Spring and The Medicine Wheel

Spring Has Sprung

I know some parts of the country have not begun to thaw yet, but we all know it’s just around the corner.  March 20^th was the Equinox the first official day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, ahhh my favorite time of the year.  Here in Northern Arizona, the days are already warm, the birds are coming back from their winter escape and the trees and bushes are blooming.  66 degrees today, yeahhhh!  A few more weeks and maybe the desert will be in bloom.  I am so excited, the desert is beautiful in bloom.  

Growing up in Minnesota there was such a pronounced difference in how we moved through life in winter versus spring or summer.  For months we huddled up in our winter wear ensuring nothing was exposed.  Moving from building to car or walking down the streets we kept our heads down to protect our eyes (the only thing not covered) barely acknowledging each other.  The temperatures go up, Spring arrives and we shed our winter layers and hold our heads up high smiling at everyone we see.  I recall it felt like I had been set free and was finally able to go out and breathe deeply of the fresh air.  (Not something you can do when it’s 20 below zero) It’s still a bit early to be in the 60’s in Minnesota, but give it another month or so and all will be blooming there as well.  

Spring is in the East on the Medicine Wheel.  Great Eagle brings us long vision, the ability to see clearly and the mighty Condor allows us to take that vision and make our decisions from our hearts not our heads.  For me this is new, this is a shift, to make our decisions with our heart and not our head.  It is the Shamanic way, to live life in harmony.  To know in your mind all the possible directions and to trust that your heart knows what is best for you at this time.  Spring is the time to plant seeds, new beginnings, fresh possibilities.  Spring brings us more daylight, more warmth, more energy.  We come alive in the spring as does Mother Earth.  This is the time to take action, make the changes you need to make, begin that new project, get out take that walk, plant the seeds in your life’s garden.   Make the adjustments in your life that will bring you your dreams.  Spring is here, the season have changed.  Get active, move your body, dance around the house and play in your garden.  Connecting with Mother Earth wherever you are helps you to feel better and helps Mother Earth as well.  This is the time to go out and bring “you” back to life. To breathe deeply of the air with feet planted on the earth and look to the heavens above and know that you are connected, you are loved.  

This is the natural cycle of life. The seasons change and so should the expectations we have of ourselves of others.  It is now the time to take that risk, to begin anew.  Follow your heart’s desire and dream your world into being. 

Enjoy your season of blossoming.

Linda G

Seed your dreams

I was going to share my journeys to Hopi Land, however, Spirit guided me to share some of my recent thoughts and struggles with you. It was almost one year ago that I decided it was time to follow guidance from GUS, God Universe Spirit; to begin my own business and do healing and other intuitive work.  When I started I thought it was going to be fairly easy.  I had this amazing training, I believe in miracle healing from the work I do and I was just sure people who needed healing were going to find me.  I made sure I got the word out and I wrote up flyers and put together a web page and I rented an office/healing room so people could find me.  I quickly expanded the services I provided and was once again confident, thinking everyone would be interested in taking the course I developed.  It didn’t happen.  Oh I’ve had clients, but not enough.  I was beginning to question it all until now, as I realize I have learned so much in the past year and met so many wise teachers. It has been an absolutely amazing year.  I have no need to be discouraged I am just beginning.  One year is no time at all.  

I have so many ideas, projects and wandering thoughts about what I want to do that sometimes it's hard to see which one I should be putting my energy towards. So I futz with something, check email, read any number of things and not work on any of my ideas & projects. I was asked if I would be interested in hosting my own internet radio show on Voice America. The lady thought I might have good information to share.  She had checked out my website and maybe my blogs?  She seemed most interested in the Shamanic work I do and thought there were three different stations where I might fit in.  I was excited and said “yes, I am interested.”  

I had never thought of hosting a radio show?  When I was asked if I was interested in this opportunity I checked in with GUS and it seemed quite clear when I asked should we do this the response was, “We bring you the opportunities, it is up to you to decide if you want to take them or not.”  Okay…  Can we do this? ”Yes, we can do this.”  I began thinking about the radio show, what it would be about, who will guest host with me and on and on.  All of a sudden a week had passed and I had not given any attention to those other projects I was interested in.  Another week passed by and I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, not really sure why?  But I started asking myself questions.  What is the real thing I want to do?  What brings me Joy?  How can I be of service to humanity, the planet and the universe?  What is the gift I am to bring to the world?  Phew, I’m tired, I don’t know if I want to do all that! 

I knew I was in need of extended quiet time, but I had not realized that I had not been meditating daily.  I was not connecting with GUS, I was not paying enough attention to my Soul self.  I was beginning to feel tired and overwhelmed because I was not tuned into me!  I took the time to connect today.  I became quiet. I grounded myself.  It really does help to calm the being, physically, mentally and emotionally, and of course allows for connecting to GUS.  I no longer feel overwhelmed, I know my timing is perfect.

We are nearing the end of winter.  Remember back a few months; Fall was about looking inward and letting go of what is no longer needed and Winter was about remaining in the quiet and listening for the wisdom of the Ancestors.  It fits that I have all of these ideas and projects on my mind, now is the time of creating, from the wisdom gained this winter.  These next few weeks are the right time to be narrowing down what I want in my life because come the Equinox, the Spring will have arrived and I want to be ready to seed my dreams. 

 

While creating my dreams I always ask myself, is this my idea, dream, passion?  Remember to let go of what is no longer needed, release the old beliefs, hurts and pains as they are no longer serving you.  Do the spring cleaning literally and figuratively.  Take the time to Stop.  Take a deep breath, let it out sloowwly and take another, hold this breath for a few seconds and release every last bit of air from your lungs… now take another deep breath, feel the air go all the way down to the tip of your lungs as your chest rises hold for a few seconds and release, returning to a normal breathing pattern.  Now, it is time to communicate with GUS (God Universe Spirit); become clear on what you want to manifest in this next cycle.  What dreams do you want your seeds to grow? 

In Gratitude,

Linda G 

Spider Medicine

 The theme for me this month is Spider Medicine.  Two mornings in a row I saw a little spider in the corner of the bathroom.  At first I thought it was a little black dot and then I saw it move and realized it was just a sweet little spider.  I said hello and went about my day.  The second morning I was soaking in the tub and I looked up to see if the spider was still there.  As soon as I looked up it, it moved.  It did not move much, just enough to let me know it was still there.  While I soaked in the tub that day I remembered my first Monsoon Season in Sedona, Arizona.  The spiders were coming out everywhere.  I had one in my RV that scared the begezes out of me.  I went for help as I was so freaked out.  Then there were Tarantulas all over the place, or so it seemed.  I quickly became determined to move beyond my fear. 

I was living in a different land. There were many scary creatures, the Tarantula, Javalina, and Rattlesnakes!  We did not have these creatures in my homeland of Minnesota.  I researched the different types of spiders and found that they do not want to attack us, they become startled and scared just like we do.  With the help of my neighbors and friends I faced that fear, I examined a Tarantula who was captured in a glass coffee pot and watched it crawl on a woman’s hand.  There was nothing to fear.  I also learned how delicate all spiders are, especially Tarantulas.  If you drop one it will break and likely die.  I was in a new place with different animals then I was accustomed to.  So I was also learning about the animals that live around me as well as animal medicine and how an animal may appear with messages for us.  It was a wonderful learning experience.

This month, I had a few other spider incidents, so it’s pretty clear that Spider is trying to talk to me.  During a healing session out in nature a little spider came to say hello to me and then. . . 

When I was walking into the pantry after dinner one night, I saw this yellow brown spider on the wall.  The spider saw me at the same time I saw it and the spider jumped, and so did I!  and then I screamed and very quickly backed out of the room and in to the kitchen, I startled my partner as he was cooking dinner and the cat raced into the other room, rug flying behind her.  I also went into the other room, and peered into the kitchen over the bar, and took numerous deep breaths.  My Sweetie looked for the spider and found it, he identified it as a wolf spider, assured me that there was nothing to worry about and attempted to capture it.  He was not successful;  I am clear it is time to look at spider medicine again.  I began my study that evening.  A few days later, that spider appeared on the wall of the counter beside the garbage can as we were finishing dinner.  I looked at the spider, no fear, and told it my blog was going to be about spider medicine, that I had already begun writing it.  My partner easily captured it and released it outside.  

So what is Spider Medicine?

When I think about Spider Medicine, I think about weaving the web of my life and writing, and I ask myself a few questions.  Should I be writing more?  Am I consciously creating my life?  Am I weaving the web of my life, in concert with my dreams?  When I first started working with Spider Medicine, it was about writing.  When a spider appeared to me the main question was; Are you writing?  My "job" at the time was to write and heal.  There is a story about spider creating the primordial language in both of these books, Animal Speak, Ted Andrews the Keynote for Spider is Creativity and Weaving of Fate.  In the Medicine Cards by, David Carson and Jamie Sams, the key word for spider is Weaving.  

Contemplating these questions and taking a Shamanic Journey with spider during meditation; the message from spider for me this time is:

Look at your life from a larger expanse.  The first image I saw in my journey, was the spider looking beyond his web into the rest of the room; Than walking from one edge of the web to the other.  I felt it was a message to look at the expansiveness of my world.  Do not be limited by what is right in front of me because there may be something just around the corner waiting just for me.  Then, I saw the image from, Charlotte’s Web, when the baby spiders hatched and decided it was time to leave the web, how they let go of the web attached to their silken thread and flew in the wind.  How does that relate to me?  Like Charlotte I have given birth.  For me it was a new blog, entitled Wonder Filled Moments.  I write every day and imagine the strands of my words connecting to those who may enjoy reading them.  A year ago I was struggling and I remember saying, “I am in charge of my life and I can create my world however I want it to be!”  Looking back at this last year I can honestly say, “I am weaving the web of my life in concert with my dreams.”  And Yes, I am writing on a daily basis!  Something I have not done in many years!

The final image from the Spider was close up of its body.  “Unlike insects, spiders have a two section body instead of three, often giving them a figure eight kind of appearance.  This in conjunction with its eight legs (unlike an insect’s six) links it to all the mysticism associated with the geometric form of the figure eight.  On it’s side, this is the symbol of infinity.  It is the wheel of life flowing from one circle to the next.”  “The spider found within the web reminds us that we are the center of our world.”  Ted Andrews, Animal Speak.  

Remember, you are the center of your world.  Is it time for you to look at how you are weaving the web of your life.  If an animal is stalking you, showing up in your space or thoughts, ask it If it has a message for you? and then become quiet and listen.  Or look it up on line or in one of the books mentioned above and see if the message resonates with you.  Or ask me, I am available for Medicine Card Readings, Nature Readings and more.  www.healinghandsofsedona.com 

In gratitude,
Linda G