How often I’ve found comfort and guidance through the wisdom of animals through challenging times. And such was the case again…

The last eight weeks or so have been about navigating a health scare with my husband, John. At the beginning we each went down the rabbit holes of fear and the unknown and the what if’s, but then spiraling back to the center again with reminders to stay in the present moment and allow life to unfold as it was meant to be.

I’m happy to say John is doing well and healing from two surgeries last week to remove and then stitch back together again an aggressive form of skin cancer he had on the top of his head.

During this time of uncertainty I leaned even more into my meditation and breathing practice, pulling oracle and animal cards, journaling, and taking time to be in nature. While also consciously allowing myself to be with all my emotions – especially those that really scared me in order that they wouldn’t get stuck and create a cyclone of anxiety. While I still had some intense moments, I’d remind myself to breathe deep and slowly into my belly, and I’d reflect on the many times in the past when I’ve allowed my fear to be acknowledged and then felt so they could move through me.

Three animals presented themselves on a consistent basis while John and I navigated different doctors to understand what would all be involved with the process of healing. While I know there are many going through far more difficult than this, I believe it’s important to not dismiss our fears and pain of individual circumstances. This brings to mind a quote (unknown author) I appreciate:

“No pain is greater or less, it is simply different.”

And it was Buffalo, Nuthatch, and Grasshopper that presented themselves during this time that I found not only comfort, but timely and welcome reminders. While Buffalo and Nuthatch came up often and are cards from my Animal Reflections Healing Oracle deck, Grasshopper cleverly showed itself once on our front door and then on our kitchen window.

Buffalo a powerful teaching and one we are called to at different times throughout our lives – to stand and face the storm – and trust that all will work out for the highest good.

Excerpts from the guidebook:

“Buffalo can often be observed facing an incoming storm. They don’t try to outrun it or struggle against it. Instead, they stand firm and without fear while the storm roars forward and then rages around them until it eventually dissipates and moves on.

Remember that forcing or pushing will bring struggle, but having faith and trust will make your path much easier to navigate.”

It’s during times of intense uncertainty (that feel like a raging storm) to lean into the energy of Buffalo and reminds us to stay grounded in the here and now and not project into the future. There is nothing to do, but be with what is coming up in order for the feelings to eventually dissipate.

Nuthatch with its keen teaching of perspective not only also presented itself often when I pulled a card for the day, but also the sounds and sightings of nuthatch outside my windows, that there is always, always, always different ways in which to not only observe life, but your reactions to it. I said always three times to emphasize this as I understand it an be challenging!

Excerpts from the guidebook:

Has your mind felt muddled or fuzzy about something you are trying to understand on a deeper level? While having faith in a power higher than yourself is important to your growth, it’s also about bringing that focused awareness from a higher realm down into your physical being. This will allow a new, welcome perspective to more easily flow into your consciousness.”

Grasshopper first presenting itself on the outside of the front storm door and then again on the outside of the kitchen window was a welcome sign of their overall symbolism of good luck. But also fearlessness, longevity, and peacefulness, that I saw this as once again a teaching of not looking to the outside world as a way to offer a distraction from those things that cause us fear, but rather to stay connected to our inner world in order to arrive back to a more peaceful state.

So with the help of these animal guides not only do I feel changed in perspective in many ways within myself, but that as a couple too as John and I navigated and grew through this experience together.

XO

Barb