Jaguar
The Jaguar mask
In Mezoamerican myth, Jaguar is the personification of the nighttime sun. His spots are like stars. He also personifies Tlaloc, the rain god, bringing forth the precious water of life. He is the largest of the American cats and is barrel-chested and powerful. He is not shy like the mountain lion, therefore he has been more readily hunted. The last Jaguar seen in the U.S. was spotted in the southwest in the early 80's. It is believed he wandered up from southern Mexico.
In Mezoamerican myth, Jaguar is the personification of the nighttime sun. His spots are like stars. He also personifies Tlaloc, the rain god, bringing forth the precious water of life. He is the largest of the American cats and is barrel-chested and powerful. He is not shy like the mountain lion, therefore he has been more readily hunted. The last Jaguar seen in the U.S. was spotted in the southwest in the early 80's. It is believed he wandered up from southern Mexico.
Lizard
The Lizard mask
Any kind of spiritual growth, at some point requires recognizing life-long patterns of conditioning. Dismantling that conditioning is no easy task. It's breaking apart old ego identifications, old self images. It is dissolving the masks carefully, one by one.
Any kind of spiritual growth, at some point requires recognizing life-long patterns of conditioning. Dismantling that conditioning is no easy task. It's breaking apart old ego identifications, old self images. It is dissolving the masks carefully, one by one.
Wingless Dragon
The Wingless Dragon mask
What appeared in the previous mask as a mere lizard has become a full-blown dragon. Continuing the process of discarding old self-images, one gets closer to a tender new self, while encountering all sorts of obstacles. Dragons.
"More especially the threat to one's inmost self from dragons and serpents points to the danger of the newly acquired consciousness being swallowed up again by the instinctive psyche, the unconscious." C.G.Jung
What appeared in the previous mask as a mere lizard has become a full-blown dragon. Continuing the process of discarding old self-images, one gets closer to a tender new self, while encountering all sorts of obstacles. Dragons.
"More especially the threat to one's inmost self from dragons and serpents points to the danger of the newly acquired consciousness being swallowed up again by the instinctive psyche, the unconscious." C.G.Jung
Diablito One
The Diablito Mask
This particular little devil wants to extinguish joy in any form, but particularly the Joy of singing.
This particular little devil wants to extinguish joy in any form, but particularly the Joy of singing.
Diablito Two
The Diablito Two Mask
These evil little devils are like Colin Wilson's mind parasites. They torture the best and brightest, creating doubt, pain, and anguish.
These evil little devils are like Colin Wilson's mind parasites. They torture the best and brightest, creating doubt, pain, and anguish.
The Bogswamp Man
The Bogswamp Man Mask
In play-acting his complete inability to get out of a melancholy funk, my Irish- American ex- could turn into a four-year old and describe his fate as falling into the bog-swamp. We all fall into these swampy states from time to time, unable to think clearly and fairly drowning in soggy dispair and hopelessness.
If we can recognize ourselves in the bog-swamp man, then sooner or later we can manage to drag ourselves out of the swamp.
In play-acting his complete inability to get out of a melancholy funk, my Irish- American ex- could turn into a four-year old and describe his fate as falling into the bog-swamp. We all fall into these swampy states from time to time, unable to think clearly and fairly drowning in soggy dispair and hopelessness.
If we can recognize ourselves in the bog-swamp man, then sooner or later we can manage to drag ourselves out of the swamp.
Big Bird
The Big Bird Mask
Many years ago at Fort Mason, there was a conference of Shamans invited from all over the world. Each night for two weeks, a different shaman would lead the audience in some learning experience. One night, Michael Harmon led us on a vision quest in which we would meet a guide who might give us a totem animal. I went into this altered state, imagining what exalted bird or animal might be my totem: an eagle perhaps, or maybe a mountain lion.
When my guide appeared, I asked the question, and waited. No soaring eagle flew down, no brave mountain lion appeared. Out of the mists of my imagination had waddled none other than Big Bird. I laughed out loud.
Later, when Michael asked us what our experiences were, I described mine and the whole room cracked up. But Michael pointed out that Big Bird being a big fluffy, huggable, loving being, golden like the sun, is not a bad totem animal to have.
Many years ago at Fort Mason, there was a conference of Shamans invited from all over the world. Each night for two weeks, a different shaman would lead the audience in some learning experience. One night, Michael Harmon led us on a vision quest in which we would meet a guide who might give us a totem animal. I went into this altered state, imagining what exalted bird or animal might be my totem: an eagle perhaps, or maybe a mountain lion.
When my guide appeared, I asked the question, and waited. No soaring eagle flew down, no brave mountain lion appeared. Out of the mists of my imagination had waddled none other than Big Bird. I laughed out loud.
Later, when Michael asked us what our experiences were, I described mine and the whole room cracked up. But Michael pointed out that Big Bird being a big fluffy, huggable, loving being, golden like the sun, is not a bad totem animal to have.
Owl
After teaching my workshop I dreamed about carrying a big owl who was bright blue and was hungry. It was my job to help it. In researching the imagery, I found these quotes from Christine Dowling's book "Goddess" on Athene.
Owl is one of the emblems of the wise Goddess Athene. . "The owl was regarded as Athene herself in visible form," .
Athene is a "protectress, and is also the goddess of art and artisans, and is reputed to have made the first earthenware pot..
"Athene's art is the art made within and for the human community.
"Athena is concerned to further the outwarding of soul, its expression and realization in what we do and make."
The Green Man
The Green man is an image that has appeared since ancient times.
"He is an image from the depths of prehistory: he appears and seems to die and then comes again after long forgettings at many periods in the past two thousand years....
"The green man as a composite of leaves and a mans head, symbolizes the unity of humanity and the vegetable world. He knows and utters the secret laws of nature. When an image of great power such as the green man returns as he does now in a new aspect after a long absence,the purpose of its return is not only to revive forgotten memories but to present fresh truths and emotions necessary to fulfilling the potentialities of the future.
From "Green Man, the Archetype of our oneness with the Earth" by William Anderson
Now, when there are such encroachments on the natural world, when protection of the environment is being dismissed as somehow too costly, the Green Man appears, reminding us that man's survival depends on living nature. New therapies in the mental health field incorporate spending time in nature.We now know our Circadian Rhythms which direct the body on when to digest food, prepare for sleep and repair brain cells depend on daylight and night cycles.
"He is an image from the depths of prehistory: he appears and seems to die and then comes again after long forgettings at many periods in the past two thousand years....
"The green man as a composite of leaves and a mans head, symbolizes the unity of humanity and the vegetable world. He knows and utters the secret laws of nature. When an image of great power such as the green man returns as he does now in a new aspect after a long absence,the purpose of its return is not only to revive forgotten memories but to present fresh truths and emotions necessary to fulfilling the potentialities of the future.
From "Green Man, the Archetype of our oneness with the Earth" by William Anderson
Now, when there are such encroachments on the natural world, when protection of the environment is being dismissed as somehow too costly, the Green Man appears, reminding us that man's survival depends on living nature. New therapies in the mental health field incorporate spending time in nature.We now know our Circadian Rhythms which direct the body on when to digest food, prepare for sleep and repair brain cells depend on daylight and night cycles.