Last week late one afternoon, I settled onto the bench in front of our house to begin reading a book I got from the library by Elisabeth Tova Bailey titled, The Sound of a Snail Eating. It’s the story of a woman who becomes deathly ill, bedridden and her friend brought her a snail she had found in her yard, placing it in her friends potted plant next to her bed. Not able to do much of anything, Elisabeth begins to watch with fascination the life of the snail and shares what she learns about her own life because of this snail.

A few moments later I looked down and on the sidewalk was a snail (technically, a slug which is a snail without its shell). I’ve never seen a snail around my house before that I can recall.

Now if you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you know I’ve been opening myself more and more to the messages of all animals around us. While the name of my blog is Joyful Paws I had to chuckle to myself seeing the snail thinking, “Joyful slime?”

But I don’t believe it was a coincidence that I just happened to be reading a book about a snail and snail appeared before me.

I looked up what snail’s message is and I share in part here what it said:

A snail symbolizes:

• bridging the gap between the element of Earth and Water
  
• the spiral or cycle of life, death, and rebirth
• the earth’s rotation around the sun
• carrying one’s home with them
• taking one’s time and enjoying life at a slower pace
• Amun – ancient Egyptian ram-god
  
• Tecciztecatl – ancient Aztec god
  
• Fertility, abundance, things coming to fruition

Taking one’s time and enjoying life at a slower pace resonated with me, as that is where I am right now, though I find it challenging at times. It was a reminder to me to allow my life to unfold as it is meant to be.

I also felt called to “the spiral of life, death, and rebirth.”  We have many rebirth’s in life as we go through season’s of our lives and new experiences come to us. If we don’t let go of what isn’t working anymore, rebirth can’t take place.

As I read further, I especially loved this lesson snail offered me:  The snail is a rather slow creature, taking its time going where he pleases. While some see the snail as being lazy, there is a positive trait behind taking one’s time. If we are to rush everything in life, how will we be able to appreciate the small things? The snail is slow and steady and appreciates the path that he is on…not solely focused on where he is going.

It makes me smile and feel comforted with the message of snail. I’m also so excited as this Friday and Saturday I’m hosting a 2-day animal communication workshop with my friend, author and animal communicator, Dawn Baumann Brunke. It will be fascinating to learn more and to see how the 2 days unfold.