.:|:. Dove Love’s .:. Points and Passions .:|:.

By Dove, www.TarotwithLove.com  I know it’s not a particularly attractive bird, but the Vulture is, oddly enough, called “the peace eagle.”  I just learned that yesterday.  This totem came to me in a big way yesterday. 

We were having this event at work, a few hundred people were congregated outside.  I was sitting at my desk, but I’m right at the front and can see everything outside (glass walls).  The event was about to conclude, and all of a sudden this massive number of vultures appeared over the crowd.  I tried to count them, but they were swirling around and it was just too many to count.  I’d guess maybe 10 or 15 vultures. 

===============

Vulture Totem Interpretations…

Death and Rebirth
New Vision

The Vulture is the symbol of death and rebirth,
the mother symbol,
and represents purification.
For those with this totem,
you will be noticed more for what you do than
how you appear.

Vulture or Condor
teaches us how to soar above our limitations.
It is linked to the Griffin.
This Totem is a permanent totem; once it enters your life
it will be with you always, through your numerous lifetimes.

You may start to see auras and colors around people;
Vulture can help teach you how to accomplish this through patience and vision.

Vultures teach you how to soar without using much energy,
how to ride the thermal winds instead of flapping.
Go with the flow.
Use your own energy powerfully and efficiently.

Vulture is associated with the sense of smell and aromatherapy is a good tool
to use to connect with this Totem.

The Vulture promises us that no matter how difficult things are at the moment,
rescue and change are imminent.

Soar above the drudgeries of every day life through spirit.
And Vulture/Condor is there to protect you in this journey.

Source: http://www.linsdomain.com/totems/pages/vulture.htm

======================

More Vulture totem intepretations:

http://www.wildspeak.com/vilturj/totems/wvulture.html

http://westmanpreacher.blogspot.com/2007/09/vulture-as-totem.html

http://www.sayahda.com/cyc5.html

====================

It freaked me out, because that’s the Universe speaking to me in a big way.  I’ve gotten the vulture totem in the past, but it was usually just one or two of them.  Geez, it makes me wonder what’s about to happen.  The date I’d been getting on “Magic Monday” is rapidly approaching and I’m wondering if this totem is pointing to this day.  It also reminds me of the message I’d gotten earlier this year about “pain, resurrection and then peace,” as well as the recent dream with the camels and the fox.

I’m not thrilled about the need for more pain in my healing journey, but I got another message last night that may have been pointing to that “pain,” and it’s aligned with what I figured this previous message spoke of.  I’ve had this one book for years and have been trying to get myself to read it recently.  It’s about healing one’s eyesight naturally, it’s called “Take Off Your Glasses and See” by Jacob Liberman.  (Note: In no way did the mention of “new vision” in the above Vulture totem interpretation spur me to this book on healing one’s eyesight — in fact, I just noticed that synchronicity in posting it here today.)

Last night I finally picked it up.  I did as I often do with books, before opening, I asked to be shown the most important part in the book for me at this time.  When I opened it, there was an emphasis on the importance of both pages.  Here’s a potent excerpt from those pages, the first thing I read on the left page…

======================

 …”we spend years resisting exactly what we need in order to cure our ‘nonexistent incurable disorders.’ 

Since we spend many years avoiding those difficult feelings, it can be quite a challenge at first to acknowledge them.  However when we begin to feel them fully, painful, self-defeating emotional patterns actually do begin to shift.  Emotional healing seems to take place as we allow ourselves to feel our deepest pain.  You could say that this process is like allowing a fever to run its course rather than suppressing it with aspirin.”

==================

It seems apparent to me that this is the pain that was referenced in that earlier message.  I feel like I have scratched the surface of feeling this pain, but there’s so much from my past… It’s overwhelming.  And my anger seems to be what I’m most able to bring up … I don’t think I’ve ever allowed myelf to feel grief and related emotions …  That’s probably because I feel strong when I feel my anger, and like most people, I very much don’t like feeling vulnerable and weak, as those other emotions seem to represent.  Ya’ know, “strong” people just “shake off” those types of things, like an idiot told me in the past, heh  { Update:  In re-reading this, I’d very much like to delete that last statement per the “idiot” thing, but I prefer to be honest, to allow myself to have that honest expression, and to give less of a damn what people think of me for it.  To those who would judge me for being so “imperfect,” bite me, I’m human…oh, and have a nice day, lol ;) }

A little synchronicity with the aspirin.  A guy yesterday during the above-mentioned event came up to me, said he had a headache, and asked me if I had an aspirin…  I had a great day yesterday, but kept seeing the number 5 a lot.  I turned back to see the title of the chapter where I’d opened the eyesight book.  It is Chapter 5, “Seeing Through the Fear”  I had a terrible anxiety attack last night, lasting a few hours, as usual.  As enjoyable as the event was yesterday, I never realize that such things, the number of people, the energy of it all, are overwhelming me… 

More from the two pages…

=========================

“Think of the last time you felt really uncomfortable.  Recall that feeling as vividly as you can.  Re-experience it as completely as possible.  What happened to trigger that feeling? What was your automatic response?”

=====================

Geez, I could think of several of these moments yesterday.  About the only time I don’t feel them is when I’m alone.  When I first arrived at work, a girl that relieves me for breaks was at my desk and the guys were around the desk chatting with her.  I felt threatened.  Why the hell was she at my desk at this time of day? (I do like her and there was a good reason that she was there.)  …  But I didn’t show my insecure feelings, quite the contrary.  I exuded confidence, chimed right in with the conversation, was joking around, and immediately got everyone to laughing.  Even so, that was likely the first “straw” on the camel’s back of my anxiety attack last night.  Then my boss seemed like he was angry with me (of course, I always think that, lol), and I often think this just because he walks passed my desk without speaking (several times per day, he’s busy for gawd’s sake!).  Geez.  And when guys, especially strangers – or just people — get close to me.  And when this one guy from the event yesterday was “hitting” on me, trying to get me to go out with him, very uncomfortable.  I never know what to say when I totally don’t want to go out with someone, a very unnerving situation for me…  Lordy, everything makes me UNCOMFORTABLE.  An intuitive in my past told me that I’m pretty much always in “fight or flight” mode…  I’ve just learned to live with it.  So where do ya’ start with all those uncomfortable situations?  Overwhelming.  I think that’s why I don’t.

What concerns me though is by not doing so, I fuel the likelihood of repeating painful patterns.  More from the pages…

=========================

“Like vision problems, our most uncomfortable feelings are chronic.  They keep coming back until we realize that the problem isn’t outside ourselves, in the other person or the external events.  The outside events simply create a resonance, a self-recognition, in our vibrational field.  …

“Now think back to that painful experience or any other difficult experience with a strong emotional charge.  Have those feelings come up again since then?  How long did it take before you had those feelings again?  Then, no matter what changes you decided to make after the first experience, did you eventually get into another situation that felt similar? 

Usually before you know it, you become involved in another experience with the same feeling.  This cycle can continue indefinitely.  How can we learn to shift out of those blocked places?  Sometimes it seems that the harder we try, the more stuck we feel.  But there is a remedy:  awareness. 

…  Awareness is simply a matter of experiencing every moment of life as fully as possible.  Greater awareness does not happen when we try to pay close attention — that effort actually requires a narrowing of one’s focus.  True awareness is an expansive, effortless process. 

Humans have developed a variety of wonderful tricks to avoid being “in the moment.”  Eastern gurus say that the majority of our mental and physical activities arise from the urge to distract ourselves from our awareness rather than out of any truly purposeful need.  I’ve found that the desire to avoid seeing life fully (and therefore feeling life fully) is also the fundamental origin of vision problems.  Most people become bored, anxious, or uncomfortable when they have to sit quietly for even a few minutes … those disconcerting feelings are why we continually seek distractions, and why the Eastern spiritual traditions place so much emphasis on meditation.”

=============================

Hmmm, this reminds me of a guy I know who can’t sit still for 5 minutes.  I’m sadly so much like that guy, and that being the case, I’ve got a lot of healing to do, lol ;)  This morning I was looking at a “coffee table” book I’m going to give to a friend at work next week.  I kept looking for this one beautiful picture that I like so much.  I couldn’t find it, it was annoying, I fanned through the book several times looking for it to no avail.  Finally, I stopped my wild searching and with a nano-second’s worth of energy, asked to be directed to the pic that I sought.  I closed the book and, as always, I poked a fingernail into the book’s pages randomly.  I opened it to a lovely picture of purple flowers.  I said, “No, I like this picture, but it’s not the one.”  I turned the page (one page) and there it was, the beautiful picture I had been seeking :) 

Hmmm, the answers are so close, we just need to settle down from all our fearing and wild seeking, and just ask, and trust that our healing, the beauty, is just a page away ;)

Peace,
Dove

By Dove, www.TarotwithLove.com  Ugh, I don’t feel so good.  I think I’m going through a healing crisis or something, healing is such a wild ride…  I did get some decent sleep last night, almost 7 hours, which is very unusual for me.  I almost never remember my dreams, and I think that’s the main reason why (not sleeping long enough).  I was thinking about that this morning, how so many of us don’t get a healthy amount of sleep.  And sleep is so very important.  Not only for our health, but it’s like meditation — that is, even though we might not consciously remember or note what comes to us, it still comes to us and it helps us in this life, it heals us – that energy that comes during those “down times.”  And so, since we create it all (including all the I-don’t-have-time situations), we are avoiding this healing energy that comes from healthy sleep and meditation.  Why, why do we avoid it?  Because healing brings change, and we invariably resist change, especially the mega-changes that these healthy rituals bring.  We fear change…

I guess I broke through my own resistance a bit last night by getting a dab more sleep.  Just enough to remember a very vivid dream.  Someone asked me a while back if I dreamed in color and I’ve never noticed that I have — until last night.  Again, it was very vivid, but I only remember the color of the animals.   And their fur resembled the color of my hair, (naturally) red or rusty orange :)   I was in what was apparently my home, but it was open, no walls in front.  I was looking outside through these open or missing walls.  There were camels lying around, one very close to the house.  I thought, ah, I’ve gotta get a pic of this for my blog, lol ;)  So I went to get my camera and found a fine-looking fox in my bed, just sittin’ there like he belonged there :)  I wanted him out of my bed, so I picked up a skinny leather belt and swatted him with it.  It pained me to hit him, but I was afraid he would hurt me…  He left my bed, went outside through the open walls, but then turned around and started walking back.  He came close to me, and I raised the skinny belt to defend myself (lol) — again, I wasn’t sure to what extent it might harm me.  He was glaring at me, and I was staring right back and was prepared to strike him again.  I did feel afraid.  He held his stare on me and I heard a very faint, close-mouthed growl.  That’s when I woke up :)

I have a few ideas as to what this dream is about, but I haven’t given it enough thought yet.  It is interesting though that I was reading about the fox totem just yesterday on another’s blog – even made a comment, sharing how the fox represents the Magician (in the Tarot) for me.  So it’s especially interesting that I then dreamed about a fox last night.  Here’s one interpretation for the camel…

======================

Replenishment, Survival

People with Camel totems have the ability to remain positive
in the harshest of times and experiences.
Their philosophy is always “the glass is half full.”

Camel people often have unusual sleep habits, rarely sleeping through the night.
They often power nap instead.

The appearance of a Camel totem can signify hard times ahead,
but everything will turn out good in the end.
Remain positive and all will work out. Camel people can accomplish the impossible.

Source: http://www.linsdomain.com/totems/pages/camel.htm

====================================

Geez, so much of this seems to be pointing to difficult times, and today’s one of them (but so far, so good) – hopefully, this is fleeting energy, but as I indicated, this transformation stuff is generally a rocky ride.  And it depends on how good we are at “going with the flow” and all…  I feel that all of these messages are at least primarily about my health, which is definitely improving, but also clearing away of stubborn ole patterns (and I think the two go hand-in-hand).

I’ve been seeing “555″ quite a bit lately, and this morning I happened to look at a watch I keep in the bathroom (it shows the seconds too) at just the right SECOND — “5:55:55,” which was a potent 5 message.  In a post I did recently(“Angelic Numerology”), it indicates this about the 5…

=========================

“When you notice 5’s, this means significant transformation is going on within you, to bring you more into alignment, with the real you. You are being transformed into a beautiful butterfly.”

========================

And 5’s are aligned with the rest of these messages, not usually fun in my experience — such is the nature of “transformation.”  Ya’ just have to stick it out to get to the good stuff :) 

So this morning, I did my usual adrenaline-addict rush to work, angry about how I repeat this pattern every morning.  But usually I shake that off and have a good day, but today, again, I just didn’t feel so good (starting to feel better now).  I cut my cards when I got here, and got the most icky card in the deck.  Cut again, and yet another icky one.  Not a surprise — the cards draw right from our hearts/minds (our energy).  I felt like crap, so it shows me crap.  And when I see (am reminded of) my energy like that via the Tarot, I immediately try to change it.  Not always easy, especially when you’re not feeling well physically. 

I then did a spread online and it showed me as Pitiful Pearl (lol), the 5 of coins, but the Magician card was in the “Situation” position.  Hmmm, am I resisting becoming the Magician that I am (that we all are)?  Do I need to take some type of action for my healing…?  Or am I feeling the energy of another Magician?  (A problematic connection I have with another that strongly represents unhealthy relationship patterns that I desperately wish to heal.  Actually I feel I have recently made significant progress in this area as well.)  Hmmm, I think perhaps it’s all interrelated. 

The “Near Future” position showed the World card, which can be a healing card, generally a very positive card.  The “Outcome” is the Six of Swords, another healing card, but can also represent grieving or sadness — part of the healing process.

I then endeavored to change my energy and was even saying a positive affirmation, “I am love, I am love…,” that I often use to shift my energy.  I drew another spread (online).  It showed me as the Ace of Cups, a potent love card :)  But what fascinated me, and I don’t remember ever doing this before, the first three cards, the core of the spread was all Aces, three Aces.  Interesting.  Shows some powerful potential (the Aces are like potent seeds).   The Near Future and Outcome cards on this one look very good — I just need to hang in there :)

But the three Aces excite me, getting Aces like that invariably means something new and very cool is on the horizon :)  And that was an awesome dream, even if the Fox did scare me.  Did I mention that the Fox is one of my totems?  Among other things, this dream may be saying that I’m still a bit frightened of my own “magic,” but my magic (represented by the Fox) knows it belongs in “my bed” ;) 

Hmmm, just noticed the time is 4:11 (I started this post this morning, and finishing it up this afternoon) — that, 411, was the number sequence that came up so much on my “Magic Monday.”  

My energy seems to have really improved since this morning, because I just drew a beautiful 3-card spread (yep, online again, heh), way good stuff on that one too.  It’s so cool to truly know that my world is all about MY energy.  I have the pow-uh ;)

Exciting times…

Peace,
Dove

By Dove, www.TarotwithLove.com  I was just reading an old post I did on a book that I feel everyone should read — that is, those who are so very tired of being on a hamster wheel that never gets them to where they wish to be, wondering where’s the happiness, the freedom…   It’s called “The Paradigm Conspiracy.”  My previous post includes an overview of the book (note, the bolded areas were my doing). 

As I was reading over this overview, thoughts came up about a blog I was frequenting on here a while back — trying to tweak the minds of a group of rabid skeptics.  I was sharing a few of my experiences with them, particularly with the Tarot.  Of course, it mattered not that they had zero experience in this regard (and I’ve now spent about a decade almost incessantly using the Tarot), they still scoffed at the prospect that what I spoke was the truth.  Since they’d already warmed up to me a bit, they first tried to be charitable and suggested that I was imagining all of this (heh), but it was clear that if that wasn’t it, dishonesty had to be.  

I tried to not let it annoy me — I s’pose I asked for it by sharing such things with people who believe nothing that their science tells them they shouldn’t believe.  I remember posting my Edison post (where people mocked Edison — scientists, and other lofty ones) on that thread, and there was a brief pause … then one of them came back with something like, “Yeah, but those Edison things could be proved by science.”  At that point, I moved on, because it was clear their minds weren’t budging — but I was like, huh?  Then, why were highly regarded scientists among those who scoffed at and mocked Edison? …

My next thoughts were about a guy in my past.  My cards have actually referenced him as a “fool” (several times) in the negative sense (but there is also a positive take on the fool in the Tarot).  The way he thinks boggles my mind, but I don’t think he’s that much different than many — thinking that “success” is all about how much money you can make.  And so this guy is consumed by his work.  He sees no other way to become his version of a success.  I remember a few years ago when he started working this job, I told him that it was a prison, that it wasn’t worthy of losing his health over.  I heard from him recently — he said he’d been in the hospital a couple of times recently per lack of sleep…   What he doesn’t seem to get is that the present dictates the future.  If it isn’t balanced, the future won’t be.  If you’re not happy in the present, you won’t be in the future either.  The thing is, you can do something in the present that might not be all that you wish for, BUT you must BALANCE it with what you do want.  That is, some energy MUST be put towards what you do want.  If you are currently neglecting and abusing your body for some pay-off in the future, there’s no balance in that — so stay tuned for a messed up body in the future.  But hey, you’ll have lotsa money to go to the hospital and docs a lot…

It’s insanity.  Our bodies, our health, are PRICELESS.  Ya’ can’t go out and buy a new body — NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY YOU HAVE.  Ask someone who has no sight, but lotsa money what they’d pay for the gift of sight.  Someone with no legs what they’d pay to have them back?  …  And yet so many of us sacrifice our lives, our health, so as to make money — to buy STUFF.  Geez. 

Actually it isn’t insanity, or even stupidity (usually), it’s what the above-mentioned book speaks of.  A kind of brainwashing via “paradigms.”  And I would add that we keep doing this over and over, because the promise of what it supposedly brings (happiness, or even real security, per money/power), never actually happens — but we think (per the paradigms) that it will if we just work a little more, a little harder…  And then maybe ya’ get “there,” but all you discover is that you’ve been a fool…you’ve been duped into sacrificing your precious body, life, health, TRUE HAPPINESS…for a pile of green paper, a false sense of security/safety, a mountain of material stuff that’s momentarily gratifying but ultimately suffocating, and an illusion of power…  All you truly have in those things is NOTHING, but you’ve lost so much in this FINITE life…

It’s time to “wake up.”  And this book is a good place to start :)  Read the overview of the “The Paradigm Conspiracy” here.  And then also realize that you ARE the power, it’s all about what you believe… And it will be those who are endeavoring to overcome the brainwashing that will truly be powerful in the future, not those who continue to put their total focus and efforts in the outer world, all the while destroying their bodies, and consequently dishonoring the real power — within them.

Peace,
Dove

By Dove, www.TarotwithLove.com  Golly, go figure, that big shiny ball in the sky is there for our GOOD…and yet many of us avoid it like the plague because “they” tell us it’s bad for us.  But so many of us aren’t intentionally avoiding it, we’re just working and sleeping a bit with little time in between for much else, including getting a healthy dose of sunshine. 

I’ve been getting intuitively for several years that a key factor to curing my ills is getting in the sun.  It’s not something I want to fully elaborate upon, but I get almost no sun…  If I could manifest something instantly it would be me living in the country with the opportunity to get at least 2 hours of healthy sunshine every single day, in a secluded area (clothing optional) …  That’s my dream :)   I’m greatly concerned for my health with each day that passes that I am unable to get a good dose of sunshine (as well as that healthy connection to Nature)…  It appears living our lives without much sun is a strong contributor to very serious disease (see link below).

It would seem most of us don’t get our needed sun — and I just came upon some information that really shakes me up.   It seems the vitamin D in that blecky milk from the regular grocery store is not only NOT beneficial, it could actually be contributing to disease.  That’s one point in my favor though, thankfully I haven’t drank that stuff in a lot of years…

Wouldn’t it be something…if someday we realize that we aren’t such defective beings as to need a gazillion hospitals and docs — with all those “required” check-ups and such, but that we simply need to live our lives aligned with Nature — not housed in concrete and steel, swallowing toxic crap on multiple levels, everyday, all day long…  Hmm, almost seems like common sense, eh? :)

Peace,
Dove

Here’s an excerpt from an enlightening article on this topic.

===========

All Vitamin D Supplements are Not the Same

“I’m not certain what type of vitamin D was studied in the report above, however the abstract mentions the vitamin D that’s added to milk and cereals. Well, the vitamin D that’s added to milk is synthetic vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and is not something that you should be taking anyway.

Only vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), the type of vitamin D found naturally in foods like eggs, organ meats, animal fat, cod liver oil, and fish, is appropriate for supplementation. Do NOT use the highly inferior vitamin D2.

There have been no clinical trials to date demonstrating conclusively that D2 prevents fractures, yet every clinical trial of D3 has shown it does. Further, vitamin D2 has a shorter shelf life, and its metabolites bind with protein poorly, making it less effective.

Studies have even concluded that vitamin D2 should no longer be regarded as a nutrient appropriate for supplementation or fortification of foods (though it continues to be used).

So if you choose to use vitamin D supplements make sure it is in the form of vitamin D3. And remember that if you are relying on your “fortified” milk to supply you with vitamin D, it is NOT giving you the healthy type of vitamin D that has been associated with all the benefits that you read about on this site and in the media.

If you do choose to supplement with oral vitamin D you will need to carefully monitor your levels to avoid overdosing. The only time you don’t need to worry about whether or not you’re getting too much, or too little, vitamin D is when your body makes it naturally from the sun.”

Read more here…

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/02/12/why-vitamin-d-supplements-are-not-the-same-as-sunlight.aspx

=============================

Here’s another current and worthy article on this topic — more info, and no purchase required :)

Excerpt…

=============

“The Nebraska 4-year placebo-controlled study has revealed that the group receiving the calcium and vitamin D supplements showed at least 60 percent decrease in cancers. Note that these astonishing effects were achieved on what many nutritionists consider to be a low dose of vitamin D. Exposure to sunlight, which creates even more vitamin D in the body, was not tested or considered, and the quality of the calcium supplements was likely not as high as it could have been (it was probably calcium carbonate and not high-grade calcium aspartate, oratate or citrate).”

Source:  http://www.naturalnews.com/022889.html

============================================

By Dove, www.TarotwithLove.com  I was just reading this older post on the Frog totem and realized I had forgotten about this great article and site that I wanted to re-visit, “The Six Faces of Healing,” …  The “third face” aligns with the frog totem, and very worthy of re-posting here, and a good reminder for me to get to that re-visiting thing ;)

Peace,
Dove

{Actually I’m just now posting this, it’s been sitting in the draft file for…maybe a few weeks?  I dunno, maybe this is an indicator of my resistance to the re-visiting thing :) … *sigh* It’s a journey.  I love the part elaborating on “why do we cry?” …  }

==================================== 

The Third Face of Healing:  Cleansing

After anger is released the tears can flow freely. Why do we cry? What is the pain we feel? The pain comes from a realization that we may or may not have been living in accordance with our soul’s truth. We cry for the past, mourning those times when we weren’t true to ourselves, or when others insisted we give up our truth. We cry for the present, grieving for all those attitudes, beliefs, even dis-eases, relationships, and life situations that we are giving up. We mourn the death of an old identity, and in its place, a new life springs forth. We cry because we are tired from hanging on to emotions, beliefs, and dis-ease that would leave us trapped in a life we don’t love.

We cry because we long for those who would love us as we are, not as they would wish us to be. We cry in terror, worrying if we can truly find this love and make our lives work if we walk through our fears, remove the masks, and show the world the true face of our soul. The tears release us from our bondage to the past and create the emptiness inside that is required for soul to find rest in our human hearts.

This mask is used to help us remember that there is beauty even in the pain of our grieving and sadness. Frog is a Native American symbol for cleansing. When you are at a pivotal point in life, clean your closets, check into your beliefs and sort through them, evaluate your relationships and your careers. What is your truth? Cleanse your life of all that is not you. Absolve yourself from guilt. Feel the pains of your sadness and your fears, and then let them go. Let the tears flow, and then let them go.

As the mask shows, the teardrops wash us from the inside out and then provide a fertile ground for new ideas to grow. The “water” falling from the ears tells us that we need to sort through all we have heard and been told about who we are and cleanse our minds of all that is not so. Who told you that you weren’t lovable? Who told you that you weren’t good enough? Who told you that life had to be difficult? Cleanse yourself of the lies that you’ve heard, and create a new truth.

From the tangled undergrowth of our confused thoughts, beauty arises. You feel empty inside, cleansed of all that is not you, and ready to grow into all that is truly you. You begin to bloom. Give yourself time to grieve when you are healing or in transition. This is a natural process of living. Tears are beautiful — melted diamonds that represent the essence of our soul.

Source: http://www.visionsofheaven.com/articles_docs/ARmasks.html

====================================

By Dove, www.TarotwithLove.com   The Rattlesnake totem came to me the other day — the mention of it in a conversation in front of my desk here at work, and a few days before that a co-worker said my “hollow cake” (MS Paint pic I recently did) looked like a rattlesnake’s tail.  Then I very unusually remembered a dream last night (it’s rare that I remember my dreams these days).  It was about a rattlesnake.  And if all that wasn’t enough, when I first clicked onto WordPress this morning, on the homepage under “hawt posts,” was a blog title that included “Rattler’s Tale.”  Geez, that’s a lot of synchronicity, don’t ya’ think? :) 

I don’t remember all of the dream…  But there was a rattlesnake in a glass box/cage and apparently it was mine, I had brought it to this place.  Then I think I did something to anger the snake and it started to climb out of its box.  It got out.  I was horrified that it was out and was thinking of nothing but getting it back into its box.  I knew I was responsible for it, so I chased it — I was so worried others would be hurt by it.  

The rattlesnake went to the back of the house.  (I realized here that this house was my greatgrandmother’s house, where I lived for quite a while as a kid…because my mother had been institutionalized for a time for a nervous breakdown, after my father divorced her.)  The snake hurried toward the back door.  I was so frightened it would get out there and we’d never find it — and then someone would surely go back there and be harmed by it.  Without thinking of anything but that, I grabbed its tail and pulled it back in (it had just darted out the door and half its body was outside).  Its head wildly flew around right up toward my face, as I expected, and I grabbed and pulled it back before it could strike me.  I was obviously horribly frightened, but I remember thinking I’d get someone to cut/kill it while I held it.  I woke up at that point, heart pounding. 

I was reading this morning how the “rattler” can represent healing.  I’ve been getting a lot of totems lately that seem to be pointing to my healing…creativity, and the transformation that the healing will bring.  It’s interesting that the snake went to the back of the house, the back door… the past.  Supposedly that’s where I’ll find healing.  It just overwhelms me, the thought of “going back.”  I don’t know where to start — so much, um, “stuff” back there.  Maybe I think … I “would surely go back there and be harmed by it.”  I don’t know, but I know I’ve made progress in my healing recently, and that began most significantly when I began to see the patterns spurred from the past, realizing the anger I feel now in relationships is tied to something, so much, in the past …  

The message I received in January about “pain, resurrection, peace” comes to mind.  It seems perhaps that I need to feel the pain of the past so as to “resurrect.”  Resurrection is among the snake totem interpretations.  Hmmm, and this brings to mind the Jesus energy that has been around me recently as well.

Update: Hey, here’s yet another mention of “resurrection,” the “444″ that I’d been getting … I’d forgotten about this one, it was back in February.  I only noticed ’cause so many people were reading it — ain’t synchronicity amazin’ (heh)  :)

I know this was a powerful dream.   The snake is a powerful totem.  I’ve had dreams of snakes in the past (and they were often touching me or I was touching them), even some interesting snake encounters in this reality – and they invariably were followed by major changes in my life… 

Here are some excerpts from some sites I just came upon about the snake and rattlesnake totem.

Peace,
Dove

======================

Snake Totem

“Although the snake is feared and loathed throughout every culture around the planet where reptiles appear, it is among the most universally respected and sought-after of all animal totems. In ancient Egypt, the snake was regarded as a symbol of both immortality and death, and the pharaoh wore a snake emblem on his head-dress as a mark of royalty and divinity. Apep was the Egyptian and Greek name for the Great Serpent of the Underworld. Ouroboros was the Greek name for the gigantic serpent coiled in the earth’s womb.

Apollo, the Greek god of healing and medicine, was originally invoked and worshipped as a snake. In later times, Aesculapius, and other deity associated with medicine, is said to have assumed serpentine form. His crest remains today as a symbol of the medical profession.

…

To the ancient people of Asia Minor, Ophion was the father of all humankind, the divine, serpent who lived in the Tree of Life in the primal garden.

In ancient Mexico, Ciuacoatl, the Great Mother of men and gods, is represented as a serpent woman. Quetza-coatl, the great culture bearer, is depicted as a winged serpent. Among many African tribes, it is Aido Hwendo, the Rainbow Serpent, that supports the earth.

Father Charlevoit, an early French missionary to the eastern tribes of North America, remarked in his journals that there was no image that the Native American tribes marked upon their faces and other parts of their bodies more than that of the snake. Furthermore, according to the priest’s observations, the Shamans had the secret of charming snakes, of benumbing them, “so that they take them alive, handle them, and put them in their bosom without receiving any hurt.”

The rattlesnake was considered the chief of all serpents; and some tribes believed that in addition to delivering death via the strike of its deadly fangs, the “chief” could transmit diseases with but a glance of its beady eyes.

If a coiled rattlesnake should appear in the path of a warrior, he would freeze in his tracks, speak beseechingly to it, and offer it whatever gifts he had on his person that he hoped might propitiate the angry chief of snakes.

The Medicine Priests who walked unharmed among the rattlesnakes knew that the powerful essence of the Great Mystery moved through them. Those who had received the snake as a totem animal during the vision quest felt especially blessed. The Pueblo, Hopi, and Zuni tribes revered Horned Serpent and Horned Water Serpent as largely benevolent guardian spirits and prized snakes as totem animals and spirit helpers.

Shamans revered the snake for its great wisdom, and many believed that the serpent spoke a secret language of its own that no other animal was permitted to comprehend. According to many tribal legends, in the beginning time, humans and snakes could converse freely Therefore, if one were powerfully attuned on the spirit level, he or she could still communicate with a snake on the telepathic level. If one could achieve this mind linkup, the serpent would reveal secrets of the future and other aspects of arcane knowledge.

The skin of the rattlesnake was used by nearly all Medicine Priests in some aspect of their rituals, and their rattles were often carried in the priests’ sacred pouches.

Those born in the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac are characterized as wise and intense, with a tendency to be vain about their physical beauty. The sign of the Snake in the Native American zodiac (October 23 to November 21) identifies a person who is charismatic, but difficult to comprehend.

…

When you enter the Silence with Snake as your ally, you are certain to go deep within and draw forth ancient wisdom teachings that will immediately be able to change your life for the better.”

Totem Information by Wolfhawk.

Source: www.ravenmoonlight.com

=====================================

Adder and Rattlesnake Totems

Generally, Snake represents wisdom, rebirth, initiation and resurrection. Both the Celts and Native Americans believed Snake symbolizes transmutation, the ability to alter appearance, nature, and form, particularly to higher ones.

To the Celts, Adder symbolized transmutation, life’s energy and healing. He signifies getting rid of the old for the better new, reincarnation, wisdom and cunning.

The English believed the skin had magickal properties. It could draw thorns from the body, hung on the chimney attracted luck and hung on the rafters, prevented fires. To see Adder near the front door was a death omen.

Native Americans also believed that snake symbolized transmutation. It is the rattlesnake that appears on the Snake card in The Medicine Cards, Jamie Sams & David Carson, (Bear & Company, 1988)

Snake totem is the power of creation and embodies immortality and psychic energy. He has fire energy which, emotionally, are charisma, power and the intellect; spiritually, connection with Spirit, wisdom, wholeness and understanding. On the physical level, they are vitality and passion.

Source:  http://paganismwicca.suite101.com/article.cfm/snake_pagan_symbol_transmutation

========================

By Dove, www.TarowithLove.com   Quite the synchronicity with this one… 
Yesterday I read my friend Tawny’s post on her experience with being hit by lightning (!) …  it ties in amazingly to all this Tower stuff (and my getting that number 16 so much ) lately. 

Then this morning, I casually did a Google search with the phrase “too much adrenaline.”  I clicked on a link and freakily enough, I began reading about a “therapy” for CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) called the “Lightning Process” :)  But I don’t get it, all it seems to encompass, for the most part, is stopping our negative thinking. 

It ties in with the mind-body connection (and the “Secret” — it’s all our energy, that’s where the power is.  That is the real “secret.”).  But it seems to be a very determined, repetitive effort — and I like the cards part :)  Excellent.  I just don’t see why we can’t do this for ourselves at home, rather than zipping off to Wales :)  But I think it’s awesome that many are being healed with this “Lightning Process.”  Ah, it’s exciting, just a matter of time before so many more of us get it — that we have the pow-uh! :)

Here’s an excerpt (and the gist of it) from the article (see link below to read the rest of the article) on the “Lightning Process.”

Peace,
Dove

===================

The first step is to recognise the thoughts that trigger the stress reaction, such as: ‘I’m worried that I’m not going to be well enough to go out shopping,’ or ‘I’m never going to get my school work finished.’

To stop the triggering thought, the ME sufferer must firmly say: ‘Stop,’ to themselves half way through the thought. This physically ‘cuts off’ the stress response to stop it from progressing.

The next step is to create new, more positive thought patterns to replace the negative ones. For example, instead of worrying about not being able to do something because you will feel ill, you are taught to imagine feeling well and being able to do that activity.

The theory is that this creates new connections in the brain, which then stimulate the production of endorphins - feel-good brain chemicals - rather than stress hormones such as adrenaline.

The patient has to continue using the process repeatedly until their ME symptoms have abated. To help the process, special cards with key words - such as ‘the present moment’, and ’stop’ - are placed in a pattern on the floor. The idea is that stepping on the cards reinforces the thought process.

You start with the ‘present moment’ card (which represents the need to stay in the here and now, and not dwell on fears about the future), then move on to the ’stop’ card to cut off the triggering thoughts. As you perfect the technique, you no longer need to step on the cards but can visualise them until it becomes second nature.

‘It sounded a bit weird at first,’ says Leonie, ‘but after practising over the weekend, it really worked.’

Within two days of her treatment, she was walking unaided along the beach with her mother. ‘I telephoned my father and said: “Guess what I’m doing?” He was so gobsmacked he couldn’t speak for five minutes,’ she says. She then folded up her wheelchair and told her mother: ‘I will never use this again.’ One year on, Leonie is still feeling great.

Three months after his sister’s recovery, Adam also made the trip to Wales. He is now back at college and learning to drive.

But the Lightning Process does not work for everyone. As well as the success stories, ME chatrooms feature the ‘failures’ for whom the approach has not been effective.

Mary-Jane Willows, chief executive of the UK Association of Young People with ME, believes it’s important to exercise caution before embarking on unproven treatments.

‘While we have heard of members who have been helped by undertaking the Lightning Process and are thrilled for them, we are aware of others for whom the outcome was less than positive. We cannot recommend this therapy or others for children where there is no clinical data or research available.’

Dr Neil Abbot, director of operations at ME Research UK, is sceptical about adrenaline playing a role in the condition. ‘We should like to see some evidence that there is an adrenaline rise in ME sufferers, and if there is, whether lowering adrenaline induces a “lightning” cure,’ he says.

‘The only thing that will create general acceptance of the principles and treatment techniques applied by the Lightning Process will be large-scale tests.’

But while the jury is still out in the medical world, among those for whom it has worked there is absolutely no doubt.

Source:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=427537&in_page_id=1774

===============================

Hmmm, it makes me wonder … if any or all of these guys below knew just how literally true these declarations were/are.

……………………………………………………………

“We become what we think about all day long”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

“We tend to get what we expect”
Norman Vincent Peale

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right”
Henry Ford

“This world is but canvas to our imaginations”
Henry David Thoreau 

By Dove, www.TarotwithLove.com  I was tagged, um, last week? … for this meme and it sounded like my cup-o-tea (I love doing the open-the-book thing), so here we go :) 

About mid-week this past week, I had sat down to look up the Cardinal totem in Ted Andrew’s “Animal-Speak,” because I’d been seeing that gorgeous bird quite a bit, but before coming upon it, I remembered about needing to do this meme.  I thought, hey, this would be a cool book to use for it.  So I turned to page 123 in “Animal-Speak.”  Found the 5th sentence and these were the 3 sentences that followed:

================

“One was the Strasburg Brotherhood of the Crown, and another was formed by St. Nicholas of Vienna in 1288.  In Germany, specifically, there existed a guild of meistersingers at Nuremburg.  This schooling was to teach the power of sound, music, and voice–physical and spiritual.”

===============================

Right off, I thought it was interesting that it started with “One.” :)  Lotsa synchronicities with it.  Just hours before opening to this passage, one of my co-workers was actually speaking German to me!  Yes, this was exceedingly UNUSUAL, to say the least.  Note, the Universe is invariably speaking to us with unusual things, things that don’t happen to us everyday…  I looked at him, and said, “I didn’t know you spoke German.”  He didn’t respond in English, and just kept speaking in German to me, lol  There was also a German reference in an email I received that day…

Here are some interpretations I found at one dream symbol site (yeah, I don’t distinguish sleep-dream symbolism from this awake-dream we’re experiencing):

===================

Foreign Language

To hear or speak a foreign language in your dream, indicates a message from your unconscious that you do not yet understand.

Foreigner

To see a foreigner in your dream, represents an aspect of yourself that is unfamiliar or strange to you. You may be neglecting or ignoring some important feelings or talents.

Source:  www.dreammoods.com

=======================

That last statement definitely rings true for me…  It’s also interesting that not long ago I made a comment on a blog where I posted some info about the original Saint Nicholas per a question on that topic (Santa Claus).  Hmm, that page that I just linked that to isn’t the source that I’m referencing, but a statement there intrigues me, …  “Nicholas, why dost thou conceal thyself from me? Thou art my helper” … 

{Update:  I feel compelled to add a bit here…  First, just for clarity, I had posted some info about the original St. Nick from one website onto another’s blog, but the St. Nick site I’m linking to above isn’t that one, it’s one I found just in the moment of my typing that paragraph.  But I especially wanted to point out that I realize that the statement, “Thou art my helper” is not (literally, or in this reality) referencing art, lol  ;)  But that’s what I saw when I first read it, intuition doesn’t have to be “logical” — and very often, it isn’t :) …  But I actually took both messages, that the Universe or “God/dess” is asking me why I am hiding myself, by holding back my creative expressions, AND that he/she sees me as one of his/her “helpers”… ah, and that our true (joyful) creative expressions are part of that — it is a “dance” we do with him/her.}

One of my first posts here was called “Create Change with Your Creations,” and not long ago I noticed how it had been right before I started doing all my MS Paint Pics and the post was spurred from people saying a single phrase to me one day that indicated they couldn’t see me…  It made me wonder if it was the Universe saying that I needed to do something to show myself, maybe my art I thought.  Writing, painting, some even consider the Tarot an art…  I’ve had people suggest I create my own Tarot deck, or write a book, and I’ve always felt I would write a book eventually.  I must say, this blog is the most I’ve ever expressed myself … the writing, the computer painting.  Right before starting this blog (Aug 2007), I was getting a plethora of Aces in the Tarot, a sign of new beginnings, the Aces are “seeds,” reflecting great potential.  I feel it has been a significant part of my healing journey.  I think we have no idea how vital it is to express ourselves, our creativity … but it makes sense, we are like that which created us, creators :)  We harm ourselves in not allowing that creativity to flow.

“Brotherhood of the Crown” –  the crown, the crown chakra, associated with universal love and ONE-ness … 

1288 = 19, the Sun card in the Tarot, a major arcana card that can represent our “god-ness’ or “God.”  19 = 10 = 1

“Master Number 88: The elevation of the personal and the infinite consciousness is facilitated to encompass the actuality of “knowing” and the receipt of meaningful, revealing, and significant revelations (and implementation of same) with respect to ones unlimited and unrestricted capabilitites. The concepts of sensitivity and compassion, with the experiencing of each moment, is reflected in the “eighty-eight” vibration.”  (Source:  http://www.lochsrocks.com/meta.asp?insert=Master)

“Meistersinger” — Master singer.  I love to sing, but not in front of anyone, lol   But I’ve always thought it would be such a joy to be a singer…  I’ve felt I might take voice lessons someday.  An intuitive years ago told me that singing would be healing for me.  And on the rare occasion that I do sing (in private), I can actually see a kind of a glow in my face the next day :)  I should do it more often…  “Make a joyful noise.” :)

And shortly after coming upon this “Animal-Speak” passage, I came upon a blog about the power of sound :)  It’s a great post, giving the mantras for each chakra.  I’ve seen the power in doing thse mantras, but I have gotten out of the practice of doing this.  This is strongly motivating me to get back to it…

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that this passage was part of the Canary totem, which is synchronous in that I have winged totems, mostly birds, out the wazoo :)  AND, I have often referenced myself as the canary because I am so sensitive to chemicals, even those that others feel are not harmful or whatever — like I can’t be around stuff like fingernail polish remover and such.  I avoid the laundry products aisle at the store like the plague… 

And if all that’s not enough, guess what was on the very next page, page 124.  The Cardinal totem, which is why I picked up this book in the first place, remember? :)  Cool, eh? haha!

Well, I got a lot out of my three sentences.  I’m not really big on doing the tagging thing, but here are the directives for anyone else who would like to play :)

1)  Get a book with at least 123 pages, and go to page 123.
2)  Go to the 5th sentence, post the next 3 sentences.
3)  Have fun with it :)

Peace,
Dove

By Dove, www.TarotwithLove.com  The other day my eyes started fogging up — something was bothering my eyes.  It was a windy day and I tend to have allergies, but it’s never affected my eyes like that before.  All this icky stuff swimming around in my eyes, and making ’em itchy.  When I woke up the next day, my eyes were pasted closed.  Scary.  But it cleared up after a day or so.  I thought it must have been something that had blown into my eyes and irritated them. 

Later I realized it had cleared up after having not worn make-up for a few days, and it returned upon wearing make-up again.  So I decided to ask my Tarot about my eye make-up.  I gathered up the four main items (nearest to my eyes), two eyeshadows, eyeliner pencil and mascara.  I shuffled my cards and asked to be shown a card that would give me a hint as to which of the items was causing this problem.  I had already suspected that it was either the eye pencil or the mascara. 

I drew the Empress card.  In the Goddess Tarot, this image is a woman standing in the desert.  One of the cactuses (cacti?) caught my eye — ha, that just came to me, CACT-EYE! ;)  But that little gem didn’t occur to me in the moment that I drew the card, just the shape of the cactus…  It brought to mind the shape of the mascara…and then I was drawn to the really dark hair of the woman, color of mascara.  From that, I deduced that the cards were pointing to the mascara.  See how cool the Tarot is? :)  It stokes our own intuition with these wonderful little things.  It’s all about those things we are drawn to.  Always know there is a significant reason we are drawn to (or repelled by) things…and people. 

So, yes, it was the mascara.  Very grateful to have discovered the solution was so simple.  Tossed the mascara, no more eye infection.  I’d never had such a reaction before to eye make-up.  But I’m thinking a contributing factor, besides having used the mascara way past its prime (which I’ve always done), was that I hadn’t been outdoors in weeks.  Been very hermit-like lately…  And back to the Empress card, the picture of the woman in the desert…clearly under a very bright sun :)  Yeah, I think this was backing up my thinking that it had kinda weakened the resistance of my eyes, having not gotten enough sun in the last several weeks.  And I admit that I generally don’t get enough (even worse than most people, with our constant indoor stuff), but even worse during this recent time.  So many things we’re doing, going against Nature, it’s no wonder we’re all so ill…

And you also have to look at the symbolism of it, invariably multiple layers of meaning.  The Sun in the Tarot represents joy in a big way, that which brings us joy.  Over those same weeks, I’d been getting a lot of work done, which is a kind of joy (satisfying), but not the really joyful kinda joy…  And I know that our not getting that really joyful joy on a regular basis weakens our immune system as well.  All work and no play, makes ya’ dull and all that ;)

I’m also thinking about my eyes being pasted shut.  Ugh, not good symbolism there.  Not seeing something clearly?  Looking away from something I need to be looking at?  Oh, and I learned the coolest new thing about one of the Tarot cards.  The Two of Swords, which I generally see as a card about peace or indecision…  But one day when I was testing the eye make-up theory per the eye infection, I had not worn eye make-up to work.  My eyes were still recovering… And I drew this Tarot spread online.  It showed me as the Two of Swords.  I was stunned to see a part about the eyes in the interpretation.  I’ve read a ton of books on the Tarot, and bunches of website’s with a lot of different interpretations, but in all these years I had never seen (or noticed) anything about the eyes with this card.  It actually said this card might indicate a problem with the eyes.  How specific is that 0h-ye-skeptical ones? ;)  And this card was in a position in the spread representing me. 

And when I thought about the imagery of this card, Two of Swords, it made sense.  The image is most often an individual wearing a blindfold, hence a possible symbol for problems with the eyes, or problems with seeing.  I loved that I discovered that about this card.  When I ask myself what I’m not seeing clearly at this time, a certain individual comes to mind.  I bounce around from seeing him with my head to seeing him with my heart…and back again.  At one point (very long time ago) believing he was just the sweetest guy, to more recently believing the total opposite.  It’s rough on the heart, the body, the immune system when we aren’t allowed closure.  Really good communication (not just superficial BS) is so important in our relationships, both personal and professional…

So, the moral is…  Toss old mascara, get your daily sun, endeavor to have truly good communication with the people in our lives, and remember we can learn cool things even from the “bad” stuff, like those icky eye infections :)

Peace,
Dove

===========================================
Dove’s Art    Dove’s Posts At-a-Glance    Dove’s Tarot Website

By Dove, www.TarotwithLove.com

For healthy breasts… 

http://www.brafree.org/bffaqssportsbras.htm

http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/rebounder.htm

And get out in the wonderful, beautiful SUNSHINE daily!
Plants lean to it, and it’s there in the sky for a good reason :)

Also, love your body, for gawd’s sake.  NEVER whine (or have negative thoughts) about your breast size or anything this world might tell you is imperfect about you or your body. 

Love, truly love, your body just the way it is, even as you might endeavor to make it more to your liking.  Just remember, your body is alive with energy, your thoughts GREATLY affect it.  Think about the positive or ill effects in talking to plants (read that cool part in “The Celestine Prophecy”), pets, babies…  Same thing.  Your body is alive with energy, energy that your thought energy greatly affects (mind-body connection). 

Touch your breasts.  Often :)  They love that, lol ;)  Yeah, it makes ‘em happy, you can tell ’cause it feels good.  You won’t go to “hell” for doing so, you’ll go to “heaven” :)  In fact, self-massage and related :) is super healthy for the whole body.  Note, a good rule of thumb is, if it feels good, if it brings you much joy, and it’s clearly not unhealthy, THEN IT’S HEALTHY.  Get over the religion-induced fear/sin of pleasure.  That’s a lethal lie.  A lie that kills and harms sooo many of us…  JOY IS GOOD.

And please reconsider allowing that wicked machinated breast smooshing.

Send love/compassionate energy even to unhealthy parts of yourself — not hate/fear energy (thoughts/feelings).  Think about it, do you really think sending hate (negative thoughts, put-downs) to your body is a positive healing kinda thing?  No, so stop hating your dis-ease or your supposed imperfections.  Just love ‘em into being/staying radiant with health and beauty. 

And whatever size your breasts are, they’re perfect :)   Truth:  “Believe and it shall be so.”  (Believing = powerful feelings, love/joy or fear + thoughts, continual focus, affirmations)

Peace,
Dove

===========================================
Dove’s Art    Dove’s Posts At-a-Glance    Dove’s Tarot Website