animals as oracles

Owl Asks Us Who We Wish to Be

As the world shakes and rumbles with its deep state of pain and fear being unleased all around us, Owl beckons us to remember to come back to what is our truth – tapping into that wise inner self when things around us feel out of control is what we can take control of as a way of enacting peace.

An owl can turn its head 270 degrees. I like that as a reminder for us that we too must see and look all around us and while we may not agree or understand the different views or what is transpiring, we can work to accept that it is all playing out as a way for each of us to come back home to ourselves and what really matters. The more each of us can do this, the more we can tilt this planet back to a place of peace.

Looking at the Owl card, part of the background design caught my eye – no pun intended – as I saw what looks to me as many eyes closed. I heard in my mind, sit as still as you can among the chaos and uncertainty of the outside world and be assured that true and lasting peace only, and always, comes from within.

What a different world it would be if we hadn’t lost our way so many thousands of years ago when we knew then that the only true and real answers come from trusting in our intuition. It’s the tool of navigation I believe owl is trying to help us get back to and we can begin right here and now.

Owl is also reminding us we can each play our part in practicing being in the darkness by closing our eyes, feeling what we need to feel within our own space of self – instead of projecting it – and to trust that in time this will greatly contribute to humanity making a positive shift.

Who are you going to be? Observing the world around us, we see, we experience, we feel, and we acknowledge the darkness that is here. We then close our eyes and for a moment it is dark within us too as we acknowledge how at times we can feel so helpless. This is our cue to tap into those times in our own lives when this has personally played out – it’s our opportunity to feel those times of pain fully so we can release and heal them. This is what will allow the light to enter within even with our eyes still closed.

There was a time when I would have looked away at something happening in the external world that I simply could not handle because it was too horrific. But I realize the more I am able to look, take it fully into my being, allow it to move through me even though at times it feels excruciatingly painful. But to really feel and acknowledge that this darkness exists, I’ve come to experience that this is the way of actually expanding my heart to feel all that it needs to feel. When I don’t allow all those myriad of feelings I’m experiencing to flow through me it actually stunts the growth of my soul.

We are each so wise beyond what we give ourselves credit for – Owl wants for us to take it all in – eyes closed and accepting the darkness – and eyes wide open to let in the light.

Turning to the guidebook the last paragraph really jumped out at me:

“The solitary owl invites us to deepen our spiritual practices, turn inward for answers, and to develop a trusting relationship with our own intuition. They show us that a stealthy, still, and quiet spiritual practice can be more beneficial than those who take a more ‘loud and proud’ approach.”

Owl asks of us to ponder, who is it we wish to be and become?

xo,

Barbara

Wisdom from Elephant and Connecting Past, Present, and Future

 
Photo: Unsplash @tobiasadam
 
Animal oracle wisdom from Elephant for your week and for the month of May. I hope you enjoy! <3 🐘
 
The elephant a symbol of strength and I also always think of the word ancient when I think of them. They are such a steady and grounding animal to guide us as we continue to find our way through these times that can sometimes feel unsteady, but also grounding as our world continues to learn to slow down and move with more careful, considerate, and conscientious steps.
 
I’m thinking about how on my morning walks the past few weekends how I’m often hearing these words float through my mind sung by The Carpenters, “There’s a kind of hush all over the world tonight.”
 
With fewer cars on the road and more kids playing outside it has just felt like to me like a soft blanket that has fallen ever so gently and lightly over our town. It reminds me of my own childhood days and how things didn’t feel rushed and time wasn’t a concern.
 
And it reminds me of Elephant and though such a large creature it walks with such a hushed grace. Elephants also associated with being loyal to family is also a beautiful mirror for us right now too as we are spending more time with those closest to us and perhaps discovering new ways in which to be together that beckons us back to what felt like simpler times.
 
The words on the card ‘learn from the past’ seems to tie nicely into this message too. What did we do right in the past – what can we learn from that could have been better – and then how can we bring that together into the present? Those questions run through my mind as Elephant walks gently beside us this month as a powerful and graceful guide.
 
xo,
Barbara
 
Card from: The Spirit Animal Oracle by Colette Baron-Reid

Forget Me Not. Never.

Forget-me-nots peeking through…

I sometimes find it intriguing how at times it seems I ‘miss’ things. But then perhaps, and what I really believe, is that I was meant to see something just at the time I did.

This morning is when such an occurrence happened. As I waited for the time to arrive to record my first interview with host, Lori Smashnuk Leduc of The Wiener Dog Lover’s podcast, to talk about my new book, I’m Fine Just the Way I Am, I was putt-sing around the house and doing some household chores. I then decided to clean out the birdbath and fill it with fresh water.

As I took the birdbath off the deck railing I glanced down and under the hydrangea tree I noticed the green leaves of the forget-me-not’s peeking their way out of hibernation.

I planted them last May in honor and memory of Gidget. She rests just a few feet away from them. At first, I wondered why I’d first noticed them today. Surely they were there before this, but I’d just not noticed.

But then I smiled. Of course, I noticed today. It was a nudge from Gidget cheering me on as I get ready to do the interview today. And how did I know? Because I felt a wave of emotion run through my entire body.

While there is always a tinge of sadness mixed in because I miss her sweet self, I also felt joy for the connection her and I still share. And so I welcome it all.

Thank you sweet, girl. I can’t wait to talk about you today with Lori and share it with others soon!

xo,

Barbara