Leap Year - Get Back Into Harmony With Yourself

Now that February 29 is here in this much anticipated year of 2012, we can’t help but wonder what the significance of it is in our lives. If you happen to be one of those people actually born on February 29, or if you got married then, does that really mean that your anniversary only happens every four years from the view of astrology?
To understand leap year, it’s best to start by knowing how it came about. Humanity built calendars and clocks to represent the movement of the sun and moon against the backdrop of the stars that appear to be “fixed” in the sky. This was necessary for life itself as our hunter-gatherer ancestors prepared for regular animal migrations, then planting and harvesting when agriculture was developed, fresh water availability and more that was dependent on seasonal/annual events in nature.
Our ancestors watched and recorded the movement of the sun’s journey through the changes of seasons and the related lengths of days while they also observed the monthly phases of the moon, and its locations throughout the year. Since these very early times, the challenge was to integrate the timing of the sun and the moon, and this hasn’t been easy.
Various cultures have addressed the problem in various ways, and our method was to add a day every four years to our calendars to match the sun/moon seasons. Our Nile River ancestors added five god/goddess celebration days at the end of the 360 day twelve-moon cycle to make a sun-moon year, sounding a lot more fun than a Leap Year!
So how do astrologers deal with a leap year in a client’s chart? Many astrologers set birthday charts for their clients each year, known as a Solar Return. So what do they do for a person born on February 29? Actually, it’s simple. Your annual solar return is the time at which the sun is in the exact degree as it was at the time when you were born. It can, and often does, fall on a day adjacent to your calendar birthday, rather than the date on your birth certificate.
Everybody gets an annual solar return, so everybody gets an astrology birthday each year! The Solar Return is read as a forecasting model for your entire up-coming year. Astrologers can even help you find a location to celebrate your solar return that will give you the most beneficial chart for the up-coming year. Even someone born on February 29 can take a birthday trip each year to a fun location to give their next year’s astrological outlook a boost.
So a leap year is essentially a year when we play catch up to see that all is right between our calendars and our seasons. An idea to make a leap year special might be to have a group celebration on February 29 to catch up with our friends and make sure that we are all in sync with each other. Shall we start a great tradition each February 29 and celebrate being in harmony with each other like the Egyptians celebrated their gods/goddesses to be in harmony with them? Or maybe do something a bit more quiet and just go back to Nature, allowing Mother Earth to embrace us and welcome us back to her as her beloved children?
Whatever we choose, there are millions of options to help us feel whole and safe.
Brightest blessings
Ana

Animal omens

Talking over with a friend about animals, and after a xamanic nightwalk on friday night  through the woods, I was led to wonder how animals harbor personality traits, and afford us visions of how our lives could be if we lived more simply. By incorporating animal totems into our lives and focusing on the attributes of our totem animals, we are able to understand and internalize these traits, and therefore begin to externalize the characteristics we learn from our animalspirit guides, our totems, our familiars.

Have you been drawn to a specific animal since childhood? Do you frequently dream of an animal that appears and want to understand what the animal represents? When in nature, do you often encounter a certain animal? To discover more about the fascinating realm of animals as spirit guides, and sacred animal totems, simply refer to the list of animals below to unleash the message your animal guide is bringing to you! It is a somewhat simplistic list, but it will provide the basics if you are just beginning to enter the path.

1. OWL

In certain cultures, primarily China, Egypt, and India, the symbolic meaning of owl is associated with death, however, it is not a symbol of death per se; it was honored for being the guardian of the after-life. In Native American tribes, Owls are respected as a protector, as their feathers were ritually worn to ward of negative energy and ill minded spirits. In ancient Greece, the owl was an emblem of wisdom, foresight and knowledge. The owl is a creature of the night, symbolic of inner knowing, psychic ability, and intuition. If an owl has visited you, an incredible gift has been bestowed, granting you strong intuitive abilities, and perhaps a message to further develop your intuition.

2. HORSE

The message of the horse is one of practical love, abundance, and fertility. The horse is honored as an emblem of life-force, and many cultures assign the attributes of the four elements (Earth, Fire, Air and Water) to the horse, making it an animal of perfect balance. Carl Jung observed that the horse embodies aspects of human nature, and therefore believed that it was a symbol of the human body in certain dreams. Seeing yourself riding a horse in your dreams may indicate successful conclusion. Falling off of a horse indicates nervousness. Horses embody wild freedom, and this energy can be harnessed for your own growth. The relationship between man and horse is a silent contract, one that acknowledges mutual respect and awareness of responsibility to each other.

3. DOLPHIN

With speed, diligence and intelligence, the dolphin signifies the love embodied within the womb. Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, was believed to take the form of the dolphin, and was referred to as the Woman of the Sea. The dolphin is connected with the meaning of duality, as it swims underwater and breathes in air, representing that it is in two worlds at once, a conveyor of the concept of yin and yang.

4. SPIDER

Just as spiders spend their entire life weaving webs, we too weave our lives. The spider totem serves as a reminder to be aware of the choices we make as we construct our lives. When the spider appears, ask yourselves: What choice am I about to make that will significantly affect my life? What choice can I make to improve my life? Are my choices affecting others in my life?

When we are able to see our choices and decisions from a different perspective, we can recognize how we are weaving our web that can either serve us or enslave us. The spider symbol beckons us to be mindful of our actions as we weave our life web.

5. CATS

As an ancient symbolic animal, the domestic cat represents the guardian of the underworld and is associated with transformation, just as the veil of night shifts our perception of reality. Cats remind us to be resourceful and tend to encourage change, flexibility and adaptability in our lives. If a feline is making an uncommon appearance in our lives, it is a message for us to shake up our habitual routines and make some fresh changes in our lives, as well as to be more flexible in our thinking. Sometimes a cat can appear quite aloof, and perhaps it would serve you well to heed their message to distance yourself from certain people or situations.

6. SNAKE

The snake holds significant symbolism in many cultures, and depending on your heritage or spiritual leanings, the meaning of the snake as a totem will vary. In general, the snake is representative of wisdom and rebirth. When the snake appears as a totem, you can expect a transition or spiritual awakening to take place. Recurring dreams about snakes or a snake encounter can indicate a fear or an unresolved issue or, more broadly, something in your life that is in need of completion. When the snake appears, take notice of how the snake looks. Is the snake coiled in slumber, or are its fangs exposed and ready to attack? A coiled snake usually symbolizes that an awakening will happen. A snake ready to bite could indicate a need for you to defend your territory or personal beliefs. A snake shedding is representative of a death, usually a symbolic death, which will create a space for a new birthing to occur.

7. WOLF

Wolves are usually viewed as something threatening that attacks during the night when we are at our most vulnerable state. When they appear, they bring forth everything you are afraid of in yourself and in situations you encounter in life, including self-destructive tendencies, aggression, sexual desires, financial problems, ego issues and hidden fears that linger inside of you. Working with the energy of the wolf will help you conquer your fears, and leave you feeling less vulnerable in life.

8. HAWK

The hawk is known for its tremendous vision, which is a key factor in their incredible hunting abilities. If a hawk is appearing in your life, he brings the message for you to keep your eyes open and to focus on the areas that are out of balance in our lives. Recognition of any imbalances is the first step to solutions and steering through the darker nights ahead that he is helping you navigate. In Native American beliefs, the hawk is a solar animal which is representative of fire and sun, bearing attributes such as brilliance, passion, clarity and energy.

9. SHARK

People with the shark totem navigate through life with a specialized primal instinct, a hard-wired knowing that guides certain humans. This infallible and reliable instinct is to protect the sacred life of others, and yourself, confirming trust in yourself. The shark identifies the tendency for forward momentum in life, being extremely driven and perpetually moving forward as you meet life full-on. You may rarely stay in the “shallow end” of life, as you would rather charge through the waves with experience, all the while, welcoming adventure.

If you seek symbolic meanings to animals you are encountering, I encourage you to meditate upon the animal. You can also try lucid dreaming, where you can become conscious in your dream and are aware that you are dreaming. If you are able to do this, then ask the totem animal what it is they want and why you keep dreaming about them? This simple step of acknowledgment invites this spirit guide into your life and will bring forth the information to assist you.  Animals are quite willing to share their knowledge with you when you are open and willing to receive them.

Brightest blessings,

AP

A New Look at Selfishness - Love to Love Yourself

Hello all and Happy New Year,

Writing has been a difficult task for me lately but I couldn't help myself in sharing some of the thoughts I have been pondering on this turning of the year.
One of those thoughts was "how much is enough love when bestowed upon oneself? who comes first? we do? or always put others first, a teaching most of us have been bombarded with since birth?
In fact, in the Christian Bible, we are told that Jesus taught the commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself.” The part about loving your neighbor is clear to most people; it is generally accepted that being kind and respectful to others is a virtue. But the part about loving ourselves confuses some people. Isn’t loving yourself considered selfish?

Redefining Selfishness
In his book The Art of Selfishness, David Seabury defines selfishness as “looking after your own needs so that no one else will have to.” And Dr. Bernie Siegel, author of the bestselling book Love, Medicine & Miracles, explains how self-love is the essence of good health: “The extent to which we love ourselves determines whether we eat right, get enough sleep, smoke, wear seat belts, exercise, and so on.”
Learning how to practice this type of healthy “selfishness” is a step toward better physical and mental health, which then puts you in a position of strength to tackle obstacles and build meaningful relationships. The first step to becoming an adult in relationships starts with self-love.
To love yourself may be and art but is above all an act of respect for yourself, others, and life itself. If you hear a little voice in your head telling you that loving yourself is a bad thing, consider the consequences of not loving yourself. People with low self-esteem tend to become physically ill more often than those with high self-esteem. Also, they are more vulnerable to scams, because they place more importance in other people’s opinions than in their own. And those who lack self-confidence are more likely to settle for lower salaries.
Begin the art of selfishness by taking responsibility for your own needs. No one will take better care of you than you take care of yourself. You set the standard by which others will take you seriously. Take small steps on a daily basis to build self-confidence and self-reliance. As you take better care of yourself, others will respond to you positively.
In time, you will discover that loving your neighbor as yourself is a sacred circle of balanced energy, where everyone benefits.
So, my wishes for us all in 2012, are that we give a little more to ourselves, love ourselves a little more, run the extra 2 miles if needs be, but only if it makes our souls cry in happiness.
May we all find the abundant flow of love within our core, bask in it, and then spread it freely around us.
Brightest blessings,
Ana Paula