life lessons

Two Penguins and a Dachshund Made Me Cry

Two Penguins and a Dachshund Made Me Cry
My writing cottage ready to take in the full moon energy

Last Sunday evening, I drew the blinds in my writing cottage all the way to the top of all six windows to take advantage of the super blood wolf moon.

As I write to you today, yellow finches, junco’s, cardinals and sparrows flit back and forth to the feeder outside my window as the sun reflects off the snow and fills and my cozy space with welcome light on this frigid day.

I love spending time in this sacred space where I write, provide virtual oracle readings for clients, practice yoga, meditate, and pull cards and journal for myself daily.

Something different I’ve been doing lately is instead of pulling oracle cards after my yoga practice, I’m now pulling them before.  As I move through my poses I can be with their energy and contemplate their meaning.

As happens now and then, I’ve not a clue of what a card is trying to share with me as was the case this past Monday.

Since the beginning of January, I’ve been putting in extra focus working on my newest book, I’m Fine Just the Way I Am. I thought perhaps the card had something to do with that, but I wasn’t quite sure. But lately, the minute I awake, my thoughts are on my writing for the day.

Sitting at the table where I pull oracle cards and journal, the card I pulled from The Wisdom of the Oracle was Soul Mates. 

Various thoughts went through my mind of what perhaps this message was for me. But nothing felt right. As I moved through the last down dog of my practice, I was suddenly overcome with emotion.

It felt like it came out of nowhere. Before I realized it, with a quiver in my voice I said out loud, “I love you Gidget. I love you so much. Thank you.”

In the last few months I’ve been deepening into the teaching Gidget brought me in 2018 – a time of great angst and darkness that caused me much emotional pain.

The more it integrates into my being (and what I’m writing about in my new book), the deeper my gratitude for her grows.

Still not sure the cards message, I knew I needed to let it percolate some more. Sometimes it will reveal itself later in the day or it will be a week or so later that it makes sense.

As I was eating my breakfast I received a message from my friend, Missy. She sent me a short video titled, “Loyal dog walks slowly with elderly owner.”  She added,  “So much symbolism here for you, Barb.”

It was a a video I’d seen before, but now it had a whole new meaning. Here’s the video before I share the insight I received:

My eyes misted over as I recalled the animal reading I had done last February when Gidget and I were going through a difficult time.

During the reading, Gidget shared that her body may not be quick, but she is in her wisdom. She also shared  that she continues to come into her higher self, which I now understand as she was also encouraging me to do the same.

As I watched the video I sensed on a deeper level that Gidget was my reflection of the importance of slowing down and working on the details of my inner world – because I’d lost my way – and I had to go within and work on healing a wound that had been with me for many years in order to evolve into the next phase of my life.

And never did she give up on me.

After breakfast, I walked back out to my writing cottage to journal with the cards I picked for the day. When I looked at the Soul mates card again, I saw it as speaking to my relationship with Gidget. She truly is my soul mate at this time in my life guiding me to be my best self.

Turning to the guidebook it read: “This is the kind of soul mate who comes with a powerful gift. Your patterns and all your old stories that don’t serve your well-being enter into this dynamic so you can heal them. This person is called to a sacred task – to help you learn, even if it seems uncomfortable. Look into this mirror. You will only be changed for the better.”

This was so true and profound, I smiled through my tears. And this is how I believe the Universe speaks to us and supports when we open our hearts to take in the wisdom that is always here for us.

XO,

Barb

Fly Free. An Important Message from Our Dog Friends.

Fly Free. An Important Message from Our Dog Friends.

This morning I was listening to a podcast called Freedom Seeker Chronicles. At the end of each episode the host says, “Fly free my friends!” as a way to encourage her listeners to follow their hearts.

As I celebrate my 55th birthday today, I’m reflecting on the past twelve months as I get ready to orbit yet another year around the sun.

I’ve been thinking quite a bit about Gidget and my new book I’m writing. With it on my mind so much, I often have what I think are my best thoughts, early in the morning, as I sit at my vanity getting ready for the day.

Today when the host said “Fly free my friends!”  it occurred to me to the real teaching of dogs related to this saying. How often when a pet (or person) passes we say, “fly free.”  With well meaning of course, as we believe that when a being has passed they are free of pain and struggle. No more constraints of worry or burden must they carry any longer.

As I reflect on this half-way point in 2018, I could have never predicted it being as pivotal as it was in my personal growth. Gidget was so poignant in helping me take a leap of faith I never thought I would. And as I simmered in “fly free”  I realized that for me, the true teaching from our dear dog friends, is to learn to fly free while we still walk this earth.

We have a choice as to how we will work with what we perceive as a burden. Is there a teaching within that burden that we aren’t seeing? Could it be that by understanding this we could be set free while living in this human body?

While perhaps we may not always be 100% free as we are human after all, Gidget did help me understand that every time we are willing to look deep within ourselves, and dig to the root of what may be causing our pain, that we can more often than not, find clarity in a perspective we may not have otherwise known had we only lingered on the surface of our feelings.

And when we do, we are able to set ourselves free just a little more.

Fly free my friends from me and G!

XO,

Barbara