One of the things I find most charming about Hindu mythology is the fact that the deities all have animal allies.
Durga, the Queen Mother of Hindu gods, rides on the back of a flying tiger (or a lion sometimes). She is a superbadass goddess who can defeat the most heinous of demons. In many depictions she's holding a bloody sword in one of her many hands, while the lion/tiger she's riding is gouging out the heart of the demon under its feet. The Hindu gods don't mess around with demons, let me tell you!
In Norse mythology, some of the deities have animal allies as well. Freya has her beloved gold bristled boar. Odin has at least one raven on his shoulder at all times. Another goddess flies around on a swan, I believe. (I've read so many collections of myth that I sometimes get confused about who it is who rides the swan, the boar, the lion. I think it's the Hindu Sarasvati who rides the swan.)
Most of these divine animal allies can fly, a handy talent. This has been on my mind of late due to a series of dreams in which I'm riding on the back of some animal that can fly. In some of the dreams I'm terrified, hanging on for dear life. In others, I'm having a blast, flying high with joy and abandon. I've had so many of these dreams, surely I'm trying to send myself a Very Important Message. No consistent theory about what this means has yet arisen in my conscious mind but it seems like a good thing, don't you think?
14 comments:
Flying is something we all dream about, but only in our dreams does it happen. I still haven't taken my hot-air balloon ride, which will probably be the closest sensation I will ever have to being on the back of an animal in flight. Mine will just be filled with gas! Enjoy your nightly flights. I think they can only represent a liberating future.
I seem to remember reading somewhere that flying dreams are sexual. I have no idea whether that's true or not!
I don't think I've ever dreamed of flying (I tend to just change perspective; my dreams have no transitions and in general have never been about motion).
But I'm hearing LOTS of flying dreams lately! Interesting.
Copper! I left a comment on your blog. GREAT to hear from you. "Spirit is one consciousness" is what I call "radical monotheism" which is what I practice these days. Interconnection of all things. Hope you will email. Hope you are well. You look fine in your picture. Let's catch up.
Steve? I wish!
Jake looks fashionably fashionable in his fleece jacket.
I like flying dreams, esp. when I fly past other planets.
I'm cooking a post on monism even now! I'm a monist, not a monotheist nor hard polytheist, and for me the key notion is simultaneity. I tend to think that the answer to most things is "both...and" and see Spirit as eternally "one" and many. (I put "one" in qts. b/c for me it's a quality of Infinity and not a number--unicity more than numerical oneness).
Yes, Copper - you and I are on the same wavelength, definitely. Uh ... of course!! Did you find the blog because of the reference to Hindu deities? Still working with them?
Monist? Love that!
and of course, for Ultimate Hindu Deity Fun (or UHDF), find a DVD of the original Jai Santoshi Maa... It's a super bollywood film from the early '70s with awesome music and a bit of drama behind the scenes within the Hindu pantheon...
Filmed in that luscious '70s color, and with a huge sense of humor. It's like a tragic soap opera, religious allegory, musical, and lost episode of BATMAN, all rolled into one.
or if you're very nice, you could borrow the Intangible edition...
I am very nice, I promise. Would love to borrow the Intangible edition. Yes! Thank you!
I've been reading about Saraswati today, who does indeed ride around on a swan. She's the goddess of wisdom, poetry and rivers, kind of like Bridgid whose holiday is right around the corner. I'm pleased to be dream dancing in alignment with Saraswati.
Jai wisdom! Jai poetry! Jai rivers everywhere!
Your photos have become lost -- I am using my usual bookmark for you...am I the only one?
I see my photos, don't know why you can't see them. Maybe because you're anonymous?
no problem here with viewing your photos...but on my old computer I periodically had problems viewing some blog photos I found I could see them by right clicking on where they were supposed to be and then click on 'view' option. think it's a hardware issue.
speaking of photos jake looks mighty dapper in his jacket - I'd love to find a similar one for dixie, she does get cold!! was it custom made?
perhaps we all have animal allies...over time a few animals have come to me as guardians and protectors. it's nice to discover them.
flying dreams for me are the best!
Reya,
Re: my post on perfume bottle packaging-- when you find old perfume bottles --check them out before throwing them into a trash bin--I found one that was worth $500. in the trash once--sold it to a collector for $400. we both got a deal that way. I will definitely recycle any old perfume bottles rather than trashing them-- save them for me!
seriously! they are recycle items!
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