Animal Totem Energy for the Week of Sept. 26

Scarlet Macaw comes to us this week with messages about creativity & channeling our emotions imaginatively. Whether it's in our jobs, home environment, or following a spiritual path, creativity is a gift from Spirit which allows to process emotional circumstances in a way that clears them & leads to understanding. It doesn't matter what form your personal outlet takes, whether it is cooking, dance, painting, gardening or any thing else that gives you a sense of peace as well as allowing some space between you & whatever might be troubling you. Pour yourself into it now.

Macaw is the epitome of the ability to divert negativity into something profoundly beautiful & even spiritual. She lives many years & incorporates the wisdom from her long life into everything she does. This week we may need to draw upon this ability. Leave behind the shouting voices, fearful ranting, injustices, & cruelties, whether they are out in the world or in your personal experiences, & instead turn inward to your own flame of creativity & sustenance. Whatever it is, allow it to nourish you through this time.

Enjoy these beautiful days as the seasons change.
Blessings, Val

Animal Totem Energy for the Week of Sept. 19

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So, now we have completed a number of projects & perhaps found a place of resolution with some of them. Ant comes now principally to help us distinguish between what is still necessary & what can be left behind to either work on later or to dispense with all together. Ant helps us to accomplish a lot, but the principle motivation here will be to inject as much of an element of spirituality into our daily tasks as we are able. Any job can be a meditation. Any chore a blessing of learning upon our path. As much as possible now, inject what you know from your spiritual wisdom sources into the mundane, repetitive aspects of life. Blessed with prayer, a simple meal that you've cooked dozens of times before can become a true feast. Mountains of emails can become an opportunity to send blessings out to people all over the world - just say a small prayer for them as you delete. Send a note of gratitude in the 'memo' space on your checks when paying the bills - it's amazing how this can relieve the stress that often comes with this chore, & after all we are grateful for water & electricity, are we not?


As you sweep the floor, see all the negativity & tired old energy that's accumulated from the last cleaning day being cleared out with the trash. Take a moment to really look at your home or place of work, & send up a prayer of gratitude for all that you have. That is the starting place for manifesting more of what you want.


So, this is the vigorousness ant brings to us. There may be a lot to do right now, but injecting the spiritual into all of it in a conscious way frees the energy to flow very swiftly. Resistance, boredom, resentment & all the other negativity that can pop up in the daily round only stalls the power & makes everything slow down. Ant is super industrious, but there is always a divine dance in the way he gets done all that is allotted him to do.


Remember the Equinox this week. Norma Gentile, the sound shaman, is giving a free phone meditation on Sept. 22. To participate, dial:(641) 715-3200 & enter access code 555220#. If you haven't yet visited her website or heard her music, it is well worthwhile - very healing! See her at:healingchants.com.


Have a most auspicious & enlightened week.
Blessings, Val

Ceres & Pallas Athena Affect Jupiter conjunct Uranus

Jupiter and Uranus, both retrograde in Pisces, are in exact conjunction this Saturday, September 18th, and this aspect stays in effect until October 27th. Ceres, the asteroid of nurturing and nourishing, unfavorably influences both Jupiter and Uranus through mid October, while during this same period Pallas Athena, the asteroid of wisdom, healing and the arts, favorably affects both planets. Expect the unexpected and don't count on the usual depth of your excitement or optimism, just because Jupiter sits prominently in your chart. Be wary of making risky or unusual financial decisions; instead spend some time rethinking, adjusting or revising your financial plans or future expenditures. Continue you tithing, and be prudent with trying to make large purchases, so wait until later this fall and stretch your dollars anywhere you can in the meantime.

Allow yourself time in order to understand and process communications, specifically those with possible emotional or psychological impact. Be patient with yourself and others where difficulties in being heard or being understood may arise, ask for guidance from within and find the middle path to resolve any disagreements or differences of opinion.

Review your spiritual practices, see where you could meditate more or spend additional time in quiet contemplation or reflection. Maybe it's time to go within and make that commitment to reach a greater understanding of how your inner work reflects and nourishes everything and anything you do. Return to your art projects. Practice healing modalities on yourself or help an animal friend to find comfort from distress. Start reading that book you've put off, and enjoy having a mental vacation from your usual thoughts and concerns. Reach out a helping hand to others who may need your support at this time or ask for that help yourself.

Meditate upon XXI The World card from the tarot for greater understanding of this Jupiter-Uranus aspect.

Blessings, Tom

Animal Totem Energy for the Week of September 12th

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Well! last week was just one thing after another, & Tom & I are delighted that it's over! This week we are visited once again by the wonderful energy of horse who comes to give a more disciplined forward movement to our affairs, so we may find that progress is much easier. We got a lot done under the influence of squirrel, but much of it was imposed from the outside, annoying & expensive. This week we can also achieve a lot, but it will likely be of our own choosing, swiftly accomplished, & perhaps even pleasing to the higher senses! Horse has, down through time, been associated with the wind & with magic among other things, so we can expect news, as well as things, people & events to blow through our lives. Perhaps there will also be wind related weather events. The spirits of our ancestors & of the land ride into our lives astride horse, so listen with your psychic self to the voices from other realms for guidance, wisdom & pregognitive insight.

Look over the accomplishments of last week, think clearly & logically about what still needs to be done & get on with it. Anything involving discipline will move forward easily at this time, so exercise programs, artistic pursuits, meditation & pathworking should all benefit, especially if they are done in the company of friends. Find someone with whom you can work through "The Artist's Way" (by Julia Cameron); start you own little exercise group or join the YMCA with a friend; form a drumming circle or invite a small group of people to join you in a spiritually oriented discussion over pot luck followed by something made with chocolate.

The best use of horse energy is through the tempering of the emotions, & the re-directing of that energy into creative, self-empowering avenues. If you find that what you are trying to do is not moving forward, change course. Either leave the project for later or ask Spirit if it's something you should be doing at all. Then choose another activity that will be more friendly to you at this time.

Have an uplifting & satisfying week!
Blessings, Val

Animal Totem Energy for the Week of September 5th

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Squirrel comes to us now as a reminder to begin to prepare for the coming change of the seasons. Winter will be here sooner than we might think, so unless we're migrating to warmer climes, the time is right for stocking up on foods, candles and other supplies we might need if an early snow comes; check out winter wardrobes for things that need mending or replacing, look at those winter tires, have the furnace checked, get a carbon monoxide detector, and start putting the garden to sleep. It's also a good time to look at our finances and make sure everything is as up-to-date as we can make it. Maybe it's time to make a better plan for the savings as well, so that by the spring you'll have more put by than you ever thought you ever would. Also, work out a plan for tithing to whatever organization inspires you, whether spiritual, human or animal; 10% right off the top of your income, no matter what that is, will keep the flow going, and if things have been sparse lately, tithing will get the current running once more. Squirrel is about giving as well as getting, after all.

Squirrel is also making room for the pleasures of the season. It's harvest time, so enjoy the bounty of the garden while putting away some for the winter. Enjoy canning and preserving foods of all kinds, as well as the unmatched taste of produce picked ripe from the vine this very day. Bask in the more gentle sun of this time, since soon enough there will be less of it to warm and cheer us.

When talking with squirrels, I've often found them to be a bit self-involved. They will use humans as food sources, use our houses for shelter, and our dogs as really durable action toys. The lesson from squirrel at this time also includes a reminder to not use, nor allow yourself to be used by others in any way that drains your or their energy or resources needlessly.

I've also noticed that sometimes when squirrel makes itself known in my environment, there may also be numerous little annoyances to deal with, so rely on patience during this time as well.

Have a wonderful week.
Blessings, Val