Sandhill Crane Invites Us To Come Back into Balance

Sandhill Crane for my upcoming Animal Reflections Oracle Deck

Small magical moments are often playing out around us. But how often do we just dismiss them or think of them as coincidences? I used to be afraid of sharing such moments for fear of others thinking I was just weird.

But you know what? I’m really liking this thing of being ‘weird.’ And you know what else? It’s really not weird at all. It’s just that we’ve been conditioned to think it is.

Here’s an example of one such small moment that played out for me in the last 24-hours. 

Before I left my studio yesterday afternoon, I randomly pulled a card from the animal deck I’m creating and from the twelve I still need to write messages for. I like to do this so I can simmer in the energy of the animal before I work on writing the message the next day.

Since I’ve been back from vacation I’ve been thinking about self-care and some things I’m working on for myself in that area. While I was getting ready for the day this morning, I was listening to an interview with Anita Moorjani and her newest book called, “Sensitive is the New Strong.”

While the subject of empaths and highly sensitive people isn’t new, I welcome hearing more about it because it resonates with me. I especially enjoyed hearing her take on what the world would be like if there were more sensitive’s in leadership positions. 

While I don’t particularly care for labels, I strongly identify with being a sensitive being. I feel everything. This hasn’t always been easy and sometimes still isn’t. But I continue to understand the vital role that self-care is for me and being sensitive. And the last two years with all the upheaval, it has in many ways been beneficial as I’ve learned even more that as I take things in, I must also let them go instead of consuming me.

So perhaps you are wondering what this has to do with Sandhill Crane’s energy and small magical moments? 

Well, when I see or hear a Sandhill Crane I am brought to a place within myself that feels connected to some ancient wisdom. It seems like cranes have been here on this planet for so very long. A quick search on the internet brought me an answer that they’ve been around for over 2 million years! That’s a mighty long time.

When they migrate to Wisconsin in spring and I first hear their call or catch a glimpse of them in the sky or feeding in a field, a sense of calm washes over me. They are a connection for me in revisiting what really matters – simple pleasures – a simpler way of life – a life that is more in balance and grounded.

Sandhill Crane is very protective of their young and while the chicks will walk just eight hours after birth, the mother cares for them for a year. This spoke to me as mothering my own inner self when I know I’m in need of self-care and being protective of my energy when I’m feeling out of balance.

So as all of this was floating around in my mind, I happened to glance out my bedroom patio doors just in time to see two Sandhill Cranes fly overhead. 

This is one of those magical moments when I know the Universe just sent me a confirmation of what I’d been feeling and contemplating. 

So while some may think this is a strange way of looking at life, being sensitive benefits me with the advantage of experiencing the joy of this confirmation.

And I come back to reflecting on what Anita said about more sensitive’s being in leadership roles. I can feel the positive, inspiring, and hopeful implications of that when I think about what is all playing out in our world right now. It’s time to let go of the old and stagnant ways that just aren’t working and come back to remembering who we really are and what really matters. In many ways I see this as going back to what we’ve always known and has always been here, but that we lost our way.

And Sandhill Crane seems fitting for tapping back into that ancient wisdom that will bring us back into alignment and open us to having more compassion for all beings.

XO

Barb

                  

My Etsy Shop is Open Again & with a Spring Sale!

While Spring is taking its sweet time finding its way to Wisconsin, I can say I’m taking great delight in all the bird songs and action happening outside Joyful Pause Cottage! 

Now that I’m back in full swing in my studio I’m happy to say that my Etsy shop is open once again…and with a spring sale to boot!

25% off my dimensional animal art – which I find so soothing and fun to create from collecting bits and bobs from nature, finding animal images that speak to me, and playing with paper, paints, pastel chalks, and chalk pencils (I love the feel of chalk on paper!) 

Each is assembled on wood and comes with a black easel for displaying.
 
You can check it out here in my Etsy Shop by clicking here.
 
Thanks for taking a look!
 
XO
 
Barb

                  

Seeing Vulture in a Kinder & Softer Way.

Right before we left in March for our one-month adventure to Northern Florida, I had redone the vulture card for the animal oracle deck I am working on. It was dark and the colors appeared muddy and every time I’d look at the card it just didn’t sit right with me.

As I assembled collage papers together to create a new version, I was drawn to lighter and softer colors. As the new card came together I really liked what I was seeing and I’m so much happier with this new version.

While in Florida we visited Manatee Springs State Park hoping to catch a glimpse of some manatees. We did see one up close for a few seconds before it dove deeper and out of sight. From a distance, we were also able to see the outline shape of a mother manatee and her calf, plus another even further in the distance. It was so energizing being in their presence.

Equally as fascinating were the large black birds that were everywhere! While I believed they were vultures, I wasn’t quite sure because they looked different than the turkey vultures I see here in Wisconsin. Observing a woman taking photos of them, I asked if she knew what they were and she told me they are black vultures.

They weren’t intimated at all by people roaming the park. When I, or someone else, got near them, they’d hop forward or fly up into a tree nearby. And as often happens when vultures are around, I heard a few people say how ugly they are. This made me sad.

Black vultures perched in trees at Manatee Springs State Park, Florida

Vultures are one of those creatures that are so misunderstood. Oftentimes they are referred to as disgusting because of the thankless job they do of taking care and digesting the corpses of animals that have perished. But did you know that this helps to limit infections and bacteria from spreading to other animals? It’s what I learned in Ted Andrews’s book, Animal Speak. Perhaps if others knew this, they wouldn’t dismiss the vulture and its important role. Besides the fact, this is what the vulture must do in order to sustain itself and survive.

So much wisdom in this and the cycle of life. I also thought about a time in my life when I thought of them as ugly and called it ‘gross’ that they eat perished animals. I thought about those I heard that day calling the vulture ugly. While I also reflected on the times in my life when I’ve inwardly thought of myself as ugly.

As I sat down at my writing desk this morning to continue working on writing messages for the remaining cards my animal oracle deck, I knew I had to begin with the card I’d made to represent Vulture.

Halfway into writing the message, I realized why I had to remake that card before I left because I don’t see the vulture as ugly. It was many years ago when I set the intention to bring more animal wisdom into my life and I was able to then view vultures from a different perspective and I now honor and value their purpose.

The vulture is beautiful in its own way and this had me reflecting on how I’ve grown into loving myself so much more than I used to. While I can still have my moments of not liking something about my appearance, I’ve grown so much more comfortable in my own skin and I can let it go easier than in the past.

Not only do I wish for others to see the beauty and worth in the vulture I also wish for others to see this in themselves. And as I experienced in 2017 when I danced with the wisdom of Snake, not only did I come to respect and honor them, I, in turn, learned to do the same for myself.

We each have a purpose for being here (and FYI – this does not have to tie into a career). We each matter and we all contribute in a unique way which adds to the collective. 

So I believe Vulture has one last thought for today and that is to see yourself in a kinder and softer way. Appreciate your role in this world and love yourself just as you are.

XO

Barb