journaling

Animals as Oracles: A Quest to Connect, Contemplate and Create

Posted by Barbara Techel

The animal world has much to teach us. Some animals are experts at survival and adaptation. Some are great nurturers and protectors. Some have great fertility and others have great gentleness. Some embody strength and courage, while others can teach us playfulness. The animal world shows us the potentials we can unfold. But to learn from them, we must first learn to speak with them.

When we learn to speak with the animals, to listen with animal ears and to see through animal eyes, we experience the phenomena, the power, and the potential of the human essence. They become our teachers, our friends, and our companions. They show us the true majesty of life itself. They restore our forgotten childlike wonder at the world, and they reawaken our lost belief in magic, dreams and possibilities. ~Ted Andrews, author of Animal Speak – The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great & Small

I feel so blessed to have, and continue to, experience many beautiful teachings from animals – dogs I’ve shared (and share) my life with – and many of the creatures in the animal kingdom.

In my quest to deepen this journey I want to:

  • Continue to deepen my love and understanding of animals, connecting more often with their symbolic teachings and wisdom.
  • Devote more time to my writing and journaling to allow teachings from the animals to gently bubble to the surface.
  • Deepen my work with oracle cards as a tool for self-reflection and insight I may not otherwise have thought of as a way in which to see the world in a more insightful and meaningful way.
  • Honor my desire to express my creativity, and especially that of playing more with something I could honestly get lost in for hours, which is creating with digital programs such as Canva.

So every day I will draw a card from an animal oracle deck, percolate in its wisdom, consider how I can integrate that animals teaching into my life…and then I will share my insight via a graphic I will design in Canva!

I welcome you to join me on this quest as a partner and sharing how animals have served as oracles in your life, too! Just follow along on Facebook or Instagram, using the hashtag #animalsasoracles

Today’s animal card from: Messages from Your Spirit Animal Guides by Dr. Steven Farmer

Gather in Sacred Circle and Weave Your Intentions into 2018: Dreamcatcher Workshop

Posted by Barbara Techel

Gather in Sacred Circle and Weave Your Intentions into 2018: Dreamcatcher Workshop

I’m thrilled and honored to invite you to this Dreamcatcher workshop that I’m co-facilitating with Rachel Nick of LaValley Nature and Equine Sanctuary. It is being held at my home studio, Joyful Pause.

This year is being hailed as the year we take back our power, nurture our intuition, and set intentions that more deeply satisfy our heart’s true desires.

In this interactive workshop we will:

  • Release what no longer serves you
  • Open to your innate wisdom through meditation
  • Capture your desires through journaling
  • Weave your visions and aspirations into a dreamcatcher
  • Gather with like-minded women, share stories, connect, and be inspired

When: Saturday, January 27th, 2018

Time: 12:30-4:00pm

Where: Joyful Pause Studio, Elkhart Lake 

Rachel & Barbara

Barbara Techel and Rachel Nick will be your guides into this intuitive, mindful, creative and fun excursion.

Cost:  $45 (includes all materials and a portion of workshop fee will be donated to LaValley Nature and Equine Sanctuary).

LaValley’s Nature and Equine Sanctuary mission is to preserve land for plant, wildlife, equine and permaculture use while inspiring others to do the same. We offer a permanent, safe and natural environment for aged horses to retire and live out the rest of their days peacefully.

Due to limited space preregistration is required.

The Moon Called and I Listened

Posted by Barbara Techel

7:12am and the moon was still visible. I must have looked at it one hundred times last night. And I’ll even admit this, even though I feel a bit embarrassed to say so, but I howled. Called the wolf moon, well, how could I not?

But here’s the thing. I want to continue to embrace all of who I am. And I felt like letting out a wee little howl. No harm in that. But much gained in loving all those parts of myself.

I wanted to soak up every bit of the energy of that moon last night. So I kept the blinds open on my side of the bed. And waking early I immediately went to the kitchen window that faces west and threw open the blinds.

My daily ritual since October has been meditating for ten minutes and journaling with an oracle card from The Wisdom of the Oracle deck.

But the moon was calling me and I didn’t want to miss out on it before it sunk into the west, so I grabbed my oracle deck and journal, and headed back to the kitchen.

Standing next to the kitchen sink gazing out at that moon – oh that moon(!) – I did what I’ve been doing for three months now and asked Dear Spirit what message I need that will guide me through my day and picked an oracle card.

Today was Loyal Heart. All about loyalty to myself and that Spirit is always loyal to me (and you, too!). And something I need to be reminded of often as I can get distracted easily and feel frustrated when I put a time restraint on certain outcomes. So this message today, perfect to begin this year to be loyal to what matters to me and to keep strengthening my faith that Spirit truly does always have my back.

And the moon? Well, it just reminds me of how magical this world can be if we choose to see it that way. Not that it is always easy, but nature reminds us how spectacular this universe really is. That super wolf moon was certainly full of exquisite beauty along with a depth of insight that there is truly something bigger than us at play and that we can be part of it just by pausing and taking the time to appreciate its amazing gift.

Much love and gratitude,

Barbara