Dog

I was looking at What's Your Sign.com and found this on the dog. When we look into history and discover dog meaning and symbolism we see that it is connected to the supernatural realms. The dog has long been considered a link between the physical and non-physical dimensions. Ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Celtic and other cultures have all described the dog as a sacred guardian of the Otherworlds that being, realms outside our daily experience. If you hear of dogs being symbols of death it means that they are the guardians of temporary domains, and can even serve as spirit guides in non-physical journeys.

Anubis, for example,was the Egyptian god whose charge is to insure safe transitions from the physical world into the Afterlife. With the head of a jackal, Anubis dons the super-powerful sensory perception of the dog. Further, that dog connection represents the qualities of protection, guidance, loyalty and adherence to the flow of unseen spiritual energy. In this ancient light, we get distinct impressions of security, guardianship, and protection.

In Celtic symbolism, dogs represent heroism. They embody heart-pounding attributes such as courage, persistence, and virility. A big part of this is due to a Celtic dog's role in hunting. Dogs were even trained by the ancient Celts to assist in war. Here we see that same thread of defense, protection and action for the good of the clan. An interesting paradox is that Celtic dogs are also symbolic of healing. They are often associated with Nodens, who was a Celtic god of nutritive waters, hunting and healing. Dogs have also been portrayed with Sucellus, the Celtic god of protection and provision from an agricultural view.

Native American tribes have long depended upon the dog for their guidance and assistance in everyday chores such as agriculture efficiency and hunting. In fact, when horses were introduced to North America by the Spaniards, the term "sky dogs" was dubbed for horses because they were as helpful as their canine allies. To Native Americans, dogs convey symbolism of assistance, fidelity, community, protection, friendship and communication.

To the Chinese, dogs are also considered a harbinger of friendship. The legendary Fu Dog is considered a guardian of sacred spaces and embodies concepts of protection. Dogs are considered very auspicious. In Asian wisdom dogs are symbols of good luck, loyalty, obedience and prosperity.

The field of Alchemy also involves dogs and sometimes wolves which is associated with Mercury in alchemical wisdom. This is because Mercury is easily fused with other metals. This hints to amicable bonds, that being, friendship, and ties that bind with ease. Mercurial dogs are also symbolic of transition, intelligence, and easy flow through the processes of transmutation.  

I had a Bichon Frise when I was younger.  Every time he went to lay down close to my dad while he was on the computer, he would get his poor little curly tail run over by  dads chair. But being that resilient, forgiving, loyal bundle of fluff that he was, he always came back because that's what dogs do. People used to say he looked like a little white snowflake.  I miss him and I just couldn’t do a blog post about dogs without including good old Cujo.  That was his name, by the way.  My dad chose it.

Dog Symbolism includes: Fidelity, Loyalty, Assistance, Intelligence, Obedience, Protection, Community, Cooperation, Resourcefulness, Communication, and Sensory Perception

Deer

While looking at What’s Your Sign.com, I found this information about the deer.  In ancient Celtic animal lore, the deer is linked to the arts of poetry and music due to its elegant form. The Celts also believed that deer were associated with the realm of fairies, and would lead groups of fairies trailing behind them as they cleared a path through the forest. Both the Celtics and Native Americans observed the deer as perceptive when it came to finding the best herbs. The people who did this would follow the deer to prime herb patches, many of which proved to be highly beneficial to their medicinal needs.

In China the deer is a symbol of happiness and good fortune. In Chinese its name is a homonym for the word abundance. The meaning of the deer is associated with the dawn, the moon, and the direction of the east.

Some honor the deer during a full moon to enhance or draw out some of  the deers qualities within themselves. Honoring the deer with one's attention pointed in an eastern direction as the Sun rises is believed to elicit responsive energy to some people.

Symbolic meanings of the deer include: Love, Grace, Peace, Beauty, Fertility, Humility, Swiftness, Regrowth, Creativity, Spirituality, Abundance, Benevolence, and Watchfulness.

In my graphite drawings, I can relate to the deer. I must be careful and attentive with my drawing when using a hard lead pencil so that I don’t dig into the paper.  Every pencil stroke counts, and though I can always erase, sometimes it is best to get things right the first time so you don’t have to.

I also found something called a “white deer” while researching on Symbolic Meanings.com. I am guessing this meant an albino deer, but I am not sure. This sounded interesting to me because I had not heard of one before in real life. I have only seen them in World of Warcraft.

The Native Americans believed the occurrence of a white animal was a major sign of prophecy one that a major shift in the earth was going to happen. Native Americans believed in something called a “vision quest.” This was when one of them would go into the wild without food or water and stay there until they could commune with nature and have a deep personal truth revealed to them in the form of a vision.  Then they would return home.  This was most likely just a hallucination, but to them it was real. Usually, white animals were seen during one of these vision-quests.  However, if one was seen during the normal course of day, this would cause a tremendous ripple among the members of a tribe.  A great meeting would be called, the elders would be consulted, and great care would be taken to communicate with the animal spirits to determine the meaning of the message.

To the Native Americans, the deer was/is a symbol of the great spirit – a sign of the sun as its antlers spread like the sun’s rays.  They also recognized the shedding and regrowth of a stags antlers and saw it as asymbol of regeneration, cycle, and growth.

For us, the deers alert, keen, aware nature can be translated into the quality of being spiritually aware which is why the deer is seen primarily as a spiritual symbol.

When a white animal appears in nature it is a message of:

Higher Thoughts, Higher Ideals, Purity of Soul, Cleansing of Spirit, and Attaining Higher Knowledge.

Add these attributes with those of the female deer which are: Benevolence, Kindness, Creativity, Spirituality, Renewal, and Connectedness.

The male deer holds the same representations, but also includes attributes of: Longevity, Virility, Abundance, and Endurance.

Coyote

The Coyote is a clown in the natural world, and many Native American tribes view the symbolism of the Coyote as that of trickster, shape-shifter, and transformer.

I always enjoyed watching Whil E Coyote - master of A.C.M.E gadgets, as did my mom when I was a kid. It’s funny how he always chased the Road Runner and got smashed into little tiny pieces.

The Navajo never kill Coyote because of their belief that it accompanied man and woman into the entrance of the first physical world. In the same myth, the Coyote brought seeds of life in order to sew new growth upon the Earth. This myth depicts the Coyote as a bringer of life and a symbol of birth.

In a similar way, Whil E Coyote always sort of “brings life” in that he seems to “resurrect” after he falls off of big cliffs or after getting crushed by big rocks.  It isn’t quite resurrection since he never really dies, but the circumstances would be that he would die if it were real, so it is like resurrection in a sense because he always walks away virtually unharmed and in one piece.  I’m sort of a Whil E Coyote myself, because I make clever works of art and I’m handy with ideas. I’m a wordsmith, which takes cleverness.

The Shoshoni believed the Coyote to be an indication of an ending. To see a Coyote meant the bringing of natural shifts in the balance causing an end. Basically the Coyote is like a "way-maker" of new direction symbolically representing the cycle of life and death in nature.

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When coming into our awareness, the coyote presents itself as a totem of high voltage energy.  An interesting observation that could translate into a symbolic idea is its quality of instinct. Undoubtedly the Coyote is pure instinct.  This is why they have been given the mantle of "cleverness" and "shape-shifter". They're sharp, highly sensitive, and the most adaptable of all dog-like animals in the wild.

The Coyote tells us to be mindful of our actions. Be wary of playing tricks on ourselves or others. The coyote also reminds us that the consequences of our actions affect more than just ourselves. The Coyote sometimes tells us to learn from our mistakes and because of this learning process we become free from getting trapped. This learning can mean communicating with "our pack" for better understanding (advice, open dialog, sharing experiences with our closest kin). Or learning might be a solo thing like recognizing a personal mistake, seeing its consequences and not making the same mistake again.

This wondrous creature also reminds us that no matter what form we take in life, or how many difficult situations we may find ourselves in, we can always see another side. That's what shape-shifting is about.

Coyote animal symbolism includes: Skill, Instinct, Ingenuity, Enthusiasm, Transformation, Inventiveness, Intelligence, Playfulness, Resourcefulness.

Cow

While drawing the cow I noticed the nostrils, snout, and ears were very large in proportion to the head. I noticed an overall peanut shape to the head form with little horns in comparison to the bull/longhorn. When shading this drawing most the textures were lightly colored.

In summary to what is stated on What’s-Your-Sign.com, the cow is symbolic of Mother Earth, fertility, nurturing, and power. Being a female animal, the cow is a lunar symbol associating itself with feminine (yin) energies in Chinese culture and belief. It provides milk and meat. The Celts believe the cow is an earth symbol. I remember once I had an opportunity to view the internal digestive content of a cow. It was stringy, mushed up, wet grass. They eat the earth and in turn cows nurture people milk and meat.

The Egyptian Goddess Nut is sometimes depicted as a cow with four stars on the belly representing the four cosmic-quadrants of the earth. Hathor was another Egyptian deity and often called the Great Mother goddess of joy and nourisher of all things. Hathor was also seen as a protective goddess and an emblem of royalty. She personified the milk that flowed from the udders of a heavenly cow into what we call the Milky Way. I once experienced what it was like to milk a cow using simulated utters and it was fun at first but became hard work later. It takes time and effort and must have been difficult before the development of milking machines.

Three other examples of beliefs about the cow include Norse mythology, Vedic literature, and Buddhists or Hindu religion. The first giant Ymir in Norse mythology drank from one of the four rivers of power that provided nourishment during the time of the First World. The four rivers of power compare to the cow’s udder providing nourishment in the form of milk from four teats. Representing earth and sky the cow is a symbol of abundance in Vedic literature. To Buddhists or Hindu people the cow is a symbol of holiness and patience.

Symbolic meanings of the cow include: Patience, Nourishment, Abundance, Fertility, Female Power, Potential, Possibility, Calming, Grounding,, Provision, Beginnings, and Holiness.

Cheetah

The cheetah can run from speeds of 0-40 mph in a few seconds and can reach speeds up to 60 mph tops. When we have opportunities we should go for them because life is short. For example, when I found the pantry unlocked, I entered to find a piece of cake and I ate it much like a cheetah capturing a meal. Similarly a cheetah learns to hunt and build its speed and stamina over years. I remember as a child I liked to watch Scooby Doo and sketch the monsters. I thought to myself, these drawings look so shoddy and not professional. I wanted my drawings to improve so they could be sold. I kept drawing and later in high school I developed my 3D rendering skills. Following high school I wanted to sell my work but it was sentimental. When I realized the artwork could be reproduced, I was able to let the originals sell. By distributing prints of my work and having digital images to keep, I became aware of the opportunities to make a living as an artist. Now I have realized that I can create work with the intention of selling the original. If you see an opportunity take it because you may not get it again. Every opportunity is unique. The circumstances may not come again for years.

An elongated spine allows the cheetah to take large stride improving the ability to run long distances. It’s claws grip the soil pushing it forward with momentum.  This symbolizes that we are all built by higher power and designed for special purposes. A spine is our foundation. It is our bread and butter. A Cheetah’s spine gives it grace and speed. We all have our own special talents. It’s because of a cheetah’s large heart and lungs that it is able to take in great amounts of oxygen allowing it to run at great speeds. This is symbolic of proportion(s) for expansion. If you cannot open your heart you can not accomplish your goals. My goals are art and writing. My creative ideas in art often stem from dreams and life experiences. These give me inspiration to create my works that can inspire others.

The ancient Egyptians adored cheetahs and trained them to hunt. They believed the black spots on the Cheetah’s eyes are a reminder to grieve when losing something precious. We must fight the fight to keep moving on, just as the Cheetah does. The Cheetah is easily hidden from predators because of it’s amber fur and spots. A person might be compelled to blend in as if camouflaged. Sometimes you have to camouflage and sometimes you have to expose yourself so you can move forward. You don’t always have to be on the defense, you have to be on the offense sometimes. When I’m selling my work I have to be on the offense. I provide my patrons with friendly customer service to better their experience.

The cheetah is a day hunter and thus has black markings around the eyes to protect it from the blazing sunlight in the savannahs where it lives. These markings look like tears. Drawing the Cheetah was not like other cats, the skull is smaller and elongated. To achieve the spot effect I had to push the pencil tip to create a hazy smudging texture. Drawing the markings around the eyes gave the appearance of applying makeup.

Symbolic meanings of the cheetah include: Speed, Survival, Passion, Progress, Assertion, Evolution, Flexibility, Protection, Perception, Expression, Opportunity, and Adaptability

Cat {Domestic}

Myths about cats are present in many cultures. My experiences with cats is minimal. I think it’s interesting that cats always land on the their feet when they fall. Cats have soft fur on their head and I have nicknamed a friend Kitty because of this trait. I have learned that black cats are unlucky. They are an omen for bad luck like broken mirrors and walking under ladders. I don’t believe in that superstition. Once I followed a black cat and cornered it on accident and it hissed at me. Personal space is very important to cats. If you don’t give it to them they will let you know.

In some areas of the world cats are villainized, other times they are worshiped. Cats are seen on both sides of the spectrum as good or bad depending on where you live. Cats have shaped human imagination for ages. As a guardian of the underworld in Celtic cultures, the cat is silent and mysterious. The black cat was feared for many reasons. Because black cats were feared in Celtic lore, they were sacrificed. To people in the Western hemisphere black cats were associated with witchcraft. Black cats got this reputation from nightly pitfalls and were associated with transformation similar to the veil of night shifting our perception of reality.

Cats are unpredictable and have a very secretive wary nature. In European lore, cats were unsettling to some people. A superstition about cats begins and the relationship between two ideas. Once something is established and it spreads, a large population will take in the meaning. It is the same with felines. First the cat is seen as heinous, which causes other people to buy into the superstition. Since they are both misunderstood, this makes witches and cats go together well.

There are also many places in human history that worship the cat. In ancient Rome the cat was considered sacred to the goddess of the moon, Diana. Here the cat was considered a guardian of the homes and symbolized domestic goodness. In muslim lore, the cat is honored for saving Mohammed from a snake attack. It is believed the M marking on the forehead of many tabby cats is a mark that symbolizes the M for Mohammed. In Norse legend cats are associated with Freyja, the goddess of fertility, and thus the cat is thought of as a blessing to newborns. Cats were sacred to ancient Egyptians and were mummified along with mice for the cats to consume in the afterlife.

Symbolic meanings of the cat include: Astute, Clever, Selective, Secretive, Mysterious, Intuitive, Intelligent, Independent, Supernatural, Watchfulness.

Camel

The camel is known for its ability to transport large amounts of cargo across long distances in scorching hot conditions. A master at pilgrimage in current and ancient times, camels are used to carry luggage and people across the desert. Traits that humans can take away from the camel for good ways to live life are: persistence, determination, stubbornness, conservative, and focus. When I’m on the treadmill and feel tired, I keep going because health is important to me.

Similarly, in art you have to focus to see something through to the end. You never know how something is going to turn out until you get all the way through it. It’s a big journey of perseverance. Every piece of art is a journey in the career of an artist. An artist may be working on several works at once requiring great determination and focus.

The camel is capable of protecting us in both physical and spiritual journeys through life’s complex and harsh conditions. Sometimes in life, friends move. First one friend moves away, then another moves, and then another and pretty soon all of your friends have parted ways and moved onto another section of their journey. Life is a continuous journey in which you have to adapt to changes and fluctuations. My art helps me build a fanbase and meet customers which builds friendship and fellowship. I also can become involved in an artist community. Connections to people that I meet continues to be renewed through my art.

The fat cells of a camel’s humps are able to store hydrogen atoms which retain water, thus allowing the camel to use water when necessary. The camel is able to preserve its water supply and use the water when necessary spanning over large periods of time. In much the same way, it is important for us to pace ourselves and maintain energy levels during life. Everyone tends to get frustrated sometimes over small quandaries and it is important for us to remember to conserve our energy for when we need it most. If living in our memories, we need to remember to let things go and persist because there are always opportunities ahead of us.

Symbolic meanings of the camel include: Endurance, Transport, Survival, Conservation, Journeying, Adaptivity, Stamina