Tag Archives: Self-esteem

Skunk Helps Sniff Out Relationship Odors

Posted on by under Native American, Shamanism, Uncategorized

Skunk arouses our senses and helps in general with relationship discernment
Time to breathe in respect for personal boundaries and the energy fields of others

Are you speaking your truth when you are feeling threatened or annoyed?

We leave behind a New Moon last week . . .

A Full Beaver Moon gains momentum later on this month

Building fantasy into manifestation may spring from noble intentions . . .
But it is wise to question the application of that how might play out on the ground

Like Nature, our souls are moving further into the dark . . .
A dark night peaks on the Winter Solstice in about a month

Yes, we face much darkness in our world today . . .
The latest terrorist attack in France reflects that

But real change comes from digging deep enough to find inner peace –
in spite of the crisis we face in our often unsafe surroundings

Do you need to fortify your defenses to protect yourself?

Picture a skunk to help to strengthen your self-esteem
so that you can’t be easily intimidated or controlled by others

Meditation on Skunk helps us sniff out
when to attract and when to repel other energies

Their air of nonchalance neutralizes
the foul stink of victim and perpetrator toxicity

No need to demonize that aspect of yourself

Are you paying attention to your body language?

Remember there are no enemies, only reflections of
your shadow-side outer rims of your Divine constitution

Do you need to gain more attention without being arrogant or irritating?

Empower the people with the right incentives
so that they will tend to do the right thing

We need to shift our intention away from massive welfare going to the top 1% –
toward investment in spiritual capital that prioritizes
the needs of the overwhelming majority

Onward up the trails,

Ari

Lightening Up Our Senses with the Good Stink of Skunk

Posted on by under Consciousness, Energy Medicine, Native American, Original Prose, Shamanism, Uncategorized

Sniffing out when to give, expect and demand respect
is an assertive skill sprayed by a tribe called Skunk
Especially when feeling threatened or annoyed

Black hue hints at their nocturnal nature
White stripes symbolizes our flowing chi

Reminding humanity of our heritage
Luminous beings of light are we
Capable of powering cities of lights

Burning clean energy starts with you

Passing New Moon
Ignites an intuitive impetus for heavenly action
But not without respecting earthy feelings of others

We venture further into the dark
Wax on yin climaxing on the Winter Solstice after a long December

Our spirits should be puncture proof
There is nothing to fear when standing in our own personal authority
Our roots grow strong into the ground below

Do you need to fortify your defenses to protect yourself?

Taking refuge is part of the way of the peaceful warrior
Aromatherapy awakens our sensuous experiences with Mother Earth
The time is now to open your heart to receive Her love

Do you need some help to strengthen your self-esteem
So that you can’t be easily intimidated or controlled by others?

We sniff out when to attract and when to repel others
Carrying an air of nonchalance neutralizes
the leaking energetic stink of victim and perpetrator toxicity

Are you paying attention to your body language?

Making amigos with our egos empowers us to increase our holistic sensuality
without leaving behind a foul stench in our wake

Do you need to gain more attention without being arrogant or irritating?

Like-minded relationships are on their way
Taking inventory of our inner space reveals
What kind of energies we are attracting

Many feel powerless and alone
But this grand Universe was created just for you to learn

There is no separation in what is
Although we see diversity in perspectives

Cultivating healthy fluidity in boundaries becomes organic
with clean internal mulching

Acceptance and surrender to what is
Is a dimensional shift toward Higher Ground from indifference or condoning
From the negative dramas that exist in our midst

See you further on up the trails,

Ari

Spirited Seasonal Blessings

Posted on by under Consciousness, Native American, Shamanism, Uncategorized

Today, we get into alignment with the Winter Solstice – the darkest day of the year. Tomorrow, we gain a little bit of light every day. In the darkness, we have an opportunity to receive the information from our lower Chakras, or a “land down under”, so to speak. Although frequently unwanted and uncomfortable to look at, we are equipped with these Chakras to help us shed light on and live in harmonic relationship with the Earth, our sexuality, base emotions, personal will and self-esteem. It is easily conveniently inconvenient to resist this information, change the channel and exit or avoid with denial or aggression. However, we have the opportunity to dig a little deeper by taking an authentic glimpse into our bodily portals of consciousness. As such, we might allow ourselves to see what information Spirit has to reveal to us in our unfolding story. In this process, we may develop acceptance and even make friends with what is. One way to do this is be part of a fire ritual in community and share what you are grateful for and what you would like to let-go of this year.

When I notice those unwanted internal news broadcasts, I remember the old Beavis and Butt-Head episodes. Do you remember watching those two character idiots watching MTV videos together – making comments like, “this sucks” and “change it”? Don’t those characters merely embody theatrical resistance to the inner space of our lower Chakras? After all, life really is like “a box of chocolates” because “you never really know what you’re gonna get.” And remembering a sense of humor is good medicine. We cannot always control, script and choreograph our life-like a reality show. Sometimes, the “best in show” is simply remembering the full-bellied laughter of the Buddha when the funeral parade comes knocking on our door. Our modern world is chock full of distractions that give us easy permission to change the channel, rather than being present on Channel Now. Being present doesn’t mean getting sucked into old dramas, mental tapes or the “voice in the head”- like feeding off an endless IV drip of sympathy. Rather, it does mean being in the moment with what is and breathing in and breathing out the living present, one step, one breath and one moment at a time. If “every thought is a judgment”, then just return to your breath and see what happens.

Many souls choose to leave the material realm this time of year. This is part of why this time of year is such a mixed bag for folks. We feel conflicted about getting into the spirit of the season, the emphasis on consumerism and pressure to buy gifts for each other that we hope will be well-received. We feel pressure to be “up”, instead of “coming down into our souls”. But we need to remember that this junction is really about gratitude and letting-go. Christ’s Light embodied the Sun that is a beacon of light that serves as shelter from the storm. His consciousness was meant to inspire us that the Kingdom of Heaven is an internal experience. When humanity evolves into this place with regularity, we see its unfolding reflected in our outer world. In this way, we become the change we want to see in the world.

Do you remember the character Holden Caufield in the classic book The Catcher in the Rye? Holden Caufield is the epitome of our dying Pisces age and represents the letting-go of our savior complex. The character can’t let-go of trying to catch lost souls jumping off the edge of the cliff, where he waits to save them from their doom. This lose-lose scenario leaves him feeling lonely so that he looks to fill his empty cup with alcohol to medicate his spirits. But we don’t need to carry the heavy burden of trying to save anybody. However, we can become an embodiment of inner peace. When we do this, our souls light up. When we don’t, our souls dim. Those of you who know material bounty and perhaps the “white picket fence”, have probably realized by now that “living the dream” of the leafy suburban lifestyle does not feed your soul alone. Meditation is a healthy spiritual diet that will nourish you soul and help you feel pleasantly full.

Sending much inner peace your way,

Ari

Moose’s Meditations on Balancing the Gracefulness of Deer and the Stampede of Buffalo

Posted on by under Consciousness, Native American, Shamanism, Uncategorized

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      

 

 

Riding Nature’s Thermals with Turkey Vulture

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Do you remember heeding the cadence that calls for us pass on judging a book by its cover?  If we look beyond a cursory first glance, Turkey Vulture personifies this metaphor.  Have you ever got a rise while watching these birds effortlessly riding thermals by using Earth’s energy centers with minimal effort? Their message to us is that when we effectively integrate spirit into our Being, we can transcend matter.  Rather than focusing on our limitations, we levitate our consciousness toward perceiving infinite possibilities.  Instead of looking for forecasts that call for doom and gloom, we make a conscious choice to see the silver lining and make only positive interpretations.  On the spiritual path, we become the change we want to see in the world by doing the inner work necessary to actualize those changes we want to see.  We cannot co-create sustainable energetic changes in ourselves and our world, unless we choose to do the inner work.  Otherwise, the changes in climate are merely external and cosmetic.  Winter is a powerful time to stoke the embers within, as is meditation on Turkey Vulture waking us up to that.  Turkey Vulture helps guide spirit into our Being with its medicine of purification, death and rebirth and new vision.  Collectively, we need all the help we can get with that right now. 

On the surface, many storms are brewing and Climate Change is the new normal.  We are giving birth to a New Earth, but not without the accompanying labor pains. Some folks describe this transition as moving from a Pisces age to an Aquarian age.  It’s kind of like when your old self dies.  During the dying process, a new identity is emerging as a rebirth.  It takes time before the dust settles.  Rome wasn’t built, nor destroyed in a day.  Last week, we watched a US campaign to end the occupation by holding Israel accountable to US and International law.  Wal-Marts in Ohio and Texas continued breaking their company promise to keep assault rifles off its shelves.  Whether its BPA’s in foods or PED’s in humans, capitalist doctrine, based on primarily maximum economic profit tries to convince us that we should augment ourselves.  But there is a deep place of self-esteem that reminds us that we are OK just the way we are.  In sports news, linebacker Manti Te’o admitted to having a fantastic relationship that appears to have been a figment of his imagination.  Haven’t we all done that?  While fantasy and alternate realities are real on some level, we have to learn how to stay grounded in this reality.  Meditation is a healthy strategy for us to become the change we want to see in the world, but it can also become a skillful avoidance tactic.  At the end of the day, we all have to act.  Martin Luther Kind, Jr. didn’t just sit around and dream.  He took it to the edge and realized that his dream was bigger than his physical life.  MLK wasn’t just spinning dreams of who we might be.  He lived it.  Going to jail and risking his life to do the right thing was horribly uncomfortable, while staying on the pulpit and receiving liberal doses of applause was ego-gratifying for sure. 

We are living in hard times.  There is much pain and suffering on our Planet.  But what an opportunity for us to wake up.  If you find yourself having a sense of entitlement that you should have a better life, then take the action steps to change yourself on the inside first.  There is a sense of Armageddon here.  But you do not have to get stuck in that place, nor do you have to overindulge in it.  With Turkey Vulture as a spirited guide, we use whatever natural resources are available to us to nourish ourselves and continue onward’.  If only our friends in Congress, World leaders and everyone else on the Planet would make this internal shift.  It is going to take hard work to shift our consciousness and tip the scale.  Believe it is possible and take action.  Even if it is gut wrenching to watch a predator eat an innocent prey, take a closer look and examine why Great Spirit revealed this moment for you to notice.  What message(s) does the predator and prey have for you to apply to your life?  Pay attention to your feelings and dreams and take notes.  It requires taking inventory on yourself, rather than getting preoccupied with the distractions and giving away your power to those distractions.  This is not about being ego-centered.  This is about getting to know yourself on a deeper level and therefore enriching your understanding of others.

See you further on down the trails,

Ari