animal teachings

What this Horse Had to Share with Mini Me

7

FIRST:  I’ve received requests from others asking if they can purchase the magnet set of Miss Gidget, done by artist Brianna Brunsell that I shared in yesterday’s post. Brianna is happy to oblige with a LIMITED EDITION available through her Etsy shop. And just an FYI, I am not an affiliate and will not receive profit – just one creative person supporting another creative person I truly adore!…and bringing a positive face to special needs dogs!

And now onto today’s journal post…

Trust the process. A phrase I hear often in my mind. A phrase I heard when I did my training last November to become a SoulCollage® facilitator. A phrase that applies to so many areas in our lives.

On the first evening of my training last fall, I took part in a guided imagery along with the other students. A meditation to see if an animal would show up, and if so, what animal, and what message might he have for me?

Horse showed up. I felt him in my heart. But I only saw a portion of him. First came his head and face as if out of the fog, slowly revealing himself to me. I never did get a full image of horse and then the guided imagery was over.

Afterwards, we journaled for a few moments capturing what we saw and felt.

The next afternoon we then collaged onto cards the image that came to us. At first I had a hard time finding just a partial portion of a horse image, but then ended up finding three images.

In the SoulCollage® process you typically work with a background and one energy, and sometimes include another object (image) if it feels right to you.

The image above is actually two energies with horse and a small child. I was drawn for some reason to put these images together with the tree and grass as the background.

Afterwards we sat with our cards we told to “step into” the image and listen for what the image might be trying to tell us. As if we were actually the image itself.

This is when you have to really trust the process. You are likely to get something you had no idea was going to reveal itself.

I realized stepping into the image that I was the little girl. I remembered when I was quite young and we had a black Lab named Toby. He seemed huge to me when I was small. I realized the image of horse, was represented itself to me as Toby’s energy.

It was discovered I was allergic to animal dander when I was a little girl. But Toby stayed outside as my dad used him for hunting. I don’t recall that he had to go away because of my asthma brought on by many things, including animal dander. I don’t think so.

But I do remember at one point Toby went to live on a farm of my dad’s friend. He wasn’t there long when he ran out into the road, was hit by a car, and died.

For whatever reason, I took that in as my fault. If I wasn’t allergic, then Toby wouldn’t have had to move away. He wouldn’t have run into the road.

So how intriguing it was that my sub-conscious for reasons unbeknownst to me really, carried a guilt about Toby dying. But I realized it wasn’t my fault and this is what this card represented for me at this time in my life.

This is what I love about the SoulCollage® process as it can help heal parts of oneself — even when you don’t even realize something was there that needed healing!

Now when I look at this card I find comfort in that I loved Toby very much and I know he loved me. And it was never my fault.

It’s the First of the Month: Say Rabbit! Rabbit!

rabbitPhoto credit:  Animal Wisdom Tarot cards by Dawn Brunke, illustrated by Ola Liola

I remember the first time I heard someone say “Rabbit! Rabbit!” and it happened to also be the first day of the month. It was Robin Roberts from Good Morning America. She said it was an old wives tale that when you say “Rabbit! Rabbit!” on the first of the month it is supposed to bring you good luck for the rest of the month. She said she does this faithfully.

I don’t always remember to say it, nor do I know if it truly works, but who knows. And what has one got to lose, right?

I remembered today to say it though and thought, hey, this is a good reason to look up the wisdom of Rabbit and share with you today. And any time I can learn more about our animals friends, well, I welcome that with open arms and heart.

So I share with you Rabbit from The Animal Wisdom Tarot cards. I hope you enjoy. And isn’t that just the sweetest photo of Rabbit? I think so!

Rabbit—skilled, shapeshifter, elusive guide to fairy kingdoms, symbol of good luck, fertility, and longevity—leaps between worlds. Popping from the magician’s hat, scampering down the hold to wonderland, resting in the full moon’s luminous glow. Rabbit links us with dreams, lunar mysteries, and the far reaches of our imagination. Clever, quick, and agile, Rabbit leads us to hidden knowledge, although following may require a leap of faith.

While this wild card suggests enhanced insights and intuitive illuminations, it can also entail bewilderment. Enchanted by the unfamiliar beauty of secret realms, we may lose ourselves in fascination and wonder. Find your center and stay grounded to avoid confusion and emotional turbulence. Express creative visions and inspired experiences through the arts—dance, write, paint, sing.

Accomplished guide to shadow worlds, Rabbit helps to identify underlying fears birthed by self-deception. With Rabbit, you gain greater awareness of yourself, and learn to see clearly. Rabbit teaches how to recognize illusion, accept paradox, and embrace the deep, primal powers of your moonlit intuition.

MESSAGE:  Be open to mystical marvels, but keep an eye on your path.

Saying Goodbye to Joyful Paws “Blog”

IMG_2186

I was up early this morning and caught this photo of the moon as I looked out the west side of my writing cottage window. Two words on my brain lately are New Beginnings. Capturing this photo spoke that to me.

Speaking of new beginnings…I’m saying goodbye to Joyful Paws blog. Before you panic and think I’m leaving you, my dear readers, rest assured, that is not the case. I adore each of you for being a part of my life!

As I continue to evolve in my creativity, I recently came across an article that really spoke to me titled, “The Trouble with Blogging.” Writer, Esme, talks about how “blogging is something that, according to hundreds of self-proclaimed online experts, has definitive best practices.” She also mentions how it is also plays into SEO search results and achieving the goal of others signing up for your newsletters, buying your courses or services.

Ever since I began writing, first for my local paper, and then taking it online, and writing my books, it has always been about making a difference. I’ve been about encouraging and inspiring others. This is what matters to me. It also matters to me to leave a positive legacy behind.

While yes, I welcome those reading my thoughts to check out what else I have to offer, I also truly enjoy coming to my little spot right here on the wide world web several times a week to write. I don’t necessarily have a “set” schedule of days I will share something, but I can say, I look so forward to coming here often.

The past seven years my writing has been about how animals play a huge part in my life, helping me to become the person I am today. That remains and I have a pretty strong feeling it always will.  Animals are such an important part of my soul and who I am!

But I feel like I’ve evolved over time, incorporating writing about other ideas and thoughts that intrigue or inspire me, of which I’ve been sharing here on my website (with my built in blog) for awhile now.

I’ve also been giving thought to the fact that I don’t always like to go with the flow of how things “should” be, but rather, what feels right for me, and speaks to the heart of who I am.

I’ve learned so much from a mentor of mine and many on-line classes I’ve taken from him for the past three years. It also goes back to my being coached in 2005 and taking the time to give thought to how I want to play a part in this world.

Making a difference. Building Meaningful Relationships. Leaving a Legacy. This is what is so important to me.

Maybe this is a huge round about way of sharing something that might seem quite simple in regards to the change of a mere word, but for me it encompasses a lot of depth of how I want to continue to evolve in what is authentically me.

So I’m saying goodbye to the word blog.  I will now call this place of my own, with you my faithful readers who come to visit me, Joyful Paws Journal. Because I consider this a place to express my personal thoughts and encourage others to pause and listen to their inner voice, and embrace the wisdom of our animal friends to live a more meaningful life. I also especially love Esme’s definition of journal which is — A journal is something that permits, and often expects, experimentation.

And when I think of experimentation it brings up the words creativity and play for me. Writing is that for me and also how I can share freely what it is I wish to express.

So WELCOME to Joyful Paws Journal, those who have faithfully followed me for years, and those new here. I appreciate and value each and every one of you… and here’s to New Beginnings.

Please feel free to leave a comment…