Monthly Archives: June 2014
Dream A Little Dream
Photo I took in Costa Rica
You are both the Dream Weaver and the Dream Manifestor.
If you can dream it, you can create it.
Charlie Chaplan ~ “As I Began to Love Myself”
I LOVE this! It speaks so powerfully and to the point so perfectly. Thanks for sharing Laura.
“As I Began to Love Myself”
As I began to love myself I found that anguish and emotional suffering
are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth.
Today, I know, this is “AUTHENTICITY”.
As I began to love myself I understood how much it can offend somebody
As I try to force my desires on this person, even though I knew the time
was not right and the person was not ready for it, and even though this
person was me. Today I call it “RESPECT”.
As I began to love myself I stopped craving for a different life,
and I could see that everything that surrounded me was inviting me to grow.
Today I call it “MATURITY”.
As I began to love myself I understood that at any circumstance,
I am in the right place at the right time, and everything…
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The Unseen Made Seen – An Enchanted Realm Comes Alive as a Sacred Tattoo Design
This newest sacred tattoo design awakened an opportunity to bring an enchanted realm into this reality that both my client and I hold dear in heart. I was so excited when we started to collaborate and I heard what all I was going to be able to help bring alive and into being from behind the veils.
It was a deep and intense journey and yet, as I always do, I sat with things until the energetic frequency I could access felt clear. When there were things holding me off or creating a block, I just waited until I was able to hold a clear frequency that could mirror the wholeness I knew was there peeking through. Then suddenly, when I was able to reach “through” all of the things that were in process of shifting, it suddenly flowed like a powerful waterfall and fluidly came into being through my pencil with ease.
The result was one that took all of the parts of the journey and wove them into a potent portal that transmuted the elements into powerful medicine and activation.
I always love what is going on in my own life, where I am, the environment, what’s energetically in my experience that always mirrors the energy needed for each piece I’m helping to create.
I had no idea when this design would emerge, but it did while I was away last week where I was spending every day in nature, in the Faery forests, mountains, meadows, and lakes in the Tahoe area, as well as had such magickal connective time with the wild mustangs and butterflies while there. I even had a run in with a little rabbit that was quite the playful one dodging about from my dad – some of these elements had been discussed previously with my client before the drawing came about, which elements I felt important to incorporate in the piece.
Needless to say, the energy of where I was, was such a perfect backdrop and portal for channeling this.
This is a very large piece at 16 1/2″ in length, which will be going on my client’s left side of her back for the symbolism that area represents, as well as will be working energetically in balance with tattoos she already has.
There is a lot in the image that may be hard to find, so I’ll just point some things out without going into depth on the whole symbolism, but a lot of my designs are like treasure maps to each soul. They are fun to explore and find new things each time that will speak to you in different ways at any given time you view it.
This piece is created almost like a wing shape meant to sit in that left portion of the back angled at the shoulder/between shoulder and neck area and all the way down the left side, cascading into and over the spine a bit. This will help to flow and connect energy moving from left into the right side.
As for what you may discover upon deeper observation, here are the elements in the piece:
There is a hint of rocks for the cave opening that are surrounded by a tree trunk, limb, and branches, rooted at the bottom and curving up and down at top.
From within the cave emerges a beautiful and powerful Dragon, which is a familiar and teacher to my client. You can see a hint of her two wings, as she is flying down and just peeking through the opening while she is about to emerge fully herself.
There are two Faeries. One above and one below. They play varying energetic parts in this living portal as aspects of self and the seen and unseen. The one below is like a Goddess/Priestess working magick with the Dragon, as the Seven Pointed Faery/Pleiadian Star appears, emanating a crystalline energy from it and within the cave entrance. The Faery above has Celtic inspired/designed wings and very Nymph-like and somewhat androgynous.
A magickal butterfly and sweet rabbit are the Faery’s friends and helpers lending their support, as well as their symbolic presence and wisdom.
Many magickal flowers burst into bloom including Honeysuckles and Faery bell-like flowers. Elf Clematis as well, vines wrapping around the tree and limbs, weaving magick and life.
The cave is a gateway and portal to this enchanted realm that is being manifest into this reality.
The main Faery below wears a headpiece of leaves, Crystal, spiral and Celtic Trinity/Triquetra. There is also a larger Triquetra on the lower part of the tree trunk left of the rabbit.
Within the rocks of the opening of the cave just above that is a “key”. It has a heart shaped top as it helps access the Higher Heart. It also functions as the key to unlocking one’s own truth and power, the way to travel inter-dimensionally, as well as the way to access hidden things one might keep from themselves or that has yet to be revealed.
Just below the top Faery/Nymph’s leg there is another symbol – a Celtic Five Fold Symbol with represents the Four Elements, the Four Directions, and the Four Seasons, but adds the center circle which is the Fifth Element – sometimes known as Spirit or Ether, but also center, ascension, spirituality, balance, transcendence, the whole. It is sometimes used as an awareness-broadening Mandala that provides depth of meaning, insight, perspective.
There are some spiral ends to the vines and cascading limbs of the tree branches to make them alive like fingers.
The Dragon has energy emanating through her body and a loving, yet penetrating gaze, as she works with the Faery to create magick to open this portal of experience and bring it into conscious view so that the veils are lifted and truth emerges. You can see the hint of her wings at either side of her neck, as she glides forward and down through her cave tunnel. They are beneath the tree limbs and Honeysuckles. You only see a touch of her left one, which is on the right of the image. Her right wing, which is on the left of the image is the beautifully framing backdrop to the hanging Honeysuckles.
Another journey into the realm of “Spiritual Skin” that definitely enchants, as it activates and awakens.
If you would like to partner in co-creating your own sacred visionary piece of artwork or tattoo design to embody the empowerment you desire, you can contact me at tania@spiritualskin.com.
There is currently a waiting list, which I am moving through as quickly as I can. I can only provide a guesstimate on timing. You can easily make your deposit at the link provided below to embark on this journey in partnership with me.
For more information about the process and pricing please visit: What is a Tattoo Design Consultation
Some people have preferred to read my book, Spiritual Skin ~ Sacred Tattoos: More than Skin Deep, especially if they are new to sacred tattoo designs, before embarking on this journey.
If you are drawn to learn more about sacred tattoos you can order a copy of the book here: Spiritual Skin
It is also available in Kindle format here: Spiritual Skin
You can also order your personal copy here: Signed and Inscribed Copy of Spiritual Skin
Fear of Freedom and Free Will?
Photo I took in Ecuador of wild horses – Horse medicine has been reflecting very clearly to me my true nature inherent within
Control and coercion will not change behavior.
The more you rigidly try to force yourself or others, the more you and they will want to run away or fight.
Why are we so afraid of the passionate, unconventional and freely independent sides of ourselves?
Many times it is because of having been controlled ourselves that within that frustration and loss of self do we look to try and find some small feeling of control around us, and reenact the same upon others.
Sometimes it is the pure fear of unbridled choice and responsibility that has us trying to rein ourselves in.
When we recognize the fear inherent in these experiences, we can realize the price of breaking the spirit and the freedom and joy we’re losing out on supporting in one another.
Two Weeks Left to Join Us in Bimini July 20th – 25th
We’re in the home stretch before plunging into the powerful energies and magickal waters of Bimini again. Only 23 days (that’s just over 3 weeks away) until retreat time July 20th – 25th.
If anyone feels like a reinvigorating, opening and activating experience is just what you need right now, then this may be the gift to self you have been asking for.
I know that I can use the added “oomph” fueling my engine. I’m grateful that I receive the same through facilitating such a week, as my own vibration raises when I am stretching and expanding myself along with you.
There’s still time to join and replenish your heart and soul in the magick of it all while we share a daily immersion of yoga, raw food, dolphin playfulness, expansion, and connection. This Atlantean energy power spot is a vortex for deep and empowered integration to take place. The energies present have the ability and potential to support the wanted changes in your life (in both subtle and not so subtle ways), if you embrace what moves through you.
We’ve been in process of finalizing things so that we have an idea of rooms and food supplies for the amazing goodies we’ll be enjoying from ARC owner, chef and now yoga instructor, miss Jenny – my amazing friend.
The official cut-off date to register is July 11th. At that point we will need all last registrations confirmed. So there’s just another 2 weeks (exactly 14 days) to search inside and make the choice that best mirrors what you discover there.
I am appreciative of the connections I have made during my times spent in Bimini and cherish the connections with a family of souls that have opened their hearts to me, to The ARC, and to themselves. I know many of you have been wanting to join one of these retreats there that I’ve been hosting, but unfortunately I am not going to be offering this retreat again next year, as Spirit is guiding me to work with the energies elsewhere for the Earth grid and I don’t know when I will be back.
I’m excited to have a special return guest on this retreat however, who happens to be the first person that registered for the first retreat hosted in Bimini, and since become a dear friend. Very cool full circle. It’s definitely a place that remains in your heart and calls to you when your soul is ready.
I have immensely enjoyed, am so grateful for, and have received so much from these sacred journeys in Bimini and so this (my fourth journey) will be a powerful and beautiful send off for now that I feel is going to be really propelling. I’ll be honored to share that with whomever joins.
For all the details please visit:
Accelerate Your Vibration – July 2014 Bimini Retreat
You can contact me here or email tania@taniamarie.com with any questions and to register.
Recent Relationship Patterns as Realities Split
This is a long, but well worth it read especially if you are struggling with major unexpected changes in your life, feeling frustrated, have accelerated into new breakthroughs, or are just curious to stretch your perspectives on what’s going on in the energetic collective scene.
Both Laura and Chautauqua, in my opinion, nail it and in many excerpts it sounded like my own words and feelings. Thanks to both of you for sharing this involved explanation.
Laura starts off sharing about relationship patterns and the splits taking place for many – something I’ve been hearing about from people near and far – and then Chautauqua ties it all in to the complete reflection of shifting time lines.
Hope you find this interesting, enlightening, and perhaps supportively reiterating for you.
I’ve alluded many times to a splitting of realities/timelines and what I call the “Cosmic ‘Are You Sure?!'” but wanted to share today about how I see these two factors affecting relationships. Many clients and loved ones have experienced simultaneous breakthroughs in stuck areas of their lives, only to find breakdowns of long-term relationships. This pattern often occurs anyway, because as we shift our own restricted energies into new, expansive directions, those who felt comfortable with the lesser version of us can feel threatened by the change. That dynamic just seems majorly magnified right now, so I wanted to assure people that if you’re experiencing it, you’re not alone. Entire swaths of our culture are choosing either perpetual victimization, fear and ignorance or liberation, love and joy.
Fence sitting continues to become uncomfortable and borderline impossible, which can result in fence sitters lashing out at people who represent the side…
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Realities of Your Own Creation – My Reflections and Photo Shares from My Week Away
When you begin to view life and all things having a divine order and purpose, which stems from a deep inner/intuitive knowing without the need to ego-comprehend it all the time, nor have a mapped out reasoning and proof always, then you begin to move rapidly through realities.
You make a decision every day to make something your source of authority. When you decide to stop listening to everything other than your intuitive self and decide that IT is the sacred source, then you will need no other validation.
No one will be able to validate it anyway because it is an experience that is yours alone to know.
There are many realities of experience available, which is each person’s choice.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this experience was a magnified version of your greatest opportunity?
While I was away this past week visiting family in Reno and my beloved Lake Tahoe, I experienced my own magnified version of greatest opportunity.
I believe that in every experience we have the opportunity to see what we want to see, and create what we want out of it.
I see magick all around, meaning, and purpose and even if others choose to see something different or think I’m off my rocker because of what I see and experience, it simply doesn’t matter. Worst case scenario is that I AM crazy, but guess what? I sure live joyously in the meantime and don’t seem to experience the challenges in the same way others do. That doesn’t mean I don’t have my own challenges, but because of my perspective on life that I’ve come to embrace, I’m no longer debilitated and can shift things immediately.
I spent a lot of time on my week off in deep, metaphysical conversation with my brother, reviewing a lot of things in my life, making new commitments to myself and my path, soaking in the powerful energies of this sacred area, explored a new area down in the South Lake Tahoe region of Echo Lakes, which includes Lower and Upper Echo Lake and others (you’ll see in the photos), refreshing in and being inspired by the mountains, forests, Crystalline water of the lake daily, and the medicine of the wild mustangs I intimately interacted with on three occasions.
I also picked up a couple of new crystal friends as gifts, but also a few for myself that include Nirvana Quartz (actually a male – white – and female – pink – pair that came together, which feels especially potent and poignant for balancing and activating wholeness), Black Tourmaline, and a special find I’ll share more on in another post – Auralite, which literally called out at the last minute from behind me.
Spending time with the family is always powerful in layered ways. It brings out core reflections and patterning, gifts me with nurturing, and elevates and propels from the integration that takes place. Since being back I continue to integrate these shifts, but I do feel a tremendous transformation and further sense of knowing, expansion, peace, and focused understanding that is increasing as I move through things.
More changes at hand indeed and I’m feeling even moreso on track with my natural self that continues to emerge with each layer I peel. It is also bringing about changes in my day-to-day and where my energy is feeling the need to be focused.
I know everyone is experiencing major transitions and “stuff” in a multitude of ways and within a multitude of realities. There truly is no greater gauge than yourself, but it’s helpful to have mirrors to reflect and help you to decipher who that “self” is. I know I was able to see and voice “me” even greater than ever this last week during conversations that in the past I would have been lost in or had other reactions to. It all helps me to not only have a better relationship with myself, but to also extend that enhanced experience in all relationships.
Knowing something within yourself is the greatest comfort you’ll find. No amount of validation outside of that will make this experience better. The external simply feeds the same ego needs that want and need proof of everything always. Weeding out the influences you’re bombarded with and have come to adopt unconsciously will increase your self knowing and sense of sacred balance. This is determined solely by you.
I thought I would share photos of my time away this past week so that you might absorb the beautiful energy and perhaps receive a sense of inspired renewal too from them. They reflect a reality that lives within me and that constantly reflects its magick through the days of my life. Through these images you might also recognize a version of a reality you choose to create.
Lake Tahoe is one of my favorite magickal places that always makes me feel suspended in a timeless “time out of time” space that is really high vibrational and clear. I always say it’s a “Crystalline Lake” and it’s no wonder as many of the Bays are named after Crystals – Emerald Bay, Crystal Bay, Agate Bay, Carnelian Bay – and there once was and still are many crystals in the area, which was and still is a sacred spot.
This last week was full of nature’s magick and many beautiful encounters with souls in animal suits, especially a variety of butterflies flying at and all around me and mustangs open to personal connection. While kayaking a mother duck (I’m not sure what breed) and her brood of 13 ducklings were sunning on rocks (you’ll see in one of the photos as well) and then all went for a swim, which was quite a sweet sighting and rich message.
The area my parents live in Reno is nestled at the Virginia Range foothills and between it and the Sierra Nevada Range that has a really nice energy and peace to it that is soothing, but potent. I love spending time in their Faery garden where we shared mornings and evenings relaxing and talking.
Every day I find more and more to be grateful for and the depth increases with each consciously present moment.
I hope you enjoy the photo collage of these beautiful energies.
Sending love to everyone as you journey through new potential realities of your own personal creation.
Happy Summer Solstice
Yay! Summer is here and I couldn’t be happier to be celebrating it and tuning in from Lake Tahoe. The photo you see here is an amazing capture I took at the Lake yesterday of the Sun appearing to me like an angel or cosmic butterfly.
This year is just speeding along and my being away has brought much reflection to my own personal need to slow things down amidst the acceleration, and that a lot more change is definitely in order. I’m feeling a new spark of inspiration flooding my body and soul.
And I am envisioning revitalization for everyone’s current experiences as we experience today’s Solstice. Remember that this is a time of blossoming, celebrating, embodying self-awareness and your Higher Self, releasing the old patterns of suppression, and recharging the mind, body, and spirit to bring what you desire into your life.
It’s a time of the Divine dance, union, and balance of the Feminine (Earth, Mother, Moon) with the Masculine (Sky, Father, Sun) energies.
A time that the Mayans believed to be for spiritual initiation and change, creating ceremony to balance the Earth’s energy and “balance” is definitely key.
This is an opportune time where we have invited the Sun’s energy to connect with our Higher Self and to follow inspiration and dreams, while tuning inside and realizing the alchemy of “as within, so without”.
Wishing everyone an invigorating Summer Solstice! Sending out love and creative magick to all!
Birth of Maya – 16 Year Celebration of My First Sacred Tattoo
Butterfly on upper left is my first tattoo done in 1998. The rest of my Spiritual Skin was woven together over the years.
June 18, 1998 marked the birthing of my own “Spiritual Skin” journey, not to mention the birthing of a new me in a very profound way.
I stumbled upon a journal of mine where I had written a long description to celebrate the day I got my very first tattoo and its meaning for me. It was at a time period of immense transformation that I went through during a two-year period living in Sedona, mindfully and solely putting myself through the most intense personal work that I’d ever done. I consciously chose to walk away from life as I’d known it, and from everyone I knew, in order to tear myself apart and do deep integration work in the supportive energy of Sedona’s vortexes.
I just realized that two days ago, marked the 16 year anniversary of this journey and of the beginning of my explorations into the world of sacred tattooing.
I feel inspired to share what I wrote 16 years ago about the meaning of my first tattoo, which was a butterfly on my left upper shoulder blade area inbetween my shoulder and neck. It is the only tattoo I ever named.
Her name is Maya (her name has a story too, which threads a Mayan link of my soul history I’d discovered at the same time) and here is her story, as I wrote it 16 years ago:
The butterfly represents my magical transformation into my true self. 1997 marked the year in which I detached from the outside world, into my inner sanctuary to learn, discover, grow, and overcome my past in order to reclaim myself. This is directly related to a caterpillar that retreats into its cocoon while it formulates and goes through a metamorphosis into the beautiful butterfly it’s meant to be.
Coming into my own, being all that I can be, and letting my true beauty shine for all to see, is represented by the butterfly. It also represents freedom by spreading my wings and flying to different realms of experience that were not available to me when I was restricted by the under-development of my entire being.
It always reminds me of the things I’ve gone through and endured, and of the wisdom I’ve gained so that I don’t repeat old patterns. It reminds me to never get comfortable and to always be willing to change and strive to be my best, as well as to accelerate my vibration throughout my life.
It reminds me to live each moment to the fullest because it may be all the time I have, just as a butterfly, even in all of its beauty and splendor, lives for just days in the gardens of life.
The butterfly is also a symbol representing communication and the sign of Gemini. It is my hope to add energy to this underdeveloped aspect of my being with the placement of a butterfly in the Gemini region of my body (shoulder – and my own wing), since communicating is an important part of my life’s work and path.
So the butterfly represents the “communicator”. The left side of my body is connected to the right brain, and so by this placement I am consciously activating and infusing my breadth of communication from the creatively inspired and intuitively guided aspects of myself. So, my creativity is also enriched with the miraculous beauty of the butterfly, aiding my creative journey of artistic expression with transformative energy. In this way, through my art and communicative expressions of authenticity, the butterfly represents the boundless, ever-changing work of my hands, what I voice, and the myriad of colors I’m here to express through my gifts.
The butterfly represents my journey of trials and tribulations, struggles and challenges, to continually evolve into all that I am meant to be.
In totality, it’s about bringing forth my unique beauty into the world – coming out from the shadows and into the light.
Before a butterfly emerges from its cocoon, it goes through a great struggle to break free. If a compassionate observer was to cut open the cocoon to free the struggling butterfly, the struggle would be quickly finished, but the butterfly would experience certain consequences. It would soon die because it would be unable to fly. What the helpful observer did not know was that the struggle was necessary for the butterfly to strengthen its wings in order to be able to fly. Without the struggle, the butterfly would be weak and die. Unless a butterfly struggles to break free, it will never fly.
Setbacks in life serve an important role in making us strong and providing us the ability to serve with true compassion and understanding for the challenges others go through as well. This happens only if we have gone through the same and learned how to handle and move through the challenges. To grow in personal success you need to be challenged. As you meet each challenge by coming back to the wisdom of your true self, you will grow in your ability to achieve personal success. You can learn to use every challenge to strengthen and empower yourself. Every challenging experience can assist you in discovering your inner gifts and powers. Each time you win an inner battle, you increase your ability to experience greater love, joy, authentic power, and inner peace.
Tania Marie 