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Part Two

houses

00:00 / 05:17

Strength: Leo

Fourth Movement:

MEETING WITH THE OTHER SELF

Magic Mirror

As I explored the Tarot Realm, I encountered a woman in a white dress with an infinity symbol floating above her head. She was petting a lion. "You too shall meet with your other self sometime soon. All knights do, sooner or later," she claimed.
When I returned to the castle I gazed into a mirror but didn't see my reflection. "I hope this isn't my other self," I muttered.

Tiger in Magic Mirror

Suddenly a huge tiger appeared in the magic mirror. "Could this possibly be my other self?" I wondered.

Griffin in Magic Mirror

When I returned to the castle the next day, I saw a griffin in the magic mirror. "Perhaps this is my other self," he thought. "Griffins symbolize divine power and heavenly protection. A knight like me definitely needs both."

Pegasus

The next day, after I had read poetry for several hours, I saw a horse with wings in the magic mirror. "Hmmm," I thought. "I just read about Pegasus, who represents majesty, inspiration, righteousness, and truth. Pegasus is a guide to a realm where the spirit can soar without limit. Could this be my other self, a higher self perhaps?"

Dragon as Other Self

After returning to the castle after a battle, I peered into the magic mirror and could see a dragon. "Perhaps my other self is courageous and strong and powerful and fierce like this dragon."

Knight in Magic Pool

Then I encountered a knight standing in a pool of water. "I find the reflection of my other self in this magic pool," the knight stated matter-of-factly.

Deer in Magic Pool

The knight continued, "Once I saw my other self as a deer arrayed in armor.

Peacock in Magic Pool

"Once I saw my other self as a strutting peacock.

Mountain Lion in Magic Pool

"Every pool of water has become a magic mirror. Once I stood by a stream and saw myself as a mountain lion," the knight stated.

Tiger with Butterflies

"Once I saw myself as a tiger surrounded by butterflies. We all have a powerful higher self, which loves beauty and harmony."

Goat in Magic Pool

"We are part animal even though we might not want to admit it. Once I saw myself as a goat. I was happy because goats are intelligent, fertile, and show great determination and resilience. They are symbols of aspiration and stubbornness and potency and spiritual sacrifice.

Lion Knight

"Once I saw myself as a lion with wings, and I knew that my higher self is like a king," the knight declared.

Lion with Rainbow Wings

"Once I saw myself as a lion with rainbow wings, and somehow I knew that the colors represented the paths on the Tree of Life and the dimensions of Universal Consciousness.

Dragon in Magic Pool

"I once even saw myself as a dragon. Many people believe that dragons are evil, mainly because they seem beyond the control of human beings, but dragons also symbolize supernatural power, wisdom, strength, and hidden knowledge.

Eagle Knight

"Once I saw myself as an eagle in armor. Eagles shed their feathers, so they represent renewal and rebirth, but they also are also symbols of the sun and the all-seeing eye and also represent freedom and transcendence--they can see from the perspective of eternity.

Sun in Magic Pool

"Once I saw myself as the sun in a lake. I felt like I was seeing the core of myself, beyond all form. I felt like I was part of the Source of all life."

Oak Tree

free24

00:00 / 03:41

FIFTH MOVEMENT:

FINDING A PATH

Path by River

As I was waking up from a dream one day, I stepped through a hole in the fabric of reality and heard a voice that simply stated, "Find a path to God."
I drove my car out to the foothills and decided to turn off onto a dirt road. I suddenly came upon a magnificent oak tree and parked the car. The oak tree seemed to emanate a peace beyond understanding, so I continued hiking deeper into the oak woodlands, and I soon found a path to a river.

Lupine and Poppies by River

Lupine and poppies were flourishing on both sides of the river. All of the flowers were part of the same tranquility.

Frog by River

Everywhere I looked, I found frogs on the rocks. Some were clinging face-down as though gazing in the water at themselves.

Newt by River

I occasionally found newts on my path. They seemed to ignore me completely, but some recoiled if I stepped too close to them.

Snake by River

Then I found a snake warming itself on a rock by the river. I felt blessed that I had found a place totally unmolested by humans.

Squirrel by River

As I continued hiking down the path, I found a squirrel on a rock by the river. The squirrel remained attentive but seemed totally unafraid of me.

Bluebird by River

Then I found a bluebird on a rock near the river. I inched forward to get a closer view, but the bird didn't fly until I was about three feet away.

Swallowtail Butterfly by River

As I continued on the path, I came upon a swallowtail butterfly in the flowers. The butterfly didn't seem afraid of me at all. I came within a few feet of it, but it still didn't flutter away. I did my best not to disturb the butterfly, and it didn't fly away the whole time I stood nearby.

Turkey by River

Then I discovered a turkey near the river. For a moment, I felt startled because the bird appeared to be a miniature dinosaur, but then I remembered that birds, according to some scientists, had evolved from the dinosaurs.

Wild Boar by River

I was even more surprised when I encountered a wild pig, which seemed just as surprised to see me. The pig gazed at me for a while and eventually bounded away.

Bobcat by River

As I continued on my path, I encountered a bobcat by the river. The bobcat simply turned and loped away. I suddenly felt a strong connection to the bobcat even though I had never felt any connection to cats before.

Goldfinches by River

When I encountered a flock of goldfinches by the river, I suddenly had the sense that each species in nature is part of a unique angelic oversoul--as though each individual in the species is a facet of one overarching consciousness.

Coyote

A few minutes later, I wasn't afraid when I encountered a coyote, which gazed at me a long time and finally slowly turned and loped away into the forest.

Western Tanager

I was overjoyed to find a Western tanager on a rock by the river. At that point I began to suspect that the angelic oversoul of each species is part of a larger oversoul, a spirit of place that is aware of all of the creatures in its domain.

Badger by River

I was surprised to see a badger next to the river. I had never encountered a badger before. The badger acted aggressively at first but stopped before it attacked. It just gazed at me for a minute or two as though trying to figure out what kind of creature I am.

Lazuli Bunting

I then came upon a lazuli bunting, which has always been one of my favorite species of birds. It sang the whole time I was near it. I suddenly sensed that each creature and each oversoul were facets of one Universal Consciousness. Then I had the overwhelming sense that Universal Consciousness was seeing the world through me and all of the other creatures.

Bear by River

A bear suddenly lumbered across the path. I was startled and afraid, but the bear just continued on its way across the river.

Mountain Lion by River

As I continued on the trail, I had the strange feeling that I was being watched by a mountain lion. I unbuttoned the sheath of my buck-knife, and a minute later I encountered a mountain lion by the river. The mountain lion's tail flopped back and forth as it gazed at me. I slowly backed away and returned on the path back to my car, looking over my shoulder now and then.
I had found the right path.

Shaman

4freely

00:00 / 04:11

SIXTH MOVEMENT:

PATH OF THE SHAMAN

Oak Tree

As the knight was hiking through the forest, he encountered a shaman, who asked, "Are you enjoying the flowers?"
"I love lupine and poppies," the knight responded.
"Then you will love this path," the shaman replied. "And here is a great oak. It's branches are like streams that join with a mighty river."
"A river deeply rooted in the earth," the knight replied.

Rabbit by Stream

The knight and the shaman walked together for a while. Suddenly they both saw a rabbit next to a stream. The shaman asked, "If you were to have a power animal, what would it be? Rabbits can be so still that they seem like stone, then they scatter off in all directions to confuse predators. They are survivors, a good quality to have in this world."

Lupine and Poppies

The knight looked a little confused. The shaman continued, "Some might consider rabbits cowardly, but they manage to survive in a world full of predators. Each species has an overarching spirit, what you might consider something like an angelic soul. You can connect with the overarching spirit and take on the best qualities of each species, whether it's an animal such as this rabbit or a plant."

Armies

The knight responded, "Even a plant?"
"Consider the lupine and poppies," The shaman replied. "Poppies can sweep over entire mountainsides like fire, but lupine is like the wolf. Lupine can take over an area as well. Sometimes lupine and poppies seem to clash like armies, but if you are still, you can feel a deep tranquillity as you stand among the flowers. You can feel a unity underlying what might appear to be conflict."
"You mean that we can connect with the angelic spirit of each species of flower?" the knight asked.
"Yes, and you can feel the power of each species as well as the underlying unity that exists in the spiritual dimension."

Frog by Stream

Suddenly they came upon a frog by the stream. The knight blurted out, "I love when I find a frog. It reveals that the ecosystem has not been disturbed very much by people."
"Yes, and when that happens, " the shaman replied, "you can connect with the ecosystem, with the overarching spirit of place."
"Yes, I have often experienced the overarching spirit of place. Each creature sometimes seems like a facet of its consciousness. Then sometimes each creature seems like a facet of Universal Consciousness, as if a unity underlies the entire cosmos."

Bobcat by Stream

Suddenly they came upon a bobcat, which quietly skulked away. "Nature is red in tooth and claw," the shaman stated. "But once you feel the underlying unity, you know that each life, short or long, is an opportunity to experience a facet of Universal Consciousness."

Native American Village Site

The knight and the shaman came upon an abandoned Native American village site. The house pits were blooming with fiddleneck and popcorn flowers. "My culture existed here for thousands of years. Each culture passes. One culture supplants another, just as one species supplants another. We often feel that death and change are horrible, but these changes occur within the unity underlying all of creation."

Butterfly by Stream

Suddenly they saw a blue butterfly by the stream. The shaman continued, "Sometimes we even encounter creatures that reveal the beauty of the transformations that we experience."

Lizard

A lizard suddenly appeared next to the stream. The knight replied, "It is good to stay close to the earth like this lizard."

Coyote

A coyote appeared next to the stream. The shaman continued, "It is good to know all of the creatures of the earth, for through them we know the power and unity of all consciousness."

Snake by Stream

A snake appeared next to the stream. "In the religion I grew up with, a snake was responsible for the fall of humanity, but now I feel joyful whenever I see a snake, for I know that I am in a place undisturbed by people, and I feel closer to the earth."

Raven

Then they encountered a raven. "We can also fly high and above the earth and experience Universal Consciousness," the shaman replied.

Bald Eagle

Then they came upon a bald eagle by the stream. "And we can experience our life from the perspective of eternity," the knight responded.

Mountain Lion

Then they encountered a mountain lion. The shaman continued, "The mountain lion is a great power animal, but we must be careful in its presence. I could feel its presence a long time ago. We must honor it and respect its territory. Back away slowly, my friend."

Hawk

"Yes, and I always feel the presence of the hawk. Perhaps it is my power animal?" Nathan wondered out loud. The shaman smiled and nodded.

Brown Bear

Suddenly a brown bear crashed through the woods near the path but ignored them both. "Sometimes we encounter a great power animal, and we get lucky if it just ignores us," the shaman laughed.

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