ANIMAL WISDOM SPEAKS
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        • GTC Animal Wisdom Speaks >
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            • GTC Animal Wisdom Speaks - January Month of the Polar Bear
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            • GTC Animal Wisdom Speaks - March Month of the Whale
            • GTC Animal Wisdom Speaks - February Month of the Eagle
        • GTC Storytelling >
          • Official Statement Regarding the End of the Collaboration with the Green Tent Circle
          • GTC Storytelling & Fire Ceremony May 2024
          • GTC Storytelling & Earth Ceremony April 2024
          • GTC Storytelling & Water Ceremony March 20-23
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      • Dedication to Helga Dohr
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      • Shamanic Storytelling in Organizational Culture Development
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    • Shamanic Journeying in Change Management >
      • On Being Prepared or Embracing Your Vices
      • On Triaging or Being the First Responder
      • On Team Building or Assessing the Situation
      • On Leaving a Project or Not Jumping Headfirst into The Fire
      • To Live and Let Live or The Art of Iaido
    • A Twist in The Myth >
      • Dedication to Rune Palm
      • Smoke and Mirrors >
        • On Narcissus - At Home in his Heart
        • On Lucifer - The Whistleblower
        • On King Midas - Turning Gold into Shit
        • On Oedipus Rex - Love Changes Everything
        • On Loki - The Agent of Change
        • On Medusa - Jealousy and Envy
        • On Prometheus - Reigniting the Fires
        • On Hagen from Troneg - Time and Narrative
        • On the White Raven - Mistaken Identity
    • The Tongues of Old and New >
      • Dedication to Helmut Birkhan and Karl Pölz
    • Digital Storytelling >
      • Dedication to Johannes Milchram
    • The Sound of Music >
      • Dedication To BORG Wolfsberg
    • Traditions and Ceremonies from around the World
  • Impressum

July - Month of the Swan

Swans are the Guardians of the Gates and teach us about our roles as guardians in our lives, as custodians on Mother Earth and the Sea of Stars. They tell the stories of their own metamorphosis and transformation, like Hans Christian Andersen did in his fairy tale “The Ugly Duckling”.

​Swans do not know their own beauty, they shine unbeknownst to them. 

​
Gliding gently across the Sea of Emotions, Swan says, “Be gentle and compassionate, when going deep within and when touching the souls of other beings. Breathe calmness into your heart. Calm waters reflect your beauty, the light within your heart, a raging sea casts shadows and tears your world apart.”

As cygnets they are unassuming, brown and black. They radiate their beauty from within, but their surroundings are blind to it. In the fairy tale, a cygnet was adopted by a family of ducks. It was ridiculed and made fun of, because it did not look like they did. The cygnet albeit stayed true to its heart and transformed into its beautiful adult swan self, never belittling those that had belittled it, but becoming a beacon of hope and resilience embracing others with love unconditional.  

Gliding gently across the Sea of Emotions, Swan says, “Be gentle and compassionate, when going deep within and when touching the souls of other beings. Breathe calmness into your heart. Calm waters reflect your beauty, the light within your heart, a raging sea casts shadows and tears your world apart.”


​The Swan listens to all stories alike, for there is none that cannot be told. Our shadows are nothing to be afraid of, but they are to be seen, acknowledged, honored and loved. 

They have formed out of remnants of our wounds, protecting us and defending us their way. The moment we look at them, befriend them, ask them, what their needs are, they turn into gifts and aspects of ours we thought we did not possess or talents we only saw in others. 
Picture
"Rebirth", white pastels, Kristin Raphaela Otti (2024, Carinthia)

Shadows don’t destroy or devour us, they lead us deep into ourselves where the seeds of light are hidden. When we embrace both our shadows and our light, we come into balance.

We open our hearts unconditionally to those who answer our soul’s call with an equally open heart or set a firm boundary, become the guardian and the gate of our world and keep those that try to either come in telling lies, making compliments devoid of honesty or invade using violence out of our sanctuaries, our hearts. 


We are both shadow and light, we are the in-between, the side of us that simply is, non-reactive, non-responsive, calm and filled with serene peace.

​Never however, threaten a swan or try to force your way into their heart: They will protect the gate that leads into their heart and those living within without mercy.


Kristin Raphaela Otti


Picture
"Shadow Swan", black pastels, Kristin Raphaela Otti (2024, Café de L'Europe, Vienna)
Picture
"Swanheart", white pastels, Kristin Raphaela Otti (2023, Carinthia)
Picture
"Shadow Swan Weeping", black pastels, Kristin Raphaela Otti (2024, Hotel, Café & Konditorei Hecher, Wolfsberg)
Dare to Become the Hope of a New Tomorrow
If you want to join Animal Wisdom Speaks & The Council of Spirits​ note:

​Never play with a soul. Zero tolerance of mobbing, backstabbing, gossip, bullying and bossing. 

No-one is bigger than the other, no-one is smaller. We are equals.


No name bears more weight than another. 

This is a circle. Leave your title at the gate when taking your seat.

A circle is as big or as small as need be. There is no need to take someone else's seat.

​You are the gift. You are enough.​

Kristin Raphaela Otti 
​The Founder 


Joining Animal Wisdom Speaks & The Council of Spirits
On Knowing the Messenger
IMPRESSUM & CONTACT
​Note that the art, illustrations and stories published on Animal Wisdom Speaks are NOT public domain unless marked as such. All rights are reserved. The copyright belongs to the respective author or artist. ​
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  • Home
  • News
  • Animal Wisdom Speaks
    • Dedication
    • Dare to Become the Hope
    • A Growth Mindset >
      • Mission & Vision
      • The Art of Change
    • A Living Organism >
      • We Are One
      • History >
        • Official Statement Regarding the End of the Collaboration with the Green Tent Circle
      • Logo & Branding
  • Circle of Spirits
    • About the Circle of Spirits >
      • The Circle of Spirits
      • The Founder
      • Copyright
      • The Stories You Tell
      • Framing
      • On Inventions
      • Knowing the Messenger
      • Never Play with A Soul - Zero Tolerance of Mobbing, Bullying and Gossip
    • The Circle of Spirits >
      • Kristin Raphaela Otti >
        • Council of Spirits
        • Every Horizon is a New Beginning
      • Sabine Rieser >
        • Guardians
      • Johannes Milchram
  • Storytelling
    • About the Craft >
      • Not on Pure Talent Alone >
        • Mind the Gap!
        • On Make-up and Perfumes
      • Plotting the Plot >
        • A Twist in the Myth
        • Putting on a Frame
      • How to Weave a Narrative >
        • In the Beginning Was...
        • The End is Nigh >
          • On Responding and Reacting
          • Rage Quit or Reactive Abuse?
      • Character Development >
        • Making an Entrance
        • Character Creation >
          • Main Characters and NPCs
          • Friends, Frenemies and Foes
          • When The Monkeys are Flying in Oz
          • The Fellowship of the Circle
          • On World Tendencies
        • The Archetypes
      • The Art of Creating a Dialogue
    • Blogs >
      • English >
        • Animal Wisdom Speaks
        • Storytelling
      • German >
        • Die Weisheit der Tiergeister
        • Erzählungen
  • Events
    • International Events >
      • Animal Wisdom Speaks - July Month of the Swan
      • UN FFD4 Multi-Stakeholder Hearing - Official Side Event
      • UN Summit of the Future 2024 - Action Days Official Side Event
      • Green Tent Circle Illuminator Series 13
      • Past International Events >
        • Animal Spirit of the Month >
          • Animal Wisdom Speaks - June Month of the Butterfly
          • Animal Wisdom Speaks - May Month of the Fox
          • Animal Wisdom Speaks - April Month of the Rook
          • Animal Wisdom Speaks - March Month of the Crow
          • Animal Wisdom Speaks - February Month of the Puffin
        • GTC Animal Wisdom Speaks >
          • Official Statement Regarding the End of the Collaboration with the Green Tent Circle
          • GTC AWS 2025 >
            • GTC Animal Wisdom Speaks - January Month of the Polar Bear
          • GTC AWS 2024 >
            • GTC Animal Wisdom Speaks - December Month of the Parrot
            • GTC Animal Wisdom Speaks - November Month of the Peacock
            • GTC Animal Wisdom Speaks - October Month of the Jerboa
            • GTC Animal Wisdom Speaks - September Month of the Dove
            • GTC Animal Wisdom Speaks - August Month of the Deer
            • GTC Animal Wisdom Speaks - Summer of the Flycatchers
            • GTC Animal Wisdom Speaks - May Month of the Lion
            • GTC Animal Wisdom Speaks - April Month of the Bear
            • GTC Animal Wisdom Speaks - March Month of the Whale
            • GTC Animal Wisdom Speaks - February Month of the Eagle
        • GTC Storytelling >
          • Official Statement Regarding the End of the Collaboration with the Green Tent Circle
          • GTC Storytelling & Fire Ceremony May 2024
          • GTC Storytelling & Earth Ceremony April 2024
          • GTC Storytelling & Water Ceremony March 20-23
  • Projects
    • Storytelling in Visual Arts >
      • Dedication to Artur Hanzer
      • Spirit Animal Art >
        • Artists >
          • Kristin Raphaela Otti >
            • Spirit Animal Art
            • Illustrations & Character Design
          • Sabine Rieser >
            • Guardians
            • Wildart Guardians
      • Metal Craft >
        • Artists >
          • Paul Otti >
            • Metal Craft
            • Art Shows
            • Collaborations
            • A Master of his Craft
      • Shamanic Tools
      • A Deck of Cards
    • Collecting Fairy Tales, Songs and Stories of Wisdom >
      • Dedication to Sven Hakon Rossel
      • Folkeviser
    • Storytelling in Change Management >
      • Dedication to Helga Dohr
      • Shamanic Storytelling in Change Management
      • Shamanic Storytelling in Organizational Design
      • Shamanic Storytelling in Organizational Culture Development
      • Shamanic Storytelling in Leadership
    • Shamanic Journeying in Change Management >
      • On Being Prepared or Embracing Your Vices
      • On Triaging or Being the First Responder
      • On Team Building or Assessing the Situation
      • On Leaving a Project or Not Jumping Headfirst into The Fire
      • To Live and Let Live or The Art of Iaido
    • A Twist in The Myth >
      • Dedication to Rune Palm
      • Smoke and Mirrors >
        • On Narcissus - At Home in his Heart
        • On Lucifer - The Whistleblower
        • On King Midas - Turning Gold into Shit
        • On Oedipus Rex - Love Changes Everything
        • On Loki - The Agent of Change
        • On Medusa - Jealousy and Envy
        • On Prometheus - Reigniting the Fires
        • On Hagen from Troneg - Time and Narrative
        • On the White Raven - Mistaken Identity
    • The Tongues of Old and New >
      • Dedication to Helmut Birkhan and Karl Pölz
    • Digital Storytelling >
      • Dedication to Johannes Milchram
    • The Sound of Music >
      • Dedication To BORG Wolfsberg
    • Traditions and Ceremonies from around the World
  • Impressum