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“What is a man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, men would die from great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to man. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the children of the earth.” -- Chief Seattle
Our responsibility is to work toward evolving our consciousness and reentering the mysteries of the sacred wherein every creature is treated with dignity. It is in this respect for each creature’s place in the world that we can make decisions that restore balance, harmony, and justice.
As we begin to witness the miracle of our world, an appreciation of the mysteries kindles a deeper understanding of why Africa is the catalyst for awakening our senses. This place of First Time draws upon all forces, dark and light, in its quest to heal and transform our deepest sense of loss from trauma long ago.
This yearning is seen in those who, while watching The Lion King, fell in love with its characters or landscape; or in the trophy hunters who sign up to kill a lion in a canned camp, spending thousands of dollars in hopes of reclaiming their lost strength and power; or in Westerners who travel to Africa to bottle-feed lion cubs in canned camps, not knowing they are being raised for the trophy hunter to kill; or in those who are fighting to save the African lions from extinction; or in those who have visited Africa and are forever changed because they feel its call deep in their bones.
Breaking Free from the Imprisonment of Past Pain and Trauma
We each are unconsciously trying to return home to our ancient roots. This inner calling can be expressed in healthy or unhealthy ways. If we do not heal our wounds, if we are missing a link in the chain of our journey to find our way home, our shadow will be expressed in destructive ways. Past traumas, unhealed, change our worldview and keep us locked down in our pain and suffering or acting out destructive behaviors; our pathway to heaven and earth is blocked by our defensive postures.
As we heal, our hearts break free from the imprisonment of past pain and trauma and we begin to feel again. We bring forth new passion and conviction to embrace a new kind of relationship with the “other.” As our world reclaims the sacred feminine powers of receptivity, intuition, and compassion, a deep spiritual cleansing and healing unfolds for humanity. This healing awakens our future selves—the dormant seeds that lie deep in our hearts, which are germinating and sprouting new growth. The old shackles around our hearts break away.
With this shift, the blinders come off and we trust again in our inner knowing, our inner authority. We connect with our senses in a brand-new way, seeing and hearing differently. When we do this, the language of the universe is understood. We fall deeply in love with life, over and over again. Our tears flow easily and compassion comes naturally.
We stand up with fearless conviction and assertiveness for what is right and holy. We embrace the dark and the light, knowing that it is all a part of life in the grandest and smallest of expressions. This is the natural order of the universe: each living organism with its own place in the order of things, part of the whole, each falling in sync with the other. This is the sacred web of our interconnected tapestry, woven respectfully together and navigating between all the dimensions of consciousness.
Appreciation: A Natural Conduit To The Life-Force
The second White Lion Leadership law from Linda Tucker’s book LionHearted Leadership: The 13 Laws, which is the Law of Appreciation, comes into play here. Maybe it is that we give gratitude for every single moment, a heartfelt thanks for all of life, which is such an important ingredient to include in our lives on a daily basis. Flow happens and becomes a natural conduit to the life-force as we begin to exchange heart energy with all living matter. We reconnect to the vibrancy of life and begin to feel incredible gratitude for each and every experience. Our viewfinder opens to life as a miracle. We open to the mysteries and each and every moment as we live in the awareness that life has tremendous meaning.
I am seeing this in my own life as I do my inner work to heal. In so doing, a channel has opened for me to hear the messages from the universe that align me with my sacred purpose. This sacred purpose has always been there waiting for me, but I was not able to see it until the dense energy around my heart and in my field had cleared. As my awareness expanded, new opportunities surfaced that I was able to see and respond to.
Standing Up As Sacred Warriors: Healing The Separation and Disconnect
This new perspective has led to a greater understanding of the meaning of “As above, so below, as within, so without,” and contributed to a higher spiritual awareness in my life. As I connect the dots, my view expands exponentially and I feel the sacredness in everything. Each connection I make contributes to the universe responding in kind, waking me up to new levels of gratitude. This comes in waves of synchronistic experiences, transcendent emotion, and total appreciation of our lives.
However, with this awakening to joy comes responsibility to stand up as sacred warriors and make more conscious decisions to support our world in healing the separation and disconnect. At the heart of this response-ability comes sacred activation through the vibration of love. We are a continual work in progress that acts through intention, effort, and love to live our lives in alignment with Source, behaving in ways that are in integrity and that support all of life.
Star Wolf Speaks:
Blue Star Lions: A Lesson in Trust
Seeing and hearing a lion roar in the wild a few feet away from you takes your breath away. Not only does the sound fill all your senses, it literally vibrates through your physical body in a very visceral way, leaving you a bit shaken. Each morning we would rise before dawn, fill our water bottles, and climb aboard our raised, open-air jeeps to set forth on our continuing quest to see these extraordinary creatures.
Our drivers and guides instructed us to be mindful and to remain respectfully quiet and watchful as we drove out from camp in search of a glimpse of the White Lions. Each time we embarked on our journey, I did my best to surrender my expectations and to open to whatever lessons that day’s sojourn would bring.
Frequently the jeep ride on rough terrain lasted more than two hours, and when we returned from our morning trip back to our breakfast feast in our outdoor dining room, my rattled body was a bit sore from the ride. We were very fortunate to witness the White Lions on several occasions, both in the mornings as well in the early evening. Their magnificence cannot be captured in words alone.
Although there are countless other stories of our time in Africa, I am going to share the most poignant one for me, which took place on the last day of our trip. On this particular afternoon the White Lions had been as elusive as the wind, and even though we drove through impossible terrain to follow their nearby calls, they were nowhere to be seen. Still, I had a deep desire, as I am sure my other companions in the jeep did, to see them one last time and to say good-bye.
We had been in the jeep for more than three hours of jostling down dusty paths, barreling through brush, and constantly watching out and bending over so as to not to be knocked out of the jeep by low-lying tree branches. Our wonderful guide, Linda Tucker’s partner, a scientist by the name of Jason, stopped the jeep and said perhaps we just needed to accept that we weren’t going to see the lions that evening and maybe we could just say good-bye in some other way.
Bright stars were quickly filling up the darkening sky, and it is not particularly wise to be out in the bush after dark in an open jeep while wild predators are waking up and on the hunt. It was such a wild night. Part of the sky was filled with clear skies, stars, and a rising moon, while in the distance we were being treated to a colorful electrical storm-filled sky, replete with huge bolts of lightning. It was a bit unsettling sitting in an open metal jeep, but Jason assured us that the storm was headed in the other direction and this was nothing out of the ordinary.
As we prepared to say our silent good-byes to the White Lions in their absence, I was called to lead our group in a prayer and short meditation before we turned back to camp. I invited everyone to close their eyes and take a deep breath and to exhale fully as we surrendered and let go of our expectations.
I then called on the Blue Star Sirius that was shining so brightly overhead, and the Blue Star energies of higher love and wisdom. I invoked Grandmother Twylah Nitsch of the Wolf Clan, and I also called upon the great lion shaman Maria Khosa. I called upon the spirits of the White Lions, and we each silently offered a prayer of gratitude to them for their healing and powerful presence upon the Earth and for the innumerable gifts that they had given us.
Then as a group we energetically sent our appreciation to the White Lions and all the spirits supporting our journey. In the growing darkness, filled with the sound of night creatures calling and electricity hanging in the air, I opened my eyes and there emerging from the underbrush and stopping right in front of our jeep was Matsieng, one of the male White Lions. He was looking directly up at the sky.
At first I thought I was seeing an apparition because he was glowing so white under the moonlight. I silently tapped the shoulders of those around me and said under my breath, “Open your eyes and look in front of you . . . ” There were plenty of audible gasps through the whole jeep, yet we maintained our silence, and suddenly another full-grown male White Lion by the name of Zukara stepped out of the brush by his brother’s side.
I think it’s safe to say that we were all riveted and could not take our eyes off what we were seeing not more than a few feet in front of us. If we had leaned over, which would not have been wise to even consider, we could have touched them. As Zukara walked a few yards away, sniffing the air, he stopped and arched his big, noble, fur-rimmed head backward and started the process of building up to a full-blown roar as he looked skyward toward the Blue Star Sirius. At least in my mind that is the way it appeared to be. Then he let loose and the entire jeep rattled with his sacred roar, which was a reminder that the Star Lions are here on Earth calling to us all to remember who we are and why we are here.
Finally they began to move away, but I couldn’t tell you how much time had elapsed by then. Time had truly stood still and the imprint of what had just transpired and the sheer ecstasy of it all overwhelmed everything else in my mind and heart. At some point, I realized that our jeep was moving. Everyone in the jeep was still awestruck as we silently made our way back to camp. That night at dinner, it truly felt like a homecoming as we joined in gratitude to share our last evening meal with one another in a magical place where the White Lions still roam upon this Earth.
I encourage those of you who feel the call of the wild spirit within you—perhaps your own little Tarzana that you left behind a long time ago—to connect with the sacred messengers of the 31st meridian as they come to you through the pages of this book. They will help you renew your connection to your own spirit as you step more fully into your sacred purpose at this time on our sacred Mother Earth. Your lionhearted courage, commitment, and leadership are needed now more than ever.
Follow your wild spirit and compassionate heart as you stay true to your sacred path, and perhaps one day soon you will hear the calls of Lion and Wolf, walking side by side as they guide you to the fulfillment of your fondest dreams.
©2018 by Carley Mattimore and Linda Star Wolf.
All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission of the publisher.
Bear and Company, an imprint of: www.InnerTraditions.com
Article Source
Sacred Messengers of Shamanic Africa: Teachings from Zep Tepi, the Land of First Time
by Carley Mattimore MS LCPC and Linda Star Wolf Ph.D.
Exploring how to awaken to the energies and messengers of ancient Africa that reside along the 31st meridian, the spine of Mother Earth, Carley Mattimore and Linda Star Wolf take you on a journey to connect with our original roots in Africa, hidden deep within our DNA. They share shamanic journeys and teachings to connect with the strengths of Africa’s spirit animals. They explore the power of shamanic sacred sites and offer teachings on the African Tree of Life and the energetic hologram of the 31st meridian. Sharing wisdom from Mhondoro Mandaza Kandemwa, Grandmother Twylah Nitsch, and other wisdom keepers, the authors explain how, as we connect with the messengers along the 31st meridian, we begin to remember our sacred contract to protect the natural world. Offering a guide to reconnect with the ancient African wisdom of love and higher consciousness buried in our cellular memory, the authors show how we can help reopen the heart of humanity and heal the world around us.
Click here for more info and/or to order this paperback book and/or the Kindle edition.
About the Authors
Carley Mattimore, MS, LCPC, is a shamanic psychotherapist with 30 years’ experience as well as a therapeutic energy worker. She has traveled to Timbavati, South Africa, and Zimbabwe several times. She teaches shamanic workshops at the Aahara Spiritual Community in Springfield, Illinois. Find out more about Carley at https://www.aaharaspiritualcommunity.org
Linda Star Wolf, Ph.D., is the founding director and president of Venus Rising Association for Transformation. The creator of the Shamanic Breathwork Process, she is the author of 10 books and resides at Isis Cove Community near Asheville, North Carolina. Visit her website at www.shamanicbreathwork.org
Books by Linda Star Wolf Ph.D.
