'Shaman's Vision' © 1991 Rob Schouten"The structure of your daily spiritual life must be built on a strong foundation in the physical world, like a pillar of selected shaman's stones balanced carefully one on another. Take care of your body through diet and exercise. Express your strength in acts of power, and bring greater awareness to the exchange of money. Protect and nourish your family, and express your integrity by bringing balance into society and nature. Then you will be prepared in the physical for the higher spiritual learning. Your being is like a spirit lodge, the foundation of which is rooted in physical manifestation-- strong against the storms along the trail to higher consciousness. To take power, make your spirit available. Take your power and bring your physical and spiritual natures into balance." by Lynn V. Andrews
This is another of the cards from The Power Deck by Lynn V. Andrews. The message is something I wrestle with and suspect many others do also-- maintaining personal balance in a world inclined to push us off stride.
In October, I wrote about a physical fall I took when helping Farm Boss move some heavier and longer than usual, wall board panels from the trailer to the shop. Not watching where I was backing, my boot hit a pile of stacked lumber. Once that happened, there were no more choices about what would happen next. When balance is lost, especially if moving fast, a fall is generally coming.
In our daily lives sometimes the fall comes through getting sick. It is our body's way of reminding us we have been neglecting it while caring for too many other things. I don't know about you, but I don't always take care of my own emotional, spiritual and physical needs. Something becomes too important and I end up distracted from the rest. Being a Libra, I try not to do this, but reality is it happens. I prefer my reminders to come before the fall.
This card is a one way to remind myself I have choices. I can look where I am going. I can stay aware of what is around me while recognizing I can't do more than my own part. Yes, we have choices but only about ourselves. We can't change the world, just our part of it. Staying in balance is one of the more important ways we do that.
(Art work by Rob Schouten used by permission of the painter. The painting is titled Shaman's Vision. More of Rob's work can be seen at Rob Schouten Gallery.)
7 comments:
The first impression of this card is the quantity of subjects calling for my attention. The moon is near the center and much too big to be a ball for the figure to control. The stacks of rocks could fall over any time. And the rocky ground hard to walk over. The creek is small. In the sky is an eagel and I am not sure if that means country or the search for food and power. The animals are above and the community of teepees in the farthest background. The card does not give me a good feeling of balance but only the frustrated search for it.
Now the quote by Lynn V. Andrews, his idea of bringing balance to your life is not one to debate.
I like your looking at these to interpret them as you see them, parapluie. In the case of this card, I would say that these are the elements that must be brought into balance but the card is not saying they are there. You can't tell it in this small scan but he has two feathers hanging from the necklace. The moon is not squarely above him but to one side, the rock pile is tilted and unstable. Remember the artist called this one Shaman's Vision. as in it is what he sees that he must do to make it work for his people as in bring game, have wisdom, bring the sustenance of life-- hence the rock piles are not real nor are they supposed to be able to stay balanced as it's a vision. The eagle could represent wisdom or even his own spirit going out on a quest.
Alone,
I journey
Without a destination.
Beautiful, Paul. thank you for both of those additions (Ecstasy comments also for readers) to the artist's representations.
Wise words and ones that I try to heed -- not always successfully, but they're worth continuing to pursue.
It is true, that "balance" in all things connected to oneself is very important. And as I get older and have more infirmities, this balance' part sometimes gets harder, and the more you need it, too....I'm thinking more of the physical---trying to avoid falling, etc....And of course there are many things that we hope we can control that sometimes cannot be controlled....In the Theatre, we call these "Acts Of God"...like Earthquakes, or this terrible devistating Fire that has been happening in Moneticito yesterday and today, etc., etc.....
But I agree one needs to be vigilent in what one can control...!
old old lady of the hills,
I like your wise words. "Be vigilant in what you can control."
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