Thursday 22 February 2018

Happy Dog Chinese New Year: Mellow Pace and Yin Embrace!

The extreme Fire Rooster crowed out and the mellow Earth Dog barked in!
The Taoist (Chinese) New Year couldn't have started better, as usual in the New Moon with the energies of new beginnings in high, but also with a Solar Eclipse, which reinforce the energy of manifestation, great to set intentions and seed dreams. The Yin of the Moon and the Yang of the Sun, bring in the harmony, let it prevail in our lives!   

An Earth year... yes please! After the intense past two fire years we had, time to slow down yet moving towards your purpose, to nourish and be replenished - let the stability of Mother Earth support you. Embrace the turning point and Welcome the Dog New Year!

The dog qualities are integrity, loyalty, protection, fun, playfulness, honesty. They are mostly known to be friendly, totally dedicated to whom they love:
A reminder for this year to deepen your relationships. Also to surround yourself in a pack, as the dogs do, of like minded people, who support and empower each other for the highest good.

Integrity and honesty are the values that lead to success under Dog’s watchful and just influence. Susan Lewitt

Dogs are sensitive too, have an amazing sense of hearing and smell; and are totally in tune with other feelings. The dog vision though is different from the humans: actually believed their vision to be in black and white, but recent studies showed they see colours, although in limited colour range. For me this aligns with the fact the dogs are straight forward and don't lose time with superficiality.  Perhaps another insight for this year!...

Protect your space, which is sacred.  Defining our energetical boundaries is very important to keep the integrity of your values. Being sensitive, helpful and compassionate, doesn't mean people can take advantage of you. You have to stand your ground and draw the line, for when the time to say 'no', it's clear and sound.

 

Dog is a medicine that embodies the loving gentleness of best friend and the half-wild protector energy of territorial imperative.*
If a dog has been yelled at or paddled, it still returns love to the person who was the source of it's bad treatment. This come not from stupidity, but rather from a deep and compassionate understanding of human shortcomings. It is as if a tolerant spirit dwells in the heart of every canine that asks only to be of service.*
 
Reclaim the power of loyalty to self and self-truths. Become like Dog - your own best friend.*
 
“The Earth element brings a sense of calm to the already steady Dog." Susie Cox
 
The Earth is a feminine element with the virtues of serenity, openness, fairness, grounding and sensuality. But the emotions, as we don't have positive without negative, are worry, anxiety and stress; which also associated with the dog.
The organs are: the Spleen, the nourishing organ, has the energy of nurturing and caring, following the nature of the Earth Element. And the Stomach, where you can find thousands of neurons, why it's named "second brain".
The stomach meridian runs through the nipples and ovaries, important connection with your sensuality and sexuality.
The direction is the center. In our Taoist Practices we emphasise the importance of cultivating our centre, our "lower Tan Tien". We have a wide vision upon life when being centered. When we are in our centre we are taking charge of what's going on, no matter what, and not the other way around...
You can cultivate your center by connect with the Earth: simply by walking bare foot on it, and standing for a while, imagine your feet blending with the roots deep in the earth beneath... Also Qigong, Tai Chi, conscious dance and body movement, help you to calm your mind,  feel your body and be present in the moment.

I see this Earth Dog as a yin feminine year: to connect and love our bodies, digest life with ease, embrace our sacred sensuality and being centered in our power!
To support this you have the Jade Egg Holistic Practice, with of course the Jade Egg: a tool, a jewel and a talisman. Jade is a Earth Element crystal, in all aspects: remind us to enjoy the pleasures of being alive, smell the flowers, touch someone you love. Jade and the Earth Element are associated with abundance, actually not only physical abundance, but opens your heart to Divine Abundance and sharing with others in affirmation of plenty.

Some numerology to reinforce these energies:
Dog is the eleventh in the 12-year cycle of Chinese zodiac sign.
The legend says the
Jade Emperor decreed that the earthly calendar would be represented by 12 animals, the first dozen rock up to his palace will be the selected ones.

2018 = 2 + 0 + 1 + 8 = 11
11 is master number (we don't add 1+1). It relates with spirituality, intuition, psychic abilities, illumination, mysticism, align with your soul purpose, and master teacher. So embrace your self-mastery, as everything is inside you! For you to access this, you have to stop and listen from within, embracing like this your yin energy of being.
This can be indeed a year for you embrace your feminine gifts, and therefore trust your intuition, allowing your inner wisdom to be your guide.

Following the mystic 11, we also have a Mystic Dog:
Did you heard about the Anubius?
It is one of the most prominent and mystical Gods of ancient Egypt, being it's protector, with the body of a man and a black jackal head. Anubius was the God of death, the underworld and mummification.
Dog is also known as the guardian of ancient secrets, hidden treasures and babies in certain tribes (while mothers are cooking or in the fields).
 
And what about the wolf?
It could be definitely aligned with the Dog energy, they share the same loyalty (wolves take a mate for life!), although wolves are wild.
The senses of Wolf are very keen, and the Moon is its power ally.*
In the Great Star Nation, Wolf is represented by the Dog Star, Sirius (the brightest star in the night sky), which legend tells was the original home of our teachers in ancient times. Sirius was thought to be home of the gods by the ancient Egyptians, and is still considered so by the Dogan tribe in Africa. It stands to reason that Native American peoples would formulate this same connection and adopt Wolf people as the clan of teachers.*

 
So now I ask you:
How do you relate with Dog?
Take a few minutes to reflect on it. Like this find how you can align with it's energy to make the most of it.



I share the incredible story of my dog:
I had a best friend called Blacky, a street young dog that appeared when I was about 7 years old, and we took him in. He was very independent, intelligent, and a strong character. He used to be free during the day, free to be at home or walk around, as he wished, usually he would walk with me to the school and pick me up (alone). Blacky started to give a very hard time to the postman, and he was terrified and the complains began. One day I hid myself when the postman arrived, as I wanted to understand why Blacky will furiously bark at him and don't allow him in the building. So I just witnessed the postman threatening Blacky with the stick. I knew Blackly will not do such a thing without reason. This created some problems with some neighbours that suggested to send Blackly to a farm in the north of the country, many kilometres away; my family obviously didn't accept and assume to take the responsibility for everything (during the time the postman will come he will be hold). One day Blacky disappeared. We though he found another girlfriend, he was popular within the female dogs, so when they were in heat, he will run there and we will find him after a day or someone will tell us where he was (he was quite popular in the area, everyone knew him, a real character). But this was different, he didn't come back. With my rebellious 11 years old, this just broke my heart, I knew my best friend had been taken away. I looked for him, my friends did it too. And I used to pray, ask for him to come back; I did this for many years. Six years passed, 17 years old now, just a few months before I left my parents home, I received a phone call from them: 'It is a dog outside of our work (which was 10 minutes from our home), is in such bad condition and doesn't allow nobody to come close to him, we think is Blacky, just come here.' I couldn't believe! As I arrived, yes, was him, and just me could come close and hold him. We took him to his doctor, who loved him; and confirmed that dogs always come back to their owners. Blackly was back with his paws worn away because of so much walking, one ear shorter than the other, less two teeth, a shot gun wound in a back leg, his tail cut (he use to have a nice big one, he was a mix of German Shepard and Labrador).
Our sweet warrior, now older and filled with experiences, had happy few years ahead. Twelve years and one month ago, just few months after I moved to London, in old age, and a bit sick, he died. I went to Portugal just for 48h (as I was working), but when I arrived he had passed away; apparently his doctor drove three hours across the country in the middle of the night to assist him in his last breaths. I was devastated. He start to come to my dreams every so often; but I still missed him!... But one year passed and with my Taoist shamanic healing meditations, what a big surprise, Blacky was there waiting for me! And until today, through this meditation, in this place in another dimension, we are together.
Sometimes across the world, happened recently in Mongolia, a black dog out of the blue comes to me, and from his eyes (as with humans, we recognise someone spirit by their eyes), I know his Blacky spirit coming to say hello in the mundane dimension.
Another memorable thing from Blackly: was three people in my life that he clearly didn't like, they will try to stroke him and he will turn his back, and then looked at me. Guess what? Was people that a few years later revealed themselves not good to me and of course stopped to be part of my life.
Another thing to bear in mind, not just for this year of the Dog but for life, trust your first instinct, what you feel is always right!


Be Mellow and Embrace Yellow!
This is my motto for this year, with the light heart of the Dog, but yellow isn't just a joke to get the rhyme. The yellow (or gold) connects with the Earth. So I embrace the golden light, for abundance in all levels, take the time to taste the sweetness of life, be grateful, and ultimately just trust and be!...

And you, what is your motto?

  
 ***Wish you a wonderful Dog Year, may you walk the mellow pace and enjoy the yin embrace!***

 *Adapted by Jamie Sams in Medicine Cards

This article was inspired by the insights shared last Jade Circle®, with powerful inspiring women. Deep gratitude to you dearest Jade Goddesses sisters.

Dog Zen Painting by Kris Deva North  
© Anamarta