You Are Not Alone

Written by avenefica on July 29th, 2010

HandPrintOfAwareness

You are not alone.”

Some of us know this instinctively.  We feel the presence of supporters – as close to us as our skins, as intimate as the inhalation of air. 

Whether we call them gods, goddesses, angels, higher selves, animal guides…by whatever name – we are aware of intangible energy buoying us with assurance and support.

However, others of us feel a ring of isolation, preventing us from feeling that consistent presence of energetic support.  Some of us incorporate techniques, rituals or healing habits in order to gain etheric unity for the purpose of becoming saturated by the varied presences of the divine. 

I was philosophizing on this with a friend of mine.  We discussed varying reasons why some people - even if they’re locked in a box on some remote island – will tell you they are never alone.  Why can some people feel the presence of supportive energy no matter how removed they may be from everything?  Conversly,  why do other people feel completely remote, and unable to grasp the presence of divine help, healing and guidance within their midst?

Those who find themselves feeling hermetically sealed in a vacuum of solitary confinement may wonder what the trick is to ripping off the lid and encountering divine accompaniment.  How to feel the buoying presence of profound support on a daily (or even moment-to-moment) basis?

Pulling ourselves from the attic of our minds helps.  Walk “downstairs” into the body

That means making connections with movement, breathing, heartbeat.  It means listening to our own blood as if it were an exotic music.  And if it is music, then we must acknowledge a composer, a conductor and a collaborative orchestra rendering that specialized music from within. 

Each cell within the body represents an individual life.  We forget the billions of individual consciousness’s residing within ourselves because they function so elegantly as a whole. 

To be sure, the body is a multiverse and tapping into that diversity of consciousness is a vital step to feeling less of a stranger in a strange land.  

One of the most (deceptively) simple ways I’ve found to dissuade the mind of its separation is to draw attention to the wilderness within the body. 

Try it some time.  If you’re feeling that ring of isolation squeezing the joy from you, and you’re seeking divine connection and communion – try a dreamtime ride within the subway system of your arteries.  Listen to your aortic tympani.  Start a discussion with your intestinal bacteria (don’t laugh! They can be stimulating conversationalists!).

My point is this:  Indeed, we are inseparable from all manner of divine energy whose presence and purpose is to accompany each of us on our life-journey.  Being alone is an impossibility

Nevertheless, some of us feel the austerity of seclusion more often than divine companionship.  So, if that’s the case with you, I’m suggesting a move out of the mind and into the body.  It’s an effective first step to becoming intimate with the reality of inclusion and consistent support.

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Seeds as a Symbol of Consciousness

Written by avenefica on July 20th, 2010


Seeds - A Symbol of Consciousness?

Seeds - A Symbol of Consciousness?

Last night, in the dreamtime, symbolic seeds were sown into the meaty furrows of my brain.  Their manifested identities known only to my deeper consciousness.  It was a fabulous sensation.  The grey matter of my mind seemed willing, pliable and moistly awaiting the first touch of root to mental-membrane.  

A good dream. An oracle of potential growth.  A sign of depositing new ideas into old rows with the hope and promise of a bumper crop of…of what?  Creativity?  Productivity? New kinds of nourishment?  Food for a hungry mind?  New neuro-network patterns?

Who knows.  Dream-walking advances at a far different pace than common ambulation.  That means, I’ll have to walk calmly between multiple time-lines to see the cycles of growth these dream seeds represent. 

But in the meantime, while I’m weeding, feeding and cerebrating over these dream seeds, I thought I’d sow a few symbolic thoughts on seeds as a symbol of consciousness.

Traditional symbolic meaning of seeds include:

  • Potential
  • Trust
  • Hope
  • Nourishment
  • Sacred
  • Earthiness
  • Initiation
  • Reproduction
  • Cycles
  • Time
  • Provision

Several years ago, while dining with a colleague, he asked: “What’s the symbol for consciousness?” 

In response, I pulled out a pen and drew a single dot on a paper cocktail napkin. 

“That’s it?” He asked.

“Yep, that’s it.” I said, “The dot represents a single point of awareness.  It is, essentially, a seed.  It is the point of pure potential.  This present moment of focused consciousness gives no clue as to which side of the polarity it leans.  There is no gender, no higher or lower, no light or dark.  It simply is.”

My colleague protested: “But isn’t consciousness expansive?  Pervasive?  Everywhere at all times?  This dot, or seed suggests limitation, and that’s not how I see consciousness.”

I loved this observation, and after pausing a moment to let his implications sink in, I responded:

 ”Yes, I agree with your model of consciousness.  However, I chose this dot to represent a seed as a symbol of consciousness because it is the point of initiationAwareness must be initiated.  And the concept of initiation is inherent to the ancient symbolism of seeds.  So, it’s the idea of initiation…specifically, initiating the potential that is powerfully packed in a small unit (a dot, a seed) that I’m emphasizing here.”

I was reminded of this conversation when I woke from my seed dream. 

Those crazy brain seeds!  That tiny dot drawn on a cocktail napkin.  A single unit of initial potential!   

These images made me want to become that dot…to become a seed and

  • Auger a sense of stillness in the midst of daily bustling.   
  • Be as a seed is: Patient, Potent, Packed with potential.
  • Be silent, rest in a damp darkness, suspended.
  • To “just know,” and own remarkable wisdom without the necessity to prove it.
  • Submerge in resolute assurance that transition, growth and ascension is inevitable.

Just thoughts.  Thanks for growing along with me..

Other symbolic seeds for your consideration:

Nature Symbolism

EcoIntuition

Dream Meanings

Six Simple Steps to Interpreting Dreams

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Skinning Life

Written by avenefica on June 30th, 2010

SymbolicSnakePoem

Had she known from
the Beginning that
Life is like a
Snake…

Turning and twisting
through the years of
Life…

Shedding its skin,
just as we all shed
extraneous layers….eventually.

Had she known
both Life and Serpent are
synonymously elusive,
equally cryptic.

Had she known all this,
perhaps
she would not have been constricted and consumed in the coils of Life.

But rather,
she would have
snatched the serpent firmly,

by the jaw -

twisted hard -

commenced skinning it with infinite care,

crafted a fine pair of
snakeskin boots…

And then gone square-dancing in them.

In memoriam for Miranda 11/11/72 – 5/03/10.
May your next life find you unconstricted and kicking up your heels.  ;)


Snake Symbolism

Snake Totems

Uroboros Symbolism

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Symbolic Meaning of Beetles

Written by avenefica on June 27th, 2010
Symbolic Meaning of Beetles

Symbolic Meaning of Beetles

I received an inquiry about the symbolic meaning of beetles.

Realizing I haven’t written much on beetles, I thought I’d share my insights here.

Suggested symbolic meaning of beetles (at-a-glance):

  • Progress
  • Simplicity
  • Persistence
  • Stability
  • Methodical
  • Contemplative
  • Practical
  • Grounded
  • Potential
  • Security
  • Introverted
  • Protection
  • Solidarity

Beetles speak to us of groundedness. They move with bellies always close to the earth, and so their wisdom is sacred and deep.  They are connected to the core of earth, and so they are rooted in their knowledge about the way of life and nature.

Beetles also talk to us about steady, gradual progress.  Observing them, they do nothing without pragmatic, methodical movement.

Beetles impart messages such as:

  • “Get to the root of your desire”
  • “Be practical in your expectations of progress”
  • “Find stability in simplicity”
  • “Anchor yourself in honest, true, natural ways”

Beetles also remind us of the simple things in life, and point our attention to the magic in the small.  A friend of mine, Kim Gould at www.loveyourdesign.com says this: “allow yourself to be tamed by the small and gentle.”  Beetles can tame us because of their simple, unassuming presence.

The symbolic meaning of beetles also offers protection.  Their own hard shells do more than just convey glimmery beauty.  They protect.   And so, the beetle (in countless cultures, particularly Asian) is considered a symbol of protection too.

The colors of your beetles will also offer meaningful messages.

For example, greens talk to me about the heart chakra which is the center for healing, love and compassion.  Blue hearkens to the throat chakra which encourages creative expression and vocalizing our real truth…our genuine truth…I’m not talking about speaking a false-truth like “I am sick” I’m talking about the real truth that recognizes inherent health & well-being indwelling the body/soul at all times.

Beetles also reminded me of the Egyptian scarabs which are all about building our best, most incredible opportunities from the poop around us.  :)

Other areas of interest:

Insect Totems and Insect Symbolism

Symbolism in Nature

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Mercurial Vision

Written by avenefica on June 17th, 2010

Crank your speakers…

Rock on.

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Get Bent

Written by avenefica on June 1st, 2010

Arboreal Wisdom and the Tao. Photo by Avia Venefica“To remain whole, be twisted.
Become bent, and be straightened.
Become hollow, and be filled.
Wear out, and be renewed.”

(22nd stanza of the Tao)

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Investing in Your Future

Written by avenefica on May 24th, 2010

Where do you put your money?   The answer is symbolic.

I’ve been an avid supporter of the David Lynch Foundation because I believe it’s the most ideal way to invest in the future.

I’m not the only one.  Join Russel Brand in his personal fundraising crusade for alignment.

Or, donate directly to the DLF here.

Doing so is an investment in the well-being of your own future, and the future of your generations to come.  

Money is a symbolic energy.  DLF is a prime example of releasing the recyclable power of money via profoundly positive channels.

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Swallowing the Sun

Written by avenefica on May 11th, 2010


"Sun Swallowing" photo by Avia Venefica

Sun Swallowing

She swallowed the sun whole
On a Wednesday afternoon.

Just crammed it right into her mouth,
Like a fiery jelly doughnut.

Sticky sunny ooze
Dribbling out the end,
as she shoved the last sunbeam in.

Aftertaste pungent and puckery
Like sweet gherkin pickles
Tartness lingering on the tongue.

And now she levitates like the sun
Made full and whole by its consumption.

Feeling…

Finally illuminated.
Finally enlightened.

Or possibly indigestion.

____________________________________________

Sun Symbolism

Native American Sun Symbols

Solar Totem Animals

Sun Tattoo Symbolism

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Goddess Video

Written by avenefica on May 2nd, 2010

Compliments of:   http://www.OriginoftheWord.com/

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15 Fascinating Facts about Your Dreams

Written by avenefica on May 1st, 2010

15 Dream Facts from the MRI Technician School

15 Dream Facts from the MRI Technician School

The following is an excerpt from the MRI Technician School Blog.  Great stuff.  Read the full article here.

  • Late-night snacks can cause nightmares: Nightmares in adults are much less common than in children, but there are some factors that can trigger scary dreams. Besides stress, medications and depression, late night munchies can interfere with your body’s metabolism. Eating late will make your brain feel like it needs to stay active for your body, which can lead to crazy dreams if you fall asleep instead of use up your energy.
  • Dreams occur all the time, not just during REM sleep: Doctors and scientists used to believe that dreams could only occur when people were in their deepest cycles of sleep, or REM sleep. In fact, dreams can occur at any time, though dreams you have during NREM sleep are usually less intense and less vivid. The National Sleep Research Project proposes that “it’s possible there may not be a single moment of our sleep when we are actually dreamless.”
  • Day dreams are real: The psychology department at UC Santa Cruz explains that our bodies and brains don’t necessarily require actual sleep to dream. As long as certain forces are in effect and the environment is right — when we tune out external stimuli but our brains are still active, for example — we have the potential to dream.
  • Smells affect your dreams: A 2008 German study found that positive and negative smells affect dreams: positive smells result in positive dreams while negative or unpleasant smells result in bad dreams.
  • Blind people don’t “see” in their dreams: For people who can see, it can be hard to imagine dreaming without lifelike imagery. But blind people dream, too, though not in the same way. According to The Accidental Mind, people who were born blind or who became blind at a very young age generally experience dreams according to their other senses.
  • Read all 15 Dream Facts from the MRI Tech Blog here.

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    Why Symbolism?

    Written by avenefica on April 26th, 2010
    Why Symbolism - AviaVenefica

    Why Symbolism?

    You wouldn’t believe the amount of correspondence I get (criminy, I can’t even believe it sometimes).   

    Some correspondence forces me to question why I persist in writing/speaking about symbolism. 

    Not for approval.  If anything, some of my views and methods have cast me in unfavorable light.  Not everybody digs where I come from, and that’s cool.

    Not for wealth.  Get real.  Income-focused mentality involves tactics of compromise (something I totally suck at).

    Not for grandeur or status.  What a joke.  None of us rank higher or lower in the process of living.   This kind of subjectivity reinforces the absurdity of status.

    So what is it?  What is it about symbolism that keeps me writing and returning time and time again?

    Symbolism expands reality to accept initiations of enchantment within the theatres of our lives.

    I’m talking silver linings here.  Promise. 

    At the very least, looking out with a goal to seek symbolic relevance reconnects hope in some otherwise dismal settings.  Wielded rightly, symbolism is a tool for prying loose human potential.  The very same human potential that is commonly barricaded and immobilized due to mistruths, judgements and attempts at collective socialization.    

    Even when the landscape seems utterly bleak, there are supple symbolic subtleties that can be plucked from a barren land. 

    Like…

    • An arc of sunlight - warm gold – Apollonian energy in a beam.
    • A slice of moonlight – soft and liquid – making the unknowable an artform.
    • Finch footprints – leaving sacred hashmarks – an avian code.
    • Reading bark braille – tracing arboreal lineage in a tactile way.
    • Numerological scaffolding – rhythmic, chronological, ancient ordering evident in everything.
    • Ancestral traditions that peel off biased varnishes painted on by modern slickery and convoluted consciousness.

    Symbolism shifts perspective.  It’s an axpick chipping away the hardened topcrust of perception. 

    Symbolism cracks the casing of ordinary and opens vision to extraordinary vistas.

    It offers potential and magic.   It begs us to move beyond.

    And that’s why I keep writing about it.

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    Earth Day: Symbolic Video

    Written by avenefica on April 19th, 2010

    In honor of Earth Day (April 22), a quick video pointing awareness at our personal understanding of earth symbolism & its implications in our lives.

     

    Other Pages of Earthy Eminence:

    Earth Symbols & Meanings

    Earth Animals

    Mother Symbols

    Tree Symbolism

    Flower Power – Symbolism in Bloom on Colette Baron-Reid’s Blog

    Diamonds: Earth’s Symbolic Jewels

    Symbolic List of Planets

    The Call of the Wild (Listening to Nature for Answers) on MicheleKnight.com

    Tree Spirits for Spiritual Growth on MicheleKnight.com

    The Earth Laughs in Flowers: Flower Symbolism

    Getting Symbolic Messages From Nature on Colette Baron-Reid’s Blog

    Earthly Discs: Pentacles and their Earthbound Meanings in Tarot on TarotTeachings.com


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