The Rowdy Goddess

An Ecstatic Vision of the Goddess, dancing in harmony with the Universe.

Archive for the tag “totem”

06 Mar 2014

Howling at the Moon Tarot Spread

Last week I wrote about Howling in Winter and the power of the Wolf.  Today, by tapping into that power, I’m posting a Tarot spread based on the Wolf’s Howl.  A-Whhhhooooooooo!

This spread can  be used to help clarify situations; to help you see things that you are not seeing and to provide guidance for avoiding pitfalls as well as what is needed to move forward.

Tarot spread

 

 Card One:       The Heart of the Matter

Card Two:      How does the situation express itself?

Card Three:    Inner wisdom needed

Card Four:     Fears or what is to be avoided.

Card Five:      What are the next steps to move forward?

  May your journey follow your voice of freedom and release!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Divination, shamanism, Tarot, Tarot spreads and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment
04 Mar 2014
1 Comment

Caribou: The Winter Traveler

On cold days like today, I’m never sure that having a car with a temperature gauge is a good idea.  When the temperature reads at negativecaribou 5 degrees, all I can think is that I’m sliding my (well-padded) bottom on to a freezing seat.  Yikes.  My car transports me over the miles, to work and to home and anywhere I want or am compelled to go.  In winter, traveling is a journey, even routine trips.  A totem to help us travel the winter terrains is the caribou, or reindeer.

Caribou, or reindeer, are a nomadic animal, traveling up to 300 miles per year over long distances in a cold, inhospitable winter terrain..  They can run as fast as 80 miles an hour, as one of my circle sisters put it, “no wonder people thought they could fly!  Both male and female have antlers, unlike other species of deer, and the antlers are used for protection and for dominance.  Males use antlers in rutting, an often dangerous display, although the males are rarely hurt.  A male can have a harem of up to 40 females.  When calves are born, the mothers split up into nursing bands, rejoining the whole herd when they reach their summer destinations.

Caribou are hunted by wolf, bear, lynx, and humans but the real threat is mosquitoes.  The insects can take half a pint of blood at a time.  Caribou will submerge in water and even stampede when there are too many mosquitoes.  According to stories, caribou were the last animal to come into the world and the most important for people to hunt.

Caribou as a totem is concerned with perseverance, endurance in the dark times.  Caribou has the power of adaptability, strength in social skills and communication.  Adaptation and strong ties to the homeland are also evident in this totem.  Caribou is concerned with equality, family/herd orientation as well as protection, caution, and alertness.  Caribou has the urge to travel to the point of wanderlust and ultimately finding inner peace as you walk through life.

 Travel with me into wintry realms,

Landscapes of cold, dark, and danger

Find strength, power, and endurance

In our journeys together.

We become courageous in the lands of winter,

Persevering through storms, scarcity, and bleakness.

We find the warmth of home and family,

Banding together in love, need, and protection.


We discover the mystery of beauty

In the lands of winter

And the warmth of love

As we walk through the land to peace.

May your journeys be filled with magic, delights, endurance, warmth and peace!  B*B

 

Posted in shamanism, Totem and tagged , , , ,
31 Jan 2014
2 Comments

The Year of the Green Horse

2014HappyNewYearHorseThe Chinese New Year of 2014 begins January 31st at the new moon. This is the Year of the Horse.  In Chinese astrology, each set of twelve signs cycles through the five elements: Air, Fire, Water, Metal, and Wood. This year, the element is Wood. Because wood is associated with plants, the color is green. This is the Year of the Green Horse.

The Horse as Totem

Often, shamanic practitioners refer to their drums as their horse, the spirit that conveys them to the realms of magic and mystery. The horse as a totem is considered a Spirit Messenger, a Be-ing of great sensitivity and intuition. The Horse as totem has similar energies of service, nobility, movement, and freedom.

Horse is also a Creature of between and boundaries, since Horse is notable for its strong sensual and physical nature as well as its magical spiritual one. Horse is about wildness, and about being tamed, harnessed, and bridled. Horse is about carrying burdens, and about being free as the wind. Horse is known for its strong instinctual nature with strong passionate drives, emotions and desires. Horse is about discipline, success, and achievement.

Come run with me
As we race, wild and free,
With the wind.
Come with me as we express our desires
And find our bliss.
Run, trot, and gallop
In pursuit of Joy and Happiness
Be still and calm with me in realizing our dreams.

Come ride with me
As we work to accomplish our desires
We hold the saddle and bridle
Lightly in service to Wonder
We speak Mystery
In Messages from Spirit
We cross the borders
To find our magic.
Blessed Be.

The Year of the Horse

Horse people are cheerful, witty, talented, and good with their hands. Full of Yang energy, they are energetic, active both mentally and spiritually and have great charm and sex appeal. Generally they are very gifted. They are both able to conform while at the same time very rebellious. There are lots of contradictions in their nature with their great humanitarianism and then their wild adventurous side. They are wonderfully warm hearted and have fantastic communication skills.

The predictions for the Year of the Horse are for happiness, luck, and good wishes. It’s generally a thrilling year with lots of opportunities. It will be up to the person’s sense of adventure whether you grab those opportunities or not. Thrilling does not particularly mean easy. Most predictions are made in the context of the individual’s zodiac sign.

Since the astrology designation tends to be predictive in nature, why not cast your favorite divination method. Some questions might be:

• What opportunities will come my way during the Year of the Horse?

• What will thrill me about the Year of the Horse, and what will not?

• How can I explore the adventurous side of my nature.

• What must I change about myself to become the person I want to be during the Year of the Horse?

• What kinds of things can I do for the greater good of humans and other beings?

• What areas of my life do I need to tame?

• Where in my life do I need more freedom?

Year of the Green Horse
A Tarot Spread
Use this spread when you feel deflated and lost, when you aren’t sure how to achieve your dreams, or you feel pulled by conflicting desires/needs. This explores the energy and burdens you need or don’t need so you can move forward
once again!

hORSE TAROT

Position One: What are the messages from Spirit?
Position Two: What are you saddled with?
Position Three: What do you need to brush away?
Position Four: Where do you need to kick up your heels?
Position Five: Where are you unbridled?
Position 6: What helps you move?
Position 7: What leads you on and what inspires you?

Posted in Divination, shamanism, Tarot and tagged , , ,
24 Jan 2013
1 Comment

Hibernation and Polar Bear Totem

polar bear swmiingPolar bears are hunters and survivors. They thrive in a wintery environment of frozen grounds and water. Polar bears are fearsome protectors of their young and aggressively forage for food in the water, town garbage heaps or wherever they might find nourishment and protection. They fascinate us with their size, power, habits and ability to adapt and survive.

Polar bear wisdom draws from their expertise in swimming, ability to thrive in a stark landscape and their attitude towards others of their kind. Polar bears are able to navigate the Earth’s magnetic line, emotional waters, and finding a way back from the brink of danger. Polar bear wisdom is about solitude and the ability to find sustenance in the most austere places. They communicate through dreams and understand life, rebirth, and transformation. They are good providers and protectors of their families and their wisdom informs defenses and revenge energy.

In the January 2008 Llewellyn Witches Calendar, I wrote, “Polar bears have adapted to a world where the cold is eternal and daytime and nighttime have no meaning. In the Arctic, the summers are 24 hours of light and the winters are 24 hours of dark. Unlike other bears, the polar bear is able to go into hibernation when food is scarce and become active when abundance returns, using what is called “walking hibernation.” They lower their temperature and hibernate as needed, for a few days or longer. Only pregnant polar bears seek the protection of a dean, and they create a two-chambered tunnel in the snow banks where they birth their cubs. Polar bear sleeping habits include naps; they often sleep for short stretches during the day, since their prey is active at night. Napping helps conserve energy which is swiftly expended as they hunt. They sleep during winter storms and they sleep after play.”

My own personal discovery of the polar bear was through shamanic journeywork. In a class, a classmate retrieved a power animal for me which turned out to be my guardian spirit: the polar bear. I had been to the National Zoo the week before and spent a long time at the polar bear habitat. You could walk underground and see them as they swam beneath the water. At the time, I was swimming a lot and I thought, “Polar bear is like me, flabby but graceful underwater!”

Come play with me on the long winters night
Come hunt with me through darkness and light.
Be strong with me in loving protection
Be fierce with me in introspection.
Find the rhythm of life and death
Find the heart of it all, in all its breadth.
Swim in the waters’ depths to transform and restore
Be fluid and tranquil as you change even more!
Come play with me on the long summers day
Let anxiety and worry float far away
Be one with the Universe, in love and grace
You are happiness and power, all in one place.

Posted in Goddess and tagged , , , ,

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