I remember when I was bucked off a horse when I was three, had another erratic experience with a horse at a camp while on the cusp of early adolescence and avoided horses like the plague until early adulthood.  But I faced my fears head on and got back in the saddle again on a family reunion at a Dude Ranch in Wolf, Wyoming some years back. It required trust and taking many deep breaths while traversing the narrow trails of the Big Horn Mountains, thousands of feet up from the deep valleys below. And today, I felt relaxed as I pet a horse at an Autumn fair with family. Has anyone out there ever seen the film ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’? If so, do You remember the razor-sharp cut from ‘The Dawn of Man’ scene tossing the bone in the air, to the floating Space Station? If I were re-imagining the film today, I might bridge the cut with a Unicorn gleaming the Heavens to the soundtrack Jimi Hendrix and Traffic jamming A Session together, “Excuse Me, While I Kiss The Sky”. “Mighty Horse . . . Power to run across open plains, or to bring the vision of the shields dancing in purple dream rain.” If only ‘the powers that were’ would join Us in tapping into the Power Animal of Horse, then We could all become ‘Captain Americas’ by accessing Our inner psychic shields when We need protection. In the Spirit of that, shamanic practices throughout the world, tap into Horse medicine to allow shamans to fly through the air and reach Heaven. In dreaming a New Dream, Horse represents freedom, basic instincts and personal power, which might mean taking more risks by embracing a Lao Tzu perspective, rather than strictly clinging to a Confucian one (not that the two are necessarily mutually exclusive). Giddy up Wayne, et. al., and “Do the Tao Now.” Thank you for inspiring Us to become the change We want to see in the world by sharing with Us Living the Wisdom of the Tao.

Additionally, given all the egoic pontificating over public-private budgetary issues and the sinking Titanic of the dying world, isn’t it empowering to know that Horse’s energy is free health care We may access, if only We allow for it? After all, Horse is responsible for allowing humanity the privilege of expanding into the Great Wide Open and freely mingling with diverse tribes. Now, I realize there are phallic attachments to 28 billion dollar nuclear warheads, Area 51 and black hole accounts that radically funnel monies from hard-working folks, whom are already pinching pennies to get by. We have blazed saddles in Monopoly, where the privileged few are trotting across the Globe, while the overwhelming majority watches “green fields turn to brown like paper in fire”. Moreover, if California is quenching Its thirst by drinking Its own toilet water, I Bee Leave that We can assist Frank Lloyd Wright’s Divine Hand in energetically flushing ‘the powers that were’ down his Guggenheim toilet in NYC without cutting down any trees or stinging anybody in the process. However, I strongly encourage the ‘Occupation on Wall Street’ to remember to keep their Underground Weather calm, so that Our Critical Mass will come about peacefully, as a developing Sacred Geometrical equilateral triangle becomes increasingly buoyant in the rising tides of Aquarian Sea of Consciousness. Here on Channel Now, We’re already inundated! We know that violence begets violence and those that rule by force and maximum economic profit only works in the Land of Make Believe. The Christ, Buddha, Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Dr. King and many other ancestors have shown Us the way, through their peaceful acts of civil disobedience and rebellion.

Finally, I recently released a Genie vis-a-vis a Chinese fortune stating, “LEARN Chinese Zodiac-Horse (and) don’t let your limitations overshadow your talents.” In one of my Shamanic animal books, Horse folks are described by Chinese Zodiac as friendly, adventurous and very emotional and also appealing and persuasive. In that Light, who needs Gallup Polls, when White Stallion said, “You Dreamwalker have made the journey to heal a brother in need, to share the sacred pipe, and to heal Mother Earth. You have the knowledge through humility that you are an instrument of Great Spirit. As I carry you on my back, you carry the needs of the people on yours. In wisdom, you understand that power is not given lightly but awarded to those who are willing to carry responsibility in a balanced manner.” Perhaps ‘Rocky’ channeled his Horse totem when he saddled up Mickey’s teachings about balance and keeping ‘Franky Fear’ in his stall. In carrying a balanced Medicine Shield, We must remember to access an internal space of empathic shapeshifting and the wisdom remembering that “compassion, caring, teaching, loving, and sharing your gifts, talents, and abilities are gateways to power.” Who needs to be a distilled ‘Evil Dewar’, when Horse might inebriate Us toward trotting into the Spirit realm to guide Us on Our travels toward New Vistas and mythical journeys? And given my propensity toward Alpha Male energy, I am so thankful to Horse for helping me tame my sexual desires and release them to Heaven, where they can be transmuted into a formless single malt beverage for God’s Holy Grail. After all, I’d rather be a True King than a fool’s gold.

I Hopi You are well,

Ari

I remember when my Mother was deathly afraid of snakes. Perhaps not coincidentally, I once killed many snakes ‘long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away’, while visiting a magical place on Lake Michigan called Fox Island. Gravely but understandably, my behavior was liberally reinforced by a bunch of adults, mostly men, for ‘clearing vermin’. Today, I choose to say ‘peace out’ to the ‘powers that were’ by transmuting my relationship with Snake, gently facing my fears head on and killing them with kindness. “Snake . . . come crawling, there’s fire in your eyes. Bite me, I’ll learn to realize, the poison transmuted, brings eternal flame. Open me to heaven, to heal me again.” I so appreciate the power Snake medicine has to transmute Our physical, mental, emotional and/or spiritual dimensions, given that We humans are multi-dimensional, Universal Beings. Moreover, Snake medicine invokes creativity, sexuality, psychic energy, reproduction and Ascension (Immortality). When we tap into Snake’s energy, We uncoil Our Chi that has slumbered at the base of our spine and allow it to slither upward and onward, snaking its way through our Chakras and Energetic Beingness. What can I say, I like to enjoy cold, frothy beverages with a little head on them from time to time and didn’t a Wise One once Christen ‘water into wine’?  If you would like help with balancing your Chakras, please see my entry on July 18, 2011 entitled “Birds of a feather flock together and spinning Chakras”, in the archives. And if you would like another Auric energetic booster that mixes nicely with spinning Chakras, please see my July 8, 2011 entry entitled “Leave Me Alone”. I feel a sense of Nirvana striking a chord when I sing to myself, “what else can I say, everyone is a spiritual DJ”.

While tracking Tom Brown’s footsteps in his Field Guide of Nature and Survival Guide for Children (yes folks, all adults are big kids), I like what he says about Grandfather’s wisdom encouraging Us to carry a ‘meditation 101’ perspective–that having an open, passive attitude is a key ingredient to staying connected to Nature. Who knows, perhaps being a ‘snake in the grass’ will increase Our visionary and intuitive capabilities. However, with great power comes great responsibility, so it is always wise to look within first and ask One Self, “is that the voice of the ego, or the voice of spirit?” Further, Divine Energy is when Yin and Yang, Masculine and Feminine energies are balanced and coalesce into One–coming Full Circle, so to speak. In exploring the depth of this truth, One may awaken to the perceptual shift that in Creation, all things are equal and that even poison can be “eaten, ingested, integrated and transmuted”. While ‘watching bush T.V.’, I get fired up on the ground by breathing in passion, desire, procreation and physical vitality. Emotionally, I get a charge out of cultivating ambition, creation, resolution and dreams. Mentally, Snake stimulates my intellect, power, charisma and leadership. In the realm of Spirit, Snake uncoils wisdom, understanding, wholeness and connection to Great Spirit. There’s a great story of ‘Three Peaks Chang’ in a children’s Tai Chi book that talks about a Lao Tzu character studying the way that a snake ‘wards off’ an attacking bird until the bird finally gave up and flew away. When I read this story to my daughter, her old Preschool peers and teachers, I blew into my didgeridoo and We were all inundated.

In becoming True Shamans, Snake medicine offers Us the potential to shift Our consciousness, if We merely allow Our Selves to transmute Our energy by accepting the power of Fire. I take Snake’s lessons as somewhat akin to my Shamanic-Taoist Martial Arts training, in that it’s medicine reflects the ability to “kill or cure, ultimately leading to dramatic healings.” Shamans of the Americas have spoken of Quetzalcoatl–a snake-like god. I see Quetzalcoatl’s return as a prophetic metaphor for a Collective shift in Cosmic Consciousness as our old world dies and a New Age awakens, a la ‘out with the old, in with the new’. It’s not necessary to have the ‘Midas Touch’ and turn everything into gold (just look to Goldmember in Austin Powers–don’t be that guy). Just because I’m a man and ‘packin’ heat’ in a ‘Land Down Under’, doesn’t mean I have to act like ‘Multiple Migs’ in ‘The Silence of the Lambs’. Moreover, what is truly empowering is to notice the illusionary veils lifting, perceive through their thinning and begin to See the world as it really Is. In the exfoliation of Our dead skin process, We may transparently slither through wide open fields . . . And then We shall become Our own Boss as We sing, “were the green grass grows, tomorrow never knows.”

I Hopi You are well,

Ari

Following a recent gathering at The Clubhouse, I climbed down the stairs, jumped o’er river to call it a night and I spotted two deer en route home. I’m always excited about my Deer encounters and remember gratitude for their gentle reminders that steer Us toward new adventures awaiting around the bend. Deer medicine is especially powerful this time of year, as we approach the Autumn Equinox and Light and Dark become equal, if only briefly.  Isn’t it poignant that Deer’s coat is somewhat akin to the symbolic Yin and Yang and oscillations of Light and Dark energetic vibrations within?  Between Irene and other erratic weather patterns whirling around our waste, perhaps this forthcoming comet Elenin will really wash Us out and clean things up, a la ‘out with the old and in with the new’.  Who knows, maybe even the Man from Ajax will be out of a job, as A New Earth becomes greener from less pollution for Seven Generations to come?

Coincidentally, I remember the story of the Buddha first preaching in a Deer Park.  Wasn’t it the Rat that first arrived to heed the Buddha’s calling and now claims Chinese astrological posterity?  Moreover, I find it synchronous that an Angry Red Squirrel friend got fired up in his recall of some past negative experiences with Rats.  After my friend recapped going Straight Outta Woodland on his apparent Nervous Woodland Creature nemesis, I heard my Chinese acupuncture friend angrily assert, “in West, answer is to kill . . . don’t always have to kill everything!” Although I remained silent, I sent my Angry Red Squirrel friend a telepathic message asking him to consider giving peace a chance vis-a-vis an agreement with Rat consciousness and watching The Rats of Nihm for cinematherapy.  Personally, I’ve come to appreciate Rats–particularly their shrewdness.  And the social scientist geek in me remembers that unlike humans, Rats will learn new pathways to cheese, after discovering that once coveted cheese, regardless of how Gouda it tasted, disappeared from once familiar territory.  Curiously, humans have a tendency to heed the ‘better the Devil you know’ mantra and will continue to go back to the same place, even when no cheese remains, given our propensity to get scaled back in Our Reptilian brain.  Ah, but Deer teaches Us to gently gaze onto demonic energy, while singing the Beatles hit “All You Need Is Love”, in a way that dissolves fear and reminds Us that Great Spirit so desires Us to join Father Sky and Mother Earth on Sacred Mountain and a return to our innocence.

Finally, in the film saga Star Wars, I remember Master Yoda training Luke Skywalker in the Jedi Arts so that Luke is equipped to stand up to the imbalance of the Dark side of the Force.  As such, Yoda teaches, “for my ally is the force and a powerful ally it is . . . life creates it . . . makes it grow . . . it’s energy surrounds Us and binds Us . . . luminous beings are We . . . not this crude matter . . . You must feel the Force around You.”  In the spirit of that, Deer reminds Us that It’s medicine allows for the welcoming of increasing powers of perception, noticing chiaroscuro, detecting subtle movements in border areas and clairaudience . . . so I’ve heard.

I Hopi You are well,

Ari

I remember puttering around in the shed recently when a Chipmunk came in to greet me from the outside.  I don’t know if it was the welcoming colors of the Tibetan Prayer flags hanging on the doorway and/or the inviting scents of burning sage and incense, but in this encounter, his unscheduled and unexpected visit encouraged me to continue welcoming abundance and accumulating virtue–vis-a-vis thrift, efficiency and hard work.  I thanked my Chipmunk friend and he roosted without seeming too chicken . . .  

Following a grasshopper’s leap in the week, I found myself in the company of men again on an overnight disc golf/camping excursion.  Perhaps it was a coincidence that some squirrely man friends and Our “sentinel of the forest” comrades all chimed in with a chorus of peanut gallery comments–without driving One another too nuts in the process.  Has anyone else out there played disc golf?  This grounding sport closely parallels regular golf, absent Country Club fees, golf carts and fancy ironed shirts (albeit a couple of die-hard friends carry man purses with a variety of discs instead of clubs and other Nervous Woodland Creature gadgetry).  Now, my old self formerly avoided sports involving frisbees for a myriad of good reasons.  However, in my ongoing desire to evolve and fly outside my comfort zone, I’m learning to enjoy new frisbee games like “Kan Jam” as well.  Although my neck’s not so red and it’s been 20 years since I sported anything that remotely resembles a mullet, I concede that sporting without killing (admittedly some of us killed a mosquito or two, we ate meat and expelled dead air) is a great way to get outdoors and have fun in Nature.

Finally, “Squirrel . . . you have gathered nuts by the score, exactly predicting if you’ll need more.  Teach me to take no more than I need.  Trusting Great Mystery to harvest the seed.”  I wonder if President Gerald R. Ford had a squirrel totem, given that he was an Eagle Scout and was always prepared to deliver impromptu speeches at the trip in the step, I mean drop of the hat?  Given Squirrel’s connections to 12 week cycles, I see meaningful encounters with Squirrel encouraging Us to prepare for the forthcoming transition between waning Yang of Summer to waxing Yin of Fall.  Since We are all mirrors for One another in the Universe, Squirrel offers Us the opportunity to learn from One another through imitation and striking a balance between Our gathering and Our emissions.  I can hear a scratching mix of Mr. Miage and Mickey from The Karate Kid and Rocky reminding Us to nevermind footwork and punching so much as remembering balance–without going Straight Outta Woodland on Ourselves by throwing acorns and/or going nuts in the forgetting.

I Hopi You are well,

Ari 

While playing cards in the company of men recently–a camp fire illuminated our drinking in a waning Full Moon under the stars, as our cards lay on the table.    During our gaming process, a Spider crawled across the table, climbed up my torso until She nestled in the vicinity of my Heart Chakra.  Perhaps I’m still a bit green along my Way, though I couldn’t help but feel pleasantly full after my Spider encounter.  In fact, I find my Spider friend’s medicine infinitely wise as She reminds me of the delicate balancing act of ‘Walking the Line’ during the journey, vis-a-vis “one foot in spirit, one foot in ground”, so to speak.  Meditation on Spider’s energy inspires Us to keep in alignment with Nature’s rhythms–not getting too Loony during the Moon’s waxing and waning cycles and maintaining an egalitarian appreciation for Our own masculine and feminine energy patterns.  If only masses of folks whom are disgruntled with their current status quo lifestyles would choose to move beyond externally cosmetic changes . . . perhaps a systemic movement toward a deeper understanding of who We really are is on the horizon.  Dare We choose peace on earth by finding Inner Peace, without being stung by the propaganda and costs of augmenting ourselves with merely surface band aids?  In saying that, have I become ‘Public Enemy Number One’?

I remember Eckhart Tolle’s wisdom revealing to Us that walking the spiritual path is potentially an ongoing opportunity for each moment to become a sacred walking meditation with Self and God holding hands, if you will.  In this Divine Light, each moment offers a choice to consciously breathe in a fresh breath of whom We are becoming and gently exhaling the death of Our old self, a la that was Zen my friend and this is right Tao.  This is how I practice being present . . . being in the Now and building A New Earth, as We co-create Heaven on Earth as One–albeit diverse expressions of God’s image.  We are all in this together and We are all connected.  As I heal, the world heals as well– so that the flowering of consciousness is watered until She blossoms into an awesome Garden that we can all see.  When We say “peace out” to the voice of the ego and “what up, G” to the Inner Voice, We open up Our True Selves into the realm of Christ Consciousness and welcome Wise Council from Higher Perspectives.  Just like dat.  In this process, Our relationship with God (and Our True Selves) moves beyond an abstract, intellectual concept, toward a direct and sublime experiential relationship.  With Our Third Eye, We are able to view Our energetic exchanges with One another as opportunities to amplify Our shared energy, for the greater good of humanity (and the rest of the Universe).

Finally, I remember Spider’s web containing a message reminding Us of an ancient Mystery School precept asserting that “know thyself and thou shalt know the Universe!”  In their collaborative ‘webinar’, I recall Eckhart Tolle asserting to Oprah that his understanding of Nature’s rhythm stemmed from his understanding of the deeper Nature of Himself.  In the spirit of that, I Bee Leave that We become True Wizards when we consciously create our thoughts, feelings and behaviors in a way that understands how to make Our Inner Space smile.  Does Spider’s symbolic figure 8 sign of Infinity reveal to Us that We are equipped to transcend fate and Karma by seeing through the veil of illusion into  a deeper, mystical realm of possibilities?  Isn’t this how We heal polarity and facilitate movement into a New Age and paradigm of Diversity within Unity?  Why not move away from fear and closer to Love as We welcome Our desires as on their way, while letting go of outcome and enjoyably surfing the tides in the process?  And then, just before I published this entry, a neighborly Blue Jay poignantly reminded me that it is my choice to become a True Wizard or a master illusionist.  Why not become the real deal?

I Hopi You are well,

Ari

Recently, I have enjoyed some meaningful encounters with Hummingbird–fleeting reminders to stay light on the feet and meditate on the figure 8 (sign of Infinity).  Holy Cow, if a tiny bird can venture from Alaska to South America and fly in any direction . . . just imagine the possibilities for humanity to take Quantum flight!  It just might be a grand slam.  Isn’t being playful and humorous a portal to Heaven’s Gate?  Many folks on the so-called spiritual path become way too serious about being godly that they forget their own Divine Light in the process.  If we are created in God’s image, then we must be capable of creating joy on the inside and following Our bliss on Our outward path . . . while radiating that in a way that resonates with Our outer world that reflects back to Us.  Aren’t We all mirrors for One another? 

I remember when my grandma used to say to me, “Ari, people like you because you’re natural.”  While always feeling uniquely different from my fellow humans, I Now understand what she meant.  During Red Carpet onstage performances, I have unwittingly caged myself and died just like Hummingbird does when She loses Her freedom.  In the words of Neale Cassidy to Jack Kerouac, “and that was the last time I committed suicide . . .”.  However, as I breathe in right Tao, I naturally reside where Spirit guides me.  Sometimes, this process unfolds as off-color comments, being a bit of a gauche provocateur to status quo energy patterns, being more interested in a rainbow, moon (I’ve got a hot date with Her right after this post is posted) and/or sunset than those with more important distractions to attend to.  Hummingbird’s nectar reminds me where I wanna Bee, puns typically intended! Playing with aromatherapy, like a little smudge of sage smoke or water, bergamot and/or lavender oils are among some of my favorite ways of illuminating my olfactory senses.  A little dabble do ya! 

Finally, meditation on Hummingbird medicine potentially offers darting glimpses into the sweetness and magic of life.  Like the Joker says in The Dark Night . . . “why so serious?”  If only the Joker had opened himself up to understanding how to move past his desire to create chaos and see the internal radical act of humming to the tune of a Harmonic Convergence with Nature, rather than trying to destroy it.  When we access Our inner celestial music, perhaps the strings reverberate as a chorus that diversely chimes in together as One.  Who knows, maybe Hummingbird might offer You a glimpse into a lovely Inner Space that reveals externally unidentified flying objects that could be literally out of this world?

I Hopi You are well,

Ari