Hidden Panthers Redux

Here are some new Rorschach panther totem visions. These animations came about as I played around with adding motion via animation to my previous Jungle Panoramas - as described in post above. (Previous Panther visions here.)

Hidden Panthers, Oh My!

The jungle in shamanic practice is a dreamtime filled with plant and animal spirits, as well as ancestors, guides, demons, protectors. Here are some Rorschach panther totem visions.

Visionary Art by Fred Tomaselli

Artwork by Fred Tomaselli

Shaman Art - Starry Web

Well I have been in the hospital for a week now and today, being a bit bored,  I decided to take a photo of bedside myself that my wife shot (yesterday) and convert it to "art" using a handful of iPhone apps. So, here is the result. It's interesting enough that I think I want to try to work on a few more - see if a series develops based upon Ecstatic Body Postures.

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.)

Spirit Totem for My Birthday

In a recent journey, I was given an image to create as a totem for this emerging cycle in my life (or at least for the next few months of transition from fall into winter).

Sagittarian Vision Mirror Totem

The image shows a Snowy Owl perched atop a blooming Prickly Pear Cactus. Owl is holding a Snake in its beak. Behind Owl, in the night sky can be seen the blue-white star field of the Pleiades. Some of the major stars of the cluster mark the head and the tail of the Rattlesnake (in Owl's mouth). In many Mayan dialects, the word for rattle and Pleiades is the same.

Below the Cactus is a pair of flaming antlers - a shamanic gateway and protective sign. On either side sits a pair of Smoking Mirror hieroglyphs (based upon the Aztec variant of this Meso-American symbol with the vision plume merging from the mouth of the skull). The mirror represents contemplation, the smoking mirror is that of journey and vision quest by the Mirror Lord.

Owl has come to me over the last few months introducing itself as a new companion and power animal to guide and watch over me in this next phase of my life.

Upon receiving this journey image and during creation of the actual digital image, I was struck by the similarities of the central totem (Owl, Snake, Cactus) with that of the Mexican flag (Eagle, Snake, Cactus) - itself originally based upon an Aztec hieroglyphic place sign for their capital city of Tenochtitlan (where Mexico City stands today). Legend has it their leader was informed in a dream by the god of war, Huitzilopochtli, that they were to settle in the place where they would find an eagle on a prickly pear cactus holding a serpent. The place where they saw this sight was quite inhospitable - a swampy area in the center of three lakes - on a small island in the Lake Texcoco. This is where they settled and built the great city of Tenochtitlan with its Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon.

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.

Two journeys - one to GIla Monster and one that began with Sasquatch (Yeti)

The Gila journey I will write about later. The second journey revealed that the Sasquatch was a costume worn by my "root" Siberian shaman ancestor. He told me that this was one of his ritual outfits - it's really a skin and mask that is worn as a body suit.

Beyond the basic information about what Sasquatch represents energetically (etc.) , the shaman informed me that he was time traveling to me from his time in the remote past. He was reaching out (forward) o me as part og his normal shamanic process of "remote viewing" - except that he was reaching out to let me know that he had been building this timeline - the future that I inhabit - from his dreamspace. He said that he was drawing the future out from the possible timelines and focusing on creating a specific spacetime possibility. That he was reaching out to me to let me know that he was me and that "we" are Time Lords in the strictest shamanic sense - that we must build futures which embody our dream, desires, intents, morals, vision, etc etc.  So he's there to guide and support me as I begin to help build the time line from this point / peerspective...

Meanwhile, I have been involved in a project dealing with Bhutan. I have always been attracted to Bhutan since I saw an image of the mysterious temple (monastery) clinging to the sides of a cliff high in the clouded mountains. I know that I lived there many times as a monk and as head lama in previous lifetimes. During research for this project, I discovered (recalled) that Bhutan has a national myth about YETI (Sasquatch). As a kid, I used to collect triangular Bhutanese stamps with this Yeti image.

Who knew? From further research online: 

Among the most famous of "hairy hominids" is the Yeti, said to inhabit the mountainous regions of the Himalayas. Actually there are three creatures referred to as the yeti. The Meh-teh is a man-sized ape-like creature with thick reddish-brown to black fur, a conical head, and long arms which reach almost to its knees. It always walks on two legs. The Dzu-teh is a large bear-like creature, usually seen walking on four legs but occasionally on two. It leaves behind clawed footprints. Locals say it raids livestock holdings. It is very likely to be some kind of bear. The Teh-lma is another ape-like creature, smaller than the Meh-teh. The Teh-lma is about three to four feet tall with a pointed head and reddish fur. They appear to subsist on frogs.

Wheel of Life - Bhutan Dreaming

The design is based upon the Wheel of Life thangka format. Many of the source images are from Bhutan. It is a commission for a teaching image - didactic in intent - concerning sustainable living. The assignment was to put such "modern" information into a framework (design) that would be easily recognized and read by a typical Bhutanese viewer.

The parts of the Wheel are are follows:

The inner circle shows the cock, the snake and the wild boar symbols - symbols of lust, bodily needs, ego. The inner ring shows "good karma" and "bad karma" effects - with the good karma leading to eventual Buddhahood.

The middle ring (consisting of 6 large slices) traditionally shows scenes for the 6 realms. In this case, I have shown realms relating to ecological living: green sustainability vs. out-of-control development & resulting pollution. Starting at the top running counter clockwise: a view of Bhutan today with mountains and lake; the landscape with sustainable energy (windmills and solar arrays); a waterfall and pristine glacial river with prayer flags; mountain poppies in a meadow; a view of lake/river pollution and uncontrolled discharge; a view of air pollution from factories and burning forests.

Around the Wheel's outer ring is Yama - Lord of Death / Karma.

I also placed some local fauna (birds and leopard) around the outside along with a traditional offering symbol.

So, this is my first attempt at creating a didactic visual that can be used to tell a specific story (contrasting two possible approaches / outcomes -> sustainable vs. current madness). Which path will Bhutan take into their future?

They talk of GNH - Gross National Happiness, so I imagine they will maintain the beauty of their land and the stewardship of it by continuing in a sustainable approach to living.

Sky Signs: Taurus New Moon Conjunction

Well, perhaps it wasn't quite a new moon last night (Sunday, April 26th), but the moon was certainly at a minimal sliver of silver... Around sunset in the west, the conjunction of Mercury, Moon and the Pleiades stood out to the naked eye!

Today, I meditated on this astronomical event more deeply so as to understand it's possible significance(s)...

Of course, the Pleiades is the snake's rattle constellation for the Maya, the portal to their star ancestors. It's importance is magnified at the Summer Equinox when it's apogee overhead marks the half-year point before the mid-winter opening of the Xibalba Be "dark road" portal to the heart of the galaxy (the land of the ancestors).

The moon confers knowledge of cycles, of transformation, of the Dreamtime and of feminine creative energies. Watching over us at night, the Moon initiates us into the knowledge of the hidden rites, of the great secret of being beyond ego self.

Mercury is the messenger, bringing communication to and from the Gods. In many medicine wheel traditions, the messenger of the Spirit realm is the fleet-winged, nearly invisible Hummingbird.

Thus, this is certainly a moment of high connectivity between us on earth and our ancestors. A time of "Thinning of the Veil". To honor this event, I created the image:


It is based upon the celestial locations recorded photographically last night during the conjunction. The Pleiades is above the moon, here shown in it's rattlesnake form. Below the moon and sightly to the left can be seen the small glowing dot of Mercury. This point marks the focus of the interaction between the hummer and it's flower. The plant is a Datura metel cultivar named "Double Purple" which I grew last year, my favorite Datura flower. (Datura, of course, is known as "Devil's Weed", or in Spanish - la Yerba Del Diablo - but it is known to the Chumash people of California, the Mohave, Yuma, Cahuilla, Zuni and others as toloache from the Aztec toloatizn, "to incline the head". It is used to induce sleep, dreams and divinatory visions.)

Ecstatic Body Postures - 2009

This posting will be updated monthly to present posture journeys based upon this year's new moon cycles. For more information about Ecstatic Body Postures, read my previous postings (below) and visit the Cuyamungue Institute. If you are in the New York metropolitan area, contact me and I will ask Marianne Carroll, our local group leader, to contact you with details about the next (monthly) circle.

Mayan Whistle Pose

02.24.09 - Pisces New Moon. Mayan Whistle Pose - This is a "living myth" posture - related to the Hero Twins of the Mayan creation story, The Popol Vuh. For this posture, I created a wide golden necklace matching that found on the original sculptural figure. The ceremonial collar is covered in hermetic hieroglyphs, with specific translations as indicated (see collar detail below).

The trance image is a composite of a number of trance experience as reported by the participants: at the bottom right of image is the rattle with "incense" (spirit smoke) coming off of it, producing the vision space of the ancestors (upper panel). We see a circle of 3 ancestors joined together in a ceremonial circle, each of them in the journey pose, and each wearing the golden collar covered in mystic hieroglyphs. Behind them / emerging from their circle is a pillar of fire and water. Within this portal / vortex can be sensed images of attending spirit animals - protectors and guides. We can see a pair of guardian wolves at the top of the image emerging from the smoke, further down in the mid-section, a pair of totem ravens. Thru the fire and smoke rises the (kundalini energy) snake of transformation. Finally, in the bottom left appears a white cave bear appears to ensure the ceremony results in healing for all.

Mayan Ceremonial Trance Collar

Feathered Serpent Pose

01.26.09 - Aquarius New Moon. This is a time of rapid portal openings and energy shifts: a solar eclipse falls on this new moon, followed 2 weeks later by a lunar eclipse on the full moon gateway. Meanwhile, Venus (in the evening) and Saturn (in the pre-dawn) play in the vicinity of the moon over the coming month... The posture figure is The Feathered Serpent, circa 6000BC-2500BC, found in areas as diverse as Bosnia, Siberia, Peru and India. The pose is classified as a Spirit Journey / Initiation pose.

Here is part of my journey notes:

I am in a desert landscape under a central tree - acacia. In the darkness around me I sense, then clearly see, a large number of animal totem spirits circling and dancing... As it becomes daylight, the spirit animals auras become indistinct, almost imperceptible. Yet I can sense them still dancing and cavorting around me in the landscape. The shadows cast by the tree leaves catch my eye - I see refractions of a full eclipse - a myriad of solar "beads" which glint and shine in synchronicity with the sun and moon conjunction in the sky above.

A hummingbird flies up to my ear and whispers "Let go, let it fall away. This is the time of transformation, of falling away, of stripping away the illusion - to reveal something new and unexpected under the old skin. A new world, a new world tree. Let the old tree come crashing down... let the old skin fall away. Do not fear. Help others around you through their fear of what seems chaotic, out-of-control."

The solar shadow play mentioned above is a real physical effect that I've had the pleasure to witness several times in "waking reality" - it occurs because the tree crown's leaf crossings randomly create a thousand "pin hole" camera-like apertures which transmit silhouettes of the solar eclipse, projecting a myriad of sharp, glittering eclipse images onto the ground below in the tree's shadow. The effect is strongest near totality.

Ritual Posture: Poppy Woman

Poppy Woman

9.22.08 - Equinox - The figure of Poppy Woman was found in Crete, created by the Minoan civilization circa 1350b.c. She wears a headdress of poppy seedpods, known as "the plant of happiness". Poppy is a source for intoxicants (opium) as well as healing medicine. It is a symbol of fertility, slumber and reincarnation. For the Greeks, poppy is the flower of Demeter, Goddess of agriculture and fertility. This posture, with arms upraised like antennae tuning into the spirit realm, has been found carved on ancient temples throughout the Mediterranean region.

Research indicates that the posture often results in experiences of healing and transformation, as well as death and rebirth (such as by sowing and reaping). In our own group, some common themes included lightning, walking a path between darkness & light, spinning, connection to Mother Earth. Several participants reported sinking into the earth's core (or into the underworld), thence emerging again re-invigorated and full of radiant, healthy energy.

Here is an excerpt from my journey: I am face-to-face with the bear spirit who wraps his arms around me and proceeds to use his claws along my backbone to cut open and totally flay my skin - which he gently hangs up to dry on the cave wall like a coat. I am then instructed to roll around on the cave floor, coating myself with mud. Next I am wrapped in corn leaves like a Tamale. After some time has past, I feel as if I am sprouting and growing into the sunlight. I am a stalk of corn ripe for harvest...

Ritual Posture: Ecuadorian Spirit Journey

South American Lower World Posture

4.04.08 New Moon - This posture's spirit journey can be visualized as beginning with a descent through a hole, cold damp cave or a stairway to the Lower World of animal spirits. It may be used to locate one's power animal, totem animal, or spirit helper. Reports of healing such as soul retrieval may also spontaneously occur during this posture.

In my journey, a white Snow Leopard leads me through an "A" shaped Inca stone gateway along a winding path to a hidden valley with steep slopes and terraces planted with flowers. In this valley there is a spacious workshop, my herbarium, which I explore in detail. Elsewhere, in the distance, a large crowd is gathering under a prayer flag pole to celebrate Solstice.

Many other participants in this body posture workshop relate stories of animal guides, meeting power animals and removal of energy blocks.

Shaman's Journey Series

Its all here, folks - vision quests, sacred medicines (ayahuasca, mushroom, peyote, soma), spiritual guides, power animals, flower allies, "xibalba be" (The Royal Road, The Dark Road to the Underworld and the Ancestors), star gates and star ancestors...

Guardian of the Gate

Spirit Circle

Spirit Fire

Spirit Path

Royal Road / Dark Road

Shaman's Gate

Tutiwarai

Spirit Mountain

Spirit Tree

Hummingbird

Hummingbird is a Native American totem animal of the North direction, the land of the Dead. Hummingbird's quick flight ensures strong communication with the Ancestors. But also Hummingbird can float in place, wings a-blur. Thus, Hummingbird is a master of vibrations. 

In this series of Huichol-influenced images, we see Hummingbird cleansing and re-tuning various chakras with a nectar of divine light.