self-care

Animal Wisdom Reading for October 2021 – Practicing Gratitude & Grace Toward Ourselves

Posted by Barbara Techel

I know! It’s been a while. But alas, here I am again.

There has just been so much going on with trying to keep abreast of it all and also even more importantly practicing self-care to help roll through these times we are experiencing. So much growth opportunity for us all!

John and I were also recently able to get away for five days and took our R-pod camper to central Wisconsin. It was just the reprieve we needed connecting to nature. AND our KOA campground had many stray kitties. These two outside the KOA office just stole my heart. Yes, I wanted to take one home, but my asthma wouldn’t appreciate that.


On our trip away I was reminded once again how vital fresh air is, sunshine, time in nature, and connecting with the animals as so important to our physical, mental, and emotional health.

So for this month’s reading, I continue with the theme of self-care and how vitally, even more than ever it feels, to practice going within and taking good care of ourselves. Because from what I understand from various astrologists I tune into, October is going to be a bumpy ride – though needed in order for new and positive energy to come in. 

So I hope you find my message helpful where I share that I too experience my own struggles, but also what is helping me, along with guidance from this month’s animal ally I pull from an animal oracle deck. Click here or below to listen.

Wishing you each so much love and peace in your heart as we continue to walk this journey of so much change in our world…

XO

Barb

Curious Minds Invitation to Come Join Me as I Take Robin through an Oracle Reading

Posted by Barbara Techel

There have been many times in my life where others have held space for me that has been such a gift to help me move forward with confidence. It’s why I now do what I do as I find it rewarding to watch others experience positive shifts and find the clarity they need to live with more peace, love, and joy. And after all, isn’t that what we are ultimately here to experience? I think so.

An oracle reading is like a graceful and intricate dance between my client, me, and the cards – each part integral to providing a roadmap to help guide you forward with clarity and confidence, and on your way to living more in alignment with who you truly are. 

I was so grateful when last month, Robin, who is a photographer, writer, and podcast host for OurStoriesToday.com, generously offered to have her one-to-one oracle reading recorded so others who are curious and aren’t sure how one works could get a peek inside one and understand how a reading can provide valuable insight.

So I share that recorded reading with you today in the event you’ve been curious too. Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any other questions after you’ve watched the video. 

Also feel reach out to me if you’d like to book a session to have a reading to focus on a specific intention or challenge, or to look at your year ahead. I also offer a free ten-minute session if you want to explore if a reading is right for you with no obligation to book a full session.

So without further ado…Click here or on the image below to watch the reading unfold.

xo,

Barbara

Simple Joys and Sharing A Favorite YouTube Channel – Fairyland Cottage

Posted by Barbara Techel

This morning, sitting at my vanity I watched as one squirrel, and then another came for a drink from the birdbath. I could simply watch them all day long!

And then a first for me today as I sliced up oranges and dried them in the oven to use with my holiday decorations. Here are a few tucked in with this centerpiece on my kitchen table.

The simple joys that continue to be what gives me hope. 

I spent the weekend putting up Christmas decorations in my house. Though I use the same decorations, I always find new ways in which to display them. I also decorated the front porch and the window box on Joyful Pause Cottage. Normally I would have bought greens, red birch branches, and birch twigs and logs from a nearby nursery for outside. But this year, used what I already had plus I cut greens from our large pine tree in the backyard.

In some ways so much feels odd, while at the same time familiar with an added sense of accomplishment because I’m using what I already have and finding new ways in which to be creative without having to go out and purchase things.

Over the years I’ve scaled back on my holiday decorations having had about 4 large bins full to now 1 1/2 bins. This still takes me two days to go through and place throughout my home. But it’s something I enjoy and is a creative outlet for me.

I wonder if this year more women will be feeling the need to simplify and just enjoy the season in a new way – a quieter and more contemplative way? It’s been something I’ve done for a few years now, but this year seems even more so. I like it. I sense a collective pause and reflection of what really matters.

When the orange slices came out of the oven I sat down to pause and watch one of my favorite channels on YouTube. I thought you might enjoy it too. It is called Fairyland Cottage. It’s about a young woman who lives in Ireland and embodies a simple life. Watching her videos always feels like a meditation to me. This one, especially so.

Niamh, of Fairyland Cottage, and her way of life, like author and artist Susan Branch, and the late Tasha Tudor are the women I carry with me more and more as I walk through this life. The nudge and pull grow stronger and stronger for me every day. I wonder often if this is where we are headed in our world as we have shifted, adapted, and continue to evolve with this year being the big pause to examine just that.

It’s a world I’d like to see – a simpler one – connected to nature and creativity – and one I will continue to do my best to be in my own little corner of the universe. Those ripples out can surely find their way to others seeking this way too.

So without further ado… but first, perhaps make yourself a cup of tea or your favorite beverage, settle into a comfy chair, and enjoy a sweet peek inside Fairyland Cottage. Niamh has so many important nuggets of wisdom in this video.

XO,

Barbara

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