Animals as good luck symbols

Iguana
Her finest lessons are:

* Contentment
* Awareness
* Confidence
* Expectation
* Contemplation
* Appreciation
If iguanas or lizards are coming into your awareness, it could be a clear sign to bask in the art of appreciation.

It really is an art form too. Many of us are trained to work, slave, do, do, do - it can be a real effort to stop and smell the roses . Iguana energy beckons us to value the beauty around us, envelope ourselves in a good book, get lost in a good meal, revel in ecstasy over a few spare moments to just relax.

And speaking of relaxing, another symbolic meaning of iguana deals with contemplation. Spike is always observing. My human mind believes she's always suspending judgment about what she sees too.

Rather, she just observes and contemplates with youthful acceptance and peripheral curiosity. She seems to ruminate over every little thing for no other reason other than she can. From the birds that fly overhead, to the leaves that change color with the season - nothing is lost on her awareness. She drinks in her surroundings with an openness and marvels at the spectacles available for her contemplative pleasure.

Same holds true for us. The iguana encourages us to put ourselves in a mindset of utter wonder.

Rabbit
I'm not even going to touch the rabbit's foot thing. However, rabbits are lucky. They're considered extremely auspicious in matters of childbirth and fertility. Ever wondered about the Easter bunny? It's a throwback from fertility rites in which Eostre, a hare-headed goddess derived from ancient Saxon people would hail the blessed beginning of spring. If you'd just endured months of barren winter (maybe even facing starvation) the sign of the rabbit (and the coming of spring) was lucky indeed. I haven't written a page on the rabbit yet (but I'm sure I'll get around to it). However, our stargazing ancestors recognized faint silhouettes of hares hopping around in the moon, and I have written a page about lunar symbolism here.


Spider
I'm going to get derision about this one, I just know it. I realize not everybody is a fan of spiders (I happen to love them), but you can't deny spiders are good luck symbols to many cultures. In fact, spiders are attributed to saving the life of Christ as an infant. Apparently, the Holy Family needed a hideout to elude Herod. They hid in a cave, and spiders wove a thick web at the entrance of the cave making it appear abandoned (and icky) so Herod avoided looking for the Christ child in the cave altogether. Superstition insists it's unlucky to kill a spider.



Dog
In Chinese symbolism, dogs are also considered a harbinger of friendship. The legendary Fu Dog is also a guardian of sacred spaces and embodies concepts of protection too. Dogs are considered very auspicious. In Asian wisdom dogs are symbols of: Good Luck, Loyalty, Obedience and Prosperity.

A short-list of dog meaning includes symbolic attributes like:

* Fidelity
* Loyalty
* Assistance
* Intelligence
* Obedience
* Protection
* Community
* Cooperation
* Resourcefulness
* Communication
* Sensory Perception

The theme of communication becomes heightened when we peer into histories and discover dog meaning and symbolism is connected to the metaphysical realms. The dog has long been considered a liaison between the physical and non-physical dimensions. Ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Celtic and beyond have all prescribed the dog as a sacred guardian of the Otherworlds - those realms outside our daily/mundane experience. If you hear of dogs being symbols of death - this is the connection: Dogs are the guardians of ephemeral domains, and can even serve as spirit guides in non-physical journeys.

Consider Anubis, the Egyptian god whose charge is to insure safe transitions from common reality (physical life on Earth) into the Afterlife experience. With the head of a jackal (of canine ilk), Anubis dons the super-powerful sensory perception of the dog. Further, that dog connection represents the epitome of protection, guidance, loyalty and adherence to the flow of unseen spiritual energy. To be sure, safe passage from "life" to Afterlife will be seen to success under the governance of the dog/jackal-headed Anubis. In this ancient light, we get distinct impressions of: Security, Guardianship, Protection.

Dogs are sacred to Hecate, the Greek-Roman overseer of lots of things - but surely a matron bound to protect that which is misunderstood. It seems (to me) where there is senseless lashing out against that which is misunderstood, Hecate comes ferociously in justification - her dogs baying with equal verve at her side. Death, darkness, wild wandering, lunar moodiness, midnight journeying...Hecate defends the soul's right to wander in these little-known, oft-misunderstood alleyways. With her highly perceptive hounds guiding the way (and protecting the body as the spirit wanders), astral travel becomes eons easier.

http://www.whats-your-sign.com/dog-meaning-and-symbolism.html

Dolphin
In Celtic animal symbolism, the dolphin as a highly honored creature as it was seen as the protector of sacred wells and sacred water. The dolphin, to the Celtic mind, is the watcher of the waters, and the guardians of all things water-associated.

A quick-list of symbolic dolphin meaning includes:

* Playfulness
* Transcendence
* Gentleness
* Harmony
* Intelligence
* Contentment
* Friendship
* Community
* Resurrection
* Generosity
* Power

Christian symbolism conveys the dolphin as an aspect of Christ. Dolphins seen in Christian art are symbolic of resurrection. Some artists utilize the protective, stabilizing, compassionate demeanor of the dolphin as a message of wellbeing to the pure of heart. Some artistic renditions speak of dolphins transporting the spirits of the faithful to Christ's side upon leaving their physical bodies.

This dolphin meaning is mimicked in ancient Greece where legend tells us the dolphin was responsible for carrying the souls of the dead to the Islands of the Blessed.

Also in Greece, the dolphin is a compatriot of both the god Apollo (sun) and the goddess Aphrodite (moon). Both lunar symbolism and solar symbolism are represented in the dolphin.

* Sun Dolphin meanings: Active, Life, Vibrant, Health, Renewal, Intelligence
* Moon Dolphin meaning: Hidden power, Intuition, Dreams, Conception, Feminine
http://www.whats-your-sign.com/dolphin-meaning-dolphin-symbolism.html

Life explained

Life explained

On the first day, God created the dog and said, "Sit all day by the door of

your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will
give you a life span of twenty years."

The dog said, "That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years
and I'll give you back the other ten?"

So God agreed......


On the second day, God created the monkey and said, "Entertain people, do
tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span."


The monkey said, "Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time
to perform. How about I give you back ten like the dog did?"

And God agreed......


On the third day, God created the cow and said, "You must go into the field
with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give
milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span
of sixty years."

The cow said, "That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty
years. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?"

And God agreed again......


On the fourth day, God created humans and said, "Eat, sleep, play, marry and
enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years."

But the human said, "Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my
twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the
ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?"

"Okay," said God. "You asked for it."

So that is why for our first twenty years, we eat, sleep, play and enjoy
ourselves. For the next forty years, we slave in the sun to support our
family. For the next ten years, we do monkey tricks to entertain the
grandchildren. And for the last ten years, we sit on the front porch and
bark at everyone.

Life has now been explained to you.

There is no need to thank me for this valuable information. I'm doing it as
a public service.

Astrology : 2010 Chinese Zodiac..

Astrology : 2010 Chinese Zodiac..

The Rat
For those born in the Year of the Rat, year 2010 promises to be an average year for you, while you may suffer from melancholy from time to time,the positioning of the planets in 2010 will benefit the rats and they will most definitely be more self-confident, and be more innovative thanbefore. Excellent news for the lonely rats, year 2010 promises a great love life for you. You will definitely find a lover within the year, and for the ones that are blissfully married, the year will be filled with romantic joy. Time to rejoice in the warmth of love, rats!

The Ox
You should be aware of some conflicts that might happen in the coming year, particularly with the dragons and horses. To avoid these conflicts,remember to keep an open! mind and to not judge others without any basis. This year is a good year for you to learn a new language, so, if you havealways wanted to pick up a new language before traveling, 2010 would definitely be the best year. Career-wise, those born in the year of the Ox should be aware that in 2010, your working attitude will be slightly lackadaisical and without much buoyed enthusiasm, put in effort to change the attitude.

The TigerFor their own year, the Tigers will face a surprisingly average year with little ups and downs. While everything will be at your advantage thisyear, you will find it terribly difficult to find the encouragement and willpower to perform at your very best. Find the encouragement withinyourself or you might be faced with plenty of disappointments. 2010 will provide a healthy backdrop for you, for those suffering digestiveproblems; you will most likely find that situations for you will improve.

The Rabbit
Unfortunately for the Rabbits, 2010 will possibly be a bad year for those who were born in the year of the Rabbit. You will have to work hard toachieve some good in terms of your career, health and love life. Rabbits should look towards philosophy and religion to find some good in theupcoming year. Be prudent, thrifty and stay on the lookout for signs of a business scam, your finances could prove to be a problem this upcomingyear.

The Dragon
For those born in the year of the Dragon, it is time for you to apply into some form of school or undertake some courses! Studying in the upcomingyear will bring you a considerable amount of success. While you might find yourself getting into some minor conflicts, it is essential for you tostay positive. Your ability to stay positive will lead to a happier and more successful year ahead. It might also be a rocky year ahead for you ifyou are in a relationship, remember, stay positive and lend a listening ear and you will stay happy.

The Snake
Those born in the year of the Snake are known to be very stubborn. Keep your stubbornness in check; learn to control it and you will find manysuccesses coming towards you in the upcoming year. While it is important to have dreams, try to keep a level-headed mind for the upcoming year oryou might end up straying away from reality. Once you’ve kept a level-headed mind, you will find yourself in favourable opportunities in yourcareer, make sure you grab them!

The Horse
Good news for the horses! Year 2010 might be one of the smoothest years for you. You will find bonds between your friends and relatives being builtfairly easily. Keep a clear head when making decisions for you will find that plenty of decisions may sound familiar to one another but with verydifferent outcomes. You may also tend to overfeed yourself in the upcoming year so be sure to keep on a healthy diet and exercise regularly.

The GoatT
hose born in the year of the Goat will find plenty of wealth opportunities coming their way in 2010. You may end up passing up on a lot of themand making several bad decisions early on in the trimester but it is crucial for you to stay positive and not be disheartened by your losses formore opportunities will be coming for you later in the year. Stay on your feet, be in the company of your loved ones and develop more personalrelationships and you will find that the upcoming year might just be your best year yet.

The Monkey
It is essential for the monkey to not be overly emotional in 2010. You will find that not everything will go your way initially. While you mightlose some close friends, you have to maintain mental stability to save the broken pieces of the relationship. However, 2010 will provide businessopportunities for you. It is the year for you to take risks. Take the risks and you will be rewarded tremendously. Do not rest on your laurels andexpect things to happen!

The Rooster
2010 will be a year of competition for those born in the year of the Rooster. In your career, you will face plenty of competition to get up onto ahigher rung of the ladder in your company. If you are unattached, you will find competition for someone that you are interested in. Makewell-thought out decisions and do not make rash decision. Adopt a positive and hardworking attitude and 2010 might just be a good year for you..

The Dog
There will be ups and downs for the dog in the year 2010. In your career, your lack of respect towards authority might prove to be a downfall foryou. Your quest for independence will lead to you having some problems in your love life as well. It is ultimately crucial for you to tone downyour brash attitude to find some good in the upcoming year or 2010 will prove to be a year of loneliness for you. Stay friendly!

The Pig
Known to be sentimental creatures, you have to learn to put off your sentimental ways to find some unexpected successes in your line of work andyour love life for 2010. The alignment of the stars will bring you utmost luck for the coming year so expect some monetary windfall coming yourway. It is important for you to stay away from carbonated drinks in the upcoming year for you will be vulnerable and open to intestinal anddigestive problems. However, besides that, 2010 might prove to be a healthy year ahead for you.