Journey 5: Week 5/Richmond, VA

Merry meet friends!
Michelle here, bringing lots of love and light


Earlier in the week, I spoke with my friend, Rev. Whitney Blackburn-Lynch.  She asked how I was doing and my response was that I had no idea and that I felt stuck.  She then asked if she could do a Shamanic journey for me, to which I readily replied, "Please!"  Whitney did a journey for me before in 2012 after my graduation and ordination from OSIS.  I knew something was happening in my life but I didn't know what.  This was before the breast cancer diagnosis.  The journey was not about cancer but it was spot on so yes I wanted her to journey.


Journeys are personal and would only have meaning for the individual but I feel led to share some of this recent one.  This is what Whitney saw:  I had a turtle shell with a tree growing out of the back.  I was also confused.  I trusted the Divine path implicitly, but feared that where I was going I wouldn't fit in.  She then saw me with a Priestess who was showing me my heritage and the white magic from which I came.  In September, 2012, Rev. DeShannon Bowen, a Yoruba priestess, did a reading for me.  I held questions in mind, not revealing them to her, and the reading produced the answers.  She told me that turtle was my totem and like turtle, my home was with me wherever I went. I never needed to know where to settle.


I told Whitney that I understood the turtle but not the tree.  I also explained that since I didn't know where I was headed, I didn't know if I would fit in or not.  However, I have felt out of place for most of my life so I could understand that.  Whitney felt that the tree is a symbol that I not only carry my home, but my roots with me also.  I'm not tied to a place because my roots are with me wherever I am.  She felt it was time for me to figure out where the ancient ways began for me.  This was said because I have felt my ancestors calling me home and back to the ancient ways.  Whitney went on to explain that the ancient call isn't about where my physical family came from but where my spiritual heart was born.  It is the path of the creation of my soul.  Whitney is deep and so is the Shamanic way!  She offered to send me a meditation in order for me to find this out.


Whitney said that in Native American cultures, turtle is not only one who carries her home, but is also very in touch with the earth.  Turtles are protectors of the earth.  I looked up turtle symbolism in Native American cultures.  This is what I found: "The wisdom of the turtle totem teaches us about determination and staying strong despite obstacles or distractions.  This animal encourages those who have it as totem to listen deeply to their guidance and trust their path no matter what.  It is a great helper for those who need to provide a steady effort and persistence.  You can call on the wisdom of the turtle when you need help to sustain your efforts and succeed in a long-lasting endeavor.  By analogy with the biological attributes of this animal characterized by a long life, this spirit animal is also associated with longevity."


"The turtle symbol also represents the earth mother. It represents her stoic ability to carry the burden of man on her shell.  Many species of the turtle have 13 sections to their underside believed to represent the cycle of the thirteen moons.  The moons are a celestial symbol of motherhood."  "Turtles share an association with water, which lends meanings of motion, intuition and emotion to the myriad of more symbolic meanings of the turtle."  I find this to be interesting based on Sam Christensen's assessment of my myth in his workshop.  Not only did he give me "the intelligence of water" but he saw me as an "earth mother".  Turtle makes sense as my totem.


As I meditated on the turtle and the tree, I realized that if the turtle represents the earth and the tree, according to Whitney, represented my roots, then the tree coming out of the shell makes sense also.  Roots grow in the earth.  My roots are "rooted" in the earth.  This is why I care so much about the earth and honor her as our mother.  This is why I desire to live from and off the land.  The tree is also symbolic of the tree of life.  Roots give nourishment to the plants that grow from it and the plants provide life sustaining nourishment.  It is a cycle ordained by Creator/ God/Goddess and All That Is.  So my home and my roots are wherever I am, giving me life and sustaining me as I hope to bring life to all Spirit brings my way.


Until next Sunday.....
Merry part and merry meet again...
Gypsi Mama Michelle