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Grandmother Moon

Hail and Hello! Thank you for taking time to read my mental meanderings on Grandmother Moon.

The Moon has been a very influential celestial body through human history. My introduction to the Moon began as a teaching tool relating to the life and health of our farm. I remember we would plant certain seeds during different phases of the Moon. We would harvest during certain phases. Depending on when in September the full moon would make its presence known, was usually a sign of frost coming. We liked it when the full moon was at the end of the month, it meant a longer harvest time. We even castrated by the phase of the moon. It has always been a very integral part of my life. So much so, to this day (and I have lived many days) I am still surprised when people are unaware of what phase the moon, directly over their heads, is in.

hi-res image of grandmother moon
Click super hi-res image of the moon.

The children’s rhyme, Jack and Jill, has roots in stories related to the waxing and waning of the moon. I have not, as of yet, discovered why Jill fell down and broke her crown. There is an Old Norse myth that tells us the story of the Moon, Mâni, who stole two children from earth, Hjuki and Bil, as they were collecting water from the well, Byrgir, in their bucket, Sœgr, suspended from their pole, Simul. The Moon as an archetypal kidnapper of children sounds eerily ominous and was perhaps told to keep children from wandering about at night.

There is a further twist to the tale. Hjuki actually comes from the Norse verb Jakka that means to pile up or increase. Bil comes from Bila, which is to fade, dissolve or fall apart. Is it likely that the old tale is actually about the cyclical waxing and waning of the moon? The fetching of water may have been a direct link to the Moon’s influence on the tides.

Each culture I have studied seems to have a creation myth relating to the Moon and its importance. It is no wonder it has such a Central Role in the Medicine Wheel. The gender of the Moon for the Medicine wheel I refer to, is Feminine. The moon, depending on the myth, can be Female or Male. Often the moon is a consort, or sibling to the Sun. I have read interviews with tribal Grandmothers and Grandfathers from the time of the first moon landing. A few of the interviewees had stories of how they had traveled to the moon. Equally fascinating, to me, were the descriptions of the moon’s surface, and how closely it corresponded to what the astronauts had reported.

Through the years of circling, sitting in ceremony and journey work I have had some of the most illuminating insights. Moon has been a patient teacher for me, helping me to sense my way into the physics of my own psyche. Not just the radiating qualities, albedo (reflective power) but also my edges and blends; my moon shadow. To consider the moon in these ways, to see one’s own radiating qualities, to polish those too with the brush of one’s heart.

Journey Suggestion:

Start off in your anchor spot (if you use one) with the intention of traveling to the upper world to meet the moon. As you journey to it, I would recommend you come with a gift. When we meet a presence so old, with deep abounding wisdom, it is respectful to offer a gift in return for its time. I travel with my magic pouches filled with all manner of offerings. Travel with intention. If you have never met before, perhaps you can simply absorb the energy it is sharing with just you. If you have made this journey before, perhaps it is time to begin cyclical work and you are seeking ideas and insights from the moon. Regardless of what you do, cultivating relationship with a Celestial Ancestor, is never a bad idea!!

 

Other resources you may enjoy:

 

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Original post of the amazing photo of the moon by Seán Doran.

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Power Animal Bat: Bold and Mysterious

Short Tailed Fruit Bat
Short tailed fruit bat

There are over 1,240 species of bats. They are divided into two categories: Macro and Micro. One can imagine the Macro are large and Micro which are smaller. Straight forward I would say! Our Ancestors encountered these fabulous little mammals living in and around them. As a result, they have made their appearance in many myths and stories from all over the world. Gifted with flight, some teeth and squeaks his combination made them special and formidable game players in many folk tales where the agile bat won the day. My encounters with bats in shamanic journeys has led me to consider them a “liminal” being; they do not fit into the normal order of things and are somehow apart or in-between, almost an ambiguous species.

I remember learning about echolocation when I first started researching Bats. Scientists suggest more than half of the bat species have the ability to use sonar. Bats process the information received through this technique unconsciously, the same way we process the visual and aural information we gather with our eyes and ears. A bat forms an echolocation image in its head that is something like the image you form in your head based on visual information. Bats also process visual information — contrary to popular belief, most bats have acute vision. They use echolocation in conjunction with vision, not instead of it.

Bats navigate the darkest places. The Dark –one of the hiding places of our deep mysteries. Bat wisdom includes shamanic death and rebirth, initiation, viewing past lives, pollination of new ideas, transition, understanding grief, the use of vibrational sound, camouflage, invisibility, ability to observe unseen and secrets, and are well regarded in the Lower World.

One of the shamanic initiations I did was a Death Ritual. It was one of the most profound experiences of my life. It changed me, and I am still changed. During the weeks that followed, I encountered bats in my dreams, journeys and real life. The bat helped me to release my hidden fears and patterns because I was finally able to recognize and release them to the Universe.

Bat flying into your life may signify a transformation of the ego self is about to occur. It may indicate you are entering into a new way of life. This transition can be very frightening, even just to think about. However, in my experience one will not grow spiritually until old parts are acknowledged and released. Facing the darkness before you, will help you find the light in rebirth. Bat gives you the wisdom required to make the appropriate changes for the birthing of your new identity.

Mexican free-tailed bat
Mexican free-tailed bat

Bats have needle like teeth and very sharp claws, which may carry rabies, an infectious disease of the blood. It can cause a person to go mad, and if not treated quickly is fatal. Fears given permission to spread unchecked can saturate our system and create a kind of madness within our lives. Bats reflect the need to face up to our fears.

Echolocation is a process of emitting sounds and listening for the echoes reflected from surfaces, even prey in the environment. With their amazing sonar capabilities, bats are able to navigate the dark with great ease. Can you imagine having the ability to know what lies just beyond your senses? Generally, those with this power animal have uncanny abilities to discern hidden messages both from people and the environment. When one has mastered this medicine, intuitive and clairaudient abilities are accurate.

Bats are truly magnificent creatures. They are responsible for pollinating certain plants, for insect control and for seed dispensing. If Bat has appeared in your spiritual world, perhaps you are being asked to pollinate your area with shamanic ideas and teachings. Perhaps you are being asked to be watchful for pesky insects who would like to interrupt your journey and happiness.

2:20 Video from National Geographic on Flying Foxes, the world’s largest bat!

Other resources you may enjoy:

 

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Love and Forgiveness

Love and Forgiveness
Love and Forgiveness are intricately woven into our psyche. The only way to truly experience one is with the understanding of the other. Love is, ultimately, unconditional. It is my experience, we, myself included, are far from a daily experience of giving love unconditionally.  Loving unconditionally, cannot happen in a psyche unable or incapable of forgiveness. As we are humans, with flaws and foibles, it is not a stretch to believe that we hold onto to events, happenings, etc….too long.

Forgiveness is a deep, much-discussed spiritual necessity. Forgiveness is not a weak action. Nor does Forgiveness imply what happened, was alright, or acceptable. [Read more…]

Mythological Spirit Kin – Dragons

I have had the great pleasure to meet and travel with some very unusual characters over the years. I have met human/animal mixtures. Animals straight from our Ancestors stories, such as Cerebus, the three-headed hound from Greek Mythology and Fenrir the Wolf from Norse Mythology. They were both very formidable characters to encounter while journeying.

I have had many friends over the years recount their relationship with the Dragons. I had the good fortune of listening to their tales and adventures with them. The deep interest in Dragons began after I attended a lecture by a Jungian Analyst speaking on Jung’s thoughts and writings regarding the Archetype of the Dragon. I am still very interested in the divisions of characterization of dragons based on eastern and western mythology. There are many different stories, names, and elemental associations with Dragons in Eastern myths.

[Read more…]

Jaguar

Jaguar (Panther/Leopard)
The main focus of this entry will be the jaguar, but it should be noted that the black panther is actually the same species as the jaguar. The black coat is simply a color variation. Jaguar is a Native American word meaning, “he who kills with one blow.” The jaguar actually originated in North America, though now it only lives in Central and parts of South America. The jaguar moved south when Central America formed into a land bridge. Jaguars prefer habitats like jungles and swamps, but also like semi-arid mountainous regions, so long as the area is forested. The jaguar is also one of the few cats to like water, and often can be seen playing in it.

As for the mythology and legends, the jaguar was seen as a god in Peru, Mexico, and Guatemala, in pre-Columbian America. The Mayans, Aztecs, and Inca all worshiped the jaguar in some form. In the pantheon, the jaguar god was second only to the snake god in religious importance. At the Temple of the Jaguar at Chichen Itza, the king had to walk beneath a frieze of a procession of jaguars during his coronation ceremony.

In Mayan mythology, the jaguar was seen as the ruler of the Underworld, and as such, a symbol of the night sun and darkness. There were Mayan priests called Balam who officiated at only the most important ceremonies. Along with the Aztecs and Mayans, the Inca also built temples to the jaguar.

The jaguar is representative of power, ferocity, and valor; he is the embodiment of aggressiveness. For some, the jaguar represents the power to face one’s fears, or to confront one’s enemies. However, they are also associated with vision, which means both their ability to see during the night and to look into the dark parts of the human heart. The jaguar often warns of disaster, he does not offer any reassurance. Along with physical vision, jaguars are also associated with prescience and the foreknowledge of things to come. Cats have binocular vision, meaning each eye can work by itself, which provides them with better depth perception. This gives more evidence to their connection with vision and foresight.

The jaguar, specifically panther, is linked to the Roman god Bacchus (Greek Dionysus). Bacchus was supposedly nursed by panthers, and in some depictions, he is riding a chariot pulled by the large cats. Bacchus is often thought of as the god of wine and mirth, but he is strongly linked to the unleashing of desires. So, the panther, too, is a symbol of subconscious urges and abilities. This is something the Aztecs and Mayans also had a notion of. Both peoples spoke and taught about the power of becoming half-jaguar and half-human because a person who can do this can be rid of all of his cultural restrictions and inhibitions. In other words, he can finally act upon his hidden desires.

Shamanism in Edmonton

Kriket lives and hosts numerous events in Edmonton, Canada. She also performs healing sessions there. To find out more, or book a session check out her personal site.

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