Wednesday 22 December 2010

The Horse

When I was gifted recently with a beautiful carved staff, it had a horse on the top. I haven’t had a lot of connection with horses, the unicorn but not the horse. When I was a small child I went up to a horse from behind and patted it on it’s bottom. It had not seen me and kicked out at me. I remember that quite vividly so have always been a bit wary since. However last night in my usual evening meditation out of nowhere a chestnut brown horse came to me and took me for a wonderful ride through beautiful woodland. As always I knew the horse staff had a meaning, and now with a horse spirit animal too, it is meant as a message for me. So, I did some research...

The Horse Totem possesses the following virtues:

Friendship, adventure, travel, new journeys, high-spiritness, stamina, mobility, freedom, power, loyalty, devotion, bravery, warrior spirit, faith, cooperation, inter-species communication, astral travel, warning of danger, unquestioning love, and overcoming of obstacles.

Horse symbolises the wind, loyalty, devotion, unconditional love, friendship and companionship. Horse has faith in his master. His medicine includes power, stamina, endurance, loyalty, freedom of mobility, control of the environment, awareness of power achieved with true compliance, interspecies communication, expanding one's own latent abilities, friendship and cooperation, astral travel, guardian of travellers, warns of possible danger, guide to overcoming obstacles. He is also your warrior spirit, giving safety in your physical and metaphysical journeys.

Horse is there to teach us how to ride into new directions, to awaken and discover our own freedom and power.

The Horse Totem indicates travel and new journeys and directions in life. They also represent a guide to overcoming obstacles, the advent of adventure and the spirit of personal freedom.

Horses are said to be able to sense those with magical powers and can see the good or evil in people. They will warn humans of dangers from those who seek to harm them. They are very intelligent animals and are sensitive to a multitude of human emotions from happiness to anger, and they respond to these emotions in various ways.

Celtic tradition holds the horse goddess as having power over life - the cycle of birth - death - afterlife - and rebirth. Therefore having horse medicine provides the means to mentally prepare us with all these stages. Doing so helps us discover true spiritual power - that we are immortal souls using the body as a vehicle temporarily. In the Celtic tradition Horse is also associated with the power of the land itself.

Horses helped turn Native tribes into the powerful mounted warriors and nomads they became, although taming the horse wasn't easy, as their spirit for freedom was a fire burning within them. The People were able to discover places further afield, and not just stay close to home. Also, visiting far away clans strengthened communication and relationships. Therefore, horse is connected to sincere, meaningful relationships and valuing what our spiritual paths hold for us. This influences Native Americans customs to view Horse as the symbol of True Power, which comes when opening up to others with compassion and love, sharing their gifts with their communities.

Power is an energy which can be used on many levels. It is our servant and should not be used in a negative fashion, abused, wasted or kept to ourselves. By sharing our power with others and showing them how to develop their power and make it flourish, speeds up our journey and makes it more joyful.

At the ego level power may be used for personal gain, with complete disregard of others needs. At worst it may be used at the cost of others. As there are misuses of power to be seen and found all around us, those on the spiritual path frequently have negative emotions toward it. But being powerless is not the answer here. One must learn to use power correctly. This is an important lesson to learn and horse is a powerful teacher.

If Horse enters your life, you will probably feel a power within you that is sometimes hard to control, a bit wild and fiery! People with Horse as power animal are fiercely independent and have little tolerance for anything or anyone that limits their free expression. They give us the safety of speed and the promise of adventure.

If a wild or domestic horse has 'galloped' into your life ask yourself whether you are feeling constricted? Do you need to move on? Do you need to allow others to move on? Are you pushing boundaries that may have unpleasant consequences? Carefully consider the course your actions may lead to. You are being presented with a gift of safe movement. Do you need to get somewhere physical or spiritual? Horse will assist you. Are you afraid of a situation in your life? Horse helps awaken your inner power and bravery to get through it. If Horse is your power animal, you are a teacher to your family, partner and friends demonstrating how to be strong within themselves.

Well that makes perfect sense to me!


Tansy
x

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