POWER ANIMAL FOR NOVEMBER: SUN CONURE

"Zen Fruity" my baby

As we head into winter, darkness and cold can have a depressing effect on many. The holidays ahead to some are a blessing, to others their anticipation harkens demons of dread, loneliness and bitter family disputes. Whether you feel November is a time to celebrate or despair, call in the Sun Conure as a Power Animal, and let this little clown-colored parrot with the champaign-glass shattering voice break your heart open and let the rainbow colored light shine in! 

Sun Conures are native to Brazil, the country that evokes images of bronzed bodies lining the sun drenched beaches of Rio; the wild exuberance of Carnival celebrations, and Samba dancing in the streets. Sun Conures are aptly named with their orange bodies, red cheeks, yellow and green wings: If Ra or Zeus the Sun Gods had Power Animals, there would surely be Sun Conures sitting on their shoulders. 

One of the problems people face as the Sun makes less of an appearance each day is that they stay inside more, and perhaps get lonely. Sun Conures never have a problem calling out for companionship, or letting their needs be known to others. They shriek and sing to demand attention. They also clown around in the treetops or their cages, hanging upside down by a single foot, dancing like lunatics. They laugh, whine, cry, chatter, kiss and charm you into doing exactly what they want: snuggle, converse, companion you or share your food every where you go. While these antics can be annoying at times to those who don’t want to be bothered, the Sun Conure knows how to get their social needs met. While they will be rejected at times, many others they will get the fun, love, and communion they most desire. Even 5 times out of ten is better than 0 out of 0. So when you need to reach out more to others and let them know you exist and want to communicate with them, snuggle or be entertained, become that noisy Sun Conure, and trust that even though not all people like birds, many will be riveted by your beautiful plumage and your adorable antics! 

In spite of Sun Conures ability to get their needs met, they are also excellent at setting boundaries. If they don’t want to be touched, they will gently bite the hand that is pestering them: not enough to hurt those they love, but to say in no uncertain terms, “not a good time!” As much as they want affection and attention, they also enjoy their solitude and sleep -- when they are ready for it. This they let you know too by their nibbles, or simply flying back to their nests or perches.

If someone is threatening their lives or those they love, they will attack, and there will be blood! 

Sun Conure teaches us to express ourselves, and even more essentially, to KNOW ourselves. Are you aware in each moment how you are TRULY feeling, and what you need? Or have you spent a life time denying your instincts and bodily impulses; of ignoring your deeper self? Start listening in. What are the subtle ways your body tells you what you want... do you start to move towards a thing or a person but then stop yourself? Do you shrink back, but then tell yourself you must stay in a situation that makes you uncomfortable? Sun Conure never does this, but is completely AUTHENTIC.  When she wants to be still she is still. When she wants to scream she screams. She doesn’t waste time with those who don’t like her or those she hasn’t bonded with. She is dedicated to her people and the friends she has mutually chosen. Darkness calms her down. Being sweet-talked or offered a treat distracts her and changes her mood as quickly as a child. All these things are good things. 

Take Sun Conures lead this winter and wear your brightest colors, let your desires be known, and ring the bell in your proverbial cage to entertain yourself, or so your own inner Keeper will know it is high time they let you fly free.  

Quote from Ben Franklin About Why the Eagle Shouldn't be National Symbol

   I love this quote, because it reminds us that all creatures (like humans) have a shadow side, even those we admire most. To avoid "pollyannaism" -- only seeing others, or life, in a positive but flat and one dimensional way, it is good to acknowledge the wild, vicious, carnal and dull sides of us all, along with the joyful, benevolent.



"I wish that the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country, he is a bird of bad moral character, he does not get his living honestly, you may have seen him perched on some dead tree, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the labor of the fishing-hawk, and when that diligent bird has at length taken a fish, and is bearing it to its nest for the support of his mate and young ones, the bald eagle pursues him and takes it from him.... Besides he is a rank coward; the little kingbird, not bigger than a sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the district. He is therefore by no means a proper emblem for the brave and honest. . . of America.. . . For a truth, the turkey is in comparison a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America . . . a bird of courage, and would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British guards, who should presume to invade his farmyard with a red coat on." -- Ben Franklin

Global Earth Exchange Journal Entry

Today I went to the Summer Solstice Parade in my hometown, Santa Barbara.

This years theme was "Creatures".

Everyone was beautiful and we had fun celebrating the Sun.

When we got home I was very tired and fell asleep on the couch. I would have slept all the rest of the afternoon, but Eric woke me with his exclamation, "Peter is in the house!" 

Peter is the Blue Jay we rescued as a baby, nurtured until he could survive on his own, and released in our garden a few years ago. 

Peter flies back into the house occasionally to say hello, and search for peanuts. He stayed but a few minutes, then flew back outside.

Since I was now awake, though still groggy, I got on my computer and started looking for someone's email address I've been trying to find for awhile. After a few minutes I stumbled across some one else's email, the one about The Global Earth Exchange, sent by one of my beloved mentors, Trebbe Johnson. 

I thought to myself, "Oh no, I forgot all about this!" 

The Global Earth Exchange was Trebbe's idea, as part of her Radical Joy for Hard Times project. The concept is very simple. On June 22nd of each year, people all across the world go out, alone or in groups, to a place on the Earth that has been wounded, desecrated, or undergone a traumatic event. 

There they connect with the land, simply by being present, being aware of their feelings in the moment, listening into their hearts and the heart of the earth, making art (such as a bird out of the natural materials in this place... the bird represents rising above it all; hope.) Finally, the ceremony ends with making an offering. It is a way of healing the planet, healing oneself and community, all at the same time. It is a tiny step. A huge step in the right direction.

I was going to organize an event and participate this year, but life got the better of me and I spaced on it. So when I saw the email earlier today, I said to myself, "Well, it's too late to organize a large group, but I can still participate in some way." 

In the instructions, it said not to get hung up on having to do this any certain way, and to let it unfold naturally. I looked around my living room. Who could I bring with me on such short notice? Where could I find a wounded place that needed some attention? 

I went straight to my Sun Conure (little parrot) Fruity's cage. She loves to be outside with me, so I thought she would be a good friend to bring along. 

We walked outside our front door. 

And there it was. 

My own little garden. In shambles. Decimated. Torn up. Destroyed. 

Unfortunately, I did not have to go far to find the wounded place to do the Global Earth Exchange ceremony. 

My garden before today.

My garden today after a gardner tore up all the beloved Agaves 
(to make room for a new fence to be installed.)

I felt very sad and started to cry. Which feels silly with a bird on my head, but ...


I cried for a little while. Then I noticed a mouse scampering around in the devistation. I thought to myself, "At least my own home wasn't destroyed, like this mouse's house was!"

I cried for the mouse.

I also thought of the Native American story of of Jumping Mouse, a story us Rite of Passage Guides tell our questers the night before they embark on a solo fast. Jumping Mouse is the story of a little mouse that had to leave his home -- and all he held dear to him -- in order to find the "Sacred River" (which is a symbol of the Divine) and gain courage and new Vision.

Just then, my boyfriend Eric walked into the wounded garden. He saw me crying and wanted to cheer me up.
I didn't exactly want to be cheered up immediately, but I really appreciated his efforts. In fact, I recognized that he was now engaging in the Global Earth Exchange with me. It was a spontaneous occurrence. I was delighted for his company, even through my tears.

This is Eric from another day, after we saw the sunrise together.

Eric didn't know I was thinking about the story of Jumping Mouse. But he said to me, in response to my lament of the mice losing their home, "Just think, now the mice will go to the other part of the garden, and get to see a whole new part of the world that their Jewish Grandma's probably never let them explore, for fear they'd get hurt." (He knows I am Jewish, and sometimes worry like a Grandma myself, even though I have travelled all over the world and seen many glorious gardens.)

I suggested we follow the Global Earth Exchange suggestion of making a bird out of the wreckage. Eric reached down and picked up this stick, and said, "Look, it's a bird!" I also found a stick right away that reminded me of a bird. In just a minute or two we had created bird art together.

Eric's Bird

Erics and my bird together

Eric left to go run some errands. I decided to stay alone in the garden a little while longer. I remembered that my two other domesticated birds, Green Cheeked Conures Zepher and Griffin, were buried right in the garden by the St. Frances Statute. I felt a mixture of gladness at their memory, and sadness at my loss. 

Eric with our babies, the late and great Zepher and Griffin

 

The final part of the Global Earth Exchange ceremony is to honor the land by giving something back to it. 

I wanted to give something to the Spirits of the land and my birdies. I went in the house and got a handful of Sun Flower seeds. (I love the symbolism, and birds love the taste!) 

I put Fruity back on her cage with a bowlful of seeds and thanked her for participating with me. 

Then I went back into the garden to sprinkle some on the torn up ground, and that's when a new friend came to visit: a baby Blue Jay!

He graciously accepted my offering of Sun Flower Seeds.

A reminder that new life will grow from the old.

It doesn't make the loss of the Agave plants and the others any less strong.

But, it does give me hope.

And, a feeling of excitement, as I wonder what will grow in it's place.

Thanks for listening to my story!

THE END
THE BEGINNING

Amy Katz, June 22, 2013

Testimonal

"When I came to Amy I stepped into a world of possibilities that I never knew existed.  I can do my own readings but see Amy when I want clarity and my next step.  She helped me discover what matters most to me . . . love . . . and how to find ways to express it using my gifts.  In less than a year, my life has completely transformed.  My dreams are becoming a reality and I have prospered in every area including career, finance, health and love."


Amy L.  June 9, 2013

Snow Goose is the Power Animal for the month of May... In Alaska!

Photos compliments of Frank at www.happyotter.com

Honk! Honk! The next time you hear this sound, look skyward. No it’s probably not a flying jalopy, but rather a flock of migrating Snow Geese.

Every spring they make the perilous trek from the southern wetlands back to the arctic tundra. They are a totem for wandering and restless souls that are driven to journey long distances seeking adventure, warmth or both. Geese have internal GPS’s, and teach us that with the right preparation, timing and navigational savvy we can go anywhere we want in life. It takes courage to leave sometimes; it takes courage to stay. Knowing when it is best to fly away or nestle down is the key to success in relationships, work and all survival. 

The Snow Goose also symbolize love, family, parenthood and commitment, as they mate for life and stay together as a family for at least the first year of a gosling’s life, even though within 24 hours newborns can swim on their own. Who hasn’t been overtaken by sentimentality when a mother goose stops traffic to cross the road with half a dozen waddling kids in tow? They teach us how to stick together and honor the group, even as we grow into individuals with minds of our own. 

(Preview of article that will appear in the Paradise Found Metaphysical Newsletter May 1, 2013 by Amy Beth Katz.)

OK, This isn't directly related to power animals, but...

Photo and Design By artist Hong Yi
http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2013/04/artist-hong-yi-plays-with-her-food/

PSYCHIC BOOTCAMP ~ HOLLYWOOD STYLE

April 13 & 14, 2013
10 am to 5 pm, Sat & Sun

​​Join Debra Lynne Katz, three time author and Director of International School of Clairvoyance for an unforgettable experience that will bring you to the next level in your spiritual, psychic and personal growth! 

​

Early Bird Special Extended! - $350 (prior to April 10, 2013)
Regular Price - $425 (TELL HER YOU SAW THIS POST ON HER SISTER AMY'S BLOG AND PAY ONLY THE EARLY BIRD SPECIAL ANYTIME!)

​

Learn how to do readings on yourself and others
(amaze yourself and everyone else!)

Learn how to remote view
(we'll be searching for hidden objects and solving mysteries in class!)

Learn how to heal with just the power of your mind
Experience or control your clairvoyance for the first time,
(or increase it to levels never experienced before).

Learn how you are already psychic all the time!

Learn how to control your clairaudience/telepathy & clairsentience.

Learn new tools to protect yourself.

and energize and destress and change your mood instantly.

Learn how to cope with being psychic when others are afraid of this.

Have a fantastic time with like minded people
doing fun and exciting group exercises!

​

Take back the word "psychic"!  It's not a dirty word!

POWER ANIMAL FOR APRIL 2013: GOPHER

http://paradisefoundsantabarbara.com/articles/power-animal-for-april-gopher-by-backyard-shaman-amy-katz-m-a/

Guest Star Amy Katz Shares About Dreams and Dreamtending

Watch the YOUTUBE recording of last week's TV Show featuring guest star Amy Katz discuss how dreams can help us "Rise Above it"!

Chinese Astrology Year of the Black Snake 2013

Black Snake is kin to Water Dragon. Enough said. But not nearly enough perceived. Until your body undulates in the undercurrents and power brims from your inner being, Snake is dorment. Wake him up if you want to slip through the cracks between consciousness and unconsciousness, dreaming and waking.

2013, in Chinese Astrology, celebrates the Black Snake. This year, how will you honor the energy of this watery reptilian that glides and slithers through the dark waters of your own (and collective) psyche? Will you fear and avoid it, keeping to high and dry land? Or will you dive deep and discover the infinite magic which is Snake energy?

Snake is the shaman of the underworld. Do you ever dream of snakes? Or fear them obsessively? Have you ever been bitten, or had a near encounter? If so, you may have been called to become a medicine man or woman yourself. Are you listening? Snakes “hear” by sensing subtle changes in temperature, by feeling vibrations through the earth, by perceiving chem trails emitted from all other living things, through the tuning fork of their forked tongues.

Black Rat Snake

To become a shaman in the lineage of Snake, first you must know when it is time to shed your skins, and rejuvenate. You must get to know the flow of the seasons; to sense when it is time to go sit in the sun and when it is time to retreat into the cool shadows. You must recognize that change isn’t something that happens once every few years or decades, but constantly, and to act accordingly. You must sharpen your sense of smell and intuition, and stop believing everything you see with your eyes…

Apprentice yourself to snake. Move like her on the ground and in the water. Feel into her breath, and claim her poison which protects and heals, paralyzes and destroys.  Only until you have realized and accepted your own innate potential to kill AND create life will you have complete control over your own choices. Then, you will see the divine in your own likeness. Go look in the mirror, and catch a glimpse of Snake swimming in the black pupils of your I’s.

"How to Become An Extraordinary Psychic" Now available for Immediate Download!

This is my twin sister's book: it's superb for those wanting to develop their intuitive abilities quickly and safely.  Llewellyn Publishing has rights to the print edition, but my publishing company, Living Dreams Press, now has E Book rights. Download it directly to your computer of smart phone from www.livingdreamspress.com no E-Readers like Kindle necessary (though it is available as Kindle on Amazon.com) 

I fell in love with this guy in the Petrified forest...

Grackle: Power Animal For March 2013

Grackle Shadows, Artesia, NM

Recently, while driving on a frigid, dark night through a small town outside of Roswell, New Mexico -- home of the infamous “Alien Space Ship” crash -- I heard a strange, tonal ruckus up in the sky, and caught a glimpse of hundreds of “UFO’s” whirling about overhead. Bewildered (and a little afraid), I circled around the block and came back to park in front of several trees that were full of creepy, fluttering shadows. Every branch was covered in large, screaming black birds! 

This was not a scene out of a Spielberg or Hitchcock movie.  Rather it was a flash mob of migrating grackles!.Grackles, which are 11 - 13 inches long, irredesent black/purple and brown and are similar at first sight to crows and ravens, are really part of the blackbird family, and their cachaphony of sounds are often indistinguishable from the mockingbird’s. They communicate with their ear piercing songs, sound imitations and by physical displays during mating season; thus, they are powerful totems for communicators, public speakers and lovers seeking attention. 

Grackles are as adept at survival as they are at showing off. They love to forage on the ground, in shrubs, in shallow ponds, at the feet of bird feeders and tables of outdoor shopping centers (they love Starbucks at Five Points in Santa Barbara! )They are ominvores, and enjoy every thing from plants to grubs to baby birds and french fries. They rub ants on their feathers to extract a smoothing ointment. They steal the food out of mouths of other birds. While they are typically known to be sweet towards humans, they’ll also “mob” people and violently dive bomb those who disturb their nests in order to protect their babies. While some cultures fear these great protectors as “Trickster” spirits, and some farmers would like to shoot them as “pests” grackles display enormous creativity, courage and resilience in the face of obstacles. Few power animals model such an ability to adapt to changing environments and come out ahead of the competetion. 

Grackles take what they need to survive, yet they are also very group-oriented: watching hundreds of them fly as one being in synchronized formations is breathtaking. The paradox of fierce independence and interdependent “one-ness” is a teaching gift the Grackle bestows on us all. 

Please Post Your Powerful Animal Encounter Stories!

We would love to hear about amazing or numinous animal encounters you've had, in waking, in dreams. Please post in the comments section here! 

Jaguar: Dark Seductress

“A black jaguar prowls across my garden in the middle of the night. There is something unique and compelling about his face: his nose looks almost human…suddenly this realization awakens me in my own dream and I become lucid. Recognizing that now is the time when all possibilities are open, I decide to go on a medicine walk in the Dreamtime. Suddenly, a “man-whole” opens up, and with only a lantern to light the path down into the darkness, I descend into the underworld.”  -- Amy’s Dream Feb. 1, 2012

Jaguars, which are the same species as Black Panthers, have long been considered to be the rulers of both light and darkness by the Mayans, thus serving as a symbol of wholeness, balance and power. Ancient tales tell of the numinous feline who delighted by watching over the sun in the East, then tracked the sun down below the horizon into the Underworld at night, to hunt Mystery and Inner Wisdom.

Jaguar is associated with Dionysus and Bacchus, the Greek and Roman Gods of fertile earth, wine, revelry and wild-ness. Those seeking freedom from societal restrictions and definitions, who are on the path of discovering their authentic selves via deep desires and volcanic soul stirrings, often are stalked by Jaguar.

Being the mightiest of cats, she is known for her fierceness and ability to take down prey by a single strike to the head, symbolizing the guide who helps initiates drop from their analytical minds deep into the abyss; into their animal bodies. Jaguar is dangerous, but a keen protector of all she loves; she is also a healer with foresight and clairvoyance, leading her way in the dark.

Cats have binocular vision which allows them to see close up, even when it is pitch black. Only a human with Jaguar as a power animal would be willing to roam the far reaches of these shadow-lands. Jaguar has the fierce compassion to lead where few others are willing to go–into that riparian jungle known as Soul, teeming with exotic creatures, sweltering swamps and secret caves. It is within these caves, these manholes, that the greatest treasures are to be discovered.

Who is willing to join me on this journey of the Jaguar?