My son and I have become unseasoned fans of Harry Potter, having progressively watched all the movies over the last several weeks.
It’s gotten me to thinking about the symbolic nature of the classic ‘good versus evil’ storyline, which is representative of reality on so many levels and allows us to identify with our humanity through folklore. Voldemort (the villain in Harry Potter) is the archetypal shadow aspect, the quintessential personification of fear. Meanwhile, Harry Potter and his cohort are the classic presentation of courageous conquest. One of the more poignant scenes in the 2nd installment of part 7 in the series is when we can see the fear on Voldemort’s face as 
he recognizes he’s losing power. This struck me because he impersonated my own fear, desperately clutching to a form where it no longer belongs.
I’ve been sitting on a vision for a long time. It’s taken me ages to see this vision with any semblance of clarity and it’s still coming into focus. I’ve resisted this vision because of fear. Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of losing external validation, fear of financial collapse, fear of incapacity, fear of not being good enough.
I recently finished a Flower Essences round with the flower Wolf Willow. Wolf Willow entices a pointed personal exploration of where one stands in their own life’s progression and how we allow ourselves to be held back by fear, societal expectations and expectations from our own selves and those around us. One of my teachers, Laurie Szott-Rogers, who created the essence of Wolf Willow provided the following guided exercise as an adjunct to taking Wolf Willow:
“When making this essence I envisioned 6 wolves each guarding a spiritual direction: One wolf in the north- the direction of ancestors and regeneration; the second wolf in the east to support new beginnings, the third sits in the south where passion and creativity are honored, and the fourth wolf guards west, the direction of intuition and letting go of that which no longer serves us. The fifth wolf guards what is below and the sixth, what is above.
Each wolf holds open the space to allow newness to emerge. They also alert us to interference from others around us, who benefit from us no
t shifting.
Take 6 drops of Wolf Willow Essence: Silently summon the six guardian wolves. Take a few minutes to notice each of them individually. Find out what they like and how you can develop a bond of trust with them.
State your boundary intention clearly to the wolf guardians. i.e. “I wish to write my book in the next 3 months. If you notice internal sabotage or interference from me, or external sabotage from anyone around me, or outside circumstances, please alert me. Please give me recognizable signals at the first indication that this boundary is being crossed, and help me repair and reinforce it.”
I did this guided visualization numerous times during my Flower Essences cycle. What eventually came forward in my own vision were the wolves barking at all these villainous fears as they crept into my mental reality over and over again. Much like Voldemort, my fears can suddenly appear behind a smokescreen of reality and logic – my thoughts trying to convince me of all the reasons why my visions are unfounded and I must be an imposter in this world with such gall as to believe that I deserve to live forward my wildest dreams. Fortunately, my wolf guides have been consistent and present in their warding off my fear – dedicated in their spirit realm, barking with courageous conquest and spiritual dedication, ever reminding me of the illusory aspect of my worries.
Today I’m here on this cyberpage sharing the outset of my vision with you. I am consciously guided by my ancestry, connected by lineage and blessing to the medicines of the earth. I am forging new beginnings, committed to moving through the fires of my fears. I am passionate about making a difference through accessibility, honesty, holding compassionate space for others and joining my Flower Essences work to social programs and I pursue my passion with creative expression. I am intuitively connected to a power greater than myself. I acknowledge that that which is above is equally valuable as that which lies below. My magic wand is my spiritual practice and my hoarcrux is my self-doubt. Together with my wolf guides I move myself forward on this path, barking at fear.