Galloping – Day 854

Cave Painting Cloud Horse – Photo: L. Weikel

Galloping

New, new, new. Saturday was a new moon and this coming Saturday is the Equinox – heralding a new season and, in many traditions, a new year. On our walk early this evening, Karl and I were once again buffeted by the wild March winds we’ve been experiencing of late. Drawing our jackets close and looking to the east, the place of the rising sun and birthplace of each new day, we watched as the clouds shifted before our eyes into the form of a horse galloping into the future.

Perhaps I’m indulging my inner Cloud Whisperer. Indeed, I’ve felt a bit of a lull in that department of late, so the appearance of this singular conglomeration of water vapor in the midst of gusting dry winds caught my attention. To me the Cloud Horse was immediately reminiscent of prehistoric images such as those in the Caves of Lascaux.

But the fact that an image is primitive doesn’t diminish its message. In fact, in some situations I’d argue that the more basic the representation, the greater the visceral impact.

Connections to Ancestors

The way this particular Horse reminded me of the images found in the caves of our prehistoric ancestors felt like an affirmation of the fascinating experience of those who’d just participated in today’s Sunday Wagon of the Shamanic Caravan project. It felt like a continuation or validation of the thread that began when the participants shared their journey experiences.

Having set their own unique intentions and of course having no occasion to discuss those intentions ahead of time (or even afterward) with each other, the fascinating theme weaving throughout their experiences was that they encountered and had conversations with their ancestors.

An Astrological Tie-in

And so it felt significant this evening, just before I began writing this post, when I noticed a link to an astrological site I respect, posted by a friend on Facebook. Upon reading the overarching message reflected in the sky above for this week, the sense that our ancestors are especially close right now was yet again reinforced.

This feels like a week ripe for reflection on what is truly closing out in our lives and what yearns to be born anew.

If the relentless urging of the gusting March winds is any indication, there’s some seriously sludgy, old stuff mucking up our systems that needs to get blown out once and for all. And our Ancestors are all for it. In fact, they’re cheering us on and even sent a Horse to help us send it galloping off into the sunset.

(T-257)

Gifts and Messages – Day 564

Ancient Cave-Art – Photo: L. Weikel

Gifts and Messages

Just the other day, Karl and I were walking down the road when we came upon a series of gifts and messages.

Surely, as you can see from the photograph, above, we stumbled upon an artistic depiction of an ostrich or perhaps a velociraptor, crafted by one of our ancient cave-dwelling ancestors. Clearly a fiercesome beast, its long, ungainly legs obviously capable of crossing vast expanses of land at speeds no human could match.

But what was the message?

Run for the hills?

Make for the nearest ostrich farm and saddle up?

Stop hiding our heads in the sand?

Oh dear Goddess, surely it wasn’t a depiction of an emu ?!? (NO. I refuse to believe getting anywhere near an emu was part of any message my ancestors might have wished to convey.)

You Mentioned Gifts

Ancient ostrich feather? Peace Eagle (vulture) feather? Photo: L. Weikel

Ah yes. Besides discovering precious cave art in the midst of our ambulatory travels, we were also gifted a massive feather, curiously not far from the ancient artistry. Surely this was a sign that the great beast depicted in the artistic rendering was choosing to enter our lives as a sacred power animal!

Our ancestors were speaking to us from beyond the grave! Through eons of generations!

The sheer power of our ancestors’ depiction had brought the creature alive in this time and space, where it left us a piece of itself to treasure and honor. Perhaps it was gifting us with a physical memento of its power and prowess as a conveyor of early humans. Perhaps it was reminding us of the benefits of mounting ostriches (or emus) for transportation?

Or maybe the feather could be used to remind us to swiftly flee other humans who might be sticking their heads in the sand?

Gifts and messages abound. We just need to pay attention, be grateful, and listen.

(T-547)