animal messengers

A Piece of Advice I’ve Really Taken to Heart

Posted by Barbara Techel

An astrologist I’ve come to enjoy listening to, Pam Gregory, offered a piece of advice I’ve taken to heart.

The world around us is going through massive changes and at times it can feel overwhelming. And perhaps like me, at times you’ve asked yourself, what can I do?

Pam’s advice? Create, create, create. This really struck a chord with me. So much so that I emailed myself this advice in capital letters so I see it every day.

It can be easy to fall into the trap of negativity and feel frozen at what is transpiring around us – or – we can add a positive vibration to the world from where we are by simply, and with conviction, holding the light of hope within our hearts and connecting with what brings us joy. This absolutely adds value to the collective to help make a positive shift.

And keep creating, creating, creating. While that looks different for each of us, for me it’s been about expanding my love of the animal kingdom through the mixed media art I’ve been creating.

As I work on some new art for my Etsy shop, it’s Lion that is on my art table. Lion, powerful and stable in presence is also gentle, while also at the same time lovingly demanding with encouragement that we each step into our power.

As I work on this piece and what I’m observing transpiring all around the world, I sense that Lion is offering us the message to stay strong. But even more important is to open our hearts to what we’ve perhaps not been able to see and be willing to observe things through a different lens.

These are extraordinary times we are living through – nothing like we’ve seen before – and I believe Lion is inviting us to move beyond how we once resolved conflict and instead really lean into faith and be that light, peace, and hope we wish to see in the world. Each of us will do this differently – no right or wrong way – just what feels right for you.

And Lion is cheering us all on every step of the way! Whether you roar loudly or roar in a gentle way, it all matters.

XO

Barb

                  

February 2022 – Animal Wisdom Reading – What Is Frozen Within

Posted by Barbara Techel

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!

Click here or below to listen!

XO

Barb

                  

The Back Design of My Animal Oracle Deck Almost Complete. How it Came to Be.

Posted by Barbara Techel
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.

XO

Barb