The Full Moon in Taurus reminds me of a something I have a deep love for, the Medicine Wheel. Shamanic and other Earth -Based traditions have used the Sacred Wheel since ancient times. A Medicine Wheel is a summary of ancient teachings with each of the Four Directions, South, West, North and East, representing unique powers. If you read books on Native Spirituality or Shamanism, you will find that there are many different types of Wheels. The colors and the meaning of each Direction may vary, but they are always important tools for healing and growth. The Wheel that I have studied has become a sacred road map which provides expert guidance. It teaches me about myself and points out the passage to power. I see it as a reflection of the Divine.
When a shaman is in ceremony, the Directions will be invoked with great flourish and beauty. The ceremony's shape and energy are formed as the shaman moves around the Wheel. No matter what the reason for the ceremony, the shaman will usually begin calling to the energies of the South. This is the place where the energies of trust and innocence reside. In the South we have the essential sensitivity to learn and to be open to receiving. It is a lovely, graceful state that opens the heart, an important ingredient for any ceremony.
The South is also the Direction where we build our foundations, our security. In Shamanic terms , it is the energy of “living with dignity in the material world.” It is providing for yourself well with all your needs taken care of. The energy of Taurus asks us what security means in our lives. Do we feel confident in our abilities to take care of ourselves? Are there things we desire, material things, which we deny ourselves? The South asks you to care for yourself as well as you would care for a beloved child. Now is the time to clear away any doubt that you are completely capable of doing so.
For this meditation you will need:
A white candle
A comfortable place to sit
A notebook and a pen
Take a moment to calm your mind and relax. Light your candle. If you like, now is a lovely moment to burn some sage. Sage smoke helps to clear energy in your space and around your body. Move the thick smoke around you slowly, in a circle. What a beautiful being you are, a perfect reflection of the Divine. Allow yourself to feel the glowing light you carry inside you without judgment. So often we slip into negative patterns of thought that diminish our power. This is your time to reflect in peace.
With eyes closed , call to mind an image of yourself at a young age. See yourself as clearly as you can. If you have a photo of yourself, it is ok to do this with eyes open looking at it. See how lovely this child is, how perfect. If any thoughts of criticism or past hurts arise, gently refocus your attention to the beauty of the child before you. All you want to do is send this child loving energy. There is no need for words or movements. Allow waves of unconditional love to flow from your heart.
After you are finished, take the notebook and begin to write a list of things you wish to do for that child. These could be very small things like take a walk in the park or have ice cream. Try to write at least 5 things. What you are doing is creating an agreement with yourself that deeply honors a beautiful, perhaps neglected part of you. Look over your list and know how sacred it is, how very much within the Power of the South you are. By hearing the requirements of that child you are “living with dignity in the world”; you are taking another graceful step into perfect self-esteem.
Now offer a prayer from your heart thanking the Divine. Do this in your own way but do remember to thank the elders, all those that have come before you that have given us the Sacred Wheel and the teachings of the South. You have touched the Circle of Wisdom, celebrate and be glad!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
This Full Moon - Aries
Imagine being invited to a beautiful, sacred place with 12 people who are known as Shamans. They are all ages and from many different cultures. You feel honored to be with them and quickly feel comfortable. Respectfully, you ask the group, “What is shamanism?” After some quiet knowing smiles, they would offer you 12 very different and colorful answers. Some would just want to show you, by dancing or chanting. Others might speak of their own journey and how they came to be who they are. Once the sage smoke and drumming died down, your mind would still be searching for the true answer. The smile of an elder nearby would tell you that there is no answer. There is only the journey. The teachers before you have some things in common, but each one walks their own unique road.
Shamanism isn’t a religion with a written doctrine or a big church somewhere. It is an inner calling, a way of healing, and most importantly, a process of self-discovery. No matter how many ceremonies you do in a group, eventually your process must be within and alone. Just as the Buddhists sit for hours with eyes closed, so does the shaman journey within. It is at root, a solitary path to the Divine within. You must bravely embrace being “alone” to realize you never really were.
We have all heard the teaching that the Divine is within us many times, but how do we take that from a concept and bring it to fruition as a living part of our reality? Leading yourself, builds a foundation of inner trust that allows you to see your own ability. Aries is a sign of the warrior and the pursuit of one’s spiritual identity. This full moon in Aries, offers us an opening to those energies. As the moon shines with brilliance in the night sky, so does your spirit. The warrior bravely looks within until that brilliant light shines out.
This meditation requires you to use more visualization than ones we have shared before. You can either tape it for yourself or read this through and with eyes closed, remembering the path. Trust yourself, breath deeply and hold the truth close to your heart. You are more beautiful and powerful than you realize.
For this meditation you will need:
a comfortable quiet place to lie down
a white candle
a small stone that you find pleasing
Light your candle, lie back and relax. Remember to always allow yourself to move into greater comfort by heeding the body’s needs. Move if you need to. Hold your small stone in your right hand as you do this meditation. It will be a perfect reminder of
See yourself standing in an outdoor place. The sun is high in the sky and a soft breeze gently touches your skin. You feel the soft earth beneath your feet and have a sensation of being truly at home. The soft breaths of nature create a symphony that you can hear maybe for the first time. You feel your aura, the cocoon of light that surrounds your body, slowly begin to open and expand. A sense of well-being permeates you. Here in this sacred place, you feel safe, alive and free.
Take a few steps and really feel your feet on this earth. Many people in this world believe in the Divine nature of the earth and use it’s energy for healing. It is easy to move through life quickly and forget what a gift this planet is, what it gives us everyday of our lives. As you walk, offer thanks in your heart for what many call our Mother, the Earth. Your feet slightly sink in with each step. Take a deep breath a smell the sweetness of the air. It is as if every cell of your being was bathing in the beauty of this place. You stop for a moment and reach down to touch a wild flower. It is so delicate, yet so strong as it pushes towards the sun. Your fingers linger a moment.
You hear the faint sound of moving water and feel very drawn to discover the source. The trees here are dense, but somehow you know the way. It is as if your body feels the direction; a soft pull from your solar-plexus. Your mind is still and untroubled and your body moves with ease. Soon you are to the flowing stream. Allow yourself to step into the cool water feeling the rocks beneath your feet. The shift in temperature jolts you a bit. You look down and wiggle your toes.
Slowly, you move back to the streams edge and sit comfortably. The dance of light upon the water is so calming. With your left hand you reach down next to where you sit and pick up leaf. In your heart, ask yourself, what keeps you from feeling this calm, this sense of peace, in your life? Your answer could be anything. Perhaps it is a worry, a fear. Perhaps it is concern for a loved one. Whatever it is, the peace you feel at this moment it meant to be yours always, at any time. It is truly who you are. The problems of life come and go as swiftly as the water before you moves. Allow the leaf to fall from your hand and into the water. Carried on the current, it is soon out of your view.
Reach down into the water and pick a small stone. Shaped by years of the waters flow, the stone is smooth in your hand. Understand that you, the rock, the stream and all you see are one. Here you may ask to be reminded in your daily life, the truth your own inner nature. Safe, alive and free, you can sweep the worries away and feel this peace always. With eyes closed you hear:
“We are the children of the light, we are the voice of creation, exclaimed as sound became light. We have come here through the illusion of separation to…remember who we are.”*
Now pick one rock and hold it to your heart. Ask yourself for one thing within that keeps you from feeling the truth of those words. Perhaps there is still some unworthiness within you. Something feels you are not “good” enough to be really be that light. Bring the stone up to your lips and blow that feeling onto it. Give it up; give it away. The voice repeats:
“We are the children of the light, we are the voice of creation, exclaimed as sound became light…”
Allow the beauty of the words to sink in giving yourself as much time as you need. Offer a prayer from your heart and begin anew your journey to remember.
Bring yourself back to the present slowly. Look at the flame from your candle and center yourself. Know that you may return to your stream anytime you wish to refresh and remind yourself of all that you possess; the great Light within you.
*Dhyani Ywahoo, Cherokee Elder, Voices of Our Ancestors
Shamanism isn’t a religion with a written doctrine or a big church somewhere. It is an inner calling, a way of healing, and most importantly, a process of self-discovery. No matter how many ceremonies you do in a group, eventually your process must be within and alone. Just as the Buddhists sit for hours with eyes closed, so does the shaman journey within. It is at root, a solitary path to the Divine within. You must bravely embrace being “alone” to realize you never really were.
We have all heard the teaching that the Divine is within us many times, but how do we take that from a concept and bring it to fruition as a living part of our reality? Leading yourself, builds a foundation of inner trust that allows you to see your own ability. Aries is a sign of the warrior and the pursuit of one’s spiritual identity. This full moon in Aries, offers us an opening to those energies. As the moon shines with brilliance in the night sky, so does your spirit. The warrior bravely looks within until that brilliant light shines out.
This meditation requires you to use more visualization than ones we have shared before. You can either tape it for yourself or read this through and with eyes closed, remembering the path. Trust yourself, breath deeply and hold the truth close to your heart. You are more beautiful and powerful than you realize.
For this meditation you will need:
a comfortable quiet place to lie down
a white candle
a small stone that you find pleasing
Light your candle, lie back and relax. Remember to always allow yourself to move into greater comfort by heeding the body’s needs. Move if you need to. Hold your small stone in your right hand as you do this meditation. It will be a perfect reminder of
See yourself standing in an outdoor place. The sun is high in the sky and a soft breeze gently touches your skin. You feel the soft earth beneath your feet and have a sensation of being truly at home. The soft breaths of nature create a symphony that you can hear maybe for the first time. You feel your aura, the cocoon of light that surrounds your body, slowly begin to open and expand. A sense of well-being permeates you. Here in this sacred place, you feel safe, alive and free.
Take a few steps and really feel your feet on this earth. Many people in this world believe in the Divine nature of the earth and use it’s energy for healing. It is easy to move through life quickly and forget what a gift this planet is, what it gives us everyday of our lives. As you walk, offer thanks in your heart for what many call our Mother, the Earth. Your feet slightly sink in with each step. Take a deep breath a smell the sweetness of the air. It is as if every cell of your being was bathing in the beauty of this place. You stop for a moment and reach down to touch a wild flower. It is so delicate, yet so strong as it pushes towards the sun. Your fingers linger a moment.
You hear the faint sound of moving water and feel very drawn to discover the source. The trees here are dense, but somehow you know the way. It is as if your body feels the direction; a soft pull from your solar-plexus. Your mind is still and untroubled and your body moves with ease. Soon you are to the flowing stream. Allow yourself to step into the cool water feeling the rocks beneath your feet. The shift in temperature jolts you a bit. You look down and wiggle your toes.
Slowly, you move back to the streams edge and sit comfortably. The dance of light upon the water is so calming. With your left hand you reach down next to where you sit and pick up leaf. In your heart, ask yourself, what keeps you from feeling this calm, this sense of peace, in your life? Your answer could be anything. Perhaps it is a worry, a fear. Perhaps it is concern for a loved one. Whatever it is, the peace you feel at this moment it meant to be yours always, at any time. It is truly who you are. The problems of life come and go as swiftly as the water before you moves. Allow the leaf to fall from your hand and into the water. Carried on the current, it is soon out of your view.
Reach down into the water and pick a small stone. Shaped by years of the waters flow, the stone is smooth in your hand. Understand that you, the rock, the stream and all you see are one. Here you may ask to be reminded in your daily life, the truth your own inner nature. Safe, alive and free, you can sweep the worries away and feel this peace always. With eyes closed you hear:
“We are the children of the light, we are the voice of creation, exclaimed as sound became light. We have come here through the illusion of separation to…remember who we are.”*
Now pick one rock and hold it to your heart. Ask yourself for one thing within that keeps you from feeling the truth of those words. Perhaps there is still some unworthiness within you. Something feels you are not “good” enough to be really be that light. Bring the stone up to your lips and blow that feeling onto it. Give it up; give it away. The voice repeats:
“We are the children of the light, we are the voice of creation, exclaimed as sound became light…”
Allow the beauty of the words to sink in giving yourself as much time as you need. Offer a prayer from your heart and begin anew your journey to remember.
Bring yourself back to the present slowly. Look at the flame from your candle and center yourself. Know that you may return to your stream anytime you wish to refresh and remind yourself of all that you possess; the great Light within you.
*Dhyani Ywahoo, Cherokee Elder, Voices of Our Ancestors
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