Written by Avia Venefica of www.whats-your-sign.com

If you’re browsing around Colette’s blog, a phenomenal resource for intuitive practices, odds are you’re familiar with remote viewing.  If you’re not, then a brief explanation of remote viewing is: The ability to gather information about a distant or unseen target using paranormal means or extra-sensory perception (definition from Wikipedia).

Why, as spiritual practitioners, would we want to remotely view distant locales?  Well, different strokes for different folks – each of us will have different reasons for incorporating this technique into our energetic practices.

Speaking for myself, I use remote viewing for several purposes.

1) I like to remotely view my peeps (friends, family, colleagues), just to check-in on their well-being.  Once I’ve honed in on their energy, I make sure they’re ok, and I send them extra beams of love and good tidings.

2) In my research of cultural symbolism, I’ve found remote viewing can be tweaked to hone in on a certain time-period too.  This allows me to travel to past and future locations around the world (and even other worlds) to gather information about symbolic meanings and origins.

With practice, all of us can launch an energetic flight plan through the ethers of reality in order to zone in on non-local destinations.  This experience is more enriched (and becomes more successful) when we ask our animal totems to help us with remote viewing.

The idea of spirit journeying with animals is nothing new to our ancestors.  Native North Americans did it (and still do), as did the ancient Druids.

These spiritually savvy people understood the nature of energy, and acknowledged the interconnectivity of all life.  From this stand-point, hooking up with animal kin is a ‘no-brainer’ because the heart of human and animal beat as one.

After years of ‘going solo’ in my remote viewing jaunts, I was struck with the idea to enhance the experience with my animal totems.  The results were remarkable.  It seems, my animal totems were quite willing and exceptionally able to focus more clearly on specific destinations in my viewing meditations.  Furthermore, insights were far more profound when viewing with my animal consorts.  For example, when invoking my bird totems, the length of time it took to get to my remote destination was cut in half.  Also, viewing through the eyes of my feathered friends brought about a bigger picture of the activity going on at the destination and time upon which I chose to focus.

In many ways, remote viewing with animal totems is much easier than going it alone.  Why? Because asking our totems to be our guides is synonymous to surrendering ourselves into their care.  This creates not only a symbiotic bond with us and our animal, it also encourages trust in our totems.
In essence, when we connect with our animals to view other times and places in our Universe, they become the vessel of our consciousness.  As a vessel for our awareness, our animals are free to fly, forage and race through the jungles of reality while we are their passengers, soaking up the sights along the way.

If you haven’t tried remote viewing with your animal guides, I strongly encourage you to do so.  I believe you will find the experience incredibly enlightening.  Enjoy and happy traveling!

Written by Avia Venefica of www.whats-your-sign.com

A while ago, I visited Our Lady of Victory Basilica, an impressive shrine and Roman Catholic parish.  The founder of this national landmark was Father Nelson Baker.

There’s a museum in the shrine, guiding visitors through highlights of Father Baker’s remarkable life.  As I ambled through the time line of Father Baker’s accomplishments, I was struck by his selfless motivations, and how much progress he made for his charitable missions.
What most intrigued me about the Father Baker museum was a display showing visitors the items Baker typically carried in his pockets: Coins to give out to the poor, hard candies for hopeful children he passed, his rosary.

My eyes were drawn to a heap of plain leather-bound pocket books, each filled with name, after name, after name, after name.
These were his prayer books; he carried one with him at all times.  I could see where he’d placed a single straight line through each name as he completed his prayer on behalf of Mrs. Martin, Bobby Tullesman, Mr. O’Connell, Danny Upton, and the names went on and on, a line through each, indicating prayerful supplication had been offered to each individual.

While I was ogling Father Baker’s prayer books held in the thick glass case, my Blackberry buzzed in my back pocket, my brother wanting to know my uncle’s new phone number.

I scrolled through all the contacts on my phone, and I was hit with an idea.

My concept of prayer is much more amorphous than Father Baker’s, but I could see how his prayer-lists could provide much-needed structure.

After seeing Baker’s lists and lists of prayer requests written in those tiny black books, it occurred to me the same structure could be employed with my Blackberry.

Prompted by Father Baker’s diligent commitment to prayer (and my brother’s phone call), I started using my Blackberry contacts list as a prayer list.  Every morning after meditation, I scroll through my contacts and offer a simple prayer of well-being for each person.  I have a supplemental list on my Blackberry for additional prayer requests and I roll my prayerful ruminations over this list too.

It’s a clever use of today’s technology.  An ideal way to send everybody some extra energetic jive-juice for their day.  A structured method of including (and not forgetting) everyone in my thoughts, and sending them sincere heart-vibes.

Maybe you could give it a try too.  Pull out your iPhones, Blackberry’s and Droid’s.  Roll through your contact lists and interject a heartfelt “be well” sentiment to each person on your list.  It just takes a few seconds.  Skim through and see everyone in your contact list as healthy, whole and smiling.  Easy-peasy.

What better time to discuss the symbolism of flowers?

There are tons of resources available to clue you in on the symbolic meaning of various flowers.  Check the web, go to your library, talk to an earth-based spiritual practitioner or a passionate gardener.  All these sources will give you an amplification on the deeper meanings a certain flower is whispering in your soul.

But what if you don’t even know the name of the flower seizing your attention?

Great question.  If you don’t know anything about a flower, I have a few tips to help your intuition ascertain flower symbolism even without knowing what kind of bloom is beckoning for your closer attention.

A quick glance at these foundational points of floral wisdom should pollinate your dreaming mind to see a functional message presented by the blooms in your midst.

Color:  Perhaps the most telling tale is expressed in the vibrancy of hue.  Different colors are going to trigger specific sensations within your being.  It’s what colors do.  Each shade of color is intended to elicit something magnificent within your soul.  Pay close attention to gentle motions within you as you gaze upon the technicolor glory of this Spring’s floral bouquets.  Take note of sensations welling up within you as you contemplate electric-azures, high-voltage-violets, mystical-magentas.  Your reactions to these eye-popping colors will cue you in on the messages a flower has to share with you.  If you need help identifying meanings of flower colors, I recommend matching meanings with the ancient chakra system.  This is what I do, and it’s served me very well over the years.  Here’s a brief summary of the chakra colors and their messages that can be applied to the blossoms in your awareness:

Red:              Passion, Virility, Heat, Love, Action, Radiance, Energy
Orange:        Sociability, Cooperation, Warmth, Acceptance, Perception, Assurance
Yellow:         Creativity, Intelligence, Protection, Inclusion, Confidence, Vitality
Green:          Health, Healing, Adoration, Wealth, Prosperity, Life, Rejuvenation
Blue:             Inspiration, Communication, Freedom, Imagination, Self-Expression, Clarity
Indigo:         Dreaming, Persuasion, Depth, Spirituality, Intuition, Vision, Observation
Violet:          Bliss, Joy, Laughter, Encouragement, Hope, Ascension, Balance, Nurturing
White:          Purity, Promise, Cleanliness, Exoneration, Potential

Petals:  Petals are like the facial features you recognize in a best friend.  The contour of the cheek, the fullness of lips, the sweep of the brow.  Petals will tip their hats to a flower message because they offer flavor, personality and depth.  How?  Observe the shape of petals.  Are they tubular? What kind of sensation does that ignite within you?  Maybe they are round petals, looking very cheerful like a chubby-cheeked baby in a fit of giggles.  Petals are the emotional expression of a flower, and will tell you tons about the message that bloom has just for you.

The number of petals can be telling too.  Look to numerology and the esoteric meaning of numbers to help you out with your flower messages. For example: A five-petal flower can be a harbinger of protection as well as a sign to consider all your resources (rather than just the few your familiar with) and join these resources together for a unique culmination of divine design.

Growth Conditions:  An environment in which a flower is thriving can also give you hints as to its message for you.  It’s no different than expanding our understanding about a person after acknowledging the environment in which he/she was raised.  If a flower explodes with beauty in the midst of a an arid heat wave, you might perceive messages of: Determination, Heartiness, Passionate Persistence and a will to bloom against all odds.  Vice versa, if a flower shimmies in lush tropical settings, it could be an encouragement to shift your own environment around.  Create more healthful situations for yourself so you too can thrive as that Amazonian blossom does.

Time of Growth:  Early bloomers often carry messages of renewal.  They are the first to unveil their faces to our searching sight, and so they are the trumpeting of a new phase in life.  These brave frontier flowers will remind us of the promise inherent in all life: Everything moves in a regenerative circle.  Flowers that bloom later in the year will carry messages too.  Contemplate the month in which a flower is at its peak of perfection.  For example, April is typically a rainy month.  Rain-loving flowers might remind us of purification, spiritual cleansing and refreshing the soul on our journey.

There are endless ways you can interpret symbolic messages from the world of flowers.  The key is to connect with the blossoms who really sing to you.  Listen for their unique song, and begin to contribute your own harmony to that vital orchestration.  To be sure, flower meanings and messages are a cooperative venture.  Listen closely.  Observe with wonder.  Contribute as a child would (with imaginative verve).

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One myth is like a miniature world.  A world in which there are seemingly infinite avenues of wisdom imparted.  Each avenue within a story points in a philosophical direction.  Moving within a myth, we are offered symbolic cues – signposts, roadmaps, landmarks – all of these are waiting for our awareness to discover.

And once uncovered, these symbolic breadcrumbs can catalyze our understanding.  Why? Because myths are also a training ground for the psyche.  What we, as “civilized” humans may not be able to act out in society – we can certainly get a taste for in myth.  The trick is to submerge within the myth and intimately relate to the characters, setting and direction.

Consider the deities in myth.   Gods and goddesses in myth are symbolic archetypes.  Deities are “in your face” – typically grossly overdramatized.  Honestly, is Zeus a subtle dude?  I think not.  There is reason for this.  Gods and goddesses are technicolor stunners designed to accentuate the personal sagas each and every human encounters in life.

These high-voltage personalities magnetize the reader.  They pull at our consciousness and coax an enlarged perspective of life, behavior and action.  Egos in myth get blown up (maybe even out of proportion), so we can get a magnified view of a personality.  This magnification prompts natural identification to our own personality traits.

Even if we can’t align our understanding with the mentality of a god or goddess, we might encounter paradigm shifting through their attributes.  Each deity has their own set of symbols.  Zeus has got lighting rods.  Diana, her bow and arrow.  Hypnos has his poppies.  Astarte, the lion.  Epona, rides the horse.  On and on, we see sacred emblems associated with all the mentionable immortals.  Our consciousness can benefit from a romp through these attributes.

Learning the connection between a god and their symbol can galvanize keen wisdom.  Adopting a specialized symbol in your meditations can be revolutionary too.  Give it a try.  Sometimes our connections with the so-called “inanimate” can be more profound than anything else.

Lastly, and most overlooked is scenery in myth.  Epic environments can yield major epiphanies in understanding.  From Mount Olympus to the River Styx – Valhalla to the Yggdrasill – landscapes and landmarks in myth can be real earth-shakers for our awareness.  As you are moving through a myth, consider yourself a tourist and take in the local scenery.

Recognize the elemental properties within each scenic feature (fire, earth, air, water) and contemplate these implications.  Ask yourself how these features can broaden your views.  Like, why does Cernunnos hang out in the forest?  What makes volcanoes prime real estate for Pele?  Take these questions a step further and ask what these landscapes represent to you.  Your responses may surprise you.

To be sure, the realm of myth is endless in its ability to serve up a feast of perspectives to our hungry spiritual senses.  In the end, it’s what we do with myths that reaps the highest reward.  How we interpret them – how we pick them apart – how we translate their meanings as they apply in our own lives…this is what can potentially feed our souls.

I hope this article on variable symbolism in myths encourages you to take a fresh look at the ancient stories of all cultures.  Moreover, I hope this innovative approach to myths unlocks your own sacred knowing.

Avia Venefica

The Marriage of Cupid and Psyche painted by Francois Boucher 1744

Most of us are familiar with the legend of Cupid and Psyche.  But many of us gloss over the tumultuous challenges in their relationship.  These days when talk can be cheap and relationships fleeting, this myth is a grand reminder of the power of commitment.  It also brings into focus the importance of “sticking to our guns” in matters of love and relationships.

What’s more, the epic of Cupid and Psyche personifies human nature in such sweet, profound ways.  It’s Psyche’s doing, really.  She gives the gift of moral understanding  because she was 100% human when Cupid first became utterly enchanted by her beguiling beauty.

Being human, Psyche (as are we all) was susceptible to distinctly human tendencies in behavior like: Curiosity, Doubt, Fear, Despair.  On the flip side, she was also capable of magnanimous Determination, Hope, Devotion and of course, Love.

We see these human qualities fanned out for display in Cupid and Psyche’s love story.  Consequently, observing these qualities in myth prompts us to contemplate our own behaviors and beliefs about love.

How so?

Let me  count the ways by offering you a synoptic view of how human love conquers all in the face of intense desperation and challenge.

Misguided by Bad Advice:
Let’s face it, in the beginning, the relationship between Cupid & Psyche was unorthodox to say the least.  But Psyche was copasetic with the arrangement.  During the day she luxuriated in Cupid’s palatial estates, free to indulge in the delights only a love god could provide.  The evenings held more pleasure for her as this is the only time Cupid would wing his way back to her open arms.  Psyche had nary a second thought that she was never permitted to actually see Cupid.   It seems, Psyche was in love with who he Cupid was – not with the trappings of “Cupid the God.”

So what broke the charm?  Psyche’s two sisters, that’s who.

Psyche loved living at Cupid’s homestead, but nonetheless missed her family and so asked if he could send for her sisters.  Upon arriving, her sisters became overwhelmingly jealous at Psyche’s lifestyle and abundantly apparent happiness.  So, they started weaving threads of doubt in her mind.  They planted seeds of suspicion about Cupid.   You can almost hear their nasal -toned questions to Psyche:  “Who is this guy, really,“  “Why does he disallow you to see his face?” “What kind of job is this that he can only spend time with you at night?” and on and on and on.   They were relentless!

Finally, Psyche caved.  She went against Cupid’s wishes and snuck upon him with an oil lamp (and also armed herself with a dagger!  Her sisters had her convinced she was sleeping with a monster!).  Imagine her standing over the utterly perfect Cupid, illumined by the soft glow of her lamp.  You can almost feel her breath catch as her eyes took her magnificently winged lover-boy-god.  The awe-struck moment was short lived.  A drop of hot oil escaped from the lamp, startling Cupid awake.  Having been seen (who knew he was a bashful sort!?), he fled his chambers and secluded himself from ever seeing Psyche again.

Of course she was devastated.  And of course, as all good myths go, Cupid and Psyche eventually reunited (they even got married with Jupiter’s blessings!).   But their reunion didn’t come without Psyche paying a few high prices.

The myth of Psyche depicts her endlessly searching high and low for Cupid – to no avail.  Finally she entreated the aid of Venus (Cupid’s mom) as she was one of the few who could find him and arrange a reconciliatory meeting for Psyche

Venus, a jealous sort,  loathed Psyche for her beauty.  Nevertheless, Psyche was desperate to find and reconnect with her beloved.

So, Psyche’s love for Cupid was tested four times…

1)  Insipid Seed Sorting
Venus set Psyche to the monumental task of seed-sorting.  Psyche found herself standing before a behemoth mountain of beans, legumes and seeds. Poppies, Sesames, Favas, Chickpeas – oy vey!  Of course, Venus knew it was humanly impossible to sort out this massive pile of peas.  Little did she know that love has mysterious (and industrious) ways.  Enter the Ants.  Yes, Ants.  They took pity on Psyche’s impossible task, and admired her devotion to love.  So, they helped her sort through all the beans, seeds and kernels.  In no time, Psyche and the Ants had everything separated, cataloged and stored in short order.

2)  Sheering Crazy Sheep
Rams, to be specific.  Venus next sent Psyche to sheer and gather golden fleece from a heard of totally insane Rams.  Apparently the horny critters were in a lather the day Venus set Psyche to the task.  They were cavorting, butting, challenging and who knows what else – Rams can be very disagreeable.   Psyche took one look at those battering Rams and knew her goose was cooked.  She’d never sheer them alive.  She sat in the meadow, weeping over her dilemma.  The Reeds of the field heard her sobs and were touched by her devotion to love (you see a theme here?).  So, they whispered a bit of advice in Psyche’s ear.  They encouraged her to wait after dusk to sheer the sheep.  They’d be plumb-tuckered that night after the raucous of the day of Rams play, and they’d be gentle as lambs for her that night.  The Reeds were right, and Psyche returned to Venus with gobs of gold fleece.

3)  Fishing in the Styx
Next, Venus sent Psyche off with an urn to collect fluid from the river Styx.  This seemed a herculean task because the Styx is a “no pass zone.”  No one, not even the gods dared to dally or dip their toes into the Styx.  It’s a place of big juju.  A transitional realm wrapped in very powerful and oft-considered dark magic.  The river Styx winds through the Underworlds, realms of spiritual ambiguity.  When mortal life is traded for spiritual existence (i.e.: Death) a ride down the Styx is protocol.  Naturally, the subject of death is rife with uncertainty, and so the river Styx bode dark portents for Psyche.  As a mortal, she would have to give her own life to collect a bit of the drink from the Styx.  Luckily, her plight to meet each of Venus’ challenges had reached the ears of all the deities – even Jupiter.  He was touched by Psyche’s (yes, you guessed it) devotion to love and was compelled to help her with this task.  He transformed himself into a magnificent Eagle (a bird sacred to Jupiter/Zeus), took the urn from Psyche, scooped it into the Styx and returned it to her filled to the brim with the dubious brew.

4)  Permanent Vacationing
Just when Psyche thought she spared her own life from the snaky Styx, Venus sent her on her final challenge – a trip to the Underworld.  Indeed, quite a final challenge as there would be no coming back from this one.  Essentially, Psyche would have to sacrifice her own life to enter these nether-realms in search of Proserpina (Persephone in Greece).  Once found, Psyche was to request a bit of Proserpina’s essence, bottle it up and return it to Venus.  Now, the Underworlds present multi-levels of no-no’s and unmentionables.  According to myth, stuff that creeps and crawls and goes “bump” in the night lives there.  Psyche bemoaned her final task, but remained resolute to her vision of reuniting with her cherished Cupid.  Stoically, she climbed a grandiose Tower with intent to hurl herself from the top and enter the dread Underworlds.  Poised on the precipice, just about to plunge – the great Tower spoke to her.  The Tower had observed Psyche’s climb and in its stony heart, felt compassion for Psyche’s plight.  With gravely speech the Tower imparted golden how-to tips that would win Psyche free range through the Underworlds.  It gave awesome advice like tipping Charon (the ferryman of lost souls) a few bucks to assuage his wicked temper.  Another bright bit of advice… toss Cerberus (a feral triple headed beast) a few Scooby snacks and win passage to Proserpina’s inner chambers.  Taking careful heed of every tip the Tower provided, Psyche ventured out of the Underworlds unharmed, quite alive, and armed with the urn holding Proserpina’s essence.

At this point of the story, we might think “All’s well that ends well!”  Venus grants Psyche reunion with Cupid and they live happily ever after, right?

Not quite.

Psyche gets curious about the contents of the urn.  “I wonder” she must have mused, “What exactly does an Underworld Goddess Essence look like?  What does it do?”  She pops the top of the urn and releases a wave of hypnotic fumes, which instantly puts her into a coma.  Bummer.

As fate would have it, Cupid had been watching over Psyche the whole time.  In fact, some versions of the legend of Cupid and Psyche contend the god had helped her with each task set by Venus.  Why? because his love for Psyche was just as devoted and strong-willed as hers was for him.

Seeing her succumb to the dark sleep, Cupid winged his way to her side and revived her, post-haste.  Awakened, Psyche was of course, overjoyed to be once again united with her beloved god.

The rest is history (err, myth, actually).  They married and lived happily ever after.  Jupiter even granted Psyche the gift of immortality – quite literally making their love infinite.

And just in case there is any doubt as to the moral of the legend of Cupid and Psyche – here’s a hint:

“Amor Vincit Omina“

(love conquers all)

I’m infatuated with Light.  Especially thermal light, because I live in the north and I’m always cold this time of year.  I’m a consummate heat seeker (gimme flannel pj’s, hot cocoa and a fluffy divan – and I’m done like a Christmas dinner).

When I moved to New York from Texas, I encountered major shifting paradigms in Christmas traditions.  It’s not that my in-laws partied differently from my Texan kin – it’s because I’d never experienced such a distance from the Sun before.  It may sound funny, but my first frigid, frost-bitten Christmas up here gave me pause, and made me reevaluate my holiday rituals.

At its most fundamental, this time of year is rooted in our relationship to the heat and light of the Sun.  No matter what religion you are devoted to, look into your doctrine and you will find themes of Light woven into the traditions inherent this time of year.

Don’t believe me?   Here are just a few observations:

Christmas:
 The name “Christ” can literally be translated to mean “Light.”  In my view,  the core of Christmas traditions typically revolves around celebrating the Birth of Light.  It doesn’t matter whether you attribute the actual birth of Christ this time of year or in the Spring – the foundational value of this holiday is to recognize spiritual Light dancing on the surface of our awareness.  In fact, we can start shifting paradigms in Christmas traditions by focusing on igniting the Light of our consciousness this time of year.  This is an eloquent way to both honor the Christ of Christianity and radiate out our Christ light from within.

Yule:  
The ancient Norse, among other northern European and Icelandic peoples can be credited for this jovial holiday.  Its relationship to Light is found in many traditions, including the Yule Log.  The log is burned in honor of natural Light, in knowing the Sun’s presence will linger a bit longer on the Earth every day after the winter solstice.  The Yule Log is also symbolic of Spiritual Light – a metaphoric reminder that even in the long night of the soul, our inner Light is ever-present.

Saturnalia and Sol Invictus: 
Saturnalia is a Roman festival just prior to Sol Invictus.  It’s a celebration of role reversals.  In fact, Boxing Day is very much a carry-over from Saturnalia.  Servants become masters and vice versa.  This is deeply symbolic of the change in regimes and the transition between the dark and light half of the year.  Saturnalia also marks the change in regime from the Golden Age of man (symbolic of Light and the Sun) to the Silver Age as expressed in myth when Saturn was overthrown by Jupiter.  After several weeks of raucous partying, Saturnalia gives way to Sol Invictus which is a full-out reverence for the invincible power and returning presence of the Sun (Light).

These are just a few examples of how Light is the theme underscoring Christmas traditions. 

Whether we are contemplating Christmas traditions from a metaphorical perspective, or rocking ’round the Christmas tree at the company party hop – to be sure, the prima-crux at this time of year is the position of the Sun (both physically and spiritually).    

So here are my two cents (and how ultimately my paradigm shifting in Christmas traditions influenced my view of the holidays):

1.)  The winter solstice is an initiation – a time to boldly walk through the sting of winter’s chill and the cloak of darkness – knowing the promise of warmth and Light shall return to our awareness.

2.)  In metaphor, the Sun is akin to the Soul and this time of year urges us to make more bright (or perhaps rekindle) the Light within. 

In closing, I invite you to reevaluate your own holiday traditions – do they honor the sanctity of Light?  How does the theme of Light and “Soul Dawning” come into play with your traditions?

To be sure, this is a time of awakening, resurgence and energetic potential.  So pay attention to the Light this holiday season – that’s what it’s all about.

Have you ever been taken up with the feeling of electric excitement, but you don’t know why?  Ever been consumed by prickles of exuberant anticipation – but not sure about what?  You just know something incredible is right around the corner.

For me, the meaning of Halloween embodies these sensations.  This time of year, there is magic crouched behind every frosty pumpkin, delicious anticipation waiting in every bite of fresh baked apple pie, and crazy delight dancing in the heart of every costumed child.

The whole month of October lends itself to the theme of potential because it’s a month of transition.  Climates change, winds shift, leaves begin their metamorphosis and descent, days grow discernibly shorter.  I’m a transition-junkie, so this time of year launches me into a state of anticipation that’s completely wondrous. 

That prevalent awe and wonder is enhanced by the underlying themes and meaning of Halloween, which come primarily from ancient European peoples whose lives were intimately connected with the Earth, Nature and the seasons.

 Our ancients recognized the incredible changes of this month.  Past experience alluded to the upcoming shifts (weather, provision, lifestyle) and what could be expected in the upcoming winter months.  And although steps were taken (harvest, slaughter, home preparations/insulation, food storage, etc) to insure survival through the winter, a great deal of life was left to faith.

I like to think that’s why the ancient fire festival of Samhain marks the beginning of a new year in the Earth-based system of living in cycle with Nature.  Samhain and Halloween share many traditions (indeed, the names are used interchangeably) for one, both are commemorated on October 31st. 

To the ancient Celtic way of thought, October 31st marked the end of one year, the beginning of another (Samhain, in fact means “summers end”).  This is an extension of the Celtic view of sundown as the beginning of each day. 

To me, this resonates symbolism of faith as we surrender to the void, knowing our deepest renewal begins with that surrender.

The concept of dark/night marking the beginning of a day (or Samhain kicking off the beginning of a new year) is hard for my analytical mind to fathom – but my spiritual knowing is all over this concept. 

The spiritually minded among us will recognize a period of intense withdraw or even a “dying to the self” before enlightenment dawns over our awareness.  The Celts took this to the extreme by daily recognizing the faith-walk through the “night of the soul” in order reach the dawning of awareness.

Samhain or Halloween is an annual celebration of this kind of renewal.  The meaning of Halloween emblazons the inherent potential all life holds for us, and marks in a very public/profound way how we can transform darkness by pointing ourselves into the direction of our own guiding Lights.

To be sure, the meaning of Halloween solidifies the presence of great transition in our midst.  Our ancestors could viscerally feel shifts within Nature, and so they anticipated internal shifts within spirit, mind and body too.  Halloween/Samhain was and still is a landmark way to embrace the changes in our lives and prepare ourselves to meet amazing transformation in the months that lay ahead.

There is tons of information attesting this way of thought, and Colette has done an incredible job at offering valuable information about the meaning of Halloween.  Have a read through her pages by clicking on the links here:

• Halloween and Shamanism
• Halloween and Paganism
• Halloween and Wicca

This classification system is handy because the power of animal totems is both in the animal and its natural environment.

This class system also serves as a guideline when we want to align ourselves with totem animals to assist with specific navigation on our spiritual walk.

The following is a list of categories and the areas of expertise your totem animal will govern according to its environment.

Water Animal Totems:
Deep, Stirring, Mysterious, Elusive – these words skim the surface of the pond when discussing the personality of water totems.  Because life underwater goes unobserved by landlubbers, the esoteric symbolism of water deals with subtle energies.  Creatures of the water are guides and guardians of sacred wisdom that is typically hidden from common view. 

This “hidden” wisdom can come to us in the forms of: Dreams, Intuition, Psychism, Emotion, Subconscious.  When we need assistance with dream interpretation or getting clarity on intuitive impressions, water totems are the ones to call. 

I love to observe how water takes on the form in which it is held.   Water poured into a cup takes on the shape of the cup.  This is also true with water animal totems.  They are endlessly mutable and flexible.  Indeed, these majestic creatures of the waters will graciously adjust themselves to offer you great advantages in the psychic realms when you make efforts to meet them on their terms.

Water and therefore water totems are also uncanny at helping us with purification and clearing out energy no longer serving us.  Water is a cleansing agent, and her creatures are natural assistance in the process of flushing out and cleaning emotional blockages.

Land Animal Totems:
Solid, Reliable, Grounded, Stable – these are some of the symbolic meanings backing the earth element and her animal inhabitants.  Because our earth is tangible and measurable, land totems offer a very structured and pragmatic symbolism.  Land totems will guide us in the physical and material realms like: money, health and hearth. 

Consider the cliché “salt of the earth” that’s the personality flavor of land totems.  Dependable, comforting, anchoring.  Land animals will guide us in social exchanges too.  This class of animal totem is intimate with the concepts of family and close social connections. 

We can also observe most land mammals having four legs.  The number four is esoterically symbolic of foundations (think of a four cornered foundation as essential to building traditional homes).  To be sure, land animal totems are the modifiers and calm stabilizers of our Universe.

Air Animal Totems:
High, Clear, Intangible, Weightless – if you haven’t already guessed, air animal totems are rulers of thoughts and the mind.  When someone says they are “high minded” or “pie in the sky ideas” that’s an air animal totem quality.  Air is invisible, but no less real.  Thoughts are the very same – invisible but measurable and very real.  Creatures who claim the skies as their roaming headquarters are remarkably skilled at helping us hone our intellect and funnel our focus.  Sky totems  can even fly with us during meditation to insure understanding through the higher realms of the cosmos.

Air totems will also help us in the areas of planning, strategy and “big picture” views.  Consider birds.  They’ve got an aerial view of their world and so are perfectly positioned to obtain all their needs.  They view the world from the most advantageous angle – from above.  We can connect with our air cousins and plug into that same kind of broad view.  Doing so will give us uncommon perspectives and an expanded view of our inner and outer landscape.  This makes us better equipped to make smart choices while we are strategizing about our next step in life.

Creatures of the skies are also outstanding leaders in our spiritual development.  Innumerable cultures have deemed specific birds as spiritual masters, and air totems can be our guides to illumination.  If you are seeking spiritual ascension and higher vision, air totems will encourage your spirit to soar.

A Few Words on Solar (Fire) and Lunar Totems:
As most of us know there are four classic (Aristotelian) elements: Earth, Fire, Air, Water and an amalgamating fifth element, Ether,  which is a pervasive divine energy interconnecting all life. 

I’ve discussed Earth, Water and Air totems, so what about Fire totems? 

These are a special classification of animals who have ancient lineages.  I call these fire animals “Solar Totems” or Solar animals because they are affiliated with the sun in classic mythology and archetypal wisdom. 

There are also Lunar animals who are affiliated with moon energy.

Lunar and Solar animals can be birds, fish, mammals, insects – any creature in our Universe. 

What are classifying factors for Lunar or Solar totems?  Energetic proclivity, personality, physical countenance,  aboriginal legend and collective myth.   Your own inner knowing will also identify an animal with solar or lunar properties so be attuned to your perceptions.

For example, the porcupine is considered a Solar totem because its quills are reminiscent of the outward spanning rays of the sun (to the Native American mind, especially).

Conversely, the crab is a lunar animal because stages of its life cycle are synchronized with the phases of the moon.  Many nocturnal creatures such as owls and wolves are also considered powerful moon totem animals.

I hope this introductory article on the classification of animal totems helps you communicate more clearly with the various animal partners you experience in your life. 

Bear in mind, this is a loose guide. 

To wit, if your Sturgeon totem displays “air totem” qualities – that’s okay.  If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that animal totems are infinitely expansive and will not be bound by convention. 

Just play around with these classifying concepts as you interact with your animal totems.

Better yet, ask your totems about what you’ve read here and observe how they respond to the various ideas of classification.  To be sure, our animal totems are every bit partners in our life experience. And so, open communication about the nuances of the presence and purpose in our Universe is key.

Avia Venefica                                                                                                                      www.Whats-Your-Sign.com

To wit, innumerable indigenous cultures deemed birds as messengers between the Divine energies and the Mundane.   -Kind of like angels of the animal world.

In a more practical manner of speaking, we could say bird totems serve as liaisons between the higher mind or intuitive thought and common reality.

Because of their ability to move between two worlds (the sky and earth), bird totems are uniquely poised to funnel higher knowledge down to our conscious awareness. Why?  Because symbolic language is all about the connections between microcosms and macrocosms.

As a microcosm, bird totems are symbolic of macrocosmic attributes such as:

• Ascension
• Aspiration
• Inspiration
• Higher Mind
• Intuitive Power
• Angelic Messages
• Clarity of Thought
• Filtering Psychic Impressions
• Translating Ideas from the High Mind to Everyday Use

Where am I coming up with these symbolic meanings of birds? From the element of Air which is an ancient representation of: Thought, Dreams, Intuition and Intangible Knowing.

Birds are also familiar with the element of Earth, which is symbolic of: Structure, Material, Physical, Practical. Furthermore, birds build their homes and nests in trees which are earth-based.  This talks about the symbolism of hearth, home, security, comfort and social satisfaction.

Therefore, bird totems in their totality represent the balance betwixt thought (air) and matter (earth).

Now we begin to see the unfathomable potential inherent in observing and communicating with our bird totems. Their presence illuminates activity in the higher mind and brings that Knowledge down to a more digestible, practical level with which we can work.

This makes bird totems perfect guides for dream interpretations too. If you have a really “far out” dream, ask your bird totem to bring dream interpretations (from the high mind) “down to earth” so you can piece together meanings on a useable scale. Water fowl will be particularly helpful with this task as water is akin symbolically to emotions and the realm of dreams.

Bird totems will also offer inspiration combined with a grounding element that can make new ideas extremely implementable.

Ask your bird totems to fly high in the skies of imagination and seek out new ideas and innovations. Once your bird companion retrieves these ideas, request assistance in understanding how these new concepts can help humankind in their evolutionary processes. You’ll be amazed at the unfolding of new inventions and strategies your bird totem will provide.

Take the time to heed the call of your bird totems and their meanings.  It will be worth every moment.

Written by: Avia Venefica of www.Whats-Your-Sign.com

Nature is a network with infinite channels through which information travels. Everything in Nature is magnificently interconnected to such an extent that data travels with utmost efficiency and speed. Further, Natures interconnected network is pristine (divine, we could say) so the data transference is crystallized – 100% clean. There’s nothing lost in symbolic translation. Messages from Nature are pure downloads.

So how can we access the data?  How can we access oracular downloads and symbolic meanings from Nature?

Nature is the most generous supplier of nourishment (spiritual and otherwise) and is poised to deliver guidance to us.  But, there’s a caveat (always a string!): We must meet Nature on her own terms. This means attuning our energy to that of the Mother (Nature, that is).

And how do we attune our energy to Nature?

Here are my top two tips:

• Get Invested
  Commit to knowing Nature. You can do this in a myriad of ways. Get outside, take a nature walk, read books about nature, grow some plants, interact with your domestic animals. Whatever floats your boat. The important point I’m making here is we must make the investment to know Nature. Be purposeful in setting aside time every day to connect with Nature.
• Get Quiet
  After making the investment to submerge yourself in Nature, you’re going to notice her ways are tranquil, melodic, peaceful and soft.  To deepen our connection (and ultimately derive phenomenal symbolic meanings/oracular messages) with Nature, we must mimic her ways. This means evolving into a more docile states of being. It means diving into a state of quietude. We can do this through conscious quieting. We can quiet our minds through meditation. Quietude is also enhanced by closing our mouths and shutting off our televisions.
• Give Back
  Nature is so wholly generous in her gifts, it’s easy to take her bounty for granted. As you move through your days, start to notice opportunities to give back to Nature as a “thank you” for her graciousness. Plant a tree, pick up litter, recycle, conserve resources. You don’t have to join Greenpeace to give back (besides, activism is counterintuitive to the way Nature operates). Small, simple steps with acknowledgment to the Mother (Nature) make all the difference.

Purposeful practice of these three steps on a daily basis will reap you enormous results. Just give these suggestions a whirl for six weeks. Journal your process. At the end of this trial-run, your connection with Divine Nature will be enhanced. This, in turn, will result in clear access to symbolic meanings and oracular messages from Nature. I guarantee it.

High beams,
Avia Venefica
www.Whats-Your-Sign.com