How to Use These Sacred Journey Medicine Cards

Two wild Zebras appear before you. The mother grazes to nourish herself, and her foal follows her, waiting to nurse. The patterns formed by the Zebra’s stripes are unique like fingerprints, reminding you to honor the singular set of qualities that only you have to offer. The sharp contrasts of light and dark symbolize the possibility that opposing characteristics can coexist in one being. You do not have to choose one extreme or the other; you can hold both, and it is plain for anyone to see how beautiful you are as you achieve this equilibrium. And still you can be wild and refuse to be tamed. Draw upon this quality to sustain you now as you glory in the blaze of your apparent contradictions.

Zebra photograph, California Coast Highway near San Simeon, 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.

Fear flashes through your body, and in this moment you are quite alone. You may long for the presence of a being that cares for you. Your heart is calling for healing and abundance, but at this time you must simply travel the path of transformation. The Hare leaps into your life full of ingenuity and vitality. Hare people are sensitive, artistic, and expert at avoiding threats. This card calls upon you to review what is most important to you and act quickly to protect it. Pay close attention, remain aware of your spiritual reserves: which will help you most in this moment? What you require will appear as it is needed. Your mind may question this as fear arises, but your heart knows the truth, and your quick feet will carry you in the direction of new life.

Hare photograph, Wallpack Center, New Jersey, USA.

You plunge deep into the ocean where you encounter a Whale. With it, you move with grace. Here you have the ability to navigate the depths of your emotional being. This is a power animal full of igniting wisdom, spiritual awareness, and enduring love. It taps into ancestral DNA and helps you to hear the whisper of truth within you. With Whale energy your life unfolds in ways that can address your deepest emotional needs and allows you to communicate your authentic emotional experience. The world above the water remains to be explored with different senses, once you return to the surface. Grab ahold of the Whale’s tail with certainty and allow her to move you deep into your own profound intuition.

Humpback Whale Fluke photograph, Monterey Bay, California, USA.

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.