Our cards this week are Flexible in protection (reverse) and White Raven.
Flexible in protection is asking us where it is we are being too rigid in our lives. When we stay stagnant or stuck in a certain way of perceiving something or a situation we can potentially lose out on a way in which we could grow.
With White Raven as our second card and symbolic of magic, creation and deeper awareness ask yourself in relation to flexibility how you can see something in a new or different way.
How often do we get stuck in our logical and analytical mind? White Raven reminds us to pause and tune into the deeper aspect of ourselves, within the center of our heart, and really listen for the answer of what is true. This is where the magic is.
In the book, The Key to Spirit Animals, author Dawn Brunke writes “Raven is a powerful bird that oversees changes in consciousness, helping us to deepen awareness and move between worlds.”
When we get locked in something or an outcome to be a certain way, being inflexible, Raven can help us tap into our deeper self in connection with the Divine to hear the truth of what is best.
***
Yesterday I ordered a book by author Brianna Saussy called Making Magic – Weaving Together the Everyday and the Extraordinary. Then just this morning in my inbox was an email from Sounds True who published Brianna’s book. It was an announcement of an interview they recently did with her and I listened to part of it before I pulled today’s cards.
After pulling the cards for our reading I looked up to notice on my bulletin board where I keep photos and inspirational quotes this quote from the book, The Secret Garden:
I shall live forever and ever…I shall find out thousands and thousands of things. I shall find out about people and creatures and everything that grows and I shall never stop MAKING MAGIC.
How perfect I thought to be surrounded by all this symbolism of magic. And something I’ve realized over the years is that we can have magic not only in big moments but in many simple and what we might deem as small moments.
I tend to be someone who loves routine and the perfectionistic part of me can get in the way of being too rigid and thus losing out on the magic that could come my way.
But when I allow myself to listen to my heart and follow its lead, I’m often granted the gift of magic. And in those moments I feel that deeply in my bones as the truth of who I am. That IS magic while at the same time that is REAL.
And I don’t know about you, but the more magical moments in my life, the more I want to be like that quote above from The Secret Garden. The more it happens, the better I feel, and the more I want to keep living in this way.
Cards used: Wisdom of the Oracle and Spirit Animal Oracle by Colette Baron-Reid
XO,
Barbara
P.S. I offer personal one-to-one oracle readings and guidance sessions. If you are feeling stuck and need some support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. You can learn more about my oracle reading service here.
And just two days ago listening live on Facebook as life coach, Cheryl Richardson shared the news of Louise Hay, founder of Hay House Publishing, who passed away at the age of 90 on the very same day that Dr. Wayne Dyer passed away two years ago. As Cheryl talked about Louise and her dedication to helping people heal, a hummingbird landed right outside her window…
and it just sat, and sat, and sat as Cheryl talked so lovingly about Louise.
And this is the thing…life is truly magical. Hummingbird showing up just then as Cheryl talked about Louise reminding us that joy is our birthright…
in life… and in transition.
And while the title of this post is ‘trapped inside my writing cottage’ because when I wanted to walk back in the house after my yoga practice, this little fellow had returned again to sit upon the birch branch.
And he sat, and sat and sat.
His message to me that life is to be savored and enjoyed. That there is no need to rush, but to take in all the joy that abounds.
And so I waited, and waited and waited until he decided it was ready to move on with the day. And then I too opened the door and made my way into the house.
And taking with me the lesson that I am only trapped when I make that choice. But when we make the choice to pause and capture what is right in front of us that the real magic happens and with it comes so much joy.
So much joy.
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It’s been an interesting summer so far. I’ve been taking part in a 22-week online course called The Magic of You with transformational coach, Jocelyn Mercado which began mid-June.
In part, because I want to expand my reach and offer more of the SoulCollage workshops I facilitate, online. I’m also taking the course because I want to offer oracle card readings, incorporating the wisdom of animals, as a way to help guide others through life’s bigger questions.
The hardest part for me, and what the course helped me greatly with, was deciding whether or not to let go of the name of my website, Joyful Paws.
As many of you know who have followed me since 2007, I’ve been gradually expanding from my work with my wheelchair dog, Frankie. And while I don’t believe I’m done writing books and there will be at least one more book I’ll write, I’ve decided to set writing in that capacity to the side for now.
When I sat with my feelings about letting go of Joyful Paws, I just couldn’t do it and honestly, I didn’t want to. But I was so torn because I really want to expand my reach and help more women live fulfilling and meaningful lives. Could I do that with the same domain name? While I’ve talked about this before on my blog, the course has really helped me to finally see that it is a part of me and always will be. That made my heart sing!
Joyful Paws, which began as an outlet to share my writing, which expanded to my books and my advocacy for dogs in wheelchairs, then expanded into my wanting to teach workshops. And for many years, I’ve also dreamed about offering oracle readings to others because of my love for them as a tool I use in my own life that has helped me greatly.
Joyful Paws….at the heart of the name is how my dogs taught me to appreciate so much about life…the simple things…that we only have this moment…that it’s our birthright to experience joy. All pauseful moments of reflection that I came to see as vital to living a meaningful life. In a world that glorifies hurry and material things, my dogs have, and continue to help me see what is truly important.
All those teachings expanded to really tuning into, and appreciating the healing energies of nature, observing other animals in the world, and exploring all the many parts of myself to step into the authenticity of who I am.
Joyful Paws is so much a part of who I am…which Jocelyn helped me to fully embrace and know that I didn’t need to let go. I realized I was resisting letting go of Joyful Paws in part because I didn’t want to buy into how things “should” be done in the world of how marketing can instruct us to do. And more than anything I wanted to trust my intuition.
And so it is…Joyful Paws will stay!
Which leads me to the other part of the story to this post today…
Last week, John and I took the plunge and bought a 2018 Chevrolet Exquinox. Well, we actually leased after weighing out all the options. Our GMC Envoy is seventeen years old and she treated us well. But it was time.
In preparing to sell the Envoy, I cleaned it out yesterday. I also knew I had to remove the website decals and the “in memory of” Frankie and Joie decals off the back which I saved until last. It was bittersweet.
The Envoy, for over five years, had become what I had dubbed as “The Frankie Mobile” when Frankie and I traveled to schools and libraries in Wisconsin sharing the message to “Always be positive, make a difference and keep on rolling!” We were also so fortunate to have a few local TV interviews, too.
As many of you also know, on June 21st, the five year of Frankie’s passing, I scattered her ashes around my writing cottage. I will do the same for Joie’s ashes on August 22nd – the day she passed four years ago.
Two things I’ve really come to understand: grief is something one always carries with them and it becomes a part of who you are. And there are moments when you are called to take another healing step in that journey. This is how it has been with expanding Joyful Paws from what it was, to what it now is, and what it will be as I continue to move forward.
And so it was with removing the decals off the back of my car. While the decals are gone, the memories of my dear wheelie dogs are not. They will always be a part of me – without them I wouldn’t be who I am today.
Just like Joyful Paws – it lights me up – it is so much of who I am – and always will be.
I took a photo before I removed the decals:
I removed most everything except for this:
It was my way of having a silent moment and quietly saying thank you once again to my wheelie dogs for all the joy they brought to my life before I finished peeling the rest away – a joy they gave me that remains – and always will.
In sharing the photos on Facebook, two ladies offered to make me new decals which I thought was very kind and sweet. Though I won’t be replacing them.
Another said it is “an end of an era.” While in one way, yes it is, I really view it as an expansion of an era. Because in my heart I believe I am carrying on the teachings of what my wheelie dogs taught me.
And I couldn’t help but think as this all unfolded that the Envoy is seventeen years old and Frankie would have been seventeen on August 20th. And for the time I had her I had it stuck in my head that I wanted her to live to be seventeen. In an animal communication reading with her that my friend Dawn did the day before I helped Frankie cross over, Frankie shared with us that she felt seventeen.
Perhaps…just perhaps, this was confirmation from Frankie that buying this new car and letting go of the old was the right time.
And why Joyful Paws as my website will stay the same. And I finally feel very good about this decision.
And to add to the magic of the number seventeen I shared this with my friend Dawn recently who said that seven and one when added is eight, which turned on it’s side is the infinity sign.
Infinity…which symbolizes eternity, empowerment, and everlasting love.
Now that gave me goosebumps!
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