Tag Archives: Death

SPIRIT, RAIN & DEATH

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What amazing gifts from spirit today, I feel so humbled and blessed by each and every one of them. Today marks some significant changes in my life, as the sun moves into the sign of Virgo, so does my focus also deepen into service and healing work. My morning started with a gift from Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo, a gift of her tail feather, and two encounters where she let me get within a couple of meters from her, where I spoke to her, and she responded in like with her little chatter, the energy exchange was powerful and beautiful, a cherished memory.

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The very gifted Ravenari shares her animal energy on Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo on her Wild Speak  website:
Black Cockatoo – Spirit

Keywords: 

Spirit. Rain Magic. Travel. Joy. Crying with Joy. Emotional Freedom. Spiritual Freedom. Finding Spiritual Truths. Your Inner Fire. Creativity. The Muse. Inner Beauty. Inner and Outer Wealth. Preserving What You Care For. Drumming.

General Description: 

The black cockatoos are immediately distinguishable by their characteristic black plumage. They often have very vivid white, red and yellow patches on their body. They are large parrots, with strong beaks. Some are endangered or threatened, and their futures hang in the balance.

Black cockatoos nest in tree hollows, and line their nests with eucalyptus leaves. The decline of nest hollows due to habitat destruction (particularly of old-growth forests) has meant that black cockatoos are already finding it difficult to recover old population sizes. Local Indigenous lore suggests that the beautiful calls of some of these cockatoos indicates rain.

Lessons and Challenges: 

The black cockatoo represents the power of spirit come into your life. It could be a strengthening of your own spirit and soul, or a celebration of any spirits or gods that you happen to believe in. Black cockatoo energy tends to be celebratory and can bring about empowerment, happiness and contentment.

Black cockatoos are large, heavy birds (the largest black birds in Australia) that cast larger shadows, their cries tend to herald significant changes in Indigenous mythologies, including the bringing or coming of necessary rain. Black cockatoo flies into your life to suggest that right now there is a potential for great joy and change. You may experience peaks in your emotions, and black cockatoo can even indicate crying with joy, or experiencing transformative happiness and contentment.

It would be remiss of me not to look at black cockatoo’s significance when it comes to rain magic. Black cockatoo could indicate that there may be literal rains occurring in your life, or that it may be time to get in touch with water gods, spirits and entities through rain magic and ritual. When was the last time you stood in the rain, or walked through it, taking the time to enjoy its enriching presence in your life? If you feel you are experiencing a spiritual drought right now, consider using the imagery of rain nourishing your body and soul to help revive and recharge yourself.

The presence of black cockatoo in a reading can indicate short-distance and long-distance travel.

Black cockatoo is a liberating energy, suggesting a time of emotional and spiritual freedom. You may feel more able to use different rituals, spells or thought-processes, or more able to express yourself emotionally; not just when it comes to happiness, but also when it comes to grief, anger or even fear. Black cockatoo indicates that there will be a level of purity with such expressions, and that we can aid this by consciously not judging ourselves for expression of emotion or of spirit.

Themes of creativity abound. It is time to create! Create new ways of thinking within yourself, new ways of nourishing your body and spirit (including adopting new visualisations, or new ways of eating, thinking and being). Additionally, black cockatoo indicates artistic creation and ability, whether through drawing, painting, music, dancing, writing or other pursuits.

If you used to do some form of art or theatre as a hobby, consider picking it up again, or incorporating it into your healing journey. At this time, your creative Muse is strong and willing to aid and assist you. Externalise your expressions of self onto canvas, into song, or through dance and drumming and you may be surprised at just how much your spirit grows at this time.

Black cockatoo helps us to find spiritual truths, particularly those that help nourish our inner fire, motivation and ability to use our energy to reach our goals. Black cockatoo doesn’t teach through pain and suffering, but through comfort, happiness and contentment. It can be hard, sometimes, to let go enough of our pain and our imprisoned emotions to access growth through positive emotions, but black cockatoo is an enabling energy. By taking the time and giving yourself permission to express difficult emotion, you create room in your life for emotions that actually feel good. These will stoke your inner fires and remind you how to feel a burning passion for life again.

There is a potential for inner and outer wealth when black cockatoo comes into your life. It may be a time to work on securing raises, reminding yourself of how much you’ve saved or achieved monetarily, or looking at how rich and fortunate you are spiritually or emotionally. Take the time to appreciate the wealth you do have, even if you feel you may have none. Through valuing the wealth you already do have, you will find more opportunities and inroads to expanding that wholistically.

It is important to preserve what you care for. Materially, this involves looking after your home and the objects within that home. Keep your home clean enough that damage through dust isn’t an issue, don’t constantly invite guests over who will break your possessions or not care for them, and cultivate a sense of appreciation for the objects and possessions that you have earnt through hard work. Spiritually and emotionally, it is important to preserve the achievements you have worked for by not putting them down, ignoring them or forgetting about them. Take the time to write down what you have achieved spiritually, and what you have learnt emotionally over the years. What emotions have you learnt to express more positively, and how? What sort of growth or maturity do you think you’ve gained? Preserve that knowledge; write it down, meditate upon it, remember the positives that you have achieved.

Some black cockatoos actually use drumming in order to court their partners. They take time to select an appropriate beating instrument, and then will seek out a sufficient hollow log or branch to amplify their sounds. Celebrate black cockatoo energy, and life in general through drumming. It may involve creating a makeshift drum and just experimenting and having fun with the different sounds you can make. Or you can even take the time to invest in and listen to drumming based soundtracks. Drumming has been used for thousands of years to celebrate and also to contact the spirit worlds. See how you can incorporate it into your life to express yourself and your connection to the world around you.

Black cockatoo tells us that everyone has beauty on the inside, everyone. Even people in prison, even those who have committed unspeakable acts. Black cockatoo reminds us that no matter how ugly we feel, or how corrupt, there is a space of beauty inside every soul that is incorrupt and pure. Through the presence of this great bird, we can learn how to access it, to transform our opinions of ourselves and the world in general.

The Shadow Aspects: 

Those who fear or dislike black cockatoo may have severe problems finding freedom or joy. You might fear what freedom can give you, and you may even fear joy. The reasons for this might be varied – freedom brings with it the need to take responsibility for our own lives and actions; joy doesn’t last forever, and we may fear what happens when it goes away. Whatever the reasons, it is important to confront your reluctance to find true freedom in your life. This freedom is found through taking responsibility for your actions and using this responsibility to empower your future decisions and thoughts; freedom is not to be found in giving responsibility away.

Black cockatoo suggests that you may not be caring for friends, family and material objects around you enough. You have to preserve what you care for, in order for it to remain nourishing. You can preserve the things and people you care for by giving them your time, your patience, and your energy. When you give away your material and spiritual wealth, you receive in kind.

Communion: 

Like all animal helpers, this animal will only appear when right and appropriate, and cannot be forced to visit you, commune with you, or share messages with you. Black cockatoo is a powerful guide, and usually a messenger on behalf of other gods and spirits. If you have black cockatoo as a long-term guide or even as a guide, you have an extraordinarily strong locus of power to pull from. Black cockatoo’s ability to teach through emotional expression, creativity and joy also makes it one of the more cheerful teachers to work with. Black cockatoo is a communicative guide, accessible as an inspirational Muse, and also strong-minded and willed. S/he also commands a great deal of respect, and is one of a few animal guides that has no qualms abandoning you if you don’t give enough respect and humility.

However, black cockatoo can be a difficult guide to approach in journeying, let alone visualisation. This is a bird that comes at its own convenience, and not yours, and even those who have black cockatoo as a long-term guide find that there are sometimes whole seasons or years where it is absent. It can be honoured through drumming, particularly those that involve sticks or branches (such as Indigenous clacking sticks), as well as any creative expression. Offerings of artwork, song, chanting, drumming, dance and writing are appreciated.
© Ravenari

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In my dreams  and trance work recently when doing work for rain, I have seen a wall of water coming this way, and I am grateful for it is so eagerly awaited as right now where I live in New South Wales we are in the deepest drought in our Whiteman’s history.

Yesterday whilst driving my heart was literally aching in my chest as I saw cattle skinny and scavenging for anything they could, their behaviour was simply not normal as I observed paddock after paddock of tension, stress and lack of feed.
How I wish that some rains will comfort both the farmers and their animals.

It’s very tough times here in the bush.

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My morning ritual with my spirits, guides and allies showed me the death card of the tarot, significant and transformational, powerful, showing me to let go of all attachments to any outcome, so I am detached, humbled and clear in my new direction.

I continue to live each day by the tenent’s of Truth, Love & Beauty. Sometimes when I speak my truth, and I express my feelings I am misunderstood, I don’t want to live in the what seems to me the shadows, games, deceit and lies of the monogamous rules for relating, I am a girl who craves right now monogamy with my polyamorous heart, it seems the two misunderstand each other, and my honesty and truth is all I have.

I walk my talk and I speak my truth, what you see is what you get, no hidden agendas, I speak from my heart, and I do that with awareness and compassion.

So with the insight and lessons of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo and the Death Tarot card

So I am stepping back, I am detaching, and I am following that truth.  Actions not words are what counts. Yes the death card is timely, thank you. I am no longer second best, I will be respected and honoured for all I have to offer.

I have a lion on my altar that lived on my Dad’s dressing table, as I sit and contemplate today’s energies and gifts I think of my dad, and his courage, which spurs me on to have some of his courage.  A little baby that fled the war in the Ukraine, arrived in Australia as a refugee, and when he died the little country hall that held his funeral had people spilling out the doors. He was loved for his courage, his art, his healing, his cooking and his generosity of spirit, I thank him for his ongoing love from spirit.

I walk outside, I take a few steps forward I am carrying the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo feather, holding it with pride and joy, I look up to the sky and there at that moment is a Wedge-tailed Eagle is soaring above me catching the air drifts. In spirit dad always appears to me as this bird, and my heart gladdens to know that I am making the right choices, thank you Dad for always looking out for me, I love you and miss you.

Onwards and Upwards!

© Astarté Earthwise

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Water Memories

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As the mist rises from the valleys around me I breathe in the moisture in the air – Water droplets, mist modules of memories.

Water not only holds our reflections, but our memories too.

Mist transports us on our emotions.

Today I am reminded of the Western Journey towards death, the little deaths and the big deaths that touch us all.

The mists of time and mornings wash over us cleansing and refreshing giving us strength for a new day.

 

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Autumnal Chalice

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Reflecting quietly, morning eastern light,

Scrying through the trees and the Mabon fog.

This morning’s poetry flowing on her lips,

The harvest hangs heavy on her aching hips.

Thoughts turn and twist to life with Her lover.

She breathes in the pangs of grief and sorrow.

Time to decrease, ground, and evaluate what awaits

She pulls together the harvest and prepares for her declination.

She takes note of the sun moving into the constellation of Aries,

Dons the cloak of the pioneer, the person forging ahead on Her own,

Once more she prays, chants and she seeks equilibrium,

Picking up her Autumnal chalice, setting her sails to the west.

She steps into the water feeling Her own waning Strength,

Here water mirrors and makes the changes for movement ahead.

She awaits the dark, powerful void of the Underworld,

Letting go, releasing, accepting the secrets of death and rebirth.

~~ © Astarté Earthwise March 2015

Bones, Stones & Fog

Just 12 days out from the longest night and the shortest day, Mid-Winter, Yule approaches.

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Waves roll in of fog, faerie webs, and dew drops.

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It’s the weaving time, before the sun is born again.

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I just visited one of the lower paddocks since the Autumn Equinox Floods that came here twice this year, and found so many gifts, thank you Mother Nature.

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I now have a bone garden full of herbs and scattered with bones that the floods never took from this land, where a mother cow lost her fight for life after the birth of her child, she still lays here in this place, born here, lived and died here like her ancestors before her.

I honour her, the land honours her and this is now a sacred place, her resting place where the silt from the rivers floor has now cemented her place and her bones securely in the land.

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As the Mid-Winter approaches I focus on the bones and stones that sit here that hold this place and the memories of thousands of years.

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The sun is trying to penetrate the land but the fog is winning this morning, patience before another day in winter’s deep hold.

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Deepest Autumn Blessings for the New Year

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The afternoon shadows call to me, they stretch out across the lawn and the paddocks before me. I hear a frog behind me; the breeze is gently blowing from the south-east. Afternoons like this are precious to my soul. Peace and quiet and the sounds of Nature around me. Butcherbirds compete, flies buzz around me, one wispy cloud in the sky to the east, crickets chirp from the paddocks in the north. The fruit trees are losing their leaves; the grass is damp under foot, still holding the mornings dew at its roots. I close my eyes, I breathe in the air. Tomorrow is the New Year, and the celebration of the Deepest Autumn when the sun is at 15 degrees of Taurus the exact point between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice, Therefore the cross quarter day.

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Since I’ve moved onto the land I have no need for fancy names to celebrate the place where Autumn and Winter meet and come together on the round between Water & Earth. Here I sit very aware of the mud beneath my feet, things slowing down, and the rotting starts as the veil thins and death is sent in a message on a walk and hour before I started writing. As I approached a couple of gum trees, a top notch pigeon fell out of the tree and to its death before me.  I reached down and picked up his limp body, he has a wound to his chest and blood coming from his right eye; I embrace his warm fragile body in my hands with compassion in my heart. The messenger bird arrived at my feet in a very violent, confronting way.

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I let the shadows take my fears as they stretch out before me and dissipate as the sun’s strength diminishes and takes them away. I thank Nature for the ritual, and the blessings of this place. In a few days forward it will be a completed cycle of a year since I came onto this land. The teachings are subtle and the lessons cherished as each day brings such joy , living as my ancestors did on the land away from the chaos soothes the soul and gives so much more to cherish. Deepest Autumn Blessings and may Tomorrow be the beginning of a great new year for those that follow the Earthwise Path.

Wise & Blessed Be

Astarte

Morning Mist & Mud

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The shadows of the morning mist, beckon me outside. I leave my desk and follow the mornings call.

The softness of the rolling, falling mist meets my skin, refreshing, invigorating, I breathe it in deeply.

A magpies call, a crow’s cry, a calf bleating for its mother lost in the fog, wings of a kookaburra flapping near me.

Music to my morning ears.

Here I stand in the shadows of early morning, as the sacred round gently turns, heading to winter, moving away from the sun, a sense of peace journeys to my soul.

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This time of year is so needed, the slowing down, the shadows that we explore, within and without.

A knowing, a deeper connection to those close in the shadows, that have gone beyond the veil, they draw closer as does Samhain.

We stand here on the wheel, the constellation of  Taurus above us, between water and earth in the mud that holds us, nurtures us and brings us forth from the shadows what is needed right now.

Prayer rides on my lips to those departed, those struggling in the shadows between the veils of this life and the next, the scent of Pluto’s Death is in the air.

The leaves and some thoughts turn, they fall, they decompose to give nourishment to the earth that sustains us.

I stop in this moment and give thanks, all is unfolding as it should, more light permeates my mind and the shadows around me.

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The webs spun through the night leave their silken presence on my skin as I return through the orchard and head back to my desk for the day ahead.

May your Wednesday hold you in this moment, of being and breathing for as long as you need it.

Much joy from my heart to yours today, in the shadows, and the mud of the year.

Wise & Blessed Be xXx

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Death, Metaphysics & Visionary Art

I came across this awe-inspiring painting today for the first time by Johfra Bosschart, I don’t recall hearing of him before, yet on doing research I definitely know his work, and even grew up with his art in my bedroom as a teenager.

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When I was 19 I remember standing in a shop on Oxford St in Paddington NSW talking with a family friend who owned it, he was an astrologer from the UK, called Keith Anthony Thomas. All of Johfra’s Astrological Art Prints were up high all around the shop, I had popped in to see him after he had made my astrological chart for my birthday, it had come with a cassette tape and I went to get clarity on a few things he had said, and as we conversed he clearly said to me that I should be studying the metaphysical arts as that was my path and I would be eventually teaching it. I had been working as a painter for an advertising company since I was 15 and had won a municipal award from Waverley Council in NSW for my art. But I knew in the depths of my heart I wasn’t that good.

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This was the seventies and I was into everything I could get my hands on that I deemed spiritual, I just had never heard the term metaphysical before. In my ignorance and innocence I believed he had meant I had to learn to paint like this guy, and I felt overwhelmed. I thought this was the metaphysical arts he had implied; I remained burdened with these thoughts for some months, how very wrong was I? When I found out what metaphysics actually were, I was overjoyed as that was a huge part of my life anyway, and to continue on this path as advised was done with the deepest pleasure and satisfaction and I could give up any aspirations to paint like the visionary greats!

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What a relief,  oh life before Google was tough for a girl like me with limited education; I only completed 2nd Form (Year 8) before I was expelled from a good private catholic girls college.

It’s amazing how moments like these stand out so strongly in your memory, because it was a very significant moment and a moment of truth. I knew my path, and became even more of a quester.

So getting back to this particular painting:-

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It’s called The Adoration of Pan, and seeing it today for the first time took my breath away, as this astonishing painting is so very similar to what I personally experienced in my father’s bedroom, just last October. Less than 3 months ago as he was dying, I was holding and massaging his feet, and it was just like this picture, all these beings all gathered together came in through the wall towards my Dad’s feet, swam across his body, right in front of my eyes, gathered around my father and whisked him away. That was at around 10.00pm, I know even though his body was breathing, that his spirit had left at that moment, the split of the soul had occured, he’d crossed the hedge, to peace at last after his journey through cancer. After this happened I let go of his feet turned to my mother and without a word we both left him. We went and sat in the kitchen, in my heart of hearts I knew he had gone we stayed chatting till midnight when my younger sister took over watching for us. I went to bed and was called at around 5.00am as he took his last breaths before dying.

I could not put my experience into words, even though I had tried, I am so grateful to this man Johfra for his painting, as this is the closet visual expression of my experience with my Dad, I can now share this with the dear man George who bought Pan so deeply into my life in the last two years through the teachings of Rosaleen Norton yet another superb visionary Artist. I also now know that the first time I stood before an original picture of Roie’s Pan, just last year that the visions I was having, and continue to have are so very similar, it gives me much more clarity. I am so grateful for all the teachers and the ancestors in my life that share so much with me, past, present and future.

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Onwards & Upwards! Hail Pan!