Lady Bug

As the days get warmer, once again, we notice Lady Bugs coming out of no where, to bless our house.  They move to the windows where I pick them up and drop them on my plants.   They keep the leaves clean and shiny for me.  What I am coming to understand is that the Lady Bug is about being grounded and protection.  Her message always seems to be about:

• having no fear in starting over
• trusting that what ever quest you are on will receive assistance
• knowing that you will always end up with abundance

I hope this message speaks to you.

Blessings,

Judy

Garter Snake Tells Us to be Grounded

 

This picture is from www.reptilerange.com, and is not the snake that I saw.

I was walking in Fish Creek park and enjoying the trees and the breeze, when my dog stopped.  His ears went up and he backed up.  Before us on the path was a coiled Garter Snake.  He had not seen one before and was very wary.  Where I grew up, garter snakes were common and did a great job of keeping the mice and rat population under control.  This guy, coiled up on the path, obviously wanted to talk.  Here is the condensed version of the message.

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The Garter Snake (GS) inhabits Fish Creek park and the surrounding park areas that angle off the rivers.  It works to be invisible so that it does not frighten people, and so that Hawk or Crow does not find it, and eat it.

GS lives close to the ground, and that, it says, helps it to stay grounded and in the now moment.  GS is known for its gentleness, and for the affection and attachment it may form with some people or some animals.

GS recommends following these guidelines for grounding.

• Pick a warm spot to ground in.  Cold makes you slow down and makes grounding more difficult.
• Make sure that the spot you pick is safe.  Perhaps travel around the area that you will be using and sprinkle musk, like we do, and keep out other animals.  Or, you may  create sacred space in your own way.
• Get comfortable in your space.  Close your eyes.  Coil inward.  Let your energy drop down into the ground. 
• Plan to bask for at least fifteen minutes in the warmth and grounding.  You will feel so refreshed!

May you be grounded each day!

Blessings,

Judy

Great Blue Heron - A Spirit Animal

Today, as we drove down the highway, a great blue heron appeared and was flying into the north east.

               Great Blue Heron flying over the water – source unknown.

What struck me as curious was how far she seemed to be from any water. I also wondered why she was flying in such gale force winds.  I pondered the message that Heron was bringing to me.

Heron is about grounding and wading through one’s emotions.  She is also about standing one’s ground, and not being influenced by others.  As you might guess, most encounters with Heron are on the ground, usually when she is standing in the water.  To encounter her in the air is indeed a gift!

I asked for her message, and received immediate feedback in a knowing and clear thoughts from her.  First, being alone, she is showing that regardless of the difficulty, sometimes one is best traveling alone.  Wizards, leaders, and wisdom keepers often travel the lone path.  Flying in the difficult wind, she shows that even slow progress is still progress and should not be seen as a defeat, but as the wonderful affirmation of Spirit that it is.  Heron is flying above the Earth to show that one does not have to be embroiled in all the negative things happening on the Earth; one can fly above it, and observe it from a distance.  In this way, one has a larger perspective so that the story becomes more distant, and the perfection of movement, of aligning of parts of the Earth, is seen in its beauty.

Further, Heron said, “ Flying into the north east is the direction one goes when it is time to share your knowledge with the world.  However, you must find the means to do that in a way that feels comfortable to you…. not to others.  The Wizard only shares what needs to be shared at the time that it needs to be shared, and not before.  Be confident in your guidance, and move in the flow.”

Many blessings,

Judy

Badger Away!

 

This is post is a copy of what I wrote in my journal after a trip into the mountains in Kananaskis Country several years ago.  

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As we drove home from the mountains Thursday, we saw a wide variety of animals and birds.  I was surprised to see a big badger run away from us, and across the road and into the grass. 

Badgers are typically dawn and dusk beings as they are very much a loner type animal.  This badger, however, was on a mission, and ran across a busy two lane highway.  The irony of me writing this story is that one of the characteristics of badger in all the legends is that Badger is the Keeper of Stories.  Before the written word was so prominent, all traditions handed down their history by story telling.  In each family was one member who could recite the family lineage right back to the oldest memories.  We lost our tradition of story telling in the 1700’s with the growth of the Industrial Revolution and its need for written instructions to keep the spread of machines growing.

Back to Badger!  Badger is an underground dweller.  It reminds us to stay grounded.  She also reminds us to dig deeper into the issues that are occurring in our lives because the surface problem is not at the root – the root is generally always hidden beneath the layers – of dirt, or of stories, or of self deception.

Badger likes to be by herself because she is very strong and self confident.  Her questions are:

• Are you lacking confidence in something?
• Are you seeing only the surface of a story?  Do you need to dig deeper?
• Are you using your stories to cause harm?  Are someone else’s stories causing you harm?
• Do you need to tell a story to teach something?
• Does your story need to be told so that you can let go of it?

May Badger come to you in your dreams and give you a way to get to your roots!

Many blessings,

Judy

Magpie Drops In

Magpie dropped to the path ahead of us (the dogs and me), and began to chatter.  Slowly, the chattering took form in my mind.  Here are some of the thoughts.

• Spend time in the present for this is where your power comes from.  In the present, you will be open to all that is available from the Oneness.
• Magpie does not dwell on the past; we remember the lessons.  One lesson is that a man with a long stick that smokes (gun) will hurt or end us.  Remember the lessons and let go of the emotion, the scene and all the blame!
• Walk more.  Even though we fly, we walk on the ground because it does ground us.  Humans do not walk enough.
• Play more.  Magpies enjoy each other and other animals.  We play.  We see you compete, we do not see you play.

I contemplated what Magpie was saying and realized that I can do better in being in the present.  I worked to stay in the moment as I wrote this blog.  I realized that my mind is like a herd of cats, different thoughts wanting to go different places.  I had to consciously work back to the moment.  When I did that, I felt more energy.  I am grateful to Magpie.

Blessings,

Judy

March 1 2024 Signals Spring

A sleeping world emerges to new possibilities

Weakening winter's icy grip 
And birdsong and bleating lamb
Announce to all the promise
That in due season
Creation bursts into life.
And whilst leaves that fell in winter
Lie upon the ground
Soon to feed the earth
In nature's wondrous cycle
Of death and rebirth
Within the tree is a stirring of new growth
-Author unknown

Yes, the onset of March  and the promise of Spring.  Longer days, warmer sun, and the thoughts of birthing and planting.   This is what occupied the minds of our Ancestors.   Every spring equinox, they honored the Sun for returning after its '’sleep”.  How will you bring in Spring this year? 

Blessings, 

Judy

When You Slip In The Mud

Picture from an email from a friend

Slipping in the mud is common, especially after heavy rains.    Does it have any meaning?  Yes, it does!

The blending of water (emotions) with the earth (materiality) is the physical manifestation of transition from one place to a next.  If you have ever fallen into mud, you know that you must wash it off.  You then go from dirty to clean, which shows the next step in the process – transformation.

We have been taught through science that all life was born out of the oceans washing up to the shore and creating mud.  Life literally crawled out of the mud to get to dry land.  This means that mud may also symbolize birthing.  If you fall in the mud, and get up, is it because you have this great idea that requires birthing?

People who are ungrounded, or flighty, will often have a “muddy” experience to remind the to get grounded.  The first warning of the need to be grounded is usually spilling water on the ground, and the formation of mud at one’s feet.  

What if you are out hiking and you get stuck in the mud?  This may be a physical reflection of being stuck in one area of your life – perhaps job, career, family, or even feeling stuck about what direction your life generally should go.  A clue about direction can usually be found in the geographic area that your mudslide occurred in.  

Let’s talk about mud slide.  The last several years there have been an extraordinary number (by my standards) of mudslides around the world.   Just as falling in mud or slipping in mud represents an issue for an individual, the mudslide represents an issue for a wider population.  Some of the issues:

• stuck in the old way of doing things – now is the time to let go.
• what you are doing and saying has no grounds – so the ground is swept away from you.
• so you think that you are morally or economically higher or better than others – let’s change that thought right now and sweep everything you have away from you.
• you think that you are beyond the basics – well, if your shelter and food are gone than you move right back to basics.  Maybe you can do it better this time!

Mud has a lot of lessons to teach.  Perhaps you will watch who plays in the mud, and who doesn’t with more interest.

Many blessings,

Judy

Cow - A Spirit Animal

 

- picture from Clipart....

The cow is being given a bad reputation these days in the way that scientists and environmentalists are blaming the cow for releasing methane gas that is causing the green house effect.

The cow, however, is a very powerful Spirit Animal. When Cow appears to you in dreams, visions, or on your path to work or play, remember some of these strengths about the Cow.

1. Fertility, Nurturing - Cows are linked traditionally with the Goddess of Fertility such as Aphrodite (Greek Goddess), Bastet (Egyptian Goddess), Freya (Norse Goddess), Arianrhod (Welsh Goddess), Diana (Roman Goddess). The Cow is associated with motherhood and nurturing since it provides food for mankind. It also provides calves which may become food. Therefore, the Cow represents fertility through sacrifice. A Cow will always try to do what is best for itself and others, however, the herd needs are paramount. Drive by a pasture in the spring and see the Nursemaid Cows who watch over the new calves while the Mothers and other herd members graze.

2. Steadfast – The Cow is known as being able to stand its ground through weather and predator. Cow medicine is about standing one’s truth and not being influenced. It is also about mastering challenges.

3. Perception – As part of the food chain for large predators, the Cow is very alert and intelligent. Lead cows have led herds from pasture to pasture to avoid droughts and danger. Cows work with a sixth sense about danger and opportunity. Those with Cows as guides will be strongly perceptive, and the Cow will appear to tell you to pay attention.

4. Compassion – Cows have large eyes that see all. The stare may be hypnotic and will tear down one’s walls to find the soul. The Cow’s eyes are full of compassion since they are an animal of continuous sacrifice. Cow has learned to put the herd before self, to put the calf before self, and to move in a way for the highest good of the herd. Cows that are jumpers or rogues always end up on the other side of the fence and away from the herd. They become isolated.

The cow is a powerful totem and shows us how to nurture ourselves and honor others.  Those with this totem are usually service oriented and put other peoples needs before their own