Saturday, October 31, 2015

Monarch Butterfly

I have dabbled enough in spirituality to know that, whenever any animal or insect shows up with strong intent or in a unique way, it’s good to pay attention to the message it brings. To the Native Americans the Butterfly is a symbol of joy. They remind us that life is a dance, not to take things quite so seriously. They also remind us to get up and move. Dance brings the sweetness of life. So, what do Butterflies symbolise and what do we know about them? For those that think I am some kind of “fruit cake”. So be it. This is who I am. I am a nature lover and I believe there is more to life. I came to that conclusion from my experience I had with a very serious health challenge. This is me. Accept me for who I am, or don’t, it is your choice.
I love symbolism in life, it is a way I intuitively operate. I have two necklaces that I wear often. The one is a silver Dragonfly and the other is a blue Butterfly. More often than not I am wearing the Butterfly. My belief is that when a Butterfly flies near you it means that your Angels, Archangels, Spirit Guides and Ascended Masters are near you. Almost on a daily basis I have a white Butterfly around me and now and then I have a Monarch Butterfly around me. I was listening to some encouraging words from someone on Friday and as she said something to me, a Monarch Butterfly had just flown past her window. She said that it was validation of what she was saying to me at that point and that it would do me some good to see what the actual meaning of the Animal Totem would be for a Monarch Butterfly. For those that assume at this point that she is a Psychic – no, she is a motivational speaker that is also very spiritual. Anyway, this whole thing with the Monarch Butterfly reminded me of the last time I went to Mount Amanzi with my sister’s. We went Mountain climbing and on our hike to the Mountain my sister, Angie, suddenly exclaimed that I needed to stop and turn around and look. I was suddenly surrounded by the most beautiful Butterflies. Each and every one completely different to the other. There were black one’s with blue speckles on their wings. There were a few Monarchs. Some white and some yellow Butterflies. They all ranged in different sizes, from large to small. It was such a spectacular sight. I was awestruck!! Anyway, I have gotten carried away. On my research of the Monarch Butterfly, below is some information I found which I really find very interesting.

Keywords:

Life is short. Fleeting moments. Transformation. Internal and external change. Personal change. Looking for sweetness. Herb magic. Flower magic. Celebrating beauty. Travel and migration. Moving to new places. Enjoying the journey. Outside of harmful or negative influence. Rhythm. Reincarnation.

General Description:

The Monarch Butterfly has been present in Australia since the early 1800s. It is a toxic insect, notable for its bright orange, black and white colouration. Now to the colour of the Butterfly. Orange relates to the 2nd Chakra (Sacral), one which I already know has taken a long time to balance within myself through constant meditation. The sacral’s main chakra meanings relate to the feeling of emotions (self-confidence, one’s power), sensuality, security, commitment and honour in relationships and clairsentience or clear feeling. Its energy is needed to create life and to achieve a creative expression that is essentially physical, the spiritual energy is to learn to interact consciously with others, to form unions with people who support our development, and release those that limit growth.
The Monarch Butterfly teaches us that life is short, and that it must be valued. Assuming that we have decades of our lives left, or at the very least, years, is all well and good for things like economic planning, but it is through recognising the fleetingness of human existence that we come to value every day, even those which get us down or which are hard to appreciate.

Monarch Butterfly asks you to consciously look at what you have gained that is valuable in each day, and even to write the things that you are grateful for down. If you are in a position where you can think of nothing to be grateful for, Monarch Butterfly is a guide willing to open your eyes to the beauty and gift of life once more. It is through this that Monarch Butterfly teaches us how to look for sweetness and light in our lives.

Have you ever had one of those moments that felt perfect? Where, despite what was going on in your life, everything seemed to come together in one fleeting moment of contentment, happiness and perfection? Monarch Butterfly teaches us that all of life is made up of striving for and increasing the number of these moments that we experience, and shows us how to better value and focus on these fleeting moments. Do you remember the last time you had one? Where you were when it happened? If you can't remember one, it might be time to seek one out again through looking for enjoyable experiences.

It is time to enjoy the journey and put aside the destination. It's not about where you will be tomorrow or in a year's time. It is about valuing where you are NOW, even if you haven't reached your destination yet. Remember that there is as much wisdom and joy to gain on the way to an imagined or real destination, as there is at the destination itself.

The Monarch Butterfly, despite being feral in Australia, has still managed to avoid many of the negative connotations that other feral animals in Australia take on over time. The Monarch Butterfly in many ways has remained outside of harmful or negative influence, and is a celebrated image of beauty in urban back gardens. If Monarch Butterfly is present as a guide, it may be that you are also outside of harmful or negative influence right now, or that the universe is preparing to give you a bit of a 'break' for a while so that you can celebrate the beauty that exists within your life.

Monarch Butterfly indicates themes of travel and migration, even as much as moving to new places. In Australia, short-term travel is indicated, such as journeys to new places, or even taking new commutes to work or back to your home. In other parts of the world the presence of Monarch Butterfly asks you to genuinely consider whether you are living in the best place right now, or alternatively, if it's worth a change of scenery to get you back in touch with nature and the rhythms of the earth.

You will be helped at this time by the magic possessed in herbs and flowers. It may be through the healing actions of herbs, and consider increasing your use of them in cooking, taking herbal supplements, only if needed and at the direction of a professional, or even just taking the time to enjoy the scent of herbs under your hands. The power of flowers is also present at this time. Consider investing in flower essences, or even making your own. Alternatively, look at and enjoy the presence of flowers in your life. Sometimes just taking the time to look at and visually enjoy the bounty of the earth is enough to create powerful healing changes.

Themes of reincarnation may be present. The Monarch Butterfly introduces us to concepts of reincarnation and, if we are believers, asks us to invest some more time into thinking about our beliefs regarding rebirth and spiritual transformation across lifetimes.

All Butterflies and moths, teach the power of transformation, and their presence in your life can be extremely empowering. They teach people how to proactively seize their own individual opportunities for growth and metamorphosis. At this time, you have great opportunity for phenomenal internal and external changes and transformations. Monarch Butterfly particularly signals a time for personal change and internal change, emphasising changes of perspective and how we perceive our place in the world and our contentment within it.
Butterfly can help you see that exiting the cocoon suddenly opens a new door, that there is power in trust and vulnerability. No more than you does a Butterfly know whether it can fly, but it opens its wings in perfect confidence, and discovers that their delicacy allow its graceful flight, its dance in the air. When we understand that transformation can be as natural as breathing, when we take ourselves lightly, when we trust in our own untried wings to support us, we learn the message of Butterfly, life itself is a joyous dance. Dance brings us the sweetness of life.
The four stages of the Butterflies growth are parallel to the development of our first forming a thought to manifesting it in the outer world. Understanding that change can be as natural as breathing. We mustn’t be so hard on ourselves, trusting that our own untried wings will bear our weight. This is when we receive the Butterflies gift, life itself is extraordinary and amazing. If Butterfly has found you, take note of the most important issues in your life and see what needs to be changed.  And as you go through this process, over and over, learn to accept that each stage is a necessary part of transformation. Butterfly energy will help you not only accept, but actually enjoy the early crawling stage, as you learn new skills and new ways of being. This energy will also help you understand that the chrysalis stage, wrapped in a cocoon with direction unclear, is a necessary state before you can emerge in your full glory. A sudden change could be scary at the beginning but when you realise it for what exactly it is, your perspective will change and as consequence you will do it, too. Sometimes, we just have to change our negative attitude to a positive, everything will be better to assimilate. Don’t be afraid to use your untried wings. Just feel the air and start your flight.


As you finally emerge as a Butterfly, something that will happen to you many times in your lifetime, stretch out your beautiful wings and fly, enjoying life to the fullest, engrossed within this moment and this moment only, as you drink the nectar of the garden and give thanks for the many blessings of your life.
Monarch Butterfly


Friday, October 23, 2015

We Are South Africa - Rugby

As much as I hate living in South Africa, one thing that will never be taken away from me is my love of Rugby. The emotions that engulf me when watching Rugby is indescribable! Especially when it comes to the Springboks. The Patriotism that is brought out amongst ALL South Africans is absolutely palpable. The National Anthem inevitably always brings tears to my eyes...I just cannot help myself, as much as I try not to let the tears come, I just do not win...teeeheeeheee. That's just me. South Africa will always be in my blood. My nerves are so on edge for the semi final game between the Springboks and the All Blacks tomorrow, 24 October 2015. I think I am going to need a triple Gin and Tonic never mind a single! Hahaha...let's see what tomorrow brings...I really do hope it is in the favour of the Boks!!







Wednesday, October 21, 2015

I'm Gonna Stand By You

Hands, put your empty hands in mine
And scars, show me all the scars you hide
And hey, if your wings are broken
Please take mine so yours can open too
Cause I'm gonna stand by you
Oh, tears make kaleidoscopes in your eyes
And hurt, I know you're hurting, but so am I
And love, if your wings are broken
Borrow mine so yours can open too
Cause I'm gonna stand by you

[Chorus]
Even if we're breaking down, we can find a way to break through

Even if we can't find heaven, I'll walk through Hell with you
Love, you're not alone, cause I'm gonna stand by you
Even if we can't find heaven, I'm gonna stand by you
Even if we can't find heaven, I'll walk through Hell with you
Love, you're not alone, cause I'm gonna stand by you

Yeah, you're all I never knew I needed
And the heart, sometimes it's unclear why it's beating
And love, if your wings are broken
We can brave through those emotions too
Cause I'm gonna stand by you
Oh, truth, I guess truth is what you believe in
And faith, I think faith is helping to reason
No, no, no, love, if your wings are broken
Borrow mine so yours can open too
Cause I'm gonna stand by you

[Chorus]
Even if we're breaking down, we can find a way to break through
Even if we can't find heaven, I'll walk through Hell with you
Love, you're not alone, cause I'm gonna stand by you
Even if we can't find heaven, I'm gonna stand by you
Even if we can't find heaven, I'll walk through Hell with you
Love, you're not alone, cause I'm gonna stand by you

[Bridge]
I'll be your eyes 'till yours can shine
I'll be your arms, I'll be your steady satellite
And when you can't rise, well, I'll crawl with you on hands and knees
Cause I...
(I'm gonna stand by you)

[Chorus]
Even if we're breaking down, we can find a way to break through (come on)
Even if we can't find heaven, I'll walk through Hell with you
Love, you're not alone, cause I'm gonna stand by you
Even if we can't find heaven, I'm gonna stand by you
Even if we can't find heaven, I'll walk through Hell with you
Love, you're not alone, cause I'm gonna stand by you
Love, you're not alone
No, I'm gonna stand by you
(Even if we can't find heaven, heaven, heaven)
I'm gonna stand by you






Monday, October 19, 2015

Consult The Map

There is only one way to reach your destination and that involves setting off on a journey. Consult the map by all means. Make provisions, too. Research various routes and debate their relative levels of effectiveness. But if you want a result, sooner or later, you will have to commit yourself to a particular course of action. This brings you to a point of decision and departure. It may help to keep the following idea in mind. As long as you are being reasonably sensitive and fair in your choices, you can't go wrong.


Thursday, October 15, 2015

What I Want Most

What I want most, is to know what you hear in the silence between us. No. What I want most is I want you. I want your sleepy confused look when you wake up. I want to be the warmth that fills the space in your bed. I want to be the sheets your fingers crave at night, the blanket that wraps around you all night. I want to drink tea and coffee and wine with you. I want to listen to music with you. I want to feel your body against mine as we dance and sway gently to our favourite song. I want to talk about everything in the world. I want to discuss with you, to be stubborn and quick-witted with you. I want to kiss you, but only in the most connotative way possible, so that no dictionary definition would stand a chance to describe how your lungs could be filled with the sweetest air possible, and yet you would still be so breathless. I want to have differences between us. I want your flaws. All of them. I want to go into the deepest corners of your mind and never get bored of you. I want to be surprised by the new all the time. I want to look at you like a movie, a living piece of art, always trying to chase what you crave...and capture you. In all the chaos of the stars, in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I want to find you and I want to choose you...only you.