personal growth

Two Penguins and a Dachshund Made Me Cry

Posted by Barbara Techel
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

On Grace Becoming – My Words for 2019 and My Vision for How I See It

Posted by Barbara Techel

On Grace Becoming - My Words for 2019

Like last year, I couldn’t pick just one word for the year and chose abundant depth. Part of my intention with abundant depth was that I wanted to have deeper conversations with others. Whenever I have the opportunity to have deep and meaningful discussions with friends and family, and also experience with my clients and my oracle reading and guidance sessions, I feel so uplifted!

What I realized this past year was that in order to continue to have meaningful conversations, I had to first begin with having those conversations with myself. Now, not like talking out loud to myself, but I do that too. ha! But about really focusing inward and tapping into what really matters, which I did quite a bit of in 2018.

As 2018 drew to a close and the thought of what I’d like to invite into 2019, I was given some poignant signs recently. From receiving a book as a gift earlier this fall (which I’d read years ago) called, A Return to Grace by Cheryl Richardson, to receiving another book as a gift I’d not read before called, The Way to Grace by Miranda Macphearson, to being nudged awake at 2am one morning two weeks ago by that magical, unseen force that supports us, and hearing the words, Grace Becoming.

When I heard those words I knew this was it as I felt a rush of excitement run through my whole being. It was as if I sank into a warm, swirling pool of water. I just felt it. 

Grace Becoming for me is about trusting there is a divine purpose in guiding me to evolve with a deeper understanding of myself when I experience difficult times, while appreciating that this is part of living a full and meaningful life. Every day I have the opportunity to flow like I imagine grace does.

So then I thought, what would Grace Becoming look like in terms of an image? What oracle card would represent it? What animal oracle card would it be? What number is Grace Becoming? And what color?

This is how I came up with what I guess you could say is a type of vision board. I’ve never really cared all that much for vision boards, or rather those that are done with the intention of material things. Not that I don’t like material things cause I do! But what I created digitally using Canva and this collage is more about how I want to feel, how I want to move through my days, and how I want to be in the world.

Grace is not reacting, but rather allowing a natural flow and why I chose water as how I see it and also in the image of the woman depicting all the many facets of who we are. The bluish green color of water which is calming and how I imagine the color of Grace Becoming. The number 8 I feel represents Grace Becoming beautifully in its fluid and continually movement.

The horse, such a large animal, but moves with such ease and grace, feels like Grace Becoming to me also. And when we adopt more grace into our lives, freedom for how we want our lives to be seems to come more naturally. It’s those challenging times that when we embrace them as opportunities that we become poised (represented by a card from The Wisdom of the Oracle deck) for the life we envision by being more often here and now in this moment, soaking up all that it has to offer, and that by default is a stepping stone, that leads with grace to yet another and another, and to a life well lived.

XO,

Barb

 

January Animal Oracle Wisdom from Badger

Posted by Barbara Techel

Happy New Year! What better way to kick off the new year and the month of January with some wisdom from the animal kingdom. While normally I record these readings via audio, nothing was working for me to make that happen as you will hear in the video.

So I took it as a sign that going forward I need to bring these messages to you via my Youtube channel. Enjoy, and as always, I’d love to hear what resonated in this message for you OR if there is more you’d like to add to the message that perhaps this animal’s wisdom holds for you.

XO,

Barb

January Animal Oracle Wisdom from Badger