Category Archives: 2. Nature

2. Nature

Serpent

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1_Root Chakra - Serpent

The root chakra connects and grounds us within our physical body as we learn to trust and feel safe. The archetype of the root chakra is the serpent or ouroboros that sheds its skin in order to renew itself.  It releases what is no longer needed in order to receive what is needed. This process is mirrored in our primal need to eliminate physically and emotionally. This process of elimination and regeneration has linked serpents with rebirth, transformation, immortality and healing.

The serpent represents the reptilian brain, which controls our most basic functions such as heart rate, body temperature, breathing and balance. If we don’t feel safe on a physical level our body will automatically react or contract.

This reptilian response to our physical surroundings can cause us to emotionally and physically shut down and hold. Serpent reminds us to honor our surroundings as we assess the situation. It also reminds us to release and breath so we don’t feel “stuck” holding onto something we don’t need.

The Ouroboros is an ancient symbol of a serpent swallowing its tail, creating a circular and infinite world.  Carl Jung saw the Ouroboros as the archetype of alchemy and transformation. The Yogic concept of Kundalini is seen as a serpent coiled around the base of the spine. Serpents are also a symbol of healing and medicine. Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, is depicted holding a staff with a single serpent coiled around a knotty tree limb. In myth Asclepius was the son of Apollo, god of light and healing. The Rod of Asclepius is used as a symbol of healthcare throughout the world. The Caduceus features two serpents intertwined around a central rod (spinal column). Its origins date back to Ningishzida, the Sumerian “lord of the good tree,” 6000 years ago. The Caduceus is also associated with the Greco-Roman messenger gods Hermes and Mercury.

The archetype of the serpent encourages us to release what we are holding in order to move forward. To do this, we must honor the lessons of what we left behind. This awareness will help us on our journey of healing and reconnection.

Message: Just as the serpent sheds its skin, we are being encouraged to shed any limiting beliefs, bad habits or clutter in our life. This will allow us to move forward and receive new insights and wisdom. Practice feeling safe in our own skin as we move through life with more trust and wisdom.

“We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.” – Joseph Campbell 

If you liked what you read and want more... you may be interested in having the actual guidebook and card deck. The 134 page full-color book is sold separately from the cards. My goal is to find a publisher who can offer this as a set. In the meantime, you can purchase either the book or cards via these links. Thank you for your support. Laural

Mandala Chakra book available at: Amazon

Mandala Chakra card deck available at: Printers Studio

If you wish to gift one of my mandalas to a friend or hang in your home or office they are available in my online gallery: Ink Drop Arthaus

Photo by – Nina Riel from Shuffle Tarot.

For more information visit: lauralwauters.com

2. Nature

Jaguar

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2_Sacral Chakra

The sacral chakra is where we balance our creative and sexual power with emotions around fear, pain and trauma. Jaguar, the archetype of the peaceful warrior, inspires us to face the fear that stalks us by moving through it with open eyes. Our sacral chakra often holds memories and reactions stored in our Mammalian (Limbic) brain that controls our emotions. Fear, anger and confusion can be triggered by the emotional responses we are holding.

The dynamic of predator-prey places jaguars at the top of their food chain, hunting only to survive. They teach us to use our power wisely and selectively. Humans are classified as super predators, yet our fear of being preyed upon continues to trigger the fight-or-flight response.

This response helps us perform under pressure or when dealing with physical danger. If our fight-or-flight response is triggered by repressed emotions and memories, it can lead to chronic stress and anxiety.

Since jaguars are nocturnal, they encourage us to go into the dark places where our fear resides to see that the threat is no longer present. As we calm ourselves and breathe, we can begin to receive insights on how to reclaim our power and bring balance back into our life.

Message: Jaguar is reminding us to face what frightens us. By bringing these fears forward and out of theshadows, we can see them for what they are and move forward. Most of the time they are unresolvedwounds from childhood, or stories we have taken on over time or from our ancestors. Do what we can toresolve our fears and see the lessons we have learned because of them. These lessons will becomesources of wisdom and strength. Begin to see that our true power is to be in balance and at peace withinourself and our world.

“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker 

If you liked what you read and want more... you may be interested in having the actual guidebook and card deck. The 134 page full-color book is sold separately from the cards. My goal is to find a publisher who can offer this as a set. In the meantime, you can purchase either the book or cards via these links. Thank you for your support. Laural

Mandala Chakra book available at: Amazon

Mandala Chakra card deck available at: Printers Studio

If you wish to gift one of my mandalas to a friend or hang in your home or office they are available in my online gallery: Ink Drop Arthaus

Photo by – Nina Riel from Shuffle Tarot.

For more information visit: lauralwauters.com

2. Nature

Hummingbird

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3_Solar Plexus Chakra - Hummingbird

The solar plexus chakra is associated with the archetype of hummingbird, as a symbol of confidence, courage and joy. Hummingbirds also show us that the impossible is possible.

In some native cultures, hummingbirds are the totems of the soul. They are called upon to retrieve parts of the soul lost to trauma, illness or grief. When we lose a part of our soul, we lose a part of our self, which diminishes our confidence, courage and joy. This is feeling of loss is often held in the solar plexus. Hummingbird retrieves our soul parts by shedding light on who we were before the loss. By consciously reconnecting with that aspect of our self we remember who we truly are. From this perspective we can rewrite our soul’s story from a place of joy.

The hummingbird’s ability to migrate long distances and hover in the air like a helicopter, makes it an almost mythical creature. This mythical realm of the hummingbird transcends time and space for it exists in our ability to imagine and dream.

They inspire us to see life as a mythic tale that can be rewritten.

Hummingbird is associated with the North direction as the place of our spirit guides and ancestors. By believing in our ability to connect with the wisdom, support and love that is available to us we begin to believe in ourselves as well.

The solar plexus represents the power of our internal light. When we feel that our light is diminishing, we can call on the energy of hummingbird to remind us of our ability to shift our perspective and remember the joy that empowers us.

Message: Whatever is challenging us can be transformed to our favor if we approach it from a place of grace. The hero’s journey inspires us to move through obstacles as we seek to know our soul’s purpose.Imagine life as a sacred fairytale filled with twists, turns and wonder. As the author of our story we can writea new story. Remember that the impossible is possible when we believe in ourselves.

“Awakening to one’s true self-radiant nature is ultimate spiritual and emotional healing.” – Rajita Sivananda (Dr. Judith Cornell)

If you liked what you read and want more... you may be interested in having the actual guidebook and card deck. The 134 page full-color book is sold separately from the cards. My goal is to find a publisher who can offer this as a set. In the meantime, you can purchase either the book or cards via these links. Thank you for your support. Laural

Mandala Chakra book available at: Amazon

Mandala Chakra card deck available at: Printers Studio

If you wish to gift one of my mandalas to a friend or hang in your home or office they are available in my online gallery: Ink Drop Arthaus

Photo by – Nina Riel from Shuffle Tarot.

For more information visit: lauralwauters.com

2. Nature

Eagle

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4_Heart Chakra - Eagle

The expansive energy of the eagle archetype is felt in the heart chakra, where our physical and subtle body are united as one. Eagle inspires us to live from our hearts and love with no strings attached. When we soar with eagle, we feel the currents of pure energy helping us to see with our heart versus our eyes.

Eagles soar wingtip to wingtip between the heavens and earth. They inspire us to fly above our stories to see the bigger picture of our life. From this expanded viewpoint we can shift our perspective and see that our wounded stories are just that, stories. This allows us to energetically release their hold on us.

Eagle is associated with the East direction, the place of the rising sun, which brings us a new dawn and a new day.

The heart chakra expands and contracts in relation to our environment and emotions. By spreading out our arms, like the wings of an eagle soaring in the sky, we open our heart chakra to feel connected, free and alive. This openness allows us to dream our world into being, by feeling the past, present and future now, and making it a reality.

The heart chakra represents our core, the place of our soul. By loving our self unconditionally, we feel the power of true love.

Message: Eagle is appearing to us now to help us see the bigger picture of our life.  Eagle is asking us to see with our heart instead of our eyes, and to allow our heart to open to unconditional love. If our heart feels heavy, ask Eagle to carry us above the stories and wounds.  From this place, know that we have the choice to release the stories that are holding us. Allow our heart to open to ultimate compassion, forgiveness and love. Envision our past, present and future as one big dream that is carrying us forward into what we want to become. Open our heart to all possibilities.

“Man is spirit – this is all man needs to know; and spirit is triumphant over matter.” – White Eagle 

If you liked what you read and want more... you may be interested in having the actual guidebook and card deck. The 134 page full-color book is sold separately from the cards. My goal is to find a publisher who can offer this as a set. In the meantime, you can purchase either the book or cards via these links. Thank you for your support. Laural

Mandala Chakra book available at: Amazon

Mandala Chakra card deck available at: Printers Studio

If you wish to gift one of my mandalas to a friend or hang in your home or office they are available in my online gallery: Ink Drop Arthaus

Photo by – Nina Riel from Shuffle Tarot.

For more information visit: lauralwauters.com

2. Nature

Tree Roots

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5_Throat Chakra - Underworld

The throat chakra is the place of communication, resonance and truth. The roots of a tree symbolize theorigins of stories that have been shared and stored within the conscious and subconscious mind for thousands of years.

Our ancient ancestors saw trees as benevolent beings that held the secrets of life and death. Mankind’s fascination with death and rebirth created epic stories of deities who ruled the Under World, Upper World and Middle World. This laid the foundation for many of today’s beliefs and religions. These mythic stories grew organically through the ancient tradition of storytelling. They became epic tales that were passed on from one generation to another. Each storyteller added their own unique voice.

Tree roots are also associated with the lower world of earth where our body will return after death. Thisassociation of death and the underworld is natural. The underworld was originally seen as the place wherethe physical body returned to rest, sinking back into its original home to replenish the earth for futuregenerations.

As religions formed the underworld became known as a dark and scary place where souls roamed in eternal punishment.

Names such as Hades and Hel in Greco-Roman and Norse mythology have synonymous with the underworld that is ruled by gods and goddesses. To shamanic cultures the underworld held the wisdom of the past. Shamans would travel through the roots of a sacred tree into the underworld to access the wisdom of the ancients.

Message:  Search for the deeper meaning of the stories we have been told before sharing them with others.Understand the origins of how this story began. Sense what feels true to our soul before sharing it withothers. As a storyteller, we have the opportunity to heal old stories by telling it in a new way. As we shareour stories through the spoken word, we create a new reality for ourself and future generations.

“Maybe you are searching among branches for what only appears in the roots” – Rumi 

If you liked what you read and want more... you may be interested in having the actual guidebook and card deck. The 134 page full-color book is sold separately from the cards. My goal is to find a publisher who can offer this as a set. In the meantime, you can purchase either the book or cards via these links. Thank you for your support. Laural

Mandala Chakra book available at: Amazon

Mandala Chakra card deck available at: Printers Studio

If you wish to gift one of my mandalas to a friend or hang in your home or office they are available in my online gallery: Ink Drop Arthaus

Photo by – Nina Riel from Shuffle Tarot.

For more information visit: lauralwauters.com

2. Nature

Tree Trunk

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6_Third Eye Chakra - Middleworld

The third eye chakra is associated with the archetype of the tree trunk. Trees anchor us in the present moment as we exercise our intuition and connect with our inner wisdom.

The trunk of a tree is symbolic of our awakened or conscious state that resides with us. It represents the middle world that we presently live in.

In some native cultures, trees are referred to as “The Standing People.” They hold the wisdom for humans to survive on earth. Trees are the ones that made it possible for humans to live on earth by purifying the air we breathe as well as providing shelter, fire and food. They were the one who connected humans with the stars, by functioning as ladders and sundials.

In Celtic culture trees were honored as ancestor spirits and divine beings. A person who could access the wisdom of a tree was considered to be “tree wise”. They were known as Druids, who could merge with treesto gather information in the lower, middle and upper worlds. The name Druid comes from the Proto-Indo-European words daru (tree & truth) and vid (wisdom).

Trees inspired many of the great mystery teachings, creation stories and sacred beliefs around the world. These stories were consciously shared in the oral tradition for hundreds of generations. They now exist in the collective unconscious.

By opening our third eye and aligning it within our heart, we can begin to awaken the collective unconsciousthrough the singular eye of the soul.

Message: Trust in our inner knowing by being aware and present in the moment. Feel what is happening around us and within us. As our intuition develops anchor it within our heart to learn what feels right to our soul. This will help us to sort out what is true or false. See with our heart instead of our eyes.

“One is wise to cultivate the tree that bears fruit in our soul” – Henry David Thoreau 

If you liked what you read and want more... you may be interested in having the actual guidebook and card deck. The 134 page full-color book is sold separately from the cards. My goal is to find a publisher who can offer this as a set. In the meantime, you can purchase either the book or cards via these links. Thank you for your support. Laural

Mandala Chakra book available at: Amazon

Mandala Chakra card deck available at: Printers Studio

If you wish to gift one of my mandalas to a friend or hang in your home or office they are available in my online gallery: Ink Drop Arthaus

Photo by – Nina Riel from Shuffle Tarot.

For more information visit: lauralwauters.com

 

2. Nature

Tree Branches

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7_Crown Chakra - Upperworld

The crown chakra is associated with the archetype of tree branches that are reaching out for spiritual connection.

They represent our desire to connect to something beyond our self. Just as the roots of a tree reach downinto the earth, branches reach up toward the sky. Many early cultures believed that when a person diedtheir physical body returned to the earth and their soul or spirit returned to the stars. The word divine comes from the Latin root word “devin” meaning “as above”.  The sound of wind through the branches of a tree believed to be the voice of the divine.

In Sumerian mythology, Enlil was known as the lord of the wind, and the Cedars of Lebanon were the home of the gods.

Enlil became known as El and Elohim, which inspired the Judeo-Christian faith. There are multiple myths that associate trees with the divine. The Greek sky god Zeus was associated with oak trees.  The name Zeus is directly related to the Vedic sky father Dyaus Pitr, later known as Jove or Jupiter in Rome. There are thousands of names for “god”, which is also nameless.

The branches of a tree hold these sacred stories written in the sky as the crown chakra connects us to our source.

Message: It is time for us to reach out and believe in our dreams.  Allow our dreams to be known so the universe can help us make them come true.  Remember that we are a child of the universe who came from the stars.

“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” – John Muir 

If you liked what you read and want more... you may be interested in having the actual guidebook and card deck. The 134 page full-color book is sold separately from the cards. My goal is to find a publisher who can offer this as a set. In the meantime, you can purchase either the book or cards via these links. Thank you for your support. Laural

Mandala Chakra book available at: Amazon

Mandala Chakra card deck available at: Printers Studio

If you wish to gift one of my mandalas to a friend or hang in your home or office they are available in my online gallery: Ink Drop Arthaus

Photo by – Nina Riel from Shuffle Tarot.

For more information visit: lauralwauters.com