The Power of Silence by Tania Marie
~ click on image to enlarge and magnify ~

He who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your words.

~Elbert Hubbard

As always, it is a joy to be able to bring a vision to life and this most recent commissioned painting provided me opportunity to channel not only a personal expression for whom it was being created, but one that collectively had meaning too. I was excited by the synchronicity of this request to paint a snow leopard, as it had been on my radar to be included in my series, Universal ARKitecture. So this piece felt aligned on multiple layers and serving a greater good, which is always something I put out as intention.

I was so excited that this painting would have two-fold purpose. It seems that most things these days is about synergy, everything aligning as a cohesive tapestry, and depth within simplicity.

This painting happens to also be perfectly aligned in being the #9 painting in my series (the only one that the original will not be available, but prints are), as its message and symbolism is very connected to the symbolism of the number nine and its association with “The Hermit” in Tarot.

For starters, snow leopards carry the message and medicine of focused silence, true strength and power, gracefulness, and independence. “Coincidentally” they live in, and are well-adapted to, the remote areas of Asia’s Himalayan Mountains (the area I have been researching for my own personal sacred journey) and create their dens in rocky caverns and crevices in the high altitudes of the mountainous and snowy region. They are extremely rare and in fact are endangered species under protection. As a very solitary creature, they only come together with another of its kind to breed, but otherwise remain on their own.

Because of their “hermit” like nature, they whisper to us the “power of silence.” They know its value and also the power of mindfulness, being observant, present, aware, and focused all by going within your inner silence. They understand good use of purposeful retreat in order to prepare for the new. From this place, you are alert and ready to embrace opportunity when it presents itself, having the advantage of the wisdom gained. They also know how to conserve energy and to use it discerningly and efficiently. They tell us to avoid talking too much about future goals until you have achieved them, but realize that you have all the energy and strength to very effectively manifest them and will be able to perform well under any circumstance. They warn not to take on too much though and make sure it is aligned with who you are at heart. Keeping focused on what your inner guidance shares as most important will help you to pinpoint your attention and energy and when you do, go forth with all of yourself, but make sure to keep balanced and rest and play as well. Know that when you are out on a limb that like the snow leopard, you can land on your strong, broad feet. Be mindful of not taking on more obligations and commitments. Snow leopards teach us to be fearless leaders and to use our power wisely and effectively. When they show up for you they reflect that clairvoyance is a natural gift you have that can be used to integrate your shadow and make productive use of all of your parts working together in wholeness, rather than in separation, which is counter-productive. They also message you to trust your intuition to guide you, as it is right, and not to be afraid to “stalk” your dreams. Go after what you are passionate about, but do use caution and discernment when “out of” your own natural territory. Like the snow leopard, it may at times be wise to blend with your environment, lay low for a while, and come to understand Divine timing for revealing yourself.

For those of you familiar with The Hermit energy from Tarot, you may see some similarities with the snow leopard.

Much like the snow leopard, The Hermit stands alone on the top of a mountain with a lantern in his hand. The Hermit symbolizes soul-searching, introspection, inner guidance, searching within, meditative time, connecting with Source and centering self, time of self-discovery and purposeful withdrawal to do so, being patient, going quiet into your heart stillness, and spiritual focus and enlightenment. Like the mountain he is depicted standing upon, this symbolizes reaching a spiritual pinnacle of growth, achievement, and accomplishment that has been in preparation to bring forth to share with others. The Hermit focuses on inner awareness as guide to life and the lantern he holds is a symbol of the wisdom and enlightenment found, and of the inner light that is revealing answers. The staff he holds symbolizes a path of initiation, power and authority, which also demonstrates his wise use of deliberate isolation and reveals what has been attained in wisdom to support the evolutionary path he follows. And since the staff is in the left hand it is connected with the subconscious and coming to master all parts of himself (the seen and unseen). The snow he stands upon (like the highest grounds of the snowy Himalayan peaks where the snow leopard resides) symbolize the great heights of spiritual enlightenment achieved, or that is available to achieve, by walking this path when it cycles around. The cloak offers the same ability that the snow leopard’s coat does, that of being able to stay “invisible” until ready to reveal what has been attained and even then, to do so with discernment.

This leads us to the next interesting synchronicity that this painting comes to double as – being #9 in my series – the numerological correspondence for The Hermit card is number nine. 🙂

The number nine represents the end of a cycle, wisdom, completion, fulfillment, attainment, satisfaction, accomplishment, search for truth, releasing all that no longer serves your life, and endings to old cycles before the new begins. The spiritual meaning of nine has to do with intellectual power, influence over experiences, inventiveness, going within to access your own inner wisdom and power, and then extending your authentic gifts to the world in service for positive, influential change.

The painting also happens to symbolize the season of Winter – the Winter of your soul – a season that symbolizes the hermit – no surprise – and a time for stillness, silence, indwelling, percolation, introversion, contemplation, integration. It is basically a time for going within and quieting the mind so the soul can retrieve from that centered place/Source, what will be of greatest benefit. It is a time of “crystallizing” your inner workings from a place of clarity and purification.

And the snowflakes of course represent our individual and beautiful uniqueness, simultaneously within our unity of connection with the Collective Consciousness that all originates from Source. We each have our own journeys, as Source experiencing itself, but how that journey unfolds is up to us to create in the reflection of our hearts.

As you can see there are many layers within the symbolism of this painting and that goes without mentioning the other layers you can likely discover by exploring it and letting your heart feel the energetic message it conveys.

I created an image that brings physical clarity and the mystical surreal together, whereas you see a very poignant snow leopard that for purposes of this painting is not camouflaging itself, but revealing itself so you can come to feel what it means to be in that space of grounded strength and centered peace that exudes from within, while following your spiritual path – seen also through his soulful and piercing clear eyes, which mirror the environment of enchanted crystalline snowflakes and enlightenment that is coming through from Source.

The question is, are we seeing Source as a separate entity from which this comes, or is this a projection of the inner journey revealed of what is going on within and behind those crystalline eyes from the Source at heart?

Above the snow leopard you also see the faint appearance of Buddha with star-like snowflakes lighting up his heart and sitting just above his crown.

Since the Himalayas are home to the highest mountain in the world, Mt. Everest, and to many Tibetan Buddhist monks, they are known to symbolize spiritual enlightenment and ascension. Is it no wonder then that the “hermit-like” snow leopards reside here as well?

There is much I could continue to reveal, but I’ve already revealed much more than I normally like to do with my paintings, as they are meant to be “experienced” and what I may say, share, or see, may be something completely different than what you “experience.” I prefer not taking away from that, but providing some insights to anyone who is interested.

Because of the way that things are so magically aligning these days, I felt to share more of the story. And because this painting feels significant to the current energies of where some people are, in terms of really doing that deep inward work with the reflections of shadow and old to integrate and release, this felt important to expound upon a bit. There are also cycles that are continually happening on a daily basis where we are learning to balance our energy and this involves both the inner and outer and understanding when to move in and out for optimal results. So even though we are in Summer and we are being asked to bring forth into the light and create the new reality we have been wanting and working towards, there are also periods of stepping back, like with the Mercury Retrograde currently, to regroup and make adjustments so you can leap forward with greater focus.

As always, I have said that anything can change at any moment, and I follow where things lead. There is the potential this may be the last in the Universal ARKitecture series, contrary to originally feeling there may be a few more. The numbers within the series has shifted a couple of times already, and could again, but currently this is where I am putting present closure until, or if, I receive guidance differently.

Perhaps it is perfect in this way, as the cycle of 9 leads us to the birthing of the new cycle, and what that new looks like is up to each of us individually to create for ourselves from the mirror of our own heart’s reality.

So the next canvas is a blank one for you to envision and manifest as you desire. What will your #1 look like?

Whereas, I am called to create in another vein, having channeled the messages given to me for this series of “experience” and am now ready to walk through the next doorway.