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Are You a Race Horse or a Wild Horse? – Tune In To Your Nature So You Can Make More Aligned Choices
Recently there’s been an on-pour of things coming in, like the floodgates have opened and all that had been percolating last year is coming out at once. Likely many of you are feeling this too. So the task has been to use wise discernment, trust my intuition above all, time management, prioritizing, yet being flexible to change always.
At first it can seem overwhelming, but that is when we’ve stepped out of our natural frequency and start letting mind over heart take over. While we will be asked to make quicker decisions, put things into action, and be ready at each turn to take the next step, we also need to exercise patience and not grasp at everything that comes our way, nor over-burden ourselves with unrealistic demands. We also need to learn to allow only that which is most authentically representative of our true nature to lead the way.
It’s a fine balance that we are learning always, and at times it will seem like we are on a teeter-totter, going up and down, until we mix the perfect blend that harmonizes at center. I know it can get frustrating, but keep gently reassuring yourself, breathe, and take a step back when the heat feels on high.
Finding tools that assist you in relaxing and returning to your personal frequency, becomes essential at these times. It can be hard to know what is naturally you, when so much “noise” is clouding your ability to feel that. That’s why I use things like music to assist me in that return.
When the heart is continually being conditioned by the mind, its voice and inspiration become stifled and confusing, even when you try to engage it for its direction. When you allow the mind’s influence to overpower the heart’s, you place limitations on the extraordinary source and well-spring of energy, guidance, intuition, and inspiration it can provide naturally.
A wild heart is one that operates naturally, instinctively, and freely, providing direction from your authentic and true self and from the deepest passions and desires that stem from that truth. This is hidden between layers of “ideas” you have about yourself and the “desires” that you have come to learn. Your wild heart will lead you toward real liberation, satisfaction, harmony, and balance that stems from the core of your being. Part of what is needed is to let go of old mental and emotional patterns and the conditioning that reins you in from experiencing your own wild and free heart.
Ask yourself what your life would be like if you were living from this wild heart and freed mind, rather than a domesticated heart and mind?
Since we’re in the Year of the Horse, the analogy that fits for me also fits perfectly with this energy. I’ve written about my “Horse” journey and breaking free from the saddle and bridle mentality of the race horse I’ve been so accustomed to being. This would be the harsh and driven push to run faster and faster, rather than the unbridled freedom to choose to let my heart take the lead and run with passion when instinctively desired.
From speaking with several people lately, I’m guessing this analogy isn’t far off the mark for others either. A wild horse is quite different than a conditioned race horse, although still a horse. It is connected to the natural rhythms of being, rather than told to perform in certain ways and at certain dictated times.
So while much is channeling through right now, I am keeping on top of fine-tuning myself so I don’t fall into the old patterned race horse. And the more I do so, it becomes easy to recognize the difference.
And when things feel compounded in any way, I always remind myself, I am in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing. All is well in my world.
“No great thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.” ~Epictetus
As mentioned, one way that I easily tune my natural frequency back on, when I teeter off balance is through music. It is an essential part of my life and only certain music will resonate and align for me. But the right music will bring me exactly back into balance and I can easily feel the “natural” me at that point, which then makes it easy to discern things and make choices that most align with that.
I share a lot of music that inspires me and today felt like a good time to share another that has been supportive lately. This piece is another one of my favorites and has been playing constantly for me over the last week. I can’t listen to it without huge flows of beyond-love tears. It does to me things I can’t explain and don’t need to, as that is the beauty of sound and music, or anything for that matter. We simply don’t always have to understand or dissect the process. It just happens and you know it in a way that defies need for explanation.
This piece brings me to a recognition of my home frequency and the peeling of layers to that Source happens instantaneously while listening to it. Music and sound I find to be one of my most powerful tools for healing, remembering, and alchemy.
I hope you enjoy these chosen videos, as you are navigating your way through the day and learning to liberate your authenticity.
The full theme from “The Mission” in its grandeur by Ennio Morricone:
“On Earth as it is in Heaven” from the same film score for “The Mission” by Ennio Morricone. I specifically chose this version with no images so you can create your own that it conjures up. Definitely a landscape for that wild horse within set free:
And a beautiful rendition by Yo Yo Ma:
Native American Indian Sacred “Soul Tapestry” Tattoo Design
Another week of sacred tattoo designs is in flow again. I love these individually unique journeys I am honored to get to take with each of the beautiful souls I co-create with.
Today is the first of three new designs I’ll be sharing. I was inspired by Native American Indian energy and art I’ve experienced, which spoke loudly from the get-go for this client, the minute I started to tune in. I later found out she was part Native American when I shared my feeling of direction I was going. It also felt to be a powerful bleed through from past life experiences and energy that was prominent.
Without much to go on except some themes, I worked away at receiving what wanted to through to assist in the essence of intents she had.
This piece is intuited for her upper back/higher heart area and as always I created the design in shades of blacks and grays, which can then be decided upon with the tattoo artist if it will remain as such or be added to with color. My client was feeling drawn to delicate colors and this I feel would look lovely if chosen as such, or as it is. Staying light and ethereal for this would will add to its energy I feel. The original design is 7” wide by 11” high. When working with detail it’s not recommended to go small in order to retain the delicate touches. Bigger is always better and will be more pleasing over time.
As mentioned, I kept getting native American Indian energy from the get-go. So I was pleased to hear the connection and her resonation with this. And a lot of powerful symbolism wanted through which I enmeshed in this Native American Indian woman’s (representing my client) shawl. She stands empowered, grounded, integrated, centered and looking up and beyond to the left, welcoming courageously, peacefully and with great heart joy, the new found wisdom and direction her journey is now taking her.
She is illuminated by the Great Central Sun’s radiating beams that also seem to emanate from her. That spiral at her Crown Chakra, which is the oldest symbol known to be used in spiritual practices, reflects the universal pattern of growth and evolution. The spiral represents the goddess, the womb, fertility and life force energy. Reflected in the natural world, the Spiral is found in human physiology, plants, minerals, animals, energy patterns, weather, growth and death. The Spiral is a sacred symbol that reminds us of our evolving journey in life. When used as a personal talisman, the Spiral helps consciousness to accept the turnings and changes of life as it evolves. The acceptance of change is one of the greatest freedoms a human can experience, putting consciousness in the present moment where the power of creation is condensed. On a larger scale, using this symbol assures all beings are reminded of their inward and outward evolution, a balanced and centered state of mind.
The spiral repeats throughout the design and I also incorporated a moth with spiral antennaes that shape a heart at her Heart Chakra, lotus designs, buffalo medicine (white one in this case) and horse medicine (black one in this case), as well as butterfly and leaves of the Earth that all flow up and down her Chakras and anchor her, as well as give flight to her journey with each of their symbolism they carry.
I felt something very grounding, integrative, forward moving, expansive, and opening to another level of drawing in a new frequency of energy, was wanting through (keeping with that natural harmony within and without) and so this interwoven tapestry of wisdom and empowerment came through as her Higher Self wisdom revealed.
Here is some more on the specific symbolism included.
Lotus symbolism: This powerful and ancient image symbolizes harmony, spiritual illumination and unlimited potential. The lotus is a type of water lily which rises from the sludge of muddy waters and opens into a beautiful flower. It is often used as a mandala, or circular symbol, but any way you use the Lotus in a spiritual practice, it will provide a resonant field that reinforces the concept of resurrection. Human mistakes and challenges are the fertilizer for brilliance and awakened creation as the Lotus shows us. Born in the murkiest of ponds, Lotus still emerges pure. Use the Lotus as a reminder that “this, too, shall pass.” Be assured that all fertilizer nurtures a beautiful new life. In the greater world, Lotus is a peaceful cosmic beacon for forgiveness, gratitude and compassion to prevail where the sludge of conflict has resided. Using this symbol on water invites a balance between humility and pride.
I love the symbolism that Avia Venefica always has to impart. Here is some information on the rest of the symbolism included.
Moth symbolism: vulnerability, determination, subtlety, intuition, faith, dreams, shadows, otherworldliness, secret knowledge, psychic awareness…The moth is a nocturnal creature and even in navigation, when we observe the moth to fly into artificial light or flames, the moth demonstrates its faith and determination. It is still unproven as to why the moth is driven to light – but the best hypothesis is that the moth navigates by lunar light. In the absence of moonlight, the moth moves to the next best thing: man-made light. Even at the risk of losing its life, the moth is ever-vigilant in following its path of light. This may also serve as a moral to us to keep our own vigilance, but not fall victim of blind faith. Those with the moth totem will find this creature a magnificent assistant in developing higher awareness, and psychic enhancement. We gather these symbolic attributes because night creatures conduct their life-sustaining activities in complete darkness. As humans, we may translate this as symbolic of living our lives by intuitive feeling rather than physical sensory perception. Philosophically speaking, night creatures do not tumble in the dark, and neither do humans. We use our dreams, our awareness, and our deeper, inner knowing to navigate through the darkest hours of our lives. Faith is another tool we use to move through shadowy times of uncertainty, and the moth also shares this aspect. The moth never questions provision. She has complete faith that all of her needs will be meet each night.
Buffalo symbolism: provision, gratitude, abundance, consistency, strength, stability, blessing, prosperity…the Buffalo is a sacred animal the Native American Indians and is a true reminder of the greater whole. The Buffalo is like a hologram – one example of abundance – it’s behemoth features are a physical manifestation of the store-holds available in the energetic realms. The White Buffalo is considered incredibly holy. When the White Buffalo comes into our awareness (dreams, vision or even while hiking) it is a huge sign of promise, and great prosperity is soon to come after sighting this regal creature. Buffalo reminds us that we are always provisioned and our attitude towards abundance influences the rest of this planet.
Horse symbolism: power, grace, beauty, nobility, strength, freedom…The Horse symbol meanings of power are widespread through most cultures, and it is linked as an emblem of life-force. Many cultures assign the attributes of the four elements to the Horse: Earth, Fire, Air and Water. As a Native American symbol, the Horse symbol meanings combine the grounded power of the earth with the whispers of wisdom found in the spirit winds. The Horse has long been honored has helper, messenger, and harbinger of spirit knowledge to the Native American. Considered wild and an emblem of freedom, the Native American sees many potentialities in the symbolic nature of this noble creature. Another aspect of Native American symbol meanings of the horse comes with the understanding that the wild freedom of the Horse can be harnessed and used to the benefit of the tribe. This understanding comes only when man and beast enter a silent contract, acknowledging mutual respect and awareness of responsibility to each other. Black Horse: mystery, death, night, secret, messenger of esoteric knowledge.
Butterfly symbolism: Butterflies are messengers of powerfully transformative healing and regenerative energy and symbolism to the indigenous peoples across time. They symbolize the precious miracle of life, hope, love, transmutation, magick, joy, reincarnation – to the Maya, butterflies are seen as ancestors returning for a visit to physicality and have a very earth and cosmic bridging connection (ex: the galactic butterfly symbol – Hunab Ku powerfully broadcasts your reaching to actively join the consciousness of our galaxy), resurrection, transition, communication, celebration, lightness, time, soul, unquestioning embrace, freedom, keeping the faith, grace…phew!…it felt to be speaking to another aspect of my client in this greater expansion sense with her shifting work, community sharing, spreading of her wings in deeper ways of service and heart-deepening, more and more.
There’s always so much more to the designs than I can possibly write about, but I like each person to feel what it speaks to them and to know that energetically so much is imbued and will be felt and activated regardless of whether or not we are literally aware of the specifics.
I’m grateful for this opportunity to support another soul’s beautiful and transformational journey and to help manifest a sacred design, soul-mirror-template for empowerment.
If you would like to partner in co-creating your own sacred tattoo design to embody the empowerment you desire, you can contact me at tania@spiritualskin.com.
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, 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 and PDF formats here: Spiritual Skin
Setting My Inner Horse Free For Good – Let the Love in Your Heart Take the Lead
Winged Divinity by Tania Marie
Today’s sharings are more from my own personal journey, but our journeys are never isolated to just us, since we are part of a collective shared experience. I feel it necessary to allow our vulnerability to be expressed, so that others feel safe to do so as well. Perhaps some of the symbolism of what I share, rings true for some of you or carries a message relative to you. Since I know we are all experiencing so much right now, I will continue to share the inspirations and the learnings from my heart to yours.
I’ve always had a strong connection with animals since I was born – and horses were one of several in particular that I resonated and identified with. They pervaded my life in many ways. I dreamed of them, envisioned them while daydreaming to pass the time for hours on long drives, drew them, wrote about them, watched and read movies about them, intended to have a ranch with horses running free, and even utilized horse images when I went through a “sick” period of my teenage years to get me through the night. Even the color of the horse I would identify with would change over the course of my own personal shifting – sometimes white, then golden chestnut, and finally black. Also the size of the horse became important – loving very large horses and so Friesians ended up becoming my favorite eventually. Each of these elements having symbolism and meaning that I always enjoy being conscious of.
Much of my life I have been operating as a race horse. Continually allowing my horse to be worked harder and harder and pushing her to achieve, do more, keep climbing the mountain, keep turning the cheek, keep rising above the pains, keep rising from the ashes, not letting anyone break me, and taking a while to realize that the horse being worked to do all these things was on autopilot from conditioning of a rider on my back I could not see that I’d been carrying all my life/lives energetically…a rider that not only didn’t belong in the essence of my natural authenticity, but even the idea of having a rider was not one, for a long time, that I was aware I could consciously choose to have or NOT have. If one was to ride the journey with me, why not it be parts of MY authenticity, rather than someone else’s? Why not just integrate my parts and harmoniously be in balance mind, body, heart and soul so that rider and horse become one? No master OVER, but master OF my own life ride. I can choose to experience the ride, loving it from all perspectives of the freedom to creatively and passionately run to my heart’s content while also enjoying the ride and the ability to know and trust that where and what I want to go and experience is in alignment with where my beautiful and powerful horse wants to go. She decides every step of the way with all of her parts integrated. No more struggle, torment, inner voices and battles, no tug-of-war between my parts. Everything flowing in natural harmony, honor, and intuitive divinity with each other.
All of this being very symbolic and all mirroring aspects of me and my journey and personal healing and evolution, as well as was mirroring deep past life connections I had come to understand with the help of Laura Bruno, Medical Intuitive, Soul Reader, Reiki Master Teacher, as having many lives as a horse – in particular many race horse lives. While I am experiencing an integration life (for more on what this means please read Laura Bruno’s very clear and wonderful explanation of this here: http://laurabruno.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/integration-lifetimes-and-human-evolution/ and this is only but one of many potent parts I am integrating. It particularly was standing out with nudges and messages as of late, as I have been leaping over some of the biggest hurdles at this potently culminating time.
During current stresses and shifts I have been processing, the horse symbolism and message came at me again very poignantly. I had a beautiful large jade statue of a wild horse that was sitting on my desk. Our cleaning lady and her son were over and it was a big cleaning day, after just moving into our new house and all the windows needed cleaning. All very disruptive to my day and I felt myself get very stressed with everything being moved around and me trying to work and feeling things just out of my control. Next thing I know my desk was being moved to get behind to the windows there and like in slow motion, my horse toppled to the ground and broke in half. I was devasted to say the least. It was like a soul shock blow. I didn’t know what to do and was so overcome with emotions I had to walk out of the room and into the garage to collect myself. It was not the fact of this “thing” breaking that affected me so traumatically, as much as what it felt symbolically to me to represent. Having it break was like the ending of a certain cycle of life it was time to release, but simultaneoulsy also hurt my sense of how I identified personally and triggered past traumatic experiences.
It took me a while to balance out again – half the day in fact. And I have since come to embrace that this “race horse” is tired…tired of the way of life that cleverly hidden patterns have continued to create an experience of and tired of allowing them to control any aspect of my life, if even just one. The last race this horse runs is one she does for the sheer pleasure she gets from loving to run free and the rewards are her own, as the rider enjoying will purely be an integrated aspect of the horse within me.
Even when we are very conscious and are creating wonderful things in our lives, we can still hit some major bumps and have our moments, as well as have to become even more ever-present to recognize some ingenious ways we may hide or sabotage some key needed pieces to integrate and embrace. We have to learn to stay on top of our lives and learn new ways to more efficiently come into deeper relationship with our essence.
It is time to break free COMPLETELY of the saddle and bridle I’ve allowed to operate and control my life in conscious or subliminally subconscious ways whether from outside of myself or ingeniously from myself in reaction to that – breaking free of every hindrance to my authentic essence. Saying no in the eyes of thoughts, beliefs, feelings, experiences that do not mirror who I truly am and what I know in my heart. Unconditionally and once and for all releasing all conditioned teachings and energies that are confining and limiting and no longer valid for my life, nor the collective at this time. Old structures gone, old hurts and grievances, old manipulative ways and fears released and replaced with unconditional love, freedom of expression, creative abundance, authenticity and integrity, new visionary ideas and beliefs, and vulnerable courage.
Yes, I AM important. Each of us is, regardless of what anyone else tells you or you tell yourself. And even if someone doesn’t honor your importance and even states something specifically in this regard, the best you can do is state and honor your own feelings truly and allow them their own choices in life to shape their experiences. Their choice, while might not feel good at first, needn’t be given the power over you or allowed the prolonged effect we are used to that feeds the emotional diseases we have been nursing. You can choose accordingly how you would like to proceed and continually choose creating in each moment something that DOES feel good and mirrors you. It is their responsibility to look within themselves and to learn from their choices. We do our responsible best by always being authentic and unconditionally loving and compassionate.
This is a very trying time alongside a very magical and awe-inspiring beautiful time. All things culminating at once and it creates temporary confusion, perhaps even the illusion that everything is crumbling and leaving us with a sense of defeat. It seems so odd, when many of us have worked so hard and are experiencing wonderful new things and making huge leaps, to be thrust a windfall of some pretty crazy and heavy stuff simultaneously. This collective healing crises is a healing opportunity unfolding for us to really clarify and solidify everything that we want from here on out, which can only be done by moving through the heaviest things we may not have integrated fully yet, so that we can have our rider and horse come together as ONE. Anything we create from here on out is with full conscious, balanced, grounded, and heart-full intention.
I, myself, have moved into an interesting period of so much coming together and so much coming up and out, all at once. Which is why I have heeded the call to become ever more present and steering away from making rash decisions and challenging my universal heart consciousness to love even more deeply. I hit a crises culminating this Cancer Full Moon of build up causing me to have to make empowered decisions that will shape the next phase of my experience. Part of this also seeing that the work I have been doing and the ways in which I have driven myself must stop, as my body is taxed and soul is tired. I had conversations with myself, the Universe and my dear transitioned Nestor in relaying my surrender, my willingness to do what it takes, and my need for assistance.
Today, after my visit to get tests run for my agenda of taking care of myself on every level, in order to integrate my highest potentials of vibrancy to continue at optimum, I stopped at the post office to mail off a pendant to a client and Nestor (the postal worker) was at post office when I went. A sign, I feel, as I have since Sunday been in mourning and longing for her and can’t say her name without crying and have been in a very tumultuous testing period. Even my naturopath that I visited yesterday asked if I had lost someoone special and I could hardly share without being overcome. I believe she and the universe are listening to my cries of help (as others are doing) and my sharing that I am incapable of doing this any longer in this same vein without more assistance. This also means my taking responsibility for not living and creating in the same vein that I have. This time period calls for drastic changes to what we know as of our experience of life.
Since birth I have felt my place in what is unfolding (as I know many of you have as well) and regardless of what others have said or tried to beat out of me with fear, it is the one thread that never lets me go even when I am at the edge. I received another nudge that likely is another sign from the universe as well that they have heard and are helping. The universe knows I’m not joking that my soul is tired and knows my commitment to this path of service I have been on and I know I am not the only one.
It is a volatile time in the world as we shift into a whole new experience. Many will transition or renegotiate their contracts, as the suffering may be too much to handle or it simply is not what they contracted in to be part of. Others will need to be stronger than ever, as there will be the largest challenges to face and help support that take more than a personal perspective to be part of. Everything is bigger than “just” us, and yet each of us IS an integral and much needed part. The way we can aid this is to be mindful of each other’s sensitivities at this time and to be there with unconditional love and support for one another.
For me this current challenge and healing crises/opportunity is reminiscent of when I was so ill a few years ago without anyone around to help me and I admitted myself to the ER on my own, barely able to stand for more than 10 seconds, and it was a time I needed to surrender to the universe and others to help take care of me and not be the one doing it all myself (which was symbolic of the nurses being so kind and giving me IVs and for me to be able to just lay in a bed being nurtured into health. One can only do so much. And I know I have hit another breaking point again, which heralds great things to come.
A healing crises means time for change is imminent and necessary or that I actually am shifting tremendously since things get the worst before they turn around, while everything surfaces to integrate into the next level. It does not mean one must hit a crises, but it is not the sign of failure or something to judge in any way. It may seem we do things that go unnoticed and that many actually don’t know how much we give out in ways bigger than ourselves (even despite the human outbursts we have of emotional processes). I have pushed hard and I have come far on my own in intrinsically invaluable levels, of which I always remind myself to take stock of and be grateful for. I feel this is a time for receiving, reflecting, recharging, while much is percolating and coming into being from the work we have put into motion. There is more to do, but it will come through different means on all levels. Not the way we are used to, as long as we shift into new and freer ways of being.
I don’t know what the outcome looks like, but I know it will be dramatic and of the highest good what ever it is. Just felt like sharing for what it is worth. It always helps me to communicate things even if no one listens, which is why I often talk to myself. It helps me process and I know there are those who are hearing me and I have learned the value of vulnerability.
I know I’m far from your typical person, what ever that means. But I am who I am and who I am loves who you are – the authentic parts…the essence that I am able to really see, no matter the details people choose to focus on from time to time that divert us from seeing the core (details that are meant for integrating and opportunity for evolving) that aren’t the reality of us and are meaningless in the eyes of universality. They are the parts that keep people divided rather than united. Remember that even when I am challenged at accessing the real me, that core essence I am, always is loving the real you and that is the light that penetrates the darkest hours and illuminates once again. Let the love in your heart take the lead!
The image attached is one I created years ago of a winged horse. I intend to create a new horse painting that will represent this new unbridled energy we are unleashing from within.
Some interesting information on horse wisdom and symbolism:
- Power
- Stamina
- Endurance
- Faithfulness
- Freedom to run free
- Control of the environment
- Awareness of power achieved with true cooperation
- Interspecies communication
- Expanding one’s own potential abilities
- Friendship and Cooperation
- Travel
- Astral travel
- Guardian of travelers
- Warns of possible danger
- Guide to overcoming obstacles
And here are a couple of cool links to more symbolism: http://tarotreadingpsychic.com/tarot-meanings-symbolism-horse/ and http://www.whats-your-sign.com/horse-symbol-meanings.html