personal growth

Let the Layers of Fear Fall Away-Animal Wisdom and Intuitive Oracle Guidance

Posted by Barbara Techel

Today’s reading is a deep one, but I feel very valuable, and I hope it will be of benefit.  After I pulled the two cards for today I journaled what I was receiving as insight. I also relate the cards to a deeply personal story because I felt it related on many levels and would be helpful during this time of fears arising for many. I then decided to record the reading as I felt that was important. I do share what I journaled below but also shared a bit more context in the recorded version.

What is it we most need to know now for our highest good?

Here in the United States, we are being told that the next two weeks are critical. We’ve been strongly advised to not even go to the grocery store or pharmacy.

And as I thought about this and prepared to do the reading for the week, it felt odd to even try and come up with a question. What question can even encompass the magnitude of these times, I wondered.

But I realized that asking what it is we need to know for our highest good, while it may seem somewhat simplistic, it also contains the depth of what we are being called to really lean into now.

So I pulled a card from Work Your Light Oracle by Rebecca Campbell because we are in the thick of this time that we need to all be holding the brightest light of love and hope and allow that vibration to flow out into the world.

For our animal guiding us, I pulled a card from The Spirit Animal Oracle by Colette Baron-Reid.

While the card I pulled from Work Your Light can be a difficult one to look at and feel scary, we must also remember to keep our hearts open and trust that there is a glimpse of what can, and I believe, will be, on the other side of all of this.

The card is The Crumbling and asks the question, What are you clinging onto?

As the messages we are getting are feeling more dire and can entice a sense of losing even more control, this is when we are being given the opportunity to not breakdown, but to experience a breakthrough.

I want to share here a bit about what I share in my new memoir, I’m Fine Just the Way I am, as I found myself at what I felt was my breaking point back in the early spring of 2018. I was completely drained of every ounce of energy after having made the decision that I was going to have my dog, Gidget put to sleep due to chronic health challenges and that fact I could no longer cope.

It was after making that decision that friend and animal communicator, Dawn, and I spoke via Skype. She was trying to urge me to reconsider my decision, but I couldn’t hear it. All I felt was a sense of losing control of what I felt was the best decision for Gidget, while I also felt deeply judged for my decision.

After an intense back and forth between Dawn and me she said, “I’m just trying to be an advocate for Gidget.” It was at that moment that the rage I’d held within me for most of my life came barreling to the surface as my throat clenched and through anger and tears I yelled, “But who was an advocate for me?”

I remember feeling stunned when it came out but also feeling relieved at the same time.

This was one of my breakthroughs – of finally releasing the fear, anger, and the loss of innocence and loss of control I’d experienced as a little girl and being inappropriately touched.

Though I’d experience yet another wave of fear about an hour as I went over and over in my mind that our conversation I had with Dawn that I hit the bottom and had the thought that I’d rather die instead of dealing with the pain I was experiencing.

And that was my second vital breakthrough. Instead of clinging to that fear, I realized if things were going to change, it had to be me who would take responsibility for my pain and begin to heal it.

So even though it felt like in those few hours that everything around me was about to crumble and I was brought to my knees, it was within the crumbling that I’d catch a glimpse of the fact I didn’t want to die and that I wanted to live….and more importantly, that I was capable of making my life better even though what had happened to me from my past was out of my control and wasn’t my fault.

And each step I took forward, I began to feel lighter in body, mind, and spirit, and the world around me began to be filled with hope and assurance that I was going to be just fine.

I share this story in hopes that if you are feeling the same way right now and a sense of losing more control, and your fear is feeling amplified, that this is where you have the opportunity to really look at your fears, face them, and understand where they come from.

It could likely be that little child within that needs you now more than ever to reassure them that you are here and will help them through this.

While it may appear that things around us are crumbling even more, looking at the card, we can see that the more it crumbles, the more the light has the opportunity to come through.

The animal guiding us is Pig Spirit and the words, Use your mind wisely. I pulled the card in reverse which is called protection in this deck.

Our mind can be very, very powerful and now is the opportunity to use it to the advantage of not letting the fear take over, but rather to help you remember that you can do this – you’ve got this. The image of the pig having wings and the saying comes to mind of “when pigs fly” I sense as that we can rise above this.

This is a time to call on that higher power we’ve always said we believed in and is now being put to the test. Move into a space of higher perspective that we will learn so much from this time and that together, we will thrive once again.

And to remember that within this time right NOW is that we can do the same.

Much peace and love to you.

xo,

Barbara

Boosting Our Confidence During Times of Fear – Lion Energy

Posted by Barbara Techel

This week’s animal wisdom comes from Lion and the question I asked for us all of is “What is it we need to know to stay grounded this week?” 

With so much being reported in the news that can have us sink into doom if we let it, I felt this is such an important question to work with as we move through our week.

This card comes from a new-to-me deck by Sarah Wilder called Animal Kin Oracle. I say new-to-me because a friend gifted it to me as she no longer needed it (thank you, Connie!).

The Lion holds a special place in my heart because two years ago I gave myself the gift of a reading that was based on my birthdate. The reader started off the reading by sharing with me what animal came in with me at birth and it was Lion.

I remember being surprised, while at the same time I felt a welcome positive shift of determination within me. While I didn’t fully feel the strength and confidence of this powerful animal, I knew this is what I wanted to embody within myself and was working on that.

The lion is all about leadership and while many have shared with me they see me as a leader, I didn’t always feel that way. But I can say today I feel so much more confident in who I am than I have ever felt before. Yay!

So when I think about the question for all of us in staying grounded this week amidst all the news that can feel scary and chaotic Lion is perfect for us to lean into and work to embody.

Lion is about the masculine and the deck creator also included the elements with each card of water, fire, earth, air, and spirit. Lion is the element of fire and fire is all about movement.

WhenI think about staying grounded and lion and fire as our symbols I see this as taking charge of what we believe in, tapping into that space within each of us that knows what is truth and what isn’t. It’s about being the leader of our own lives and not following the fear of what the media may have us wanting to believe.

I’m thinking about my own situation and applying this as John and I have been getting our R-pod camper ready for our next excursion. Last night we had a discussion if we should really leave on vacation considering what is being shared in the news in regards to the Corona virus.

But like many, we believe we aren’t being given all the facts. While yes, it’s important to be cautious and take precautions, we feel confident we will be fine. 

So for all of us, I believe Lion is inviting us to move forward with confidence no matter our fears. Each time we take a stand in what we believe we build a new strength within ourselves. The more we then see this play out in a positive way and it helps build our self-confidence. This, in turn, is what helps us move through these times of uncertainty with less stress and fear.

Right after I got done writing this post came more confirmation of Lion. I saw this quote and photo on Facebook and feel it goes right along with what I just shared.

“Whatever the struggle, continue the climb. It may be only one more step to the summit.”~Diane Westlake

Artwork by Jody Bergsma

So we lions need to stick together— and walk forward united in strength, conviction, and determination that we will get through this and we do it by tending to the nurturing of ourselves and those we love and taking pride in who we are and what we know in our hearts to be true.

Have a good week everyone!

xo,

Barbara

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It is an honor to serve as an intuitive guide and oracle reader for women who wish to embark on an inner expedition and evolve into living in alignment with what matters most to their soul and live a more balanced, gracious and peaceful life. I’m happy to help so feel free to reach out or learn more by clicking on the banner.

 

 

Remembering Friend Marie and Reflecting on Her Message to March Forth

Posted by Barbara Techel

It was one year ago that I was moving through the grief of my dear friend, Marie. She was 72 years old. I fondly referred to her as Miss Marie. I’d known her for about six years, but in that time she had a significant impact on my life.

A big fan of the author and illustrator, Tasha Tudor for many years now, Marie reminded me of her in many ways. Many, including myself, considered Tasha eccentric in her way of living. She dressed in wool frocks, a scarf upon her head, and a shawl often around her shoulders. She didn’t believe in hurry yet accomplished much in her 92 years of life.

While Marie didn’t dress in wool frocks, she certainly had an eclectic flair, and she too an artist, she definitely lived to the beat of her own drum. It was something I deeply admired about her and what drew me to her like a magnet. And once we became friends, I soaked up all the wisdom I could from her.

I’m thinking of Marie today, March 4th, and the day we often associate with progress day. This day also the day of Marie’s funeral one year ago. I still recall how I awoke that day with a heart still heavy and missing her so much. As I shuffled into the kitchen I glanced at the calendar noting the day. I then glanced at the altar I’d made on my kitchen table with my favorite photo of Marie holding my dog, Gidget. 

I was swimming in sadness staring at the photo when I heard, “March forth.” It was Marie’s voice. I knew she was encouraging me to get on with life. It was just like her as that was the way she was in life. Though she suffered from depression, she was always encouraging me to make the best of life.

I devote a chapter in my latest memoir to her because she was an important part of my healing journey. 

Looking through photos of her to share here on my blog I felt the grief bubble up within me again. I tried to hold the tears back at first, but then recalled the words I’d just heard yesterday listening to a speaker on the Animal Wisdom World Summit. They came from Hanna Bracken, an animal communicator, and she said,  “Our strength comes in our dignity to shed our tears.” 

And so I let it out.

I then reflected on a post I saw on Facebook yesterday from fellow children’s book author and Wisconsinite, JoAnn Early Macken and her post that said, “It’s March Forth, the date I intentionally misspell every year to mean forward motion, not just a number. I’m reminding you now so you can take time to reflect on where you’ve gone (Hooray for you!), where you are now (Count your blessings!), and where you want to go (Luck, luck, luck!).”

And I think of my friend, Miss Marie. This is how we march forth by releasing the grief and pain when it comes and honoring it for reminding us that they are vital in understanding life. While I’ll always miss her, I have learned to be with her in a new way. And I want her to know that I have marched forth carrying her wisdom within my heart each step of the way.

xo,

Barbara