spirit animals

Personal Animal Oracle Guide for the Week. Come Pick Your Card and Hear the Message.

Posted by Barbara Techel

The world is full of symbology that supports, guides and comforts us. My father-in-law’s ashes now rest in a mausoleum and his dedicated space is on the end next to a large half-moon window with a view of pine trees. Within moments of my father-in-law’s ashes being placed inside, one on my sister-in-law’s exclaimed, “Did you just see the cardinal fly from the tree?” 

A red cardinal is often associated with representing that a deceased loved one is visiting you. My father-in-law loved birds. Their yard is evident of this with the many feeders and berms to support a loving and nurturing environment for many varieties of birds to thrive.

I found it also interesting that on Thursday, five days after he passed, I saw a cardinal in our dwarf lilac tree. The following day I saw it again on our deck railing. Then driving home from the grocery store that same day, I saw one fly across the road in front of me. Before this, I’d not seen one since the summer.

I so appreciate how we are being supported in these beautiful ways and it brings so much comfort.

Ok, onto the reading for the week! Similar to last week, I’ve picked two cards. Pick one (left) or two (right) from The Ark Animal Tarot and Oracle photo above. After you’ve made your choice of card one or two, click below on the choice you made to hear the message from your animal guide for the week.

As always, if you wish to explore deeper with a challenge you dealing with, I’m happy to help with my one-to-one oracle guidance sessions.

CARD ONE – LISTEN HERE

CARD TWO – LISTEN HERE

xo,

Barbara

A Clear Mind Leads to Peace of Mind

Posted by Barbara Techel

Last night I had a dream which I remembered when I awoke. It was bothering me even though my initial response was that I didn’t want to look at the dream deeper and what it perhaps may mean. But I’ve learned that our dreams can guide us in a positive way.

So I first meditated to allow myself to move into a more neutral space. I then pulled three oracle cards and journaled the insight I received. I acknowledged my fear and witnessed the part of me that can still revisit that wounding of abandonment and that can invoke certain emotions within me. I then realized the thoughts I was having about my dream weren’t rational or ‘real’ in the sense I thought they were. 

I then rolled out my yoga mat as I continued to simmer in the meaning of the dream for me and what the oracle cards revealed. As I moved through my practice it was at one point I heard, “A clear mind leads to peace of mind.” In order to clear my mind, I had to be willing to look into my heart, though it felt awfully vulnerable, because what if the way I was interpreting the dream was ‘real?’

But when I let go and felt my way into my heart, I realized there wasn’t anything concrete about the dream – but rather it was a projection of an old story of my own insecurities from my past. I knew this and the cards reflected this for me also.

So on this theme, I asked for all of us, from The Wisdom of the Oracle what is the first step we need to take in order to clear our mind and find peace of mind?

The card I pulled is Between Worlds – #3

I see this card as inviting us to walk without fear between the worlds of our waking and dreaming lives. Something my sweet dog, Gidget taught me was to see life sideways – meaning that not making something so mental that it drives us crazy with suffering.

The willingness to be with our fears can help us look beyond and guide us to what needs to be acknowledged and witnessed in order that we can heal pain from our past. Instead of staying stuck in the past, if we can open to understanding it as a teaching, we can walk with more peace and clarity in our everyday lives.

It really is by moving into the heart and deeply listening that we can find our way to ease our minds and experience more peace.

The number three is about evolving in our well-being which requires looking at what needs to be healed in order that we can experience more wholeness.

When I look at the flamingo on the card I’m reminded of living a life with grace – being kind and gentle with ourselves when we lose our way and find ourselves drowning in fear – to forgive ourselves – and to move ahead slowly and trust that Spirit has our backs – which will lead us back to being in balance.

It’s hard to see, but there is also a hummingbird hovering above the flamingo, facing toward the dark side of the card. I see this as facing the dark as necessary in order to bring more joy and light into one’s life. It’s in understanding the darkness that we shed light on what needs healing and we are able to move through life with more ease.

Lastly, I picked a card from the Spirit Animal Oracle asking what animal guides us as we lean into working our way toward more peace of mind and I pulled Rhino Spirit. I see Rhino as a reminder that we are stronger and more resilient than we often realize. See the crown on the first horn of the Rhino? We have the power to transform our lives by being open to all it has to offer us. And when we feel empowered, we feel safe and experience more peace of mind. 

Lastly, I turned to the guidebook and this line stood out: “We always have the choice to press ahead.”

Looking at the cards side-by-side I noticed the toughness of rhino, but also the gracefulness of flamingo as a reminder that both are necessary for moving through this one precious life.

XO,

Barbara

Oracle cards used: The Wisdom of the Oracle and Spirit Animal Oracle by Colette Baron-Reid

Feeling the Magic Bubbling Within

Posted by Barbara Techel

I wanted to share my personal animal card for August with you. At the beginning of the year, I sat down and pulled a card for each month to be my guide.

I continue to be inspired by how the animal for that month has provided helpful insight, reflects what I need to pay attention to, and gently nudges me in the right direction.

Scarab Beetle Spirit – Magic Works through You

How often I can forget that the real magic is within me. All I have to do is believe in it (in me!) and pay attention to the inner whispers that call to me. 

This leads to my feeling optimistic and hopeful for being in the world in a way that fits me the most authentically.

I’ve definitely been feeling excited about potential creative projects that have been lurking within me as I’ve been bringing them to surface and writing about them in my journal. 

The magic begins by first acknowledging them to myself so that they can then begin to percolate and gain momentum.

Speaking of creative projects I’m happy to say I heard from my editor yesterday. I will have the edits for my third memoir, I’m Fine Just the Way I Am by end of the week.

But the best part of the email? She said she loves it!

I’m eagerly anticipating the magic she imbued into my book and looking forward to going through the manuscript again to shape it into another new phase of its being.

Xo,
Barbara

Card from Spirit Animal Oracle by Colette Baron-Reid