inner self care

Stepping into Your Power – November 2024 Animal Oracle Guide Reading

How do we continue to step into our power? An important topic right now given the current intense energies.

I hope you find the reading helpful and a soft place to land during this transformational time. Click on graphic above to listen on my YouTube Channel.

Lots of extra love to you this month,

Barb

    

Embracing the Dark Brings Rewards

The sound of birds woke me at 4:45am.

Huh? Wait. I don’t normally hear the birds this time of year.

It was my husband’s alarm clock. He was the early bird and was up before his alarm and had forgotten to shut it off.

I couldn’t fall back asleep.

I got up dragging a bit of dread with me as I didn’t want to be up this early.

But then I got a little excited about embracing my walk that would now be in the dark, though a part of me felt some trepidation.

After some breathing exercises and half a cup of coffee I was out the door by five after six.

The unusually warm winds fiercely blowing and I had to hold onto my hat at times.

The soft glow of lights inside the homes I passed by made me feel cozy.

I was all alone in my little town.

Not a soul in sight.

It felt oddly comfortable.

Little ole me embracing the dark.

I thought about how I’ve learned to be more open to the dark the older I’ve gotten – literally and emotionally.

Approaching my home, just as light was beginning to fill the sky I saw my Joyful Pause/Paws Cottage studio glowing in her own right.

I was home. And I felt at home within myself too as I did something that scared me a little by walking in the dark.

My reward was seeing the soft light pouring from my cottage and how the dawn always reminds me that there is light even in the darkest moments.

XO

Barb

    

My Yearly Birthday Ritual & Animal Guide. A Practice You May Enjoy Too.

Snake card from my deck, Animal Reflections Healing Oracle
 
Each year on my birthday – and what you can do for yours – is that I pick an oracle card as my guide until when my birthday rolls around again the next year. More often than not, I’ve chosen an animal themed card since I’ve learned (and continue to) so much from the Animal Kingdom.
 
Snake has been my guide this past birthday cycle.I’ll be saying goodbye to Snake on July 18th when I pick a new card for my next trip around the sun. I’m looking forward to seeing who it will be!
 
While Snake can be potent medicine, she was a bit more subtle this year helping me shed some aspects of myself that no longer fit for me. Not to say there were some challenging moments, but I find the more I continue to work with my inner self care, I don’t stay stuck in a negative space and the quicker I can move through what is calling to be healed.
 
So for your birthday why not pick an oracle card from any deck that speaks to you.
 
Place it where you will see it everyday (or a copy of it if you don’t want it out of the deck for the whole year). Then just be in awareness of how it nudges you to make changes, to see things differently, to let go of what no longer works for you.
 
At the end of your birthday cycle spend some time in contemplation with how that card and message served you. Perhaps do a meditation and journal as a way to reflect and honor the lessons and teachings. And lastly, express gratitude for this oracle that served as your loving guide.
 
Once that feels complete, pick a new card for your next year of evolution! Have fun! ❤
 
And I’d love to know if you decide to do this practice and how it goes!
 
If you don’t have a deck, but would like to give this a try, check out the free-pick-a-card on my website.
 
XO
Barb