Animal Totem Energy - Week of Jan. 9, 2011

Photo: Gerd Rossen

Black Bird visits this week to guide us through some emotional intensity & self-doubt that may crop up. The people around you may seem to push all your red buttons, circumstances will conspire to test all our weakest places, and as a result, you may suffer inappropriate emotional outbursts that are apt to damage relationships in many areas. You can be left with feelings of guilt, which you'll have to heal with apologies. Make special efforts to avoid giving into road rage at this time; I just let other drivers win the race, & most often we end up at the next light at exactly the same time. The flower essence or essential oil of pine can help alleviate & bring peace to these highly charged emotional states. Diffuse the oil at home, & put some on a cotton pad in your car's ashtray to send you on your way in calm serenity.

On a more positive note, Black Bird can remind you to channel overheated emotions into creative areas. If you like to do art, this is the perfect time to reach deeply into these waters & get out onto paper, canvas, clay, into dance, cooking or the written word all that roils up from the depths. Get plenty of exercise, indulge in healthy foods; treat yourself well as you process, because emotions gone unprocessed can literally make you sick. They can also sabotage your efforts in any area at all as long as they go unrecognized.

Remember that you may not be seeing things clearly at this time, so allow for a later change of heart. You may talk yourself out of things that will be important to revisit in the future, so take notes & don't throw anything away.

Working with the emotions can be so liberating, but you have to actually do something to change them rather than just getting through them. These conscious actions will bring healing, movement & space to breathe. Whatever comes along acting as the trigger this week is sent to allow you the opportunity to free yourself from the past & move into the future differently than before.

Move safely this week.
Blessings, Val

A-Z Animals.com

Turtle comes this week to remind us of the cycles of the moon and of the wisdom of Mother Earth. A week from Sunday, on Nov. 21st, is a full moon in Taurus, an earth sign, which could give special strength to earth-energy events such as earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions. As the moon's energies increase this week, so does the influence of Turtle. She lives in water, not on land, and can feel the vibrations of events happening around her as they pass through her element. Pay attention this week to what you feel more than to what seems more obvious in the world of everyday life, because what you feel will be more accurate than what you see.

Water is the element of the emotions; Turtle, with her beautiful shell, flies weightlessly right through this element, finding food, shelter and companionship. The emotional body in humans can be fine-tuned to be one of the most exquisitely sensitive receptors of etheric messages if the emotions are cleared, calmed and filled with unconditional love. No small order, but one worth pursuing, and there's an open passage for this effort right now. Imagine cruising serenely as Turtle through the water with all your receptors open and willing to feel the universal energy flowing in waves all around, bringing you messages of wisdom and peace.

Turtle also is closely aligned with Mother Earth in many traditions across the planet, so spend some time this week bringing yourself closer to the precious being who gives us shelter, food, and such beauty as can hardly be fathomed. She needs us to care for her in loving and responsible ways, now more than ever. Don't give in to "Green Movement Burnout." Caring for the earth starts and ends with us, and it is a never-ending effort. Meditate with Turtle, ask for guidance about what part you can play in this endeavor, then step up and do just one thing each week to make this home of ours a little cleaner, safer, more beautiful.

Turtle's energy is kind, deep and wise; a delightful presence this week.
Blessings, Val