Grouse & Dragonfly
On her last visit, my daughter Veronica brought her set of Medicine Cards, a deck she’s been finding useful. I may have bought them way back when my youngest was writing her own tarot deck, but I don’t remember it. They just showed up. They seem pre-used and had been sitting around my house for a long time before she adopted them. Now they’re her favorite divination tool.
Written by David Carson and Jamie Sams, they draw on the teachings of the Choctaw, Lakota, Seneca, Aztec, Yaqui, Cheyenne, Cherokee, Iroquois and Mayan traditions. The authors seem authentically Native but, to be honest, I don’t care about that. I think that we’re all indigenous to the planet and the knowledge of every culture belongs to us equally. The vision of the authors is that it’s ‘a fun bridge’ into animal medicine and a doorway into understanding the Oneness of life. That’s good enough for me.
a dancing stone gathers no moss
When I chose a card, I had a mundane question in mind. State Farm has cancelled my homeowner insurance when it expires in December, for a scant cup of moss on the roof edges of a building not even covered. I can ‘remediate’ this and try to fight it. My landscaper has offered to do this and it sounds pretty easy.
Every disaster story from the wildfires and hurricanes tells me to make sure my insurance is at full coverage—which it’s not, by design. State Farm is jettisoning all the policies it can because it know what’s coming. Would they even pay out in a disaster?
My question was, “Do I care?” And as I’m grumbling, of course I pulled the Grouse.
Grouse: Sacred Spiral
Many Plains Indian tribes dance the Grouse Dance to honor these birds. The movement of the dance follows a spiral, which is the ancient symbol of birth and rebirth, the ribbed tunnel of eternal return.
The Sacred Spiral is also one of the oldest known symbols for personal power. When you think of Grouse medicine, visualize a whirlpool or even a tornado, for the Sacred Spiral will take you the center. The spiral is a metaphor for personal vision and enlightenment. …
The whirling dervishes of certain Sufi orders are masters of the spiral dance … It is said that dervishes can travel to the center of the spiral and return with any magical power they choose. In the dervish state, one enters the Great Silence and has direct communication with the Creator.
Many spiritual disciplines ask that you cease all external movement in order to recognize the inner life. Grouse medicine, however, is an invitation to the dance. … and how to offer the dance as a creation of selfless beauty.
On the one hand, we have directed hurricanes, on the other, sacred spirals. It never occurred to me that tornadoes swirl everything at high velocity into a still center, the eye of the maelstrom. Instead of ceasing movement, the grouse seizes the movement. I don’t know if it answered my specific question but it certainly ended my grousing … or maybe started my grouse dance.
praying dragon
Mary Poindexter McLaughlin of The Art of Freedom wrote Change Starts from Within. Duh. subtitled, I hear you, dragonfly. It was written before Hurricane Helene devastated many homes around her, and before she evacuated for Hurricane Milton. The dragonfly was the harbinger of change coming, accompanied by this photo:
For Mary, I record the dragonfly card:
Dragonfly: Illusion
Dragonfly medicine is of the dreamtime and the illusionary facade we accept as physical reality. The iridescence of Dragonfly’s wings reminds us of colors not found in our everyday experience. Dragonfly’s shifting of color, energy, form and movement explodes into the mind of the observer bringing vague memories of a time or place where magic reigned.
Some legends say that Dragonfly was once Dragon, and Dragon had scales like Dragonfly’s wings. Dragon was full of wisdom, and flew through the night bringing light with its fiery breath. The breath of Dragon brought forth the art of magic and the illusion of changing form. Then Dragon got caught in its own facade. Coyote tricked Dragon into changing form, and the shape of its new body became the Dragonfly. In accepting the challenge to prove its power and magical prowness, Dragon lost its power.
Dragonfly is the essence of the winds of change, the messages of wisdom and enlightenment, and the communications from the elemental world … air, earth, fire and water. …
Call on Dragonfly to guide you through the mists of illusion to the pathway of transformation. … Follow Dragonfly to the place inside your body where magic is still alive, and drink deeply of its power. This strength belongs to you. It is the power of becoming the illusion. This ability is ever changing, and contains within it the knowledge that you are creating it all.
Crucible … Chrysalis … Catalyst
A crucible is a vessel that can withstand high heat to hold the alchemy of transformation. You are the crucible keeping the fire out, keeping in the meltdown, holding together the elements, swirling a new concoction.
Inside the blue-green chrysalis, etched with gold, the caterpillar turns to mush. The chrysalis is a crucible, keeping out the sunlight, keeping in the meltdown, holding together the elements, swirling a new concoction.
In Santa Cruz, the Catalyst is a dance venue. The catalyst is movement, inter-action, entering action, agitating the space—not passively holding it. It’s leaving the still center and joining the whirled, bringing your piece with you.
And btw I’ve pulled my seven spirit animals from the deck now and the one from below, keeping me grounded, is the buffalo. White Buffalo Calf Woman brought the peace pipe as a means of prayer. The bowl holds tobacco, which is an herb with male and female medicine where the connection to Great Spirit is made. The stem is the male entering the female and seeding life. Tonic masculinity serving the feminine and leading to abundance. Or as my Grow Food Party Crew used to say, ‘all buns dance.’
And Mark Alexander, who shares my love of these creatures, will be pleased to hear my final animal for the medicine within was the Weasel, known for Stealth and powers of observation, seeing beneath the surface of a situation. I think that’s a medicine he and I share.
hard won lessons in joy
One of the Substacks I’ve found most enlightening—meaning bringing lightness and joy—is Gary Sharpe’s on his journey with Parkinson’s. His blog is about “Trauma Healing, Symptom Reduction, Chronic Disease, Human Condition, Human Nature, Social Commentary, Cultural Issues. Lessons Learned in the Crucible of a Chronic Illness.”
The latter was the subtitle of a recent post called A Few Things That a Parkinson’s Diagnosis Taught Me. This was a series of colorful notes that Gary had posted over time. The one first one was:
Imagine my not-surprise that Gary had posted Crucible in his subtitle, Chrysalis in his first note and Catalyst as his clear meaning. I had to double-check that I hadn’t already published that series of words, but no, it’s the Weasel-mind at work, bringing us both the message from Great Spirit. Here are some of his others that I’m bringing into my practice:
the jungle i want to see
Continuing in the theme of miracles, yesterday was an excellent day, including a chat group I’d been invited to by Crow of Nevermore Media. In the midst of some debates, I’d posted Have a Better Argument, then went to my aerial workout class. That included a dramatic improv to the song Gloria for my group and watching the other group do an origin of life theme involving primordial ooze and an upside-down sloth climb on the silks. Great fun!
I came home at 9, took a long bath and made up my bed in tie-dyed bamboo sheets. So by the time I read Crow quoting me, it was too late to ding everyone’s phones by plastering it over with hearts:
“Arguing should be fun!” [insert image of cute cheering dog]
Ten Steps to a Better Argument
Frame an open-ended question.
Like the person you’re arguing with.
Why does it matter?
Define what all of the terms in the question mean to you.
Expand the realm of possible answers.
What evidence could change your mind?
How do you determine authorities on the subject?
Own your dogma.
Name the rules of engagement.
Agree to talk until you agree."
It made me SO happy that someone liked my steps to a better argument that I had to do a little happy dance. To this song.
Oh no, it’s this song! I tricked you and me both into watching some great dancing. But see if you can listen to this one and not dance yourself!
I outline ten steps for improving the quality of your arguments: 1) Frame an open-ended question 2) Like the person you're arguing with 3) Why does it matter? 4) Define all terms in the question 5) Expand the realm of possible answers 6) What evidence could change your mind? 7) How do you determine authority on the subject? 8) Own your dogma 9) Name the rules of engagement and 10) Agree to talk until you agree.
And a short sweet summer poem to show off my tie-dyed sheets and mark summer’s end and the start of bath season:
What a post to weave from concept to concept, from Substack to Substack, from experience to experience! And dang, those people can dance. I need more dance in my life!
I wonder if they canceled your insurance because of the area you live in? Maybe they know something is coming to your area? Hope not!! I use State Farm too.