I have been researching the Water Drake (the dragon, not the duck :)) to see what it's medicine is and what it will bring me in this new year.
The attributes usually associated with water dragons are: passion, courage, depth of feeling, connection with life, change and transformation Long memory, and the possibility of revisiting past decisions and wishes to achieve balance and healing. In Chinese traditions, the dragon brings good luck, power, charisma, and an atmosphere of surprise and transformation; the water aspect cools some of the impetuousness and helps with a cool head and better decision making.
There are a few references to dragons ability to travel between the worlds. If you have a dragon spirit guide, you should ask to ride it and see where it takes you. Water Drake is too small to ride, but I will ask it to lead me somewhere.
Dragons are definitely very lucky, with very strong magic, and are all about transformation and growth. I look forward to seeing where it takes me!
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Signs and Portents and Omens, Oh My!
We have been swamped with signs over the last month or so, that some major change is about to happen. Not necessarily bad, but definitely big. Athena has been reading the Tarot, and the same cards keep coming up over and over: The Tower, The Hanged Man, The Ace of Cups, The High Priestess, The Six of Swords, The Ten of Cups, and several others. We saw a pair of hawks sitting side by side facing opposite directions, and later another pair of hawks sitting together facing the same way, and nearby an owl on a fence during the day. Athena also saw a shooting star. There was a huge ring around the moon on Winter Solstice. Enough already, I get the idea!
The only things I can get from this is that something big is coming (or is already in progress), which will turn our world upside down. We may have some painful trials to get through, which will reveal to us some hidden knowledge, but in the end we will have peace and happiness in our home. Some of this I suspect revolves around Athena and her job search; last year was my season for change and turmoil, this may be hers. I hope I have learned enough to be a strong support and aid for her, as she moves towards her heart's desire.
There are some signs already that the settled order of nature is being inverted, appropriate I guess for the season of misrule. A brother-in-law, a very hard worker who has never liked his jobs, has found a job that he enjoys. An estranged and difficult relative is offering financial assistance. Cats and dogs living together, total chaos!
The only things I can get from this is that something big is coming (or is already in progress), which will turn our world upside down. We may have some painful trials to get through, which will reveal to us some hidden knowledge, but in the end we will have peace and happiness in our home. Some of this I suspect revolves around Athena and her job search; last year was my season for change and turmoil, this may be hers. I hope I have learned enough to be a strong support and aid for her, as she moves towards her heart's desire.
There are some signs already that the settled order of nature is being inverted, appropriate I guess for the season of misrule. A brother-in-law, a very hard worker who has never liked his jobs, has found a job that he enjoys. An estranged and difficult relative is offering financial assistance. Cats and dogs living together, total chaos!
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Winter Solstice 2012
Money was tight and December was rushed this year, which paradoxically meant that Solstice was very nice -- just family, quiet, darkness and fire. We are in our back-woods house with no internet or TV. I made a big fire in my newly rebuilt firepit. It is great to be able to have a real, big fire, burning actual logs instead of bits of branches!
The blazing fire of peachwood from our old house and aged oak from our new house was beautiful on the cold night, and drew out Athena and the kids to sit around and talk, and roast marshmallows. Too much mist and scattered clouds for stargazing, but a gorgeous almost-full moon sporting a huge ring - at least 35 degrees wide, fat and silvery, lasting most of the evening.
Athena sat with me a while, then Aurora came out and talked with me and we shared stories about shamanic journeys. We played some with the bells and drums, Cercatore and Aurora made smores, and we all sat out for a long time talking and enjoying the fire.
Later, after the others went in, I sat by the fire and beat a steady rhythm with the bells Athena had bought, and drifted into non-ordinary reality. As I listened to the bells jingle, I started to hear other bells, like harness bells approaching and jingling across the fire. I could very clearly hear them come close and settle near the fire. The visitors felt like travelling Sidhe, riding some kind of antlered steeds, attracted by my fire. I welcomed them to share the fire, and put out some of my snacks and offered them freely to share. I offered, as my part of the nights tale-telling, for them to watch the spirit journey I was about to undertake.
I took a journey to find a spirit animal to help me in the coming year. The seaside was dark and cold, but the sea looked like clear glass and reflected the flames of my fire; as I walked into the woods I could still feel the warmth of the fire. As I passed the ring of trees and entered the meadow, I could see the sun and moon above bathing everything in light of mingled silver and gold. Oak and I embraced, and I thanked him for his support and strength. Spider met me and I thanked her for her gifts and aid in the past year, and I greeted and thanked Barn Swallow. Then I walked on to the crystalline, tumbling stream and sat beside it, looking across to the edge of the woods beyond, and waited for someone/something to emerge.
After a bit, I could feel something hesitating just beyond sight, unsure if it should appear - apparently because it was not sure I would believe it it. To try and lure it out, I tried asking it what it was, and tried a number of animals without getting a firm response - some recognition at snake and bird, but still not quite right. Next I asked about its element; definitely not earth or air, positive response on both water and fire.
It finally crept out from the trees into the stream, and let me see it - it was a water-drake, a small dragon; a creature of fire and water, very snakelike, standing about 3-4 feet on two hind legs. It said that Water had been a good friend to me and helped me a lot this last year with adaptability and acceptance of change as I moved and started a new job, but that for the challenges in front of me now I will need to add Fire to my gifts. I thanked it, and admired its beauty; it was sometimes transparent, disappearing into the water, sometimes blue and white, curling its neck. I could tell it could also breath flame when it needs to!
I look forward to learning more from Water-Drake, and learning to use its gifts. What a surprising patron!
After returning to my fire, my visitors had moved on. I doused the fire with many thanks, and left my food as a free gift to any that passed that way, and went inside.
The blazing fire of peachwood from our old house and aged oak from our new house was beautiful on the cold night, and drew out Athena and the kids to sit around and talk, and roast marshmallows. Too much mist and scattered clouds for stargazing, but a gorgeous almost-full moon sporting a huge ring - at least 35 degrees wide, fat and silvery, lasting most of the evening.
Athena sat with me a while, then Aurora came out and talked with me and we shared stories about shamanic journeys. We played some with the bells and drums, Cercatore and Aurora made smores, and we all sat out for a long time talking and enjoying the fire.
Later, after the others went in, I sat by the fire and beat a steady rhythm with the bells Athena had bought, and drifted into non-ordinary reality. As I listened to the bells jingle, I started to hear other bells, like harness bells approaching and jingling across the fire. I could very clearly hear them come close and settle near the fire. The visitors felt like travelling Sidhe, riding some kind of antlered steeds, attracted by my fire. I welcomed them to share the fire, and put out some of my snacks and offered them freely to share. I offered, as my part of the nights tale-telling, for them to watch the spirit journey I was about to undertake.
I took a journey to find a spirit animal to help me in the coming year. The seaside was dark and cold, but the sea looked like clear glass and reflected the flames of my fire; as I walked into the woods I could still feel the warmth of the fire. As I passed the ring of trees and entered the meadow, I could see the sun and moon above bathing everything in light of mingled silver and gold. Oak and I embraced, and I thanked him for his support and strength. Spider met me and I thanked her for her gifts and aid in the past year, and I greeted and thanked Barn Swallow. Then I walked on to the crystalline, tumbling stream and sat beside it, looking across to the edge of the woods beyond, and waited for someone/something to emerge.
After a bit, I could feel something hesitating just beyond sight, unsure if it should appear - apparently because it was not sure I would believe it it. To try and lure it out, I tried asking it what it was, and tried a number of animals without getting a firm response - some recognition at snake and bird, but still not quite right. Next I asked about its element; definitely not earth or air, positive response on both water and fire.
It finally crept out from the trees into the stream, and let me see it - it was a water-drake, a small dragon; a creature of fire and water, very snakelike, standing about 3-4 feet on two hind legs. It said that Water had been a good friend to me and helped me a lot this last year with adaptability and acceptance of change as I moved and started a new job, but that for the challenges in front of me now I will need to add Fire to my gifts. I thanked it, and admired its beauty; it was sometimes transparent, disappearing into the water, sometimes blue and white, curling its neck. I could tell it could also breath flame when it needs to!
I look forward to learning more from Water-Drake, and learning to use its gifts. What a surprising patron!
After returning to my fire, my visitors had moved on. I doused the fire with many thanks, and left my food as a free gift to any that passed that way, and went inside.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Saturday, November 3, 2012
In the Forest
At Athena's suggestion, I took a spirit journey last night outside, after dark, at our place way out in the tree-covered hills.
I settled down beside the herb garden we had planted, facing the forest behind the house. I started the beat with my rattle, and sang my power song. At first I was rushing and nervous, so I stopped, centered myself, and started over at a steady, slow pace.
As I sang I started to hear noises around and behind me; acorns falling, leaves rustling, branches creaking. I got the sense that there was some awareness that was waking and approaching me. My first thought was to throw up barriers, but I didn't want to close out anything that was coming to help or teach. So again I calmed myself, and asked the land to aid me and keep out anything that meant me ill, but to welcome anything that meant me well.
I heard sounds like something moving through the leaves, and got worried about wild animals; but then I heard our horse wuffle quietly and I knew that if there was a corporeal threat that she would not be so relaxed. This was a very good exercise in relaxing and trusting in my protections!
I stared down into the trees, as they marched down away from me, filled with mist and shadow. I called into my mind my seashore with the dark woods above, and the two merged so that I could see the dark and mist wreathing my woods with mystery as I entered and began to climb the narrow twisted path.
As I climbed, the winds rose a bit in the outside world, and there was some lightening in the distance. I welcomed the energy, and used it to deepen my trance.
I entered the clearing, and Oak was waiting for me just down the path. The sun and half moon shown together in the sky, bathing the meadow in mingled silver and gold light.
I embraced Oak and communed briefly, and then asked if he had anything to tell me or show me. I saw him clothe himself in gold and russet, and some old dead branches fell. He told me that I should not be afraid of letting go of the parts of my past that are dead or useless, and I should not be reluctant to "change my coat" as the weather changes. That as the oak changes with the seasons, its core stays strong and green.
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