wanted to travel for years. For years I have longed to create a full-on Mystery School that blended the ancient wisdom with the modern magic.  I just recently set up the first of the certification workshops for this goal.

Before, I did not feel it was the right time. And I know that some people may not see the beauty or the “Spirit” drive behind it.

To me, Blue Heron was signaling me to keep my focus……to be patient….and to follow Spirit about the project.


If you’re interested in learning more about the ancient healing wisdom for self and others, check out: http://www.spiritsmuse.com/ancientwisdom.html

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Spirit

The Blessings of Reiki

Pets do more than just love us.

Having been around animals all my life, I can understand why more and more people are becoming pet owners. We love our pets! We spend thousands of dollars on their food, upkeep, toys, health and for some, clothes.

And with good reason. Pets provide a myriad of benefits for us. Probably the most quoted reason that we love them is their unconditional love of us. No matter how grumpy we get or messy we look, our pets still love us. And they are so forgiving if we’re late to feed them or make them wait to go out.

They provide other benefits to us as well. Studies have shown that pets:

  • Will help us uplift our mood. Several studies with men who have AIDS showed they were more apt to become depressed if they didn’t own a pet than those who did.
  • Can keep us calmer. Having a pet helps to control blood pressure better than prescribed drugs
  • Help us to get more exercise: Dog owners walk more than those who don’t have one.
  • Are date and friend magnets: Dogs are particularly good at helping us meet people, especially if the dog is cute.
  • Keep us from feeling lonely. When nursing home residents are visited by dogs they report less feeling of loneliness and seperation.
  • Lower the likelihood of developing allergies. When a child grows up with a pet, they are less likely to develop allergies while developing stronger immune systems.
  • Help manage pain. Loyola University used pet therapy for recovering surgery patients and discovered they may need less pain medication than those without.

With all the wonderful benefits to having a pet, it’s no wonder we love and treat them as members of our families.

Unfortunately though, things can happen. Pets can become ill just like us. When this happens, it often makes us feel particularly helpless. After all, like a baby, the pet cannot verbalize where it hurts or how bad they feel. It’s an awful feeling when you don’t know what to do. Even after going to vet, it can still be so frustrating.

Years ago, we had a cat that had been with us since my daughter was about 2. The cat was one of the most lovable animals I’ve ever had. I always said that she and my daughter grew up together.

One day though, when she was about 10, she was diagnosed with liver cancer. The vet had us take her to a special radiation clinic where she underwent a series of treatments. It was heartbreaking to have to put her through this but there just wasn’t another option short of putting her down.

And she got better. For about a year she was fine and then it came back.

One day, I found her hiding behind the toilet in the downstairs bathroom. By that time, I knew the cancer had returned and we were debating what to do. But here she was, mewing and hiding out and I dearly loved this cat. I had to do something.

So…..I sat down on the floor and pulled her into my lap. I had taken a course in Reiki years before but never used it until that day. I spent about 2 ½ hours in that bathroom with her, running the Reiki energy.

At some point I just had a feeling it was done. There’s no other way to describe it….I knew it was done.

As the days went by, she began to have more energy. She began eating again and even playing with her sister. After about a month, there were no signs of anything. She was a healthy energetic playful cat again!

She lived to be 21 yrs. old and was never sick again.

Did Reiki heal her? I don’t know. All I know is she was sick and then she wasn’t.

I’ve used Reiki on other animals since then and had great results. I’ve also used it with people and they have reported pain relief, feelings of calmness and reported feeling stronger. And I’ve had Reiki done on myself. It has cleared up headaches, aches and pains and fatigue.

We are all just energy. It makes sense that energy work can be used with other methods of healing. And for some, like our cat, maybe it’s what’s really needed.

If you’re interested in learning more, go to: www.SpiritsMuse.com/reiki.html

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Spirit

I Dreamed of Owl

Hawaiian OwlI dreamed of owl last night. Wasn’t too surprising as the owls have come back to nest at one of the old adobes not far from us. But, since spirit is always speaking to us, I thought it might be a good idea to pay attention.

People receive messages from Spirit www.magicmiraclesandmystery.com/messages-from-spirit/ all the time. The problem is that we don’t always listen. There’s a saying in the metaphysical world that “you always have to pay……at least with energy”. So if we ignore these subtle hints, dreams and nudges that come our way, then it’s as if our Higher Selves (www.spiritsmuse.com/yourhigherself.html) just give up trying to reach us.

Last night, we had heard the owl for the first time this season. When I went out front to see if I could locate him, I found part of its nest in the road. You can tell when an owl is around by the remains of animal skeletons in their pellets (the regurgitated, undigested parts of animals they eat).

This morning, even though I have a basic understanding of Owl medicine (www.magicmiraclesandmystery.com/totems/), I decided to get more feedback on it by doing a little research.

Two of my favorite books on animal totems are Jamie Sams, Medicine Cards: The Discovery of Power Through the Ways of Animals and Ted Andrews, Animal Speak. (http://www.spiritsmuse.com/books.html)

Owl medicine generally means: wisdom, seeing beyond the illusions of this reality, messenger from Spirit, desire to learn, reincarnation and the ability to see past the masks others wear.

Owl has been a totem of wisdom since the days when we worshipped the goddess Athena who had an owl on her shoulder in order that she might see.

Owl is also a wakeup call to deception. We have to look at whether we are deceiving ourselves or is someone attempting to deceive us. This isn’t the first time I’ve had owl fly strong into my life.

On two occasions, there was someone attempting to deceive me. One of my lessons for this life seems to be learning how to “see” the inner light and goodness in another as well as being aware that not all are walking their talk. Both of those times, I deceived myself into believing that what I was picking up energetically was an illusion. And in the end, I discovered they were deceiving me.

I think for “lightworkers” this is a common theme. We know that inside all of us is that being of light regardless of how the person behaves. Sometimes, we let that spark of light get in the way of our awareness of whether another is actually walking in their light.

One thing that really spoke to me was the idea that we must respond to what our Soul needs and wants. As Owls hunt birds, rodents and insects they are part of nature’s way of keeping the balance. In our lives, if we allow too much “stuff” to dictate our lives we get out of balance and we smother the Souls’ desire to fly.

The questions that beg to be answered become:

What can we let go of which will rid us of stagnation, boredom and inertia?

Do we have too many “things”, projects or even negative emotions dragging us down?

This follows the principles of Feng Shui. Feng Shui means the “way of wind and water”. These two forces affect everything within us as well as our external world. They may appear separate, but in reality they are the same. So when we make a change in our external world, we also create one within ourselves as well.

To allow our Soul to fly, owl could be a call to release the old in order to make way for the new. Before we can change and become that which we want, we have to remove the self-imposed obstacles we have put in our way.

I think this is the message of Owl for me. Since presenting the Ancient Wisdom Modern Magic™ www.spiritsmuse.com/ShamanicMasters.html workshop in Hawaii last December, I’ve felt myself going through a transition. Even there on the Big Island, I realized I was saying goodbye to some old connections which I had been carrying far too long.

I’ve been aware of shifts taking place on an unconscious as well as conscious level. Not always comfortable and yet I’ve felt they were necessary. Lately, there has been an acceleration of the process as if it’s all finalizing.

So the answer is that I have to stay with the process and be open to the lessons. To be in the flow of it so that my Soul can fly.

What do you need to do to set your Soul free?

To read an incredible and moving story of one man’s flight with the eagles check out Michael Kemball’s book Out Of The Blue: A true story about learning to fly, discovering your wings and setting your spirit free available at: www.SpiritsMuse.com/books (under the “Magic, Miracles and Mystery section.)

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