Patience and Uncertainty Leads to Beauty In More Ways Than One

I think many of us can say that patience and uncertainty are two of those things that take some time to become more comfortable with. I wonder if age and life experience have something to do with it as I find I’m more patient than in my younger years. Though I can still have my moments.  And uncertainty? Well, I can say that going through the last three years and so much change on this planet, I believe, that yes, I’ve come to a bit more acceptance with that one too.

It was October when I foraged in my garden and on my daily walks for dried flowers and leaves for future art projects. After each foraging escapade, I’d carefully place the newly picked petals and leaves in my flower press. Saying goodbye to summer with the vibrant colors the season brought in the foliage and flowers and now putting into practice patience and being open to the uncertainty to waiting to see how they would transform.

This all ran through my mind as over the weekend I finally revealed the foliage and petals that had gone into the darkness of that flower press to work their magic in a new way.

While I love all the vibrant colors of the warmer months in the blooms and full trees there was a new beauty that swept me up in awe as I opened my flower press and saw the transformation of what I’d so carefully tended to during the fall to preserve.

This May it will be four years since my dachshund, Gidget, passed away. At the time, I couldn’t imagine not bringing another dog into my life sooner, rather than later. Though I wasn’t even sure if there would be another dog in our family, because John and I agreed to take a break, and because he just wasn’t ready.

Little did I know at the time also the beauty patience and uncertainty would bring to this area of my life. While I had pangs of missing the companionship of a dog the last few years, I also opened myself to learning to just be with me.

At times I’ve felt lonely when John is gone, but there were also times that I enjoyed this freedom I’d not had for a very long time. I’m also grateful for how the relationship between John and I blossomed in a deeper and more enriching way too. So much beauty and expansion came over these (almost) last four years.

I’d say for about the last year the idea of bringing another dog into our lives, on both our parts, has become stronger with each passing day. To now, that John and I have agreed that spring or summer is when we will begin our search for a dog in rescue to adopt. Though truth be told, I have, at times, been known to wander over to rescue group sites in the area to take a peek.

But spring or summer feels right for us as we’ve planned to be gone for six weeks later this winter and travel which is a maiden voyage trip in our new-to-us motorcoach. But both John and I look forward to welcoming a dog into our lives again and having a dog come with us on future travel adventures.

And this has all been a new experience for me, as in the past, the idea of having dogs in our lives was something I wanted. Though John has loved all our dogs, it was more for him about honoring my needs. But now, together, we’ve made the decision, which came from patience – more so on my part – and again, more so on my part – learning to be with uncertainty – should he had not wanted another dog. 

This beauty of growing and evolving together in our relationship and expressing our feelings and needs as we move forward in creating more memories. This indeed feels pretty sweet which came about because of two things we so often resist which are patience and uncertainty. But I can now say I’ve experienced in a new and deepening way.

XO

Barb

To book a private oracle reading just for you click here.

To book a private oracle reading for your pet (and you) click here.

    

The Celtic Healing Oracle – Review

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Inner Traditions/Bear & Company publishing company asking if I’d be interested in receiving a copy of The Celtic Healing Oracle and provide a review.

Such a unique deck with images that remind me of the inkblot tests of 1921 created by Swiss psychologist Hermann Rorschach. Though the images on The Celtic Healing Oracle cards are much easier to decipher. A few of my favorite images are in the photo above.

To learn more about this deck you can check out the video review I did here for my YouTube channel. Along with my review, I share what I ask of a new deck and share that insight too.

Thank you to Inner Traditions/Bear & Company for the complimentary copy!

XO

Barb

To book a private oracle reading just for you click here.

To book a private oracle reading for your pet (and you) click here.

    

Plight of the Pangolin and Art Raffle Fundraiser to Support African Pangolin Working Group

They (pangolins) have an incredible ability to connect with your heart. -Gareth, volunteer with the African Pangolin Working Group.

I felt deeply called to help bring awareness to the plight of the pangolin. It was during a recent discussion hosted by animal communicator, Pea Horsley, that I came to learn Pangolin is the most trafficked animal on the planet. 

Below:

  • I write more about what I learned about Pangolins.
  • I also created a mixed-media art piece of Pangolin that I’m raffling off with 100% of the proceeds to benefit the African Pangolin Working Group. 

PLIGHT OF THE PANGOLIN

Seeing the Pangolin one can’t help but feel called back to a pre-historic and ancient time. This is because the Pangolin has been on the planet for over 50 million years! They are also the only mammal with scales and why they sometimes get mistaken as a reptile.

It’s this uniqueness of having scales that has been the demise of them being the most trafficked mammal on earth.

Gazing at their tiny, pointed face, and small round warm eyes, I was captivated as co-chairperson, Alexis Kriel and volunteer, Gareth, shared stories and educated about Pangolin to well over two hundred people via Zoom – all of whom were just as eager as me to learn about Pangolin.

Admittingly, I had tears in my eyes a few times learning about the plight of Pangolins and how they are ripped out of their natural habitat and how often the young are taken from their mothers.

It’s their scales that are highly coveted that are used in Chinese medicine. Though in one article it was stated that there was an announcement from China in June 2020 that pangolins had been removed from the official list of traditional Chinese medicines. But that hasn’t stopped them from being poached, so the work to protect them and bring awareness continues.

Gareth, a young man, who volunteers with the African Pangolin Working Group shared his experiences in caretaking rescuing, and rehabilitating pangolins. I can’t tell you how often my heart grew ten times its size listening to him speak so eloquently.

He shared that Pangolins being taken care of by humans won’t eat food given to them, no matter how hard you may try. This means volunteers must take the rescued pangolin’s out into the wild every day so they can forage for their food. It’s the only way they will eat which requires being with them in the wild for up to eight hours at a time. Once they are strong enough and rehabilitated they are released back into the wild.

Gareth shared that even in the most difficult situations of how they are taken, he has witnessed pangolin’s ability to forgive and not hold a grudge toward humans. 

While they are quite solitary and won’t seek out humans, they do enjoy connecting with human beings and can be quite affectionate.

Though not always an easy thing to understand Gareth shared that Pangolin has agreed to be in the plight that they are as being the most poached creature. He went on to say that this is an aspect of ourselves and that we’ve chosen this as much as they have.

Much of this is about helping us to make a shift in how we view and interact with nature and how we have lost our way. The pangolin, in Gareth’s eyes, and I must agree, are warriors helping us to remember that when we connect more with nature, the more we become sensitive to her and her creatures.

At one point in the discussion, I heard what I often share also and that a way to help any animal on the planet, including our fellow human beings, is that it begins at home, with ourselves, and healing what needs healing within ourselves in order to help elevate the consciousness of the planet. 

While it’s a human thing to do when one feels the gravity of a situation such as the Pangolin who is walking on the edge of instinction and we can feel helpless about what to do, or that we feel sorry for another being that is suffering it was what Pangolin shared with animal communicator, Pea, that touched me to my core.

Pangolin shared that they don’t want others to feel sorry for them. Instead, they wish for us to change our language around this. When we feel sorry for another being it puts them in victim mode. This is where we as humans can often get stuck.

Instead, Pangolin asks that we energize this in a way of looking at that which we wish to create – a world where animals and humans live in harmony and we get back to respecting and honoring how nature is here supporting us. And that we are part of nature – not separate.

The more we heal ourselves, the more we wish to do better. The more we heal our own wounds and forgive ourselves, we can forgive and have compassion for others who have wounds too.

The African Pangolin Working Group:

The African Pangolin Working Group will strive towards the conservation and protection of all four African pangolin species by generating knowledge, developing partnerships and creating public awareness and education initiatives.”

Pangolin – the venerable ‘wise old man’ of the African bush – is said to be a totem of good luck and the bringer of rain. This enigmatic creature that holds the secrets of 85 million years of evolution is now the most poached mammal on the planet. Find out about the unseen lives of these rare creatures and how you can join us in averting their extinction.

Learn more about them here.

ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN

Dimensional Mixed Media Shadow Box Pangolin Art on 9 x 12 Birchwood

My mixed media is a combination of collage paper, copyright-free images or photos I’ve personally taken, plus gel pens, pastel chalks, paint, stencils, sparkle gems, and dried flowers, twigs, feathers and stones from around Joyful Pause Cottage and/or nature items I find on my morning walks.

100% of the proceeds will be donated to the African Pangolin Working Group.

Open to US residents only due to shipping costs.

One raffle ticket – $5. Purchase here.
Three raffle tickets – $10. Purchase here.
Five raffle tickets – $20. Purchase here.

If you’d rather not use Paypal you can also purchase tickets via my Venmo @Barbara-Techel

The winner will be chosen at random on Tuesday, January 31st, and contacted by email.

XO

Barb