animal messengers

Hawk Medicine

Hawk Medicine

Welcome! I knew you could do it. 

This is what I heard a hawk convey to me, just as I entered the small woods near my home yesterday. I saw him high in a tree, and then as he gracefully lifted off taking flight. After hearing this message, I said out loud, ” Oh yes! This was so worth it. So worth it!”

As I wrote yesterday, I was in a funk. The voice inside that knows what is best for me had been nudging me for quite a few weeks to get outside. But we’ve been having below zero temps made even colder with bite-to-the bone wind chills so that voice was being drowned out by the wee little nagging voice that complained it was too cold out.

This isn’t the actual hawk I saw but a photo I found online. It was zero degrees yesterday and I was bundled up in many layers so I could have never gotten my two pair of gloves off fast enough to get a picture.

But it does not matter because seeing that hawk and hearing his message made my heart soar! I have no doubt what-so-ever he was just waiting for me to confirm that I was right where I needed to be, taking that walk on such a chilly day.

The sun was brilliant, the skies an icy blue, and the winds calm, along with Hawk, it was just the medicine I needed to adjust my attitude which I sorely needed.

There is truly nothing like nature to remind you of how grand life is if we can take our focus off our silly little worries for a time being. And you know what? Just that half hour in nature had me feeling as if I could fly, just like Hawk!

After sharing this post, I heard from my 80 something year old friend, Jerry who wrote, “It’s true that I can’t tolerate the cold outside as well as I did even ten years ago, I have goose down, and I have my old-fart’s hat with the insulation and ear flaps. We went out for an early dinner on New Year’s Eve, and it’s the first time I’ve sat in an upscale restaurant with thermal longjohns under my good clothes, but old age brings many firsts. So try to enjoy it.” 

Point taken my friend, point taken. And a lovely quote he shared with me from T.S. Elliot, in “The Wasteland.” 

Winter kept us warm, covering

Earth in forgetful snow, feeding

A little life with dried tubers.

Pays to have wise old friends to keep us in check and I take this advice, tuck it under my fuzzy hood on my coat, and will carry with me.

And since my dear friend, Jerry isn’t on Facebook (of which I think is very wise of him at times, too) I share some pictures from my walk yesterday and today… and I hope it will inspire you, along with Jerry’s sage advice, to partake in the magic of nature…

Made it up the first hill after seeing Hawk and the cold was no longer a factor!
Hello trees! Oh, how I’ve missed you!
So pretty!
Interesting art in nature!
Right before heading out of the woods I came across the very busy bunny trail crossing!
Me and my shadow plus a walking stick friend I picked up along the way. The stick now awaits me for next time as I left at the edge of the woods. Can’t wait to see him and maybe Hawk again!

Sunday morning walk photos below.

I decided to walk earlier today with the intention that I hoped I’d see some deer. Lucky me, but also proof for me that we are truly connected and one with nature, the animals, and the universe…because as I walked down one part of the trail that is steep, I looked up just in time to see four deer run across the path about fifteen feet in front of me! Oh yes, so dang worth it. So worth it!!

First on the trail this morning!
What was and the promise of what will be again.
There’s a trio of trees like this, all with wooden fences around them, as we live in a part of the Kettle Moraine area. Fascinating how the landscape is, I think.
My walking stick friend which I leave to rest here after my walk. See you again soon!

My Word + One for 2018 + a Gift for You!

My Word + One for 2018 + a Gift for You!

I enjoy picking a word for the year! But this year I was having a hard time deciding between two. Then I saw my friend and fellow blogger, Lori, of Oh! The Places I Go share that she couldn’t decide either. So she picked two!

While I didn’t need “permission”  to go with two, it was confirmation for me as I’d really been feeling stuck! And goodness, for no apparent reason at all. Sometimes I don’t always see the obvious. And it’s that “good girl” in me wanting to “follow the rules.”  Well, the heck with that! 

I woke a little before 5am today eager to start 2018, but also thinking about my two words trying to narrow it down to one. But neither was willing to budge.

Depth came to me first a few weeks ago. But then the word abundance began dancing in my head. It isn’t just about abundance in terms of financial. But in all honesty, yes, I’d like to bring in some income of my own again. I’ve not done so since my work with Frankie as I’d been in transition for a few years.

During the summer I immersed myself in a passionate idea of launching a new service – one I’ve talked about quite a bit lately and my Intuitive Oracle Guide offering. I went through a 22-week group coaching program to put all the pieces together, followed by attending Oracle School in October and November.

I’ve been, in some ways, quietly building the momentum these last couple of months with plans to officially launch my new offering on January 9th with a free webinar (I’ll announce the details about that this Wednesday)! But as I’ve been doing all the behind-the-scenes personal mastery work, I’ve also been doing reading sessions for those interested.

That is where I became stuck between the two words of abundance and depth, and trying to choose just one. They are both so rich for me in terms of how I feel doing this new work. It brings me such a depth of gratitude and my heart feels full with abundance for those I’ve been able to help guide.

While yes, as I mentioned a moment ago I will welcome the financial piece of it as a new arm of Joyful Paws, it’s also so rewarding! It’s been so rich with synchronicity and magic when I’m able to help someone gain a new perspective when they are feeling stuck. 

These are the type of conversations I want to be having – those rich in depth – because they feed my soul. And it’s something I realized about myself this past year. That the foundation of who I am is that I love seeing life in all its many layers, of which we each have so many layers too, and what makes us uniquely who we are.

To help another by holding space, really listening, and working with oracle cards to start a meaningful dialogue has provided so much new rich content for my own life just by being in service in this way…and why depth and abundance just have to go together for me this year.

And it’s what I want more of to experience because it is bringing a new depth of abundant joy to my life!

So now its your turn. It’s not too late to give thought to a word (or two!) for 2018. If you want to share with me what your word or words may be and why, I’d certainly love to hear. Really! I love this kind of stuff! So bring it on!

And to kick off this new year, which I think is going to be a beautiful one, I have a little gift for you. Sunday, I sat down with the Power Animal Oracle Cards  and asked for guidance from the animals for you and me for the year – one for each month.  

Perhaps it might entice a word to come to the surface by hearing from the animals! But you can read this e-book in full to start if you wish, and then revisit it at the beginning of each month to see what animal is here to guide you with their wisdom.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed putting this together for you!

Just click here to download or click on graphic below.

Happy New Year with love and gratitude,

Barbara

What Do We Need to Release from 2017? Oracle Reading and Guidance.

I’m enjoying so much doing these oracle readings and sharing with you! I hope you are, too. This session I was thinking about what it is we need to release from 2017 as we move into 2018. Really appreciated the animal that showed up with just the right message.

I’d love to hear from you if you’d like to share what it is you will release for 2017!

Much love and gratitude,
Barbara