Animals Divine - XVIII THE MOON – ODIN

divinegoddess

Image of the card

First Impression: Interesting, not sure what to think of it yet. Darker than I would have thought.

Gender: Masculine

Symbols*: The moon lights the way through the dark passages of the unexplored mind. It is symbolic of intuition and aspects of our being that may not be obvious in our conscious states. The ravens help to guide us toward greater wisdom. The world, symbolic of earth, victory, and our primitive instincts, serves as a companion through the darkness of the night. The staff serves as a source of energy and connects us with lunar powers. The tree roots are remnants of events of our past that will always remain in our psyches. Symbolically, the rocks are consistent and stable and enable us to retain solid footing even as we enter the ethereal realm of the dream state. The flowing cape is symbolic of the adventures that lie ahead. We should not remain immobile for fear of the unknown.

Description*: Odin was the Norse god of war, intelligence, and poetry. He was one of the chief residents of Asgard, where he sat upon his throne and observed the world. As a warrior god, Odin inspired men and women to go into battle. He had the ability He had the ability to drive men “berserk”, thus engaging them in full battle frenzy. His followers wore wolf- or bearskins and fought like dogs and wolves, thus Odin’s connection with the wolf. The Valkyries brought heroes that died on the battlefield to him in Valhalla, where they would eventually fight for the gods in the great battle against the Frost Giants.

Odin had an insatiable need to acquire knowledge. So great was this thirst that he allowed himself to be hanged from the tree of Yggdrasil for nine days in order to learn the secrets of the dead. He also gave up one eye to have a drink from Mimir’s well and gain knowledge from the runes. His seeing eye was symbolic of the sun and the power of light, while his eye that was sacrificed in Mimir’s well symbolized the moon.

Odin’s intelligence extended into the realms of magic and shamanism. He possessed the power to divine from his immense resource of runes. The runes gave him the ability to defeat enemies, overcome illness, and seduce women. Odin could shapeshift into other forms and was once able to disguise himself as an old wanderer of the earth on a quest to seek further knowledge. He also communicated with animals. He would send out his ravens Hugin, who personified thought, and Munin, who personified memory, to gather news about the happenings of the world. They would relay information by perching on his shoulder and whispering in his ear.

Elemental Reference: Earth

Numerology Reference: (1+8=9) 9 - Fruition, Attainment, Bringing Things to a Conclusion

Keywords: Going Within, Overcoming Fear, Following Intuition

Possible Meanings: Like Odin, we need to connect with animals in order to acquire greater knowledge. We may encounter these wise creature in our dreams. Instead of feeling frightened by their presence, they may come to us as teachers and guides through the universe of the unconscious. We can learn from our dreams and we can acquire wisdom from studying the messages that animals may provide for us.

Senses: The moon is big behind him. He has one raven on his shoulder, the other one has come to bring him a message. He is listening very closely. I feel as though he is on his own war path. This is happening at night. However, I get the sense that he might be twisting the message that the raven has come to tell him, creating his own illusion of the message. This is not good. I must leave here. I don’t feel comfortable.

Thoughts/Points to Ponder: Why is the wolf looking at me?