As the year draws to a close (and my, what a year it has been!), I find myself naturally considering all that the past solar cycle has offered me and contemplating my intentions for the year to come. What’s worked well, what needs growth, and what strengths will be available to guide me?
Many of the elders and teachers in my life have passed down to me the importance of archetypal understanding. In fact, one of the things I kept from my grandmother’s vast collection of beautiful and interesting things was a transcript of Joseph Campbell’s celebrated conversation with Bill Moyers, “The Power of Myth.” I’ve since had many mentors and yoga teachers who have bolstered and deepened both my understanding and my curiosities about the stories we tell ourselves and each other, and the frameworks through which we see and describe them. All of us are desperately trying, each in our own unique way, to tell our story, and each of us is in turn painting a piece of the Human Story.
Archetypes help us to label, sort, and define parts or ourselves and the world around us. Anyone who has spent any time with me at all knows of my love for astrology. It’s not all about assuming that our destinies have been written in the stars, its about naming parts of yourself. It’s about self reflection and examination. Whether or not you were born in May, you might feel the archetypal Taurus energies arise within you when you indulge in the tastiest foods and luxuriate in a long nap midday. Perhaps you find yourself channeling your inner Piscean on a deep dive through meditation, or when you feel another person’s mood so strongly it hurts. At the heart of both modern psychology (on which one Karl Jung- a gatherer of archetypes in his own right- has had an undeniable influence) and Yoga as recorded in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is the capacity for self reflection. As an ardent adherent to both disciplines, and one who has benefited immeasurably from each, I find that any practice which encourages a deep dive into better awareness and understanding of self is valuable.
Each of us might turn to different areas to find the answers to who we are. As someone who teaches yoga to children and teens, I feel it’s my duty to introduce them to new ways of thinking and reflecting, and to give them experiences with symbolism and ritual that are not necessarily available in other realms of life. That’s one of the many reasons I love being a yoga teacher!
Today while teaching an online kids yoga class (thank the heavens for Zoom this year!), I offered the yogis each a chance to choose an animal oracle card to act as their mentor during class. Each card had a different meaning associated with archetypes derived from mythologies, stories, and ways of knowing from around the world.* As each of the student’s chose their card, I shared it’s meaning and gave them the chance to reflect on what they can learn from such a teaching, or something they have already learned.
This simple ritual gave rise to an opportunity for each student to reflect upon themselves, and also to be blessed with their teacher and community’s acknowledgement of their growth along the path. That’s powerful.
So here, I would like to share with you a mini animal oracle deck to get started. This activity is best suited for yogis aged around 10-14. It is a perfect way to encourage them to use symbolism and archetypal wisdom to reflect on themselves!
INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Download the Good Seeds Yoga Animal Oracle cards and cut them out
2) Place the cards face down and choose one
3) Read about the animal and it’s meaning
4) Reflect on some of the following ideas: do you see any of these qualities in yourself? Is there something you could learn from these ideas? What other symbolism do you associate with this animal? How could the qualities listed on the card help you right now?
5) Talk, journal or draw your reflection, then share it if you’re comfortable
Please leave a comment below to let me know how this activity worked out for you!