Insight is the perfect title for these perspectives on reality because they teach how to see the Universe within oneself, and oneself within the Universe.   Each insight is linked to a totem animal:  Snake, Jaguar, Hummingbird, Eagle.  What I found coincidental –or more likely, synchronistic– is that as I have studied energy work, magic, and manifesting, I made associations with Snake (feminine earth magic of renewal) and with Jaguar (community, relationship, creativity).  Both of these associations happened years–even a decade before I read this book this weekend, but Villoldo’s explanations of how these insights work and what their gifts are align perfectly with my experience of them.

My magical name, Snake Dancer, came to me as I studied the feminine mysteries in a Dianic circle. I came there to learn about the divine feminine and to make my transition from mother to crone. This experience was very helpful in learning new stories and new perspectives on stories I knew, not only about goddess wisdom, but about my own stories. Yet it did not free me from my old stories, but added a victimized feminist layer to them, and an angry energy of retaliation.  It was not the peace I had been looking for, the peace and happy acceptance of my femininity.The Laika are based in a divine feminine relationship with not only the earth, but the connection to spirit.

Five years ago, I decided to go to graduate school to study mythology, and on the first day of class, our group became the Jaguars, or the Jags, because of a dream one of our professors had the night before.  This group, which over the two years we were in school together coalesced as eleven women and one man, is now my sisters and brothers.  Each of us has experienced the community of a new family, and each of us has found a source of energy for our creativity, our expression of the life force as it comes through our talents and training, through teaching, leading spirit journeys, or finding new vocation.

On my next reading, I will be working through each exercise, focusing first on the Snake energy of the first chakra, to understand more deeply the focus on the physical realm, but my goal will be to learn how to move my consciousness from one insight to the other and to know from experience which to use for what purpose. Then I will focus on getting a clearer vision from the Jaguar level, the level of relationship and creativity, to be more consciously aware of what I know subconsciously.

Reading this book tells me that I will be moving into the energy of the hummingbird, seeing with the third eye, and better able to visualize my dreams and remove my blocks to making them happen–being my own fairy godmother. Finally, I can reach to the Eagle perspective and begin to be more aware of myself in the flow of the energy of the Universe, and to recognize in an experiential way how I am related to  All That IS.

It can hardly be coincidence that a friend urged me to buy this book and read it at this time when I am feeling stuck and not sure where to aim myself. Gaining the four insights will help me look into the future and find the future I want, and to clear out the blocks of the past that have so far kept me from even knowing what I want.

If you don’t know what you want, you certainly can’t wish for it. I do not want to limit myself to the survival wishes of the Snake–food, shelter, money, security. Instead, I want to complete my destiny for this lifetime,  to do what I came here to do, to learn what that is, and to accomplish it. Villoldo will be one of my guides along the way.

NOTE: the link  to The Four Insights is an Amazon affiliate link. I will get a kickback from Amazon if you purchase the book from them through my link.

It’s important to clarify to yourself what you want. If you wish to eat your cake and keep your waistline, you need to work on both together. If you wish for one, and then the other, you might not be happy with the results.

In fact, just being happy helps. Begin unhappy takes you out of alignment with what you want, no matter why you are unhappy.  If you write your affirmations and tell yourself how happy you are when you are meditating or at level, but then you come back to the conscious world and bitch and moan and fuss about whatever is not to your liking, you are not in alignment…you are attracting both the part you want, but also the part you don’t want.   If your happiness depends solely on your getting what you asked for, then it would be good to think about that only, and not fret about the things that are now fading away.

Abraham makes it clear that complaining, whining and in other ways focusing on what you don’t want attracts more of that to you.  It’s better to make the best of the situation, to acknowledge what is happening, but then to focus on what you do want, what would be better, and what you can do right now to change how things are.

You might not be able in the moment to change the circumstances, to make all the changes you would like, but you can at least change how you look at it.  For example, I was tired and hungry yesterday when I took a break to help a friend download a program.  Instead of eating lunch and saying that I would check back with her in a few minutes, I tried to just do it.  Her machine is set up differently from mine, and everything seemed to be in a different place than I would have put it.

What would have been a better response?

I could have said, “Let me get some lunch and then I’ll look at it.”

I could have noted that she used Internet Explorer, taken a deep breath and smiled to myself, instead of muttering imprecations against Microsoft. I’m certain that people who don’t find Microsoft irritating don’t have nearly so many problems with their products.

I could have just offered to fix her pictures, since my job allows me to have Photoshop and hers doesn’t. She just wants to retouch her pictures to make herself feel better. Isn’t that why any one of us makes a wish–to feel better.

So, today I am laughing at my own silliness, forgiving myself and programming by imagination a better choice for next time, since my friend still doesn’t have the software she wants.  But I’ll wait until after lunch to do it!