GOANNA (AUSTRALIAN MONITOR LIZARD): Speed

A close relative to Komodo Dragon, Goanna lives mainly in Australia and Papua New Guinea. (Goanna is also the Australian name for the Monitor Lizards that live there.) In Australia, She fills the niche of predatory and scavenging Mammals. Not fussy, Goanna makes her home in monsoon woodlands, urban brush lands, and even cemeteries.

Noted for her well-developed limbs and deeply forked tongue that flicker in and out like a Snake's, Goanna is a distinctive looking Lizard. Long and stout, She has a tail that strikes out at her enemies. An active forager, Goanna digs out other Lizards, Insects, and small Mammals to eat.

This fierce looking Lizard is shy and timid but can be quite territorial and agressive when confronted. An excellent tree climber, Goanna will scoot up a tree trunk when danger threatens. Her reckless speed in escaping is legendary among Australians. They joke about scared Goannas racing up people’s legs thinking that they are trees. Australians advise to lie down when Goanna runs at you, and remember get treated for her bite. (It is not poisonous but can cause sickness.)

Among native Australians, Goanna is considered to be lazy. They tell stories of how ingenious Goanna was in climbing trees to get bark to make a canoe for sailing to Australia. However, when industrious Goanna arrived, She became lazy. She stopped farming and started stealing food from Echidna instead.

However, when She is confronted, Goanna races out of danger. Her most noteworthy characteristic is her speed, which serves Goanna well. Like Goanna, we can explore but be prepared to race away when danger threatens.

Goanna’s Teachings Include:
"Curiosity killed the cat but information brought the Goanna back." Goanna is forever looking into what is going on around it. Using its powerful body and legs, it climbs trees and rocks to find out what’s going on over there! Goanna’s tongue flashes back and forth from his mouth, as he tastes the air to find out who’s about. He calmly saunters along poking his nose into all manner of mischief but, forget not, that should Goanna feel the need for speed, there is nothing to see after the dust has cleared. Copyright: “Wisdom of Australian Animals,” Ann Williams-Fitzgerald.

KOOKABURRA: Resolving Family Issues

The Kookaburra of Australia is the largest member of the Kingfisher Family. Unlike other members of the Kingfisher Family, Kookaburra lives in woodlands instead of near wetlands. Perched on a tree branch to spot prey, Kookaburra will swoop down and seize a tasty Insect in his long, dagger-like bill. Instead of Fish, Kookaburra eats Insects, Worms, and Reptiles.

Known for his distinctive call, Laughing Kookaburra will sing in a loud chorus, “Koo-koo-koo-koo-koo-koo-kaa-kaa-kaa”. Blue-winged Kookaburra sings a coarser call that ends abruptly. Some people have described Kookaburra’s call as a rollicking laugh. What is strange about Kookaburra’s call is how many people are familiar with it, without knowing. American filmmakers often feature Kookaburra’s laugh as background noise for jungle scenes.

What makes Kookaburra unusual is his family life. When his Young are fledged, They remain with their Parents to help raise the next group of Siblings. Kookaburra Brothers and Sisters will raise the second brood, while Parent Kookaburras raise the third brood. If one of the Parents dies, the Children continue to help the other Parent raise the rest of the Family.

What people can learn from Kookaburra is how to be a good family member. Kookaburra can teach you how to resolve many family issues. Learn from Kookaburra what makes for a strong family.
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Important Kookaburra Teaching: Laughter and Joy
“He has a distinctive laughing call that when heard makes one feel like laughing along with him. Stirring the joy that lives deep within your being. When you hear a Kookaburra remember to allow yourself to laugh, for laughter and joy are the very essence of our being.” Copyright: “Wisdom of Australian Animals”, Ann Williams-Fitzgerald.

Kookaburra’s Teachings Also Include
“A silent Kookaburra is a far more uplifting sign than the raucous laughter emanated by a chorus of mockery and taunt.” Copyright: “Animal Messengers”, Scott Alexander King.

Tarot: Non-Traditional Decks

My first introduction to cartomancy was oracle cards.  Intrigued, I wanted to know more about how that particular oracle system was set up.  This led me to the Tarot, since it seemed to me that many oracle card systems are based on the principles of the Tarot.

Learning the Tarot meant using a Rider-Waite deck, whose art work I detested.  However, as I used this deck more, the Tarot symbols became easier to understand.  But using the traditional decks eventually became static and boring to me.  

For me, non-traditional decks seemed to be more challenging and fun.  By working with these decks, I could go down to the bones of the Tarot.  Non-traditional decks forced me to learn the basics of the Tarot beyond rote memorization.  In each deck that I used, a basic idea of the Tarot was explored and expanded upon.  Also, the non-traditional decks expanded the focus beyond Western ceremonial magic(k) that seems to permeate Neo-Paganism.  By working with them, the Tarot became more accessible to me.

For example, “Animal Wise Tarot” (Ted Andrews, 1999) has as the Minor Suits: the Ancients (reptiles) for Wands, Shapeshifters (insects) Cups, Winged Ones (birds) Swords, and Four-legged Ones (mammals) as Pentacles.  This deck has kept the elemental associations of each suit but deepens their meanings.  The Wands become rooted in stability like the reptiles which require warmth for life.  (The Fire of Wands ire becomes a hearth fire.) Cups as the Shapeshifters move the emphasis from emotions to metamorphosis.  The quality of the Air element in the Winged Ones now includes beauty.  Finally, the Four-legged Ones takes Pentacles beyond finances to the fertility of the Earth.

Then “Australian Animal Tarot” (Ann Williams-Fitzgerald, 2000) takes the Tarot a step further.  The Minor Suits are Earth for Wands, Water for Cups, Fire for Swords, and Air for Pentacles.  This goes beyond the traditional meanings for these Suits.  (However the Fire and Water Suits do have similar meanings to the Swords and Cups of traditional Tarot decks.)  For example, Nine of Earth (Nine of Wands) has the Green Tree Python, a reptile, representing life force and transmutation.  The deeper meaning of the traditional Nine of Wands implies transforming dreams into reality.  Like the Mother Python protecting her young (unusual for snakes), so we protect our transformed dreams.

In each case, the author uses the Tarot symbolism that makes sense to them.  Using their interpretations, I can delve deeper beyond “Coins” for Pentacles into fertility as the focus of the Four-legged Ones of “Animal Wise Tarot” directs. Non-traditional decks offer a window into the Tarot that traditional ones often overlook.