Animal Totem for April 2020
The Praying Mantis
The Praying Mantis comes to guide us this month to teach us the power of stillness. When we teach ourselves to still the outer mind and go within, we can draw on greater power – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. That is why the Mantis is one of the principal animals on which Kung Fu teaching is based. The stronger your power of presence, the greater your force of good in the world.
At this time of lock down and retreating from the world with the threat of the Corona virus looming, we are being empowered to take stock in stillness. We need to become more focused and dedicated to be our own authentic selves in the world. It takes great courage to be alone with yourself and your fears, but mental stillness empowers us to gain insight and knowing.
The art of stillness connects us to the basic theme of this year, which is surrender and trust. Within this lies our true power. To surrender the need to force, prove ourselves and to control the outcome. It has been taken out of our hands and unless you become strong in your power to surrender and to trust the flow of life, you will struggle more and more and whither in your fear of survival.
The Praying Mantis also brings us the assurance that whatever you ask for and allow yourself to trust and wait for it, will manifest into your life. Thus, it is important to take responsibility for what we want to attract and reassess whether it is for the good of all.
Allow yourself practices of stillness, like meditation, yoga and sleeping. The body needs nurturing now, more than ever. The word mantis is derived from a Greek word, meaning prophet. Know your own divinity and your connection to an intelligent universe. All the answers are available, but the more you sit still and trust your internal wisdom, the less questions you will have and the more life will expand within you.
Blessings
Belinda