September 2008 Animal of the Month:
Goat
This page is dedicated to an animal of the month.
I try to list and give excerpts from literature dealing with the particular symbol.
This month I have chosen goat due to our recent
acquirement of two gorgeous French Alpines, one milking doe and her horned doeling.
| Curious Yaqui |
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| August 2008 |
Goat Symbology
Sacrifices...need to make, feeling like you have
made enough?
Horns...needing protection, overly agressive?
Butting heads with someone?
Mother Archetype...dealing with mother issues?
Mischievious nature
Curiosity
Climbing to new heights
Surefootedness
Adaptive nature
Capricorn
Serious...too serious or not serious enough?
Overeating or trying to consume too much life
without proper discernment?
Myth: Greek nature god Pan and others listed above
"[The Goat] was sacred to Dionysus, the satyrs, Faunus, and Pan, and sacrified to Artemis at the Athenian
festival Munichia. In Lybrian rites, a goat skin (aegis) was draped on the statues of Athene. Dionysus Melanaigis
("black goatskin") was honored at the festival called Apaturia. The Romans considered it an unclean animal to the priest
of Jupiter, who could not touch it.
"Norse legends tell of magickal goats, such as the two that pulled Thor's chariot. Heidrun was a nanny
goat that lived in Valhalla and supplied mead to the heroes there. Scandinavians still make a Yule goat out of straw
for the Winter Solstice; this effigy is then burned, a reminder of the ancient sacrifices."
Animal Magick, Conway
Shadow Animal Dreamwork:
Do you have animal dreams
or better yet, recurring animals that haunt your dreams? Animal
dreams can be powerful symbols, messengers from the Divine. Understanding them can help you access tools for unlocking
your path in life. They can also reveal our shadow side; that part
of us which is hidden to our conscious selves. For example someone who has suffered abuse might have dreams of powerful
tigers or lions; these amazing, strong, independent and wild animals represent that which has been torn or lost from the dreamer.
These traits must be accessed and incorporated in order to heal.
We all have differing opinions and experiences with animals. For
example, many fear bats while others respect and welcome them. An animal dream can have several meanings. Your
own personal experience or opinion is just the tip of the iceberg. Generations before viewed, worshipped, adored,
feared, ate, and hunted these animals and the charged energy attached to their personas still exist deep within our unconscious.
Shamans used animals as their guides into the spiritual world; indeed shamanism is the oldest form of religion. Finding
your animal totem and what it means personally to you can be very helpful in healing and taking back your power to find happiness
in life.
Shadow Work: Working with your shadow is a term which
describes becoming aware of the dark side of ourselves. This does not mean that it is bad, but something we reject
and fear. Our Shadow side must be recognized as something both "other" or different from what we want to be and something
that is needed to become whole. Most often, when Shadows appear to us in dreams, they hold the key to our repressed
memories, which enable us to uncover unwanted habits and allow us to heal. For example a shadow
will come to us most often as someone of the same sex in dreams. He/She will be our old childhood friend or co-worker
who is completely opposite from us; they are incompetent, loud, rude, obnoxious, sexual or docile. The
traits they carry which we reject as bad or "other" (not of us) are actually traits which we fear or need within ourselves;
they can also be traits which we show outwardly to our family and friends but are not aware of it. Traits which hurt our
relationships and ourselves. This can also be called Projection: when we project onto others what we deny as part
of ourselves. (For example accusing your spouse/partner of not being more supportive when in fact it's you who needs
to show more support. Or, wondering why he/she doesn't love you more when in fact you don't love yourself enough or
give yourself more worth.) I am not by any means saying that if you dream of a bankrobber or rapist that
this is something you need to do to become whole! Rather, someone who dreams of a rapist should look at how they treat the
opposite sex...abusing power over anyone, something we may not be aware of, can come out in dreams of this sort. They
can also reveal past abuses that we may be repressing.
Have a Shadow question? Post to the blog on our DREAM THERAPY NOW home page or contact me directly below.
