Hello February! This is a potent and powerful theme this month. So much expansion we can move into if we are willing to look within ourselves at what it is that needs healing. Nothing to fear, but just allow yourself to have the feelings and emotions and do so with unconditional love and compassion for yourself, while Polar Bear walks beside you as your guide.
I shared a bit about the numerology of the card, but forget to say that the number, when added together, is actually ten (28 which adding 2 + 8 = 10 and then adding 1 + 0 = 1), which is all about new beginnings. When we heal past wounds and hurts we move into a higher version of ourselves – and what a beautiful new beginning that is!
Working on creating the design for the back of my animal-themed oracle deck.
I don’t mind days like yesterday and today that are snowy and blustery. It’s a great time to be tucked inside my cozy Joyful Pause Cottage. Working on art. Listening to my favorite YouTuber’s or a documentary.
I’ve been thinking lately about how my creative endeavors have unfolded over the past twenty years. While I was in one aspect of creativity, such as writing my books for many years, I’d catch a glimpse of being where I am now. Though I wasn’t quite sure how any stage would exactly look, I’d have these moments of insight that I’d move into a different aspect of creativity at some point.
For the last two days, I’ve been working on the design for the back of my animal-themed oracle deck feeling grateful to be living the life I have. Because again, I knew at some point I wanted to delve into other mediums of art. While writing is something I still enjoy doing and having written the books I have, I wanted to also experience other avenues of creativity too. And here I am. Doing just that.
Just like writing a book, creating the 52-cards for my deck, the idea began percolating over time and then began to take shape. Also like writing, creating something from mixed media, it shifts and changes along the way.
I’m still pondering a title for my animal deck. Right now I’m thinking of calling it: Animal Wisdom Reflections. For me, animals have, and continue to be a mirror to various teachings that have benefited me in some way. Some big lessons. Some small.
Some of the teachings came from painful experiences I needed to learn from and open myself to the shadow aspects of myself in order to heal.
White Wolf is my spirit animal, though Dog and Snake I’d have to say play a big role in my evolution also. But Wolf came to me, as many of you know, a few years back when my heart was broken after a relationship with a friend ended. White Wolf, who I’d eventually learn her name, Laoiloa, encouraged me to not shut my heart down.
Laiola was the beginning of a healing journey I’d be taken on over the next two years, along with my dog, Gidget (and a mama snake), who was pivotal in guiding me to releasing the trauma of a childhood experience.
So I knew I wanted an image of a wolf as part of the back cover design as this is how the journey to healing began for me. Laiola reminded me of the love and compassion in my heart even though at times it can feel pain.
As I was in the process of creating my deck I was eventually down to working on the last card, though I wasn’t sure which animal it would be. It would take me a few days of pondering before it came to me. But when it did, I just knew it was right!
The last one I created was of Firefly.
Firefly for me represents how we are able to shine our light even brighter out into the world when we heal the wounded parts of ourselves.
And that is how I came up with wanting to have Wolf and Firefly part of my back cover design. My original idea was to have Firefly sitting atop Wolf’s back. But I wasn’t able to create such a small version of a firefly and have it actually resemble one.
So instead I now have a whole field of fireflies represented by the touch of fluorescent yellow dots in the background of where Wolf stands on the card—standing at the beginning of a path—as an invitation to you to come walk the path to find your light too—to not be afraid—and to trust that the animals will guide you with the utmost of love. Because that is what they do. And they are just waiting to walk us home to the essence of who we are.
Happy New Year! I really love the animal that showed up – Sloth- to guide us into 2022. There is nothing to rush or feel hurried about. It’s about moving with mindful intention, pausing to contemplate along the way, and also digesting each step toward living the life you wish to create. Small and mindful steps – a steady pace – have us living more in the present – and enjoying each precious day of this life. This is what will bring more abundance into our lives.
