Odonata Sonata

Horse-stinger, Devil’s Needle

Gliders, Dashers, Darners

Flitting acrobats above mirrored waters

“Skim below 

Refresh your view

For nothing is ever

As it appears on the surface

We pierce the Veil

Guardian of Dreamtime

Shape-shifter revealing all your illusions

While casting my own

With each bright reflective scale

Perhaps as long as

Two years immersed as a nymph

Gobbling everything smaller than me 

Mastering emotions

Before revealing the dragon within

Adderbolt, Snake-doctor

Soaking up moments in the sun

Now is the only reality

Change the only constant

Hovering

Hypnotic as a daydream

Seeing all but that just behind me

Before flashing off

In any direction

To capture and devour my prey

Mid-flight

Mosquito Hawk, Bee-render

The easiest lies are those we tell ourselves

We will reveal each self-spun illusion

Keeping you from Growth

From Transformation

Like a poke in the eye

Restoring truth to your sight

Humming Ancient Magic

320 Million years

Drumming warmth and Wisdom

With each lacy beat of my 

Independent wings

Messenger, Diplomat

Fairy Horse, Magician’s Wand

I can introduce you

To all that sings

What you need

Is already at your hand

Adapt

Transform

Pierce your own veils

Mature, Grow

Allow yourself to understand

Light and Dark

Dream True"

For those new to the game, each piece is inspired by a Teacher found in Nature; a star stone, animal, plant etc that holds lessons of Wisdom for those who listen. Can you guess who is singing today?

"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams..."~ Arthur O'Shaughnessy

“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.” ~ Buddha

"Reality leaves a lot to the imagination." ~ John Lennon

Dragonfly would agree with all of these statements!When we examine this Guardian of Dreamtime, we see that He lives in both Air and Water and that he has mastered the art of Transformation evident in his change from nymph to Dragonfly. He needs the running Waters of the World to breed and survive, just as we need to learn to navigate the deep waters of our own emotions. These aspects make him very versatile, changeable, and aware of the many needs of both Mind and Heart. He teaches us how to break through the illusions of self and material world to reach the Truth inside each of us, sometimes seen only in our Dreams.

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." Albert Einstein

"No man will be found in whose mind airy notions do not sometimes tyrannize, and force him to hope or fear beyond the limits of sober probability." Samuel Johnson

"Did you ever wonder if the person in the puddle is real, and you're just a reflection of him?" ~Calvin and Hobbes

If you are feeling overwhelmed by emotion and need to step back to find some clarity, if you are struggling with transition or addiction of any sort, if you have fooled yourself into thinking something was "real" only to find it was wishful thinking... Dragonfly can help you. He challenges us to look at ourselves clearly, face what needs changed in our selves or lives, and then impliment the change. He loves best for us to see clearly through both Light and Shadow, Reality and Illusion to the illumination Truth. "Things are seldom how they appear on the surface!" He says, "Dip through the Veil." Dragonfly can help us make our Dreams into Reality, but he cautions us to Know Thyself and Accept Truth first.

This little Magician is like a living Wand as he flashes his bright colors through the air. And like the Magician of the Tarot, Dragonfly tells us that we already have all the tools we need at our hands, we merely need to learn to recognize and properly employ them. "Listen and learn from the World you are a part of", hardly seems like advice. In fact, much of what Dragonfly can say to us sounds so familiar that we wonder why we are hearing something that we already knew. This is usually when Dragonfly laughs at me and says, "Well then, if you already know all this...why aren't you using that knowledge?" She especially chastises me when I look outside of myself for reasons why something has gone wrong in my life. It is so easy to put negative thoughts and feelings off on someone or something else that this is an aspect I struggle against quite often. Gently humming Dragonfly can help us to better navigate our emotions, especially in times of stress or trauma.

"Let's not forget that the little emotions are the great captains of our lives and we obey them without realizing it." Vincent Van Gogh

"The walls we build around us to keep sadness out also keeps out the joy." Jim Rohn

"When a wise man is advised of his errors, he will reflect on and improve his conduct. When his misconduct is pointed out, a foolish man will not only disregard the advice but rather repeat the same error." Buddha

Do you wonder why you always seem to attract a certain kind of person? Whether negative or positive, Dragonfly shows us that we attract these people because they are reflecting back to us some aspect of ourselves. As Carl Jung said, " Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves." Change especially from within, Enlightenment, Recognizing Illusion whether it comes from within or without, Realizing Dreams, Transforming Ourselves, Releasing Addiction, Combining Emotion with Rational Thought, Avoid Blame and Accept Responsibility are all Dragonfly Lessons.

"I think it pisses God off when you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it." ~ Alice Walker

"Be though the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray." Lord Byron

Ted Andrews, author of "Animal-Speak: The Spiritual and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small", said, "Dragonflies remind us that we are light and can reflect light in powerful ways if we choose to do so. "Let there be light" is the divine prompting to use the creative imagination as a force with your life." We are what we believe, what we think and feel, and this reflects on those around us. We can spread our feelings, thoughts, and beliefs to others without even consciously choosing to do so! Dragonfly asks us to be aware of this, to see clearly, and to reflect gently back upon the World. Dragonfly also speaks to us about the importance of color in our lives. It is proven that certain colors prompt specific emotions.

For example, Red is often seen as an angry aggressive color, but pastel pink is very cool, soothing, and passive. Brown is earthy, green is vibrantly healthy, and blue is calming. Different colors can mean different things to any given individual, of course. Red could symb olize passion and the blood of Life, but it could also symbolize that same life lost in the red flood of Death and War. Dragonfly recommends that you examine the Colors in your life. Are you perhaps longing for new horizons and adventures, but wearing very boring drab colors? Perhaps you don't long for those changes as much as you think! It's a good idea to take a look at what each color means to you and how you use it in your own life. I know that when I am starting a new job, for example, I always feel better if I am in clothing that is not only comfortable, but in colors that soothe me and promote my confidence as well.

"Only in quiet waters do things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world." ~ Hans Margolius

"There are two tragedies in life. One is not to get your heart's desire. The other is to get it." ~ George Bernard Shaw

"People spend too much time finding other people to blame, too much energy finding excuses for not being what they are capable of being, and not enough energy putting themselves on the line, growing out of the past, and getting on with their lives." ~ J. Michael Straczynski

In Buddhist philosophy Addiction/Desire/Clinging/Delusion are all double-edged swords. Even something good, like Love, can become a negative thing if we don't see it clearly or cling too hard to it. In moderation, Love is beneficial for example, but if we are allowing others to beat or abuse us simply because we don't want to loose their "love"...we are addicted to our own illusions of what Love is or should be. "What do you really loose by letting go of those things you are Addicted to or Deluding yourself over?" She asks. Dragonfly teaches us to break through our self-imposed Illusions and make our best Dreams a reality. By looking into Her mirrored eyes, we can see more deeply into ourselves. How does Dragonfly appear in your life?

"There is a fine line between dreams and reality, it's up to you to draw it. " B. Quilliam

"An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

"Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible. I think it's in my basement... let me go upstairs and check." ~ M.C. Escher

Deities associated with the Dragonfly: Freya, Ix Chel, Quetzalcoatl, Cernunnos, Shannon and other river deities, Circe, Janus, Achelous and other Potamoi, Oshun, Funza, Bunzi, Mami Wata, Anuket, Barithy, Neath, Tefnut, Isis, and Indra.

Potential Balancing Energies: Water, rainbows, rain, fire, earth, air, the sky and celestial bodies. plants like sundews, cattails, papyrus, lotus, Blue Nile lilies, tiger lilies or bamboo. other insects like mosquito, gnats, cicadas. flies, bees, wasps, butterfly, mantis, moth, or spider. Toads, frogs, salamanders and other amphibians. Fish like bass or salmon, lizards like anole, water dragon, iguana, or chameleon. snakes like coral, water moccasin, checkered keelback, diamondback water snake, or cottonmouth. turtles, crocodiles and other reptiles. Bats, shrews, muskrats, otters, monkeys, and other mammals. kingfishers, swallows, flycatchers, kites and other birds.