Bear Comfort - Bear Is a Spirit Animal

  

Picture from notesfromthebartender.wordpress.com 

We give babies a teddy bear for comfort.  And, baby snuggles up to the teddy bear, and even cries if the bear is not present.  What is it that gives us comfort in this “bear” image?  Why are we not frightened, instead, of this representation of a large, fierce animal?

Well, Bear looks big and cuddly.  Bear is chubby and that says comfort and safety.  Bear hibernates through the winter so Bear is about sleeping through the tough times.  Bear eats honey so Bear is about sweetness.  Bear is a fisherman.  We all identify with the fisherman. Bear’s ears are just so darn cute!  And, Bear eats berries and grubs and roots and shoots.  All of these characteristics simply support the idea that Bear is not that scary.

When Bear comes to us as a power animal, do not be lulled into thinking that Bear is simply “of the Earth”.  The Greeks and Romans revered Bear so much that they named a constellation of stars after her. A different version of the story says that Zeus was so angry at the mother bear and her cub that he threw them up into the night sky to forever roam around the North Star.   

from www.nmm.ac.uk

So why does Bear come to us in times when we need comfort?  Well, when we need comfort, we are feeling weak or insecure.  Bear is a universal symbol of big and of power.  At our weakest, we need to be reminded that we have all the power that we require within us.  Bear, who hibernates, and who sleeps easily, reminds us to go in and reflect on what we do know and to honour our strengths.  Bear is about teaching the cub (often each of us) how to be a “big bear”.

I wish you a wonderful bear encounter.

Many Blessings,

Judy

Dolphin Dream Visit - A Spirit Animal

Picture comes from an email so the source is not known

My dream time is always very active.  From time to time, Dolphin comes in to teach me or show me a different way to do things.  This blog is about Dolphins for all those folks that dream about Dolphin.

Dolphins have been called the “Ambassadors of the Oceans” because they are so friendly and love to play around ships, boats, and even swimmers.  They more truly should be called the Messengers Of the Oceans” because when Dolphin shows up, she comes to lead a ship through treacherous waters, or help out a sailor, or do some healing work.

When Dolphin shows up in dream time, then these may be some of the messages that she brings.

• You have had your head down, working, for a long time.  You are in danger of drowning.  It is time to come up for air, and see what the world looks like above the surface.
• The Sun penetrates only several feet into the water.  Sunlight does not go through the walls of buildings.  You know this.  Yet, you do not spend time outside.  Are you feeling poorly?  Could it be that your Vitamin D (sunshine vitamin) is low?  Check in with your Doctor and you will find that it is much lower than you think.  
• It is time for a deep dive into the world of your child hood.  Face all the emotional issues from that time before your next big family event, and you will see that your family no longer has a hold on you.  Get some help with this.  Dolphins know how to work together to raise young, hunt food, and keep the pod safe.
• Jump for joy!  Oh, you don’t feel joyful?  Isn’t it time that you discovered WHY it is that you do not feel joyful?  Spend time thinking about what makes you joyful, and what doesn’t.  Get your jump back.

Many Blessings,

Judy

Jaguar - A Spirit Animal

 

Picture of jaguar from www.animals-images.com

On Sunday, in our Solstice Celebration, several people had an encounter with a jaguar. 

Last night, as I was falling asleep, my Black Jaguar, who sits on my Sacral Chakra, popped in and asked, “Why don`t you write about jaguars as spirit animals?” So, today, I will write about jaguar.

Jaguar is sacred to indigenous people in South and Central America.  They call it “the animal that kills with a bite”`because the Jaguar kills its prey with a single bite.  Jaguar makes a loud coughing noise.  She is unable to roar.  

In Munay-Ki, Jaguar is a totem that reflects integrity, steadfastness, truth, and the ability to blend in with the day or the night.  Her skills include climbing, running steadily for hours at a slow trot, and keen night vision.  The people with this totem or spirit animal, are generally agile, loners and leaders, and very good orators.  Most Jaguar people are writers and thinkers, and do something to change the world.

Jaguar likes to live in caves, close to water, much like the hermits or isolated monks do. If she appears to you, she may be reminding you that in the Northern hemisphere, people should be moving into a hibernation or isolation stage in their life.  Winter is a time of regeneration.  This is a time to heal, to refresh the mind, and to contemplate one’s next steps.  When we don’t take this time, people get out of balance.

 

Black jaguar image from www.worldwildlife.org  

 

 

Have jaguar dreams tonight.

Many Blessings,

Judy