personal growth

Thanking the Animals on this My 56th Birthday

Posted by Barbara Techel

Today, my 56th birthday, I took some time in quiet reflection.

Some animal friends came to mind that have been pivotal in my life’s journey the past few years. I’ll be sharing how each of them helped me in my upcoming memoir I’m Fine Just the Way I Am.

I couldn’t help but create this little altar of them after I did an oracle reading for myself for my new year ahead.

Onward and forward with gratitude in my heart for each of their blessings and profound teachings…

XO,

Barbara

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Clean It Up and Hummingbird Spirit: Oracle and Animal Guidance for the Week

Posted by Barbara Techel

It’s a hot and steamy one this week in Wisconsin! When it’s like this, which it was also 56 years ago, I can’t help but think about how my mom who was pregnant with me. Yup, it’s my birthday this week on Thursday and I’ll be 56! I don’t know how she endured this heat, but I’m grateful to have come through her to be here on this planet. Thanks, Mom!

So this week’s general reading is written below or you can listen to the recorded version. I had trouble uploading directly here, so just click on the link to listen via Soundcloud.

Listen here to this week’s reading.

What is it we need to be aware of this week for our highest good?

From The Wisdom of the Oracle: Clean it Up in reverse. In this deck, reverse means protection and a message to pay extra attention.

I’ll be honest here. This is one of those cards that when I pull it I sometimes sigh and hear myself inwardly (or outwardly!) groan. But it’s a perfect opportunity to share here not only for you but for myself as well, that this card means just that, OPPORTUNITY.

It means that once we clean up what needs to be dealt with we are going to feel a lot better. And who does not want that, right?

The card being in reverse is asking us what are we avoiding? Are we thinking that by ignoring the situation and putting our focus elsewhere is going to take care of the problem? Ever notice that when you have something that you need to take care of that feels unpleasant or uncomfortable that procrastination pays a visit? Or you find that you busy yourself with other people’s concerns and get involved with helping clean up other’s messes to make yourself feel better?

Yup – time to stop doing that. Get that broom out, put those big girl panties (or big boy brief’s) on, and get to work on your own stuff.

In my meditation time, the image of a cobweb came into my mind and then the image of a maze regarding clean it up. You know how it is that we think we can think our way out of something? And how this causes cobwebs in our mind or like we are walking through a maze that we can’t find our way out of?

But when you think of something that needs to be clean up in your life, you know what it is because you feel it in your heart. But those pesky committee members in your head are busy running amuck in that maze in your mind causing you to feel confused!

And because this can feel overwhelming we find it easier to put our focus elsewhere and think that if we just do good for other’s we don’t have to deal with our stuff – but all that does is delay our own cleaning up and really, cleaning up what we need to on our own side of the street is truly all we can do. We each have our own work to do that other’s cannot do for us.

So just take a moment to first feel into how much lighter you will be after you tackle that certain something you’ve been putting off.

Additional insight from guidebook I feel relevant: You aren’t doing yourself or other’s a favor, and may just be adding to the strain of all involved. Stay on your side of the street.

The reality and truth is that we can only clean up our own stuff. And isn’t that a great example to be to others and a way of encouraging other’s to do the same?

From Spirit Animal Oracle: Hummingbird Spirit

What a beautiful animal spirit to have as our ally as we stay in our lane and clean up our side of the street this week.

Hummingbird’s message to be here now is also a wonderful message in helping us to not bog ourselves down by wishful thinking that a difficult situation or challenge is just going to go away, or that we wished it wasn’t here. Just BE HERE NOW, focus on what needs to be done, and before you know it it will have passed.

Think about the hummingbird – such a tiny bird – it must always be in the present moment in order to survive. Think about how it flies in with such speed to drink from a feeder. It can’t be thinking about anything else or it could mean disaster.

Hummingbird to me represents joy and feeling light in spirit – and just think of hummingbird and how you will feel a weight lifted from you when you take care of that certain something that needs to be cleaned up this week.

Hummingbird is all about the joy of life. This does not mean it does not come with challenges, but that within challenges and facing them, we get to experience the rewards of life from growing and evolving that when we do the real work of doing that feels so good!

Additional insight from guidebook I feel relevant:  Here and now, you are becoming the person you wish to be to have the experiences you wish to have.

Hope this reading was beneficial!

XO,

Barbara

Book a private reading with me here.

Cards used for this week’s general reading: The Wisdom of the Oracle and Spirit Animal Oracle by Colette Baron-Reid

The Witness and Mountain Goat: Oracle and Animal Guidance for the Week

Posted by Barbara Techel

This morning I felt called to pull our weekly cards from two different decks than I usually use. I’ve also recorded this reading. So if you’d rather listen, than read the message, you have that option.

 

So what is it we need to be aware of this week for our highest good?

From The Mystical Shaman Oracle:  The Witness

Right away I feel called to share that one of the key things I learned in Oracle School is witnessing and observing my own patterns and behaviors. This isn’t always an easy thing to do because with this can sometimes bring shame, pain, and/or guilt.

The Witness card asks us this week to pay attention to those moments these difficult feelings come up. And it’s important to remember that when they do to be gentle and compassionate with yourself. Within these moments that can feel painful and difficult is an opportunity to get to the root cause and begin to make changes to course correct and feel better about ourselves.

To the right of the woman, there is an eye and what appears to be light shining from it. I see this as reminding us to take time in stillness or meditation when uncomfortable feelings come up and tune into our own intuition. I see the eye on the card as representative of the third eye chakra which is about intuition, imagination, thought, and self-awareness.

Additional insight from the guidebook provides this invitation: The witness that has been by your side all along is now ready to become your ally. You thought you were the doer, but today you discover that things happen when you get out of your own way. Witness creation unfolding before you. Change reality by finding stillness and letting your true intent reveal itself.

All answers lie within, even when those answers are sometimes hard to acknowledge. But once we can become aware of them we can practice self-care and forgiveness towards ourselves, which then can help us to not only be more compassionate to ourselves but to also witness others in a more gentle way and also extend that compassion.

What animal ally is guiding us as we learn to be witness to ourselves?

From Messages from Your Spirit Animal Guides Oracle: Mountain Goat

So, yes, it can feel like an uphill and difficult climb when we witness and look at challenging feelings. But mountain goat reminds us that in order to restore balance to our whole being and especially within ourselves, being witness to the why of these feelings, becoming aware, and then working toward change will eventually lead us to feel freer and fully alive and experience more joy.

A line from the song Lonely Goatherd by Richard Rodgers popped into my head – High on a hill was a lonely goatherd. I see this as a reminder of the importance of being alone with ourselves and practicing stillness in order to find more balance in our every day lives.

Additional insight from the guidebook provides this invitation: It’s unrealistic to expect your life to stay completely in balance at all times, as it’s continuous interplay between the various polarities. Even the seasonal adjustments of light and dark slowly and gradually shift in a ceaseless dance. Notice how you feel when something is out of balance, and then take necessary steps to adjust in ways that provide greater equilibrium.

I’d like to add to this a quote I learned from my mom which is “this too shall pass.” When we are in a state of feeling dark, fearful, guilt or shame, it’s a signal to pause and just be with ourselves while also trusting that as it always does, it will eventually pass. Even when we may not have complete clarity of a challenging time in the moment, clarity often comes when we trust we will move through it, and insight will be revealed to guide and help us at some point. So staying in awareness is our friend (along with mountain goat!) to have beside us as we journey forward.

I hope this reading was helpful. Enjoy your week!

XO,

Barbara

Book a private reading with me here.

Cards used for this week’s general reading: The Mystical Shaman Oracle by Alberto Villoldo, Colette Baron-Reid and Marcela Lobos and Messages from Your Animal Spirit Guides Oracle by Dr. Steven Farmer.