Tiger’s Breath

Near the end of our vacation in Eureka Springs, I took a spirit journey. 

I floated in the big Jacuzzi tub on the back porch, while a gorgeous full moon rose through the trees, and found my path from the sea to the forest. There was a full moon there too, shining on my right. I thought that the sun should be up too, and there it was on my left. The rays of the sun were warm and bright, but cast harsh, black shadows just like the moon; the path was interlaced with gold and silver light and black shadows. I wondered what this meant, and then knew that it was telling me that both sets of shadows were just illusions, and that the solid truth lay unchanging beneath all of them.

The path wound through the trees, and led me to the clearing.  I entered and stood in the grass, beneath the Oak tree, and just asked for any insight or guidance that might be given me; I practiced the exercises that the Reiki therapist showed me to open my heart and let whatever was offered flow in without passing judgment (see my previous post Opening the Heart). 

I felt the presence of Oak, Spider, and Bird around me, but they didn’t offer anything right away. Instead, I saw a new and somewhat daunting being emerged from the trees opposite and walked towards me. It was a very large Tiger, glowing gold and black, in a nimbus of gold and white light. He said that he was not to be my guide, but that he had come to deliver something to me, as a favor. (I was relieved; he was much too wild and powerful for me to feel very comfortable with him :)

I indicated my willingness to accept what he offered, and tried to open my heart to receive (not without some trepidation). The Tiger then breathed out a great mist of pearly white, with a pinky (or sometimes golden) cast to it. The mist enfolded me, and I just worked to stay open and try to just drink it in and accept it unconditionally. After a moment he stopped, and the remaining mist vanished. I said that I appreciated the gift, but that I didn’t know what it was. He said that when I was ready to accept it, I would know what it was, not to be impatient. 

I thanked him again, and asked what I could do to show my gratitude. He said that he would be satisfied if I would just show kindness to his little cousins, the cats. The day before, a neighborhood cat had come begging for treats when we were cooking; Athena convinced me to give him some chicken and some milk. I had done so, but with protests about how we shouldn’t. Tiger indicated that I should have been more generous hearted and given freely without protest. I said that I would try and do so in the future, and he walked back into the forest.