Full Moon Shaman

Last fall we had a pig roast with everyone sitting at long tables outside under the Autumn full moon. A friend took several photos of my friend Gaylord and me goofing around with a pair of antlers. What you see below is a set of transformations as I modified the original images to be more 'visionary.'

original photo

original photo

leaves & enhancements

leaves & enhancements

mask added

mask added

Final: Vision Quest

Planetary Mandala

I recently started work on a new series the I have been thinking of as planetary Goddess mandalas. I suppose this might seem astrologically influenced, but not exactly. More shamanically attuned / intended.

The original notion was to work with a double exposure technique using the Goddess bodies overlaid by sacred flowers, tree branches and leaf textures. In the heart of each mandala appears the particular astronomical body. The Goddesses hold court in each image - 4 in the Solar mandala, 3 in the Gaian mandala, 2 in the Lunar mandala, and 1 in the Venusian mandala. Additionally, various associated birds and power animals appear (Earth -> owl, Moon -> hummingbird, Sun -> hawk, Venus -> bat and rattlesnake).

Gaian Goddess Mandala

Lunar Goddess Mandala

Solar Goddess Mandala

Venusian Goddess Mandala

These pieces are current on view in the "Double Exposure" exhibit at the Blue Door Gallery in Yonkers thru April 27th. www.bluedoorgallery.org

About the upcoming Annular Eclipse May 20th

Watch this informative video for details and viewing tips.

Conjunction Celebration

Jupiter Venus Conjunction ©2012

In late March and early April this year there was a series of conjunctions between the moon, Venus and Jupiter in the western skies at sunset. I took photos of these and thought that I would create some art to commemorate the energy exchange. Then, I came across a fantastical photo on my Pixable feed. I don't recall now who took this image nor who posted it. But it caught my fancy and I decided that I would use the planet catching meme in my own piece. Below, I have posted these original source (inspirational) images - the found photo is on the left, my photo is on the right.

Solstice Skies

Lunar Eclipse in the Dark Rift

This eclipse occurring on the Winter Solstice is important in that it is one which is amplified by conjunction with the Galactic Core (Sagittarius A black hole) of our galaxy. As the Milky Way rotates over the year, it becomes aligned vertically across the plane of the Ecliptic and across our horizon. The Dark Rift dust clouds of the central galactic region now form a direct path connecting the earth realm with the realm of the ancestors - The Dark Road or the Royal Road of the Maya. They saw this configuration with the galactic band perpendicularly crossing the Ecliptic as "The Rising Up of the World Tree." Due to the coming end of the current 5000+ year long Long Count, the current alignment is a sign of the final calendar cycles leading up to 2012 transformations.

Nearby in the sky, the constellation of the Pleiades helps mark this period. The Pleiades is seen to be the fiery rattle of a great sky snake, here in combat with a owl protector. The snake and owl (or hawk) totem pair are key symbols for Mesoamerican cultures throughout Mexico & Central America.)

Winter Solstice Full Moon Eclipse

This morning at 3:17AM EST was it --- the mid-point of a 70 minute Full Moon totality in the western skies. The night was cold and windy as we gathered around a fire pit. I placed tobacco, copal incense, and a dried brugmansia flower as offerings.

An offering prayer:

Accept these offerings as a sign of respect and in deepest gratitude. We honor you spirits of the Land and spirits of the Sky. We honor you Elementals of the East, the West, the South and the North; animal spirits, plant spirits, who walk amongst us to guide and protect. We honor you, ancestors and lineage masters who have walked the Path before us. We honor the Sun and the Moon. We especially honor you Panchamama - Earth Mother - for the abundance and grace with with you provide, for the life you give. May we renew our vows of respect and recall the sacred pact that we hold with you and all your children. May we recall our true spirit and walk in harmony and balance once more. May we walk the Beauty Way once more. May we walk in Beauty.

After returning to bed, I am visited by Mahalkala, my Heart Protector, who dances iridescent blue and in flaming red glory. I am honored by his visit and know that the solstice offerings have been accepted with joy.

Fall Equinox - Conjunction of Moon, Jupiter, Uranus

With the Full Moon falling next to the Fall Equinox, I participated in an Ecstatic Body Posture journey circle. As part of the posture enactment, we held up a snake effigy in our left hand and a woven ring of Mugwort in our right. During the journey, a large Owl came to guide and protect me. For others in the circle, Kundalini snakes and oscillating energy played a prominent role.

Fall Equinox Dreams

I came across a photo of the Equinox midnight conjunction showing the moon rays and a brilliant Jupiter below. Reflecting upon this image, I felt the tug of the changing energies of the season working their way from Dreamtime into our time and place. A slow shifting from active summer growth to fulfillment and winter rest / hibernation. I decided to make an image to celebrate this moment.

The image (above) shows the conjunction with moon light radiating brilliantly. A lunar rainbow effect. The spirit owl circles overhead as the spirit snake reaches towards Jupiter. Owl is both wisdom and clarity of vision. Snake is the power of transformation. Just the traits each of us need now in these difficult times...

On either side of Snake are Mugwort offerings, their incense burning skyward. Throughout the world in many different cultures, Mugwort is (has been) recognized as a powerful dream medicine, bringing forth strong, lucid dreams. Mugwort stands as guardian of the gateway to Dreamtime, to our ancestors and spirit guides. Through its smoke or by drinking of Mugwort tea, that door can be opened wide. Collecting the leaves and flowers into a simple sachet for under the pillow provides a powerful effect on dreaming, as well.

Even though it is late in the year and not the prime time to harvest Mugwort, I selected a number of plants to process into tea leaves and smudge sticks (dream wands). Everything is drying right now...

Prayer for Protection and Guidance

Sky Protector

Namo Ratna Guru

You are the drum that ends the sleep of sentient beings.

You are the ambrosia that takes away the torment of suffering.

You are the moon that dispels the misery of the afflicting emotions.

You are the sun disk that dispels the darkness of ignorance.

You are the chief of physicians who dispels the sickness of the three poisons.

You are the supreme sword that cuts the bonds of samsara.

You are the vajra that destroys the confusion-wheel of self-grasping.

You are the weapon that cuts through wrong view and doubt.

- an excerpt from "Manifesting the Mystic Body" published in "Calling the Lama from Afar"

This Tibetan figure is Kalachrakra - Lord of Time - in a Yab-Yum pose with his consort (male/female energy in balance, the Union of Compassion and Wisdom Bliss). His many hands hold tools and instruments of protection, meditation, spiritual practice and offering. Upon reading the poem fragment, I immediately visualized this Protector image including Manjushri's flaming sword of Wisdom.

Shamanic Mandala

I created this mandala for my shamanic friend, Kara, who writes the Conduit of Joy blog site. The overall composition of the animal guardians and guides, their projection upon constellations and their general locations were given to me during a recent journey.

The animal spirits include a panther, an owl, a raven, a lemur, an Egyptian scarab beetle and a lunar moth. Kara, as Durga, rides a lion of power and mastery.

I haven't a clue about how this all fits Kara or the moment of transition she is in, but I hope to find out more soon! I get the feeling that meditating on the locations (quadrant or compass direction) where the animal spirits reside in the mandala would help to reveal deeper significance. One thing that strikes me immediately is how many of the animals have "big eyes" - embodying / symbolizing night vision or acuity of vision?? I think this is certainly a clear message about her shamanic skills!

Bird Omens

I felt in need of reassurances. Guidance... "What about giving me some unmistakable signs?" So I asked the other day during my meditation...

I subsequently received these signs on two separate days - each occurred on "opposite sides" of the Spring Equinox:

1) Looking out across the Hudson River to the Palisades and I see a huge white owl (with white and black checked marking on wings) fly right past me and into the woods - I duck instinctively from the flash of white in my peripheral vision... What was a normally nocturnal owl doing in mid-morning flying like that? Then, a few moments later, overhead I caught sight of 2 circling Red Tail Hawks high above the trees. Did these hawks flush out the owl - trying to protect its nest form predators? Or was it simply "coincidence"?

2) At a client's property, looking at all of his downed trees - Spruce and Pine - down from the wind storms of a week previous...

Overhead I catch sight of a huge hawk circling high in the thermals. As it sinks closer I see two other smaller birds flying around it. At first I think these are birds trying to "scare off" or "fight off" the hawk. Then, I realize that as the large hawk slowly drifts eastward towards the reservoir on the thermals, the other 2 birds are circling with it, playing along in the currents. These must be yearlings following the mother hawk in her sky drifting lessons!

--

A few nights later I had a dream with a Red Tail Hawk which took up residence (unexpectedly) under the eaves at the front of my dream house. Now, to figure out what this all means...

Equinox Sky Show

This Spring Equinox brought an unusually close conjunction of the Crescent Moon with the Pleiades. Just before the Equinox near the time of the new moon, I journeyed to contact the spirit of the Gila Monster - which had shown up in an earlier journey undertaken for me by Kara, the shamanic practitioner who writes the Conduit of Joy blog. I decided that I needed to get to know this new spirit animal better...

During the journey, the Gila imparted various pieces of knowledge to me concerning its powers and strengths: it waits out the noon day heat calmly, underground hidden in cool darkness, emerging to occasionally feed. Here, Gila embodies energy of the underworld. Unlike other lizards, it does not "drop its tail" to escape danger. Gila embodies strength, courage, fearlessness, yet being almost invisible - all traits which have made it a symbol and intimate of the shamanic for many Native peoples.

Gila is closely related to another lizard found in Huichol territories, known as Eemuukwee, which is believed to be endowed with magical healing powers. A piece of this reptile's tail is often seen in a Shaman's medicine basket.

Also related to Gila (as a patron spirit) is the Navajo "Hand Trembling" practice. Individuals become Hand Tremblers by way of a calling: a person may spontaneously enter an alternate reality state and exhibit characteristic trembling during a healing ceremony - thus being recognized as having the gift of divinatory sight, seeing both the cause and the cure (herbal and/or ceremonial) for a patient's disease. The hand-trembler may also draw images on the floor to produce a diagnostic image.

Gila's patterned back is jewel-like, a map of the cosmos? A map of Dreamtime spirit worlds? Could this be where the Huichol's found inspiration for their beaded visionary art?

But Gila seemed to have a real sense of humor - as it informed me that I should not be too surprised to see it show up in my totem since the Southwest U.S. - an area with which I have deep shamanic ancestral connections - is also known as the "Land of the Gilas." The Gila said jokingly, "Gilas Land... Gilliland, Get it?" Chuckling at the cosmic humor.

I created a sky protector piece to commemorate the events of this year's Spring Equinox, especially the visitation by Gila.