How to Use These Sacred Journey Medicine Cards

You are on a mission to gather the soul parts that have become separated from you. These fragments detached during times of great stress and trauma. Iguana is a wise teacher, helping you to understand that the instinctive reptilian brain protected you during that intensity. This small and ancient region of the brain responds quickly to stress in order to keep us safe. Iguana is not driven by language or thinking. Its actions are automatic and immediate which can cause a feeling of being out of control. In order for your soul to be restored to wholeness, a constellation of forces will come together, dismantling the old paradigm. Right now, as the chaos arises, know that it needed to happen, and it will quickly pass.

Iguana photograph, Florida, USA.

Out of nowhere, a Bobcat appears in your path. Silent and cunning, eyes fixed on her prey, she draws you into the moment with the intensity of her focus. For Bobcat the hunt is on, but despite patiently waiting to pounce on and capture a meal, her efforts are thwarted when the ground squirrel disappears into its underground tunnel. Wasting no time, she retreats into the bushes, already redirecting her attention. Bobcat shows up for you in times of transition or strategizing. Allow yourself time to reflect and regain your stamina, and then face the change with eyes wide open. If your efforts are blocked, waste no time letting go; stop chasing what no longer serves you. You will have the patience and the clarity to adjust to your changing circumstances and to proceed with grace.

Bobcat photograph, Del Valle Regional Park, Livermore, California, USA.

In this moment, you embody Bighorn Sheep Medicine. As small rocks fall beneath your hooves, you manage to run on the steep embankment without losing your footing. Your breath is fast, but it provides you the
power you need to keep moving. With a strong heart and keen ears, you quickly adapt to your environment. Below you a road stretches out alongside a lake where there was once a large earthquake that created these spectacular rock formations. Your legacy is to connect to the energy of the earth to fuel your dreams. Bighorn Sheep do not walk alone; allow the herd to surround and protect you. Allow the rocks beneath your hooves to speak to you and send you messages about the next step on your journey.

Male Bighorn Sheep photograph, Earthquake Lake, Montana, USA.

Faded words appear as if written long ago on the walls of a cave. A dancing figure and animal spirits from this bygone lifetime are now calling your name, inviting you to tap into their perceptions. They want you to see and feel the power that you once held when you cultivated wisdom without the distractions of modern life. You might feel the top of your head tingle as you open now to receive this information through your Crown Chakra. This is a message to connect with your ancestral roots. Water Lily, with its feminine spirit of love and beginning, serves as a symbol of rebirth, enlightenment, and the cycle of Life. Use it to establish a strong connection to the spirits who can guide you to your divine purpose.

Water Lily photograph, University of California Berkeley Botanical Garden, USA.

You are walking along the bank of a swampy marsh where you encounter hundreds of tiny Land Crabs. You can hear the sound of their movement as they crawl over a large shell mound created by the tribe that once lived in this place. The tribe believed that each person had three souls: one existed in the pupil of the eye, another in the reflection of themselves in the water, and the third in their shadow. The energy of Crab’s shell can help you to maintain boundaries, protecting you from discoveries that leave you vulnerable, and personal difficulties when you are not ready to open up. But just as the crab must shed its outgrown shell as it matures, you may need to let go of something that is not working. Observe, reflect, and be aware of your shadow, drawing upon the Medicine of the scurrying Land Crab to assist you.

Land Crab photograph, J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida, USA.