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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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Totems

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Since ancient time, man has looked to animals for comfort, companionship and guidance. We have considered them messengers of the gods, healers and a direct link to nature for us.

Most of the ancient cultures revered animals and often worshipped them. In Egypt, cats were considered to be closer to the gods than man could ever be. The Jaguar was worshipped by the Mayans for its agility, cunning and stealth and Hawaiians carry their Aumakua, an ancestral spirit thought to have taken animal form.

We feel drawn to certain animals. Some of us even collect pictures or statues of a specific animal. And then there are those people who receive healing and a spiritual uplifting from being in close proximity to animals.

For many, swimming with dolphins is an extraordinary experience. We know from research that dolphins talk to one another through clicks and whistles. They are playful, very sexual and even have helpers when a female is giving birth.

Handicapped and autistic children are known to respond to dolphins and horses. And dogs are used in hospitals and homes for the elderly for healing and giving meaning to lives.

In ancient times, man attempted to understand his world. He looked at synchronistic events as messages from the gods. He turned to nature for answers to foresee what events might take place.

According to the Native American belief system, each individual is accompanied by nine different animal guides. They can come in and out of our lives depending on our needs and we can access their assistance at will. We also have one that is our main totem which guides us our whole life.

I was attempting to meditate one day and had just settled in when there was a knocking at the front door. Since I had waited all day to meditate, I choose to just stay put thinking whoever it was would leave. As I started to relax there was more knocking at the door. I went to my window where I can sometimes tell if there’s anyone at the door. I didn’t see anyone so assumed they had gone on. Just as I began to relax again, the knocking started. This time, I was agitated. We live in an older house with a small “door” window instead of a peep hole. I quickly went to the door and opened the latch of the window and no one was there. Again I went back to my room and got into the groove when the knocking started. Now I was really aggravated. I raced to the front door, threw it open and no one was there! Finally, looking down…..there was a crow at my feet.

Crow had been knocking at my door!

Another time, the crows in the trees in the front of the house were making more racket than normal. I went out to see what was up. I couldn’t tell if anything out of the ordinary was going on so I went back into the house. Shortly though, the racket was so loud I decided to take another look. Still seeing nothing, I noticed the direction in which the crows were looking. There, between my house and the neighbor’s was a dead crow. As I approached it, the crows went crazy cawing at me. I quickly ran back in the house and got a towel and went back to the dead crow. Again, the crows were having a fit. When I reached down and picked up the dead crow, all the crows went silent. Not a single caw from any of them. Not then and not for quite a while afterward.

Crow Medicine or the energy of the crow is about the unknown mysteries of the universe and they are considered the keepers of sacred law. As a teacher of ancient ways, the totem of the crow reminds me to keep the sacred laws pure as does the totem of the Jaguar. It’s always been important to me to present the teachings in their purest form available rather than do what I call “pablum” lessons…..turning them into a bland imitation of the original meanings.

Some people just seem to know what their animal totems are. To help you discover yours, notice which of these you have experienced.

  • Do you feel drawn to one animal without being able to explain why?
  • What animals consistently appear in your life?
  • Do you receive cards or letters with the same animal, or turn on the TV and see nature shows featuring that animal?
  • Do you find yourself reading stories in the papers or the internet about the animal?
  • Do your dreams feature a specific animal?

Once you feel you’ve discovered your totems, pay attention to the times they show up in your life. When they do, check out the meanings and see what messages that animal is trying to convey. You just might be surprised!

Check out these great pictures of people’s totems done by the artist Mike McCarthy at www.michaelmccarthystudio.com/. Go to “Gallery” and then “Spirit”. Michael attended our Ancient Wisdom Modern Magic 2 day workshop and was inspired to create these incredible artworks of Spirit.

Chief Dan George…”If you talk to animals they will talk with you and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them, you will not know them and what you do not know, you will fear. What one fears, one destroys.”

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