After digesting last week’s hot Summer Solstice supper and Full Moon buffet, some of the intense feelings are waning from that feast. Butterfly’s kisses reminded us of our natural support networks within our souls that are equipped to transform and gently allow ourselves to let go of fixed ideas, thus waking up to the reality of inner peace. This week, the energy of Moose greets us on the trails to remind us to honor our own authority. There is nothing wrong with being open to the feedback of our peers in community. That is how we grow. But when we honor the choices that we make, we know a deeper sense of freedom and responsibility. Recognizing our karma in this space realizes the illumination of our inner guidance so that we may follow it. At the end of the day, calling on the Moose within our own Being reveals our own inner warrior that facilitates the process of fearlessly address self-esteem issues that might be lurking in our subconscious. In our community, we woke up this week to an explosion that scared us all out of our sleep. An elderly man was killed in his house by his propane tank exploding. Scared straight as I was, I carefully checked out the scene to assess for safety. I focused on feeling gratitude for Life and the concerned members of our community coming together to talk authentically about our feelings with one another. And my heart went out to those who live with explosions and other tragedies in their everyday life. Moose is good food for the soul when waking up to your own authority. There is an internal sense of protection in that.

American society and our modern world is an applause culture, where we covet our 15 minutes of fame. While being popular with everyone is unrealistic, we all deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and feel a sense of belonging in our World. During the daily positive works of co-creating a New Earth, it is natural for us to want to share with one another “the spontaneous explosion of joy that comes from the deepest part of one’s being.” Moose medicine wakes us up to balancing the gentleness of Deer with Buffalo’s stampede. Moreover, the energy of Moose guides us to “know what to say, when to say it, and to whom.” Rather than robotic transactions within the social environment, meditation on Moose medicine opens up our souls to a deeper place of inner knowing. Rather fading away into an egotistical realm of manipulation and sense of “I got what I wanted”, our souls brighten-up with the energy of Moose.

Whether being profiled by the IRS, NSA or other shadowy government-business relationships, we are in transition from leaving behind an old world that values protecting the privilege of the “opulent minority” against the leveling impulses of “overwhelming majority”. Developmentally, we are growing up toward a more egalitarian view in our Consciousness. We see this old world-New Age tension play out when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of equality of our gay brothers and sisters right to marital inclusion by striking down the “Defense of Marriage Act”. In the next breath however, the High Court ruled against equality by beating back “key enforcement provisions” in the “Voting Rights Act” that help our colorful voices being heard in politics. Is David Koch entitled to have his feelings protected because he donated $23 million to New York and Boston PBS stations? Come on folks, let us agree that we are all sensitive creatures, regardless of how big our bank account is. Encoded within our humanity, we are cognitive-emotional creatures and we need to balance our orientation with respectful communication. What are those with deep pockets and positions of power afraid we will find out about their business practices? Talk about mixed messages.

We have spoken before that we need to sit with contradictions and paradoxes in both our internal and external realities. How do you feel about sitting with these tensions of opposites? What do you need to do to adjust yourself on the inside, rather than acting out through denial or aggression? Meditation on Moose helps us take stock in our areas of growth during our journey here. What do you love about yourself and your developmental progress in life? What do you love about others and their developmental progress they have made in life? Consuming the energy of Moose feeds our soul’s “the magic of invisibility (and) shapeshifting camouflage.” Investing in loss of our Yang-Masculine energy wakes up our movement toward Yin-Feminine energy. Moose facilitates a graceful transition during this process. The relationship Moose has with water is symbolic of our feminine powers of intuition, creativity and sexual energy. Allowing ourselves to receive like our oceans, is bowing to the power of Moose. As a power animal, Moose helps us make transition from the death of the old self into our becoming New Life. Past lives and future selves happen within this lifetime too. While we might have a concrete and fixed idea that we “only live once”, it need not leave a bad taste in our mouths when we witness our bodies are evolving. If we don’t work at allowing ourselves to love what we do, then our souls will fade. Working with Moose is a way to brighten-up your inner light and let it shine for you and our Universe to bask in. It aids us in comprehending our spiritual lesson plan with acute hearing and sniffing things out through discernment. The spirited teachings of Moose conjure up a deepening, mindful-awareness and sensitivity to self and others that is asking to be awakened.

See you further on down the trails,

Ari