healing

Owl Asks Us Who We Wish to Be

Posted by Barbara Techel

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

Hedgehog Guides Us Gently Within to Find Peace

Posted by Barbara Techel

The oracle cards and the message for us this week are from Hedgehog and Peace.

I was immediately drawn to the light glowing from within the hedgehog as well as the orbs of light surrounding him. I felt an immediate sense of hope, centeredness, and calm flow through me just by gazing at the card for a few moments.

What a perfect card in conjunction with the peace card as that is what I was feeling also as I took in all the beautiful colors and twinkles of the light surrounding the hedgehog as well as the soothing colors of the peace card, along with the dove which is often symbolic of serenity.

I see the hedgehog as reminding us that when we are feeling off balance and the fact he is a nocturnal creature and curls up into a ball until he feels safe, that we too must be willing to go into the darkness within ourselves and sift and sort through feelings we are unsure about.

This message from Hedgehog was definitely reflecting my own inner state this morning as I’d been waffling back and forth wrestling with some things that had me feeling off-balance the last few days as I worked on deciphering what was mine and what wasn’t.

On Saturday I spent some time digging in my gardens planting some new perennials. This required digging down into the earth deep enough so the new plants will have their best chance at taking root and blooming and thriving into their best selves. The dirt was still cold as it will slowly begin to warm as the temperatures continue to increase as we move from spring to summer. This feels in alignment with the message from hedgehog and how we have to do the work to get to a state of peace also when we feel off.

Peace feels warm and comforting, just like the roots of those plants will soon experience as they take root and then feel more stable and nourished as the days begin to warm.

My hands digging in the ground and planting new life was helpful as it took me out of my busy, overanalyzing, and what can be sometimes a critical mind.

This morning moving through various exercises on my AeroPilates machine I began to feel even more grounded while I also began to feel the heaviness I was carrying begin to lift, too. I knew meditation would be what I’d end my workout with, and I curled up on the platform of the AeroPilates machine which I now see symbolic as the hedgehog curling up and then showing up as he did today for this reading.

As the meditation music played in my ears I felt called to list everything at that moment that I feel grateful for. The list was quite extensive, and all simple things really – a roof over my head, food in the freezer, gardens to nurture, a husband who loves me, a writing cottage to come to, and share my heart through my writing and other work, etc.

I now think about the hedgehog and when he emerges from within himself you see his sweet pink face – he is glowing and radiant! Just like when we take time to be with what is bothering us, rummaging through all the thoughts of why that is while being gentle with ourselves, to then eventually emerge feeling more in alignment with who we truly are…. and then we too glow and sparks of twinkles surround us just like the Hedgehog card. Another reminder that it’s an inside job to true and lasting peace.

So if you find yourself in a space of feeling off-kilter in the moment or encounter that this week, remember Hedgehog and find a place to curl up and just be with it all and soon enough peace will find its way to you too.

Have a beautiful week!

xo,

Barbara

Cards used: Archangel Animal Oracle by Diana Cooper and Wisdom of the Oracle by Colette Baron-Reid

He No Longer Sends Me Flowers

Posted by Barbara Techel

It’s been years since John sent me flowers.

Dating and then becoming a young wife I admit I expected them. Isn’t that what one does on occassions such as Valentine’s Day, Birthday’s or Sweetest Day? Isn’t that what we’ve been taught to believe?

Oh, the times I was hurt, angry or sulked when I didn’t get flowers. 

Didn’t John love me?

This is what I thought.

My mind would spiral down the rabbit hole. I took it so. very. personally.

The blessing of growing older is that I’ve learned to laugh at myself.

I’ve also realized that the gift of this life is to love yourself. 

And the interesting and beautiful thing that has happened?

John has loved me even more than I could have ever imagined.

He hears and understands me even in times when I think he doesn’t, yet I continue to be who I am because this is what makes me happy.

And then one day he comes home from work with a big smile on his face.

Digging deep into his pocket he says, “I brought you a surprise.”

Wondering what it could possibly be I say, “You did?”

He walks toward me with his hand open. 

I see he has a handful of black stones.

All shiny except for one that looks more like a rock.

I sense his proudness as he hands them to me.

“They are Apache stones,” he says.

“I’ve never heard of Apache stones.” 

“Look it up,” he says. “They are from Arizona.”

He tells me they are currently installing a fireplace in the house he’s been building.

The inset around the fireplace has many different stones from Arizona embedded in it.

He hands me what is left of the stones that the homeowner gave him.

I look up the meaning of stones. They are referred to as Apache tears and here is what it says:

These stones were left scattered across the desert, where they can now be found.

Their historical meaning is that these stones are powerful to heal you if you are feeling grief and emotional distress.

“I love stones,” I said. “Thank you.” 

“See? I do listen to you,” he says with a grin. “I thought you’d like them.”

Pondering the meaning of the stones it runs through my mind the fact that John’s Dad passed away two weeks ago. 

It’s been a tender time. 

I’ve witnessed a softening of John and sense an expansion of his heart.

I think about that someday should I be the one left.

My warrior. The one who has seen me at my best and also at my very worst.

Yet he has always stood by me.

I don’t need flowers. I never did.

All I ever needed was to be me.

And my warrior has loved me all the more for it.

Tears I hope to never have to shed should John die before me, but if that should be, I will do so with the deepest of love for the man who has walked beside me and loved me as who I am.

xo,

Barbara

Resource: https://meanings.crystalsandjewelry.com/apache-tear/