Animals Divine Tarot

As many of you have already noticed, whales are in the news today, but not on account of anything good that has happened. On the contrary, a tragedy has happened at Sea World Orlando in the unfortunate death of one of their top trainers, Dawn Brancheau. For a more detailed accounting, please visit HERE to familiarize yourself with this sad story.

Sad. Sad in many ways. Sad because the whale is being blamed and talk of his euthanasia is being volleyed about, when it is clear that this whale was clearly not at fault. In fact, as I type these words with the news on I have just heard that Dawn had actually laid down in the water with this whale when it was common knowledge within this park and among the employees/trainers that this whale was not safe to be laying in the water with and that such a practice was clearly forbidden. What was Dawn thinking? I can understand that her love of the animal may have caused her to toss caution out the window, but had she thought ahead, she might have realized that sometimes we cannot let our love for animals put them or ourselves in danger. Common sense has to be at the forefront of animal welfare, especially where wild animals in captivity are concerned.

Just this morning, Patricia Cori started a news feed thread on Face book about working to get wild animals – especially whales – out of captivity and back where they belong…in the wild. I like her ideas and feel we should follow her lead and work at trying to get all wild animals back into their natural habitat. I ask and encourage you to visit her page and get involved in any way that you can. You can sign a petition HERE.

Tillikum

Bill Hemmer on FOX News this morning made a profound observation: that Tillikum = $$$. He is a breeder that has given Sea World 13 offspring since his captivity at their facility. And isn’t that the way most of these things go? Dollar signs always hold sway over everything else.  They are saying that Tilly may not survive in the wild and that a supported release might be the answer, but excuses are already being made. Again, money may be at the root of this mindset, as I feel there really is no excuse to keep wild animals in captivity, except for maybe to try and save an endangered species, and then it is questionable.

If you take a peek back in history, captive animals were a form of entertainment in an era of no other sensations, such as TV or movies. Captive animals were a cash cow back then as people lead boring lives and craved entertainment. Dancing bears, freak show oddities, circus animals were a big draw and meant big bucks for their owners/trainers/handlers. In this day and age, I don’t see why we need to retain this attitude. What with computer graphics, documentaries and such, the circus-like venue is not needed and is in fact outdated. Isn’t it time to move on?

I guess what really bothers me the most is that whenever a captive wild animal lashes out after having reached their limit of patience is that people always blame the animal. A kid gains entry into a tiger’s enclosure and teases and tortures a tiger and is consequently maimed and/or killed and they lash out at the tiger and kill it. An elderly chimpanzee attacks a neighbor, ripping off her face and hands, and they blame the chimp and kill him. Now this. Makes me ill that these animals – the original victims – are used as scapegoats to avoid any sort of culpability, especially when faced with changing established protocols that hit the wallet first and foremost. To heck with the safety of the public. And to heck with the torture and unhappiness of the poor animals. The dollar rules and nothing has changed. Man put these animals into captivity and it is man that is to blame.

My heart goes out to Dawn’s family, friends and loved ones. I pray for their comfort and healing.

Please do what you can…sign petitions, write letters, join online groups, call your representative or speak out. But don’t just blow this issue off and ignore it. Until we put wild animals back into the wild, this sort of thing will happen again and again. And believe me…you don’t have to be a psychic to see that this is true.

To see the Whale on the Ten of Cups in the Animals Divine tarot by Llewellyn really warms my heart and the irony is not lost on me. The Ten of Cups is the epitome of love, caring and the family dynamic. A happily ever after card. As a totem animal, the whale begs one to find their soul’s purpose and to remain true to one’s life path.

To find out more about animal totems and shamanism, click HERE.

Namaste…

The Shaman ~ Tarot of Origins

It’s funny how more and more synchronicity shows itself and makes itself known in one’s life the more aware one is of it’s existence. After studying and reading works of C.G.Jung over the past few years, I have found myself noticing more how things are really all related.

For instance, because of a location move that I will be making soon, I have been very busy lately making arrangements to get from here to there. If any of you have ever relocated across the country (this is my second time, the first being from California to Michigan), you know how timing and planning is tantamount to a successful move. True, it’s very hard to cover all of the bases, but by golly! we sure do try!  Anyway, while on the phone with a friend discussing which moving van company to go with – Budget or Penske – a Budget van goes cruising by my front window! (I subsequently went with Penske…heheh

Or one day last week I was driving around on a particularly beautiful and rare sunny day, the bright white new snow that lay everywhere practically blinded me, so I donned my sunglasses which are prescription. They are somewhat out of style,  their shape is quite thin, letting in a lot of unwanted light from the top of the lenses. I say to myself, “…I need to think about getting a new pair. I should save up these next few weeks and get some before spring gets here.” Got home. Got the mail. And there in the mail was a $100 off coupon for Rx sunglasses! This kind of stuff happens to me all the time.

Recently I have discovered some interesting reading material in the form of books written by Jim Pathfinder Ewing. They delve into shamanism, journeying  and healing in the Native American tradition. This is extremely interesting to me and  hits close to the heart, as I have Chocktaw blood running through my veins from my mother’s side of the family. It is suspected that this branch of my family  is where my intuitive nature  is passed down through to me and my two children. So, discovering Jim’s work is like finding a long lost cousin.

Last night before bed I was checking out the news on CNN and the sweat lodge story really caught my eye.  As the details unfolded as to what actually happened in that sweat lodge the day those three people died & others became very ill because of someones negligence, I felt great sorrow for that whole situation. How could such a thing happen and at such a cost. I thought to myself, “Oh boy…this is gonna give Sedona a black eye for sure.” Add to that how people who scoff at New Age beliefs and ideas or alternative ways of thinking, believing and healing, are going to tear into this like a mad dog &\and rip it to shreds. Oh brother.

Every morning I have what I call my quiet time, with whatever book I am reading in one hand and a hot cup of coffee in the other. I open the book at the bookmark that I set yesterday about this same time and what are the first words I read at the top of the page?

…”The Sweat Lodge.”

I heard an interesting thing on the morning CNN news. The piece started out with this statement: “Reports are saying that Avatar, the movie, is anti-religion and anti-military.” I raised an eyebrow.

I find this statement interesting. For one, I smirk and almost resent that anyone would say such a goofy thing!  The news commentator went on to say that James Cameron defended his latest movie as “spiritual” and not necessarily having anything to do with religion, to which I wholeheartedly agree. I find it typical and somewhat disgusting that mainstream religious rights and lefts would point a finger at what this movie is – a call to be more spiritual and aware of our Mother Earth  and more sensitive to everything around us, especially people. Just like the hubbub that went on when Harry Potter first arrived on the scene, calling it pagan and anti-religious just for the fact that it had an air of the  otherworldly about it. Spells and brooms and potions, oh my! Heaven forbid!

It just really bugs me when this sort of thing happens.

The commentators went on to say that $10,000,000 in revenue speaks very loudly to the fact that people love this movie, its message and connect with it in a big way, something the Christian Churches (especially those who’s head master is stationed in Rome!) must find disturbing, when one takes into account all of those $dollar signs$ that are supporting such a “pagan” flavour.

They interviewed two people on the street. The first one, when asked what he thought about this latest sentiment, said, “I think it is anti-overly religious and overly-military.” Another person, a young Asian lady, commented, “I just think it is an over the top sensory stimulation. Nothing ant-anything about it.” So, there you have it. The folks on the street really are not the ones finding this movie “over-anything.” So…who is it that is behind these statements anyway?

Facts are facts. I read a poll not too long ago that said that people were stepping back away from organized religion and wetting their appetites for enlightenment on a more individual and spiritual path, which does my heart good. People are waking up to their own feelings, their own sensitivities and their own spirituality and beginning to realize that they don’t really need a huge religion in back of them to find their way to a higher source. Don’t get me wrong. I am not out against big and/or organized religion as a whole or for people to find comfort and/or camaraderie behind it. Sometimes that is just their style. I just don’t think that these same religions should cast stones at others who don’t wish to follow the same path as they do. It’s like…”your way is right as long as it is just like my way.” Intolerance.  NOT what Jesus would do.

What comes to my mind is an episode of SpongeBob Squarepants that my grand daughter and I were watching one time. Mr. Crabs had just sold out his diner, the Crusty Crab,  to a big restaurant chain to be pounded and molded into a clone of what they already had going as a national chain of high profile and highly recognizable restaurants. Mr. Crabs sold out and  retired, but the rest of the staff stayed on, as they still needed jobs. Of course, as with all big conglomerates, they have their quirks, like the acronyms and the employee manuals to keep everyone brainwashed, under control and in line. After a while, the staff started getting sick and tired of being told what to think and how to fee, (…yeah, this is a kids show! and soon they began to revolt. The little peon manager was seen to be running through the restaurant screaming at the top of his lungs, “FREE THINKER! FREE THINKER!!!”    This is what the Avatar flap I heard on the boob toob this morning reminds me of. I am glad they ran the story. I am hoping that a lot of other folks out there feel the same way about it as I do.

Although, my partner has another spin on it. He says that the reason they are trying to tear down the movie and cast doubt is because of the fact that it is up for Best Picture. Ha!  He’s probably right. There’s always something. He always keeps me grounded.

I’m not sure what happened, but my old blog bit the dust…

So…here it is -> my new and improved blog! I will be blogging like crazy very soon, so keep an eye on this spot for all new blog posts!

I feel kinda bad that I lost all the old stuff, but in another way, it is good! I can really concentrate on bringing you the very best that I can give to the world of Tarot blogs!

Stay tuned…