Animal Teachers (Va. Carper)'s Blog (7)

A glimpse into my classes on the Medicine Wheel



Medicine Wheels are places to pray, meditate, contemplate and become one with the universe. They become our sacred place, helping us to strengthen our connection to the universe. They help us bridge the gap between the spirit world and the physical world, bringing harmony to both through us. The general Medicine Wheel has 36 (thirty six) stones. Each stone is a “tool” to help us understand ourselves in relation to the universe.… Continue

"Wisdom from Australian Animals" Deck: Goanna



A brief taste of what is in store for folks taking my class in September!





A popular way of finding out what animals want to be your friend or offer you advice is by using animal cards. Since it is restricted to a few animals, this method has limitations. However, it is a good beginning for learning how animals speak to people. People who enjoy working with the Tarot… Continue

(Wombat by Mary Ann Sterling)



Animals have their own special wisdom and messages that they would like to share with people. Some animals want to be people’s life companions (Animals of the Heart) while others wish to accompany people on a part of their journey (Animals of the Way.) As people start to listen to these animals, they begin to understand the truths about their lives.



Many people refer to these animals as “power”,… Continue

A glimpse into my class in October at Sticks and Stones: Riding the Medicine Wheel



The Great Round



Ancient peoples perceived the world as the Great Round. Observing the cycles of the sun and moon, they viewed time as a circle. In fact the ancient Greeks called the changing stars of the sky: "The Circle of Animals", commonly known today as the Zodiac.



In the Great Round, there is the coming of Heroes and the… Continue

In tracking any dragons that I saw in a week, I decided not to include my dragon collection. (That alone contains classic dragons, dragonets, a sea serpent, and a wyvern.) I wanted to find out if dragons appeared in other places. I was pleasantly surprised.





Date: June 20, 2009

Place: Supermarket Parking Lot. On a company truck: Tyson Land Excavation.

Description: Red, bat wings, four legs, and a pointed tail.

Type: Classic

Notes: I think the company wanted… Continue

People and dragons have a long history together. The world over, people have told of friendly dragons bringing rain or ancient ones creating the cosmos. Until recently, people believed that they could actually go out and see the dragons. When the scientists started measuring Nature’s secrets, the dragons disappeared. However, they simply chose to remain out of sight. Today the dragons choose to reveal themselves to those who seek them with an open… Continue

Mandarin Chinese: Lung (Loong) (Wade-Giles Romanization)



The Lung is the stereotypical Oriental dragon. Long and snake-like, the Lung has four claws and carries a pearl. According to traditional lore, this dragon has the head of a camel, horns of a deer, ears of an ox, eyes of a devil, neck of a snake, belly of a clam, scales of a fish, talons of an eagle, and paws of a tiger. A Lung often starts as a snake and go through a series of changes before becoming a… Continue