Two Penguins and a Dachshund Made Me Cry

Posted by Barbara Techel
Two Penguins and a Dachshund Made Me Cry
My writing cottage ready to take in the full moon energy

Last Sunday evening, I drew the blinds in my writing cottage all the way to the top of all six windows to take advantage of the super blood wolf moon.

As I write to you today, yellow finches, junco’s, cardinals and sparrows flit back and forth to the feeder outside my window as the sun reflects off the snow and fills and my cozy space with welcome light on this frigid day.

I love spending time in this sacred space where I write, provide virtual oracle readings for clients, practice yoga, meditate, and pull cards and journal for myself daily.

Something different I’ve been doing lately is instead of pulling oracle cards after my yoga practice, I’m now pulling them before.  As I move through my poses I can be with their energy and contemplate their meaning.

As happens now and then, I’ve not a clue of what a card is trying to share with me as was the case this past Monday.

Since the beginning of January, I’ve been putting in extra focus working on my newest book, I’m Fine Just the Way I Am. I thought perhaps the card had something to do with that, but I wasn’t quite sure. But lately, the minute I awake, my thoughts are on my writing for the day.

Sitting at the table where I pull oracle cards and journal, the card I pulled from The Wisdom of the Oracle was Soul Mates. 

Various thoughts went through my mind of what perhaps this message was for me. But nothing felt right. As I moved through the last down dog of my practice, I was suddenly overcome with emotion.

It felt like it came out of nowhere. Before I realized it, with a quiver in my voice I said out loud, “I love you Gidget. I love you so much. Thank you.”

In the last few months I’ve been deepening into the teaching Gidget brought me in 2018 – a time of great angst and darkness that caused me much emotional pain.

The more it integrates into my being (and what I’m writing about in my new book), the deeper my gratitude for her grows.

Still not sure the cards message, I knew I needed to let it percolate some more. Sometimes it will reveal itself later in the day or it will be a week or so later that it makes sense.

As I was eating my breakfast I received a message from my friend, Missy. She sent me a short video titled, “Loyal dog walks slowly with elderly owner.”  She added,  “So much symbolism here for you, Barb.”

It was a a video I’d seen before, but now it had a whole new meaning. Here’s the video before I share the insight I received:

My eyes misted over as I recalled the animal reading I had done last February when Gidget and I were going through a difficult time.

During the reading, Gidget shared that her body may not be quick, but she is in her wisdom. She also shared  that she continues to come into her higher self, which I now understand as she was also encouraging me to do the same.

As I watched the video I sensed on a deeper level that Gidget was my reflection of the importance of slowing down and working on the details of my inner world – because I’d lost my way – and I had to go within and work on healing a wound that had been with me for many years in order to evolve into the next phase of my life.

And never did she give up on me.

After breakfast, I walked back out to my writing cottage to journal with the cards I picked for the day. When I looked at the Soul mates card again, I saw it as speaking to my relationship with Gidget. She truly is my soul mate at this time in my life guiding me to be my best self.

Turning to the guidebook it read: “This is the kind of soul mate who comes with a powerful gift. Your patterns and all your old stories that don’t serve your well-being enter into this dynamic so you can heal them. This person is called to a sacred task – to help you learn, even if it seems uncomfortable. Look into this mirror. You will only be changed for the better.”

This was so true and profound, I smiled through my tears. And this is how I believe the Universe speaks to us and supports when we open our hearts to take in the wisdom that is always here for us.

XO,

Barb

Embracing the Gifts of In-Between

Posted by Barbara Techel

Embracing the Gifts of In-Between

Nestled snug in my writing cottage, with my dachshund, Gidget snug in her pocket blanket (it opens at one end so she can climb right in), the cloudy and dreary skies from the morning have opened to an ocean of blue for as far as my eye can see out the half-moon window that faces west.

Before the sun had even risen, I’d meditated and pulled my oracle cards for the day – Flamingo Spirit from Spirit Animal Oracle deck, Exchanging Gifts from Wisdom of the Oracle, and Rest from Bright Souls deck.

I pondered what message this had for me for the day. In the beginning stages of a not-really-planned kitchen remodel with the drywall stage that began today, I knew right away what this reading was inviting me to do.

In all honesty I was resistant to the remodeling project. I’m someone who likes everything in its place as it helps calm my energy and soothes my nerves if I’ve had a challenging day. My home or as my dear friend refers to it as, my nest, truly is my sanctuary. My zodiac sign being cancer, I fit that to a tee as I’m all about the beauty and comfort of home.

Part of me worried about the financial part of the remodel also. Should we really be spending the money? The “what-if’s” swirled in my mind. But mostly, I didn’t know if I was up for the temporary disarray it would cause. This soon began to diminish as I picked out new counter tops, a new kitchen sink and faucet, and a new range that would replace the microwave I’ve been wanting to get rid of for a long time now.

But before I can get to the fun part of having this all installed and my kitchen back in order, this reading is inviting me to embrace the in-between. Just like anything in life, there are gifts during anything transitional if we open our perspective to invite it in.

BEFORE
Half-wall comes out
Two cabinets come out while inspector Gidget supervises
Drywall in progress

I see Flamingo Spirit as encouraging me to find peace during this time of transition from old to new.  Exchanging Gifts is that by being present with things as they are, even when things are not as I’d like them to be, there was a gift last night in seeing my kitchen empty awaiting its new look. The wide open space was inviting in many ways as my imagination plays with how it will all take shape over the coming weeks. The Bright Souls card, Rest asks me to simply be with each stage of the remodel and take each as a gift for what it is.

And so it is with the changing of season’s and of life, too. This reading fitting for the season of winter here in Wisconsin, as we move through January. The holiday season behind us and all the energy that brought, to a much quieter time now. Both season’s a gift in their own ways.

I think about how the winter months are my favorite to write as I continue to work on my newest book, I’m Fine Just the Way I Am. Which had a season of its own today as I came to the point in my writing process where it was time to print the manuscript out so that I can see the typed pages before me and begin shaping it from this vantage point. This will lead to the next step, and yet another, and another until I hold it complete in my hands at some point.

Part of writing for me also that I’ve gotten better at embracing are the in-between places such as when I’m not actively sitting at my computer and writing, but allowing what needs to simmer and move through me before it can come to the page.

January, I see as such a prime example of in-between as I keep my focus on my current writing project, while capturing ideas for future projects that are coming through me right now, with only the intention of writing them down. So too must they go through their own simmering and pondering stages – that liminal space of dreaming and wondering what it could eventually be.

Flamingo Spirit rests her sweet pink head within her soft wing, just as the roots of perennials and trees lie dormant, but with much life in them, in the cold of the earth, blanketed by the snow. All these in-between’s of the world, that lead to growth just as it is meant to unfold.

And just as I finish writing this, the clouds have rolled back in, and so this space of in-between is here sooner than I anticipated, but I know the sun will come again.

XO,

Barb

On Grace Becoming – My Words for 2019 and My Vision for How I See It

Posted by Barbara Techel

On Grace Becoming - My Words for 2019

Like last year, I couldn’t pick just one word for the year and chose abundant depth. Part of my intention with abundant depth was that I wanted to have deeper conversations with others. Whenever I have the opportunity to have deep and meaningful discussions with friends and family, and also experience with my clients and my oracle reading and guidance sessions, I feel so uplifted!

What I realized this past year was that in order to continue to have meaningful conversations, I had to first begin with having those conversations with myself. Now, not like talking out loud to myself, but I do that too. ha! But about really focusing inward and tapping into what really matters, which I did quite a bit of in 2018.

As 2018 drew to a close and the thought of what I’d like to invite into 2019, I was given some poignant signs recently. From receiving a book as a gift earlier this fall (which I’d read years ago) called, A Return to Grace by Cheryl Richardson, to receiving another book as a gift I’d not read before called, The Way to Grace by Miranda Macphearson, to being nudged awake at 2am one morning two weeks ago by that magical, unseen force that supports us, and hearing the words, Grace Becoming.

When I heard those words I knew this was it as I felt a rush of excitement run through my whole being. It was as if I sank into a warm, swirling pool of water. I just felt it. 

Grace Becoming for me is about trusting there is a divine purpose in guiding me to evolve with a deeper understanding of myself when I experience difficult times, while appreciating that this is part of living a full and meaningful life. Every day I have the opportunity to flow like I imagine grace does.

So then I thought, what would Grace Becoming look like in terms of an image? What oracle card would represent it? What animal oracle card would it be? What number is Grace Becoming? And what color?

This is how I came up with what I guess you could say is a type of vision board. I’ve never really cared all that much for vision boards, or rather those that are done with the intention of material things. Not that I don’t like material things cause I do! But what I created digitally using Canva and this collage is more about how I want to feel, how I want to move through my days, and how I want to be in the world.

Grace is not reacting, but rather allowing a natural flow and why I chose water as how I see it and also in the image of the woman depicting all the many facets of who we are. The bluish green color of water which is calming and how I imagine the color of Grace Becoming. The number 8 I feel represents Grace Becoming beautifully in its fluid and continually movement.

The horse, such a large animal, but moves with such ease and grace, feels like Grace Becoming to me also. And when we adopt more grace into our lives, freedom for how we want our lives to be seems to come more naturally. It’s those challenging times that when we embrace them as opportunities that we become poised (represented by a card from The Wisdom of the Oracle deck) for the life we envision by being more often here and now in this moment, soaking up all that it has to offer, and that by default is a stepping stone, that leads with grace to yet another and another, and to a life well lived.

XO,

Barb