Elk Visits People

These pictures came from a friend who thought these pictures were from Canmore, Alberta.  It is not every day that one gets an elk in their front yard!  As I looked at the pictures, I realized that these elk were supporting a theme amongst the animals that I commented upon in other blogs. That theme is that the animals are no longer keeping their distance from man – they are coming into the man space, and making themselves comfortable.  Many believe that Elk are majestic. I call them spirit animals.

Our Ancestors believed that when the animals started acting atypical that great changes were upon them.  Generally, the changes were physical ones such as earthquakes, deviant weather, or both.  The animals would move out of the wilderness to be near to people and to have a sense of calmness.  As protectors of mankind, they also want to be near people to give them a warning if something big is going to happen.

Elk says, “Humankind puts order to their world – the trimmed lawns, the sculpted trees, and the abundance of flowers.  This is a contrast to the wildness of the forest that we live in.  We wonder why the grass is cut when so many of us need to eat much grass to keep our life force flowing.  We are grateful, too, that we no longer need to offer ourselves for food, as we did many lifetimes ago.  The Shaman would call to us to let us know that The People were hungry.  We responded.  Now, it is time for you to feed us.  This is the circle of life!

Blessings,

Judy

Fools Are Deaf To Wise Words

  Picture of Buddha from brandrea.files.wordpress.com

 

Sometimes it seems that people ask for advice, and, when they receive it, they get angry and ignore it.  Buddha explains this action very nicely in the following story.

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                    New Homes for the Tree Spirits 

Once upon a time, as happens to all beings, the King of the Tree Spirits died. King Sakka, ruler of the Heaven of 33, appointed a new King of the Tree Spirits. As his first official act, the new king sent out a proclamation that every tree spirit should choose a tree to live in. Likewise it was stated that every tree was to be pleased with its resident spirit.

There just so happened to be a very wise tree spirit who was the leader of a large clan. He advised his clan members not to live in freestanding trees. Instead it would be safer to live in the forest trees near him. The wise tree spirits settled down in the forest trees with their leader.

But there were also some foolish and arrogant tree spirits. They said to each other, "Why should we live in this crowd? Let us go to the villages, towns and cities inhabited by human beings. Tree spirits who live there receive the best offerings. And they are even worshipped by the superstitious people living in those places. What a life we will have!"

So they went to the villages, towns and cities, and moved into the big freestanding trees, looked after by people. Then one day a big storm came up. The wind blew strong and hard. The big heavy trees with old stiff branches did not do well in the storm. Branches fell down, trunks broke in two, and some were even uprooted. But the trees in the forest, which were intertwined with each other, were able to bend and support each other in the mighty wind. They did not break or fall!

The tree spirits in the villages, towns and cities had their tree homes destroyed. They gathered up their children and returned to the forest. They, complained to the wise leader about their misfortune in the big lonely trees in the land of men. He said, "This is what happens to arrogant ones who ignore wise advice and go off by themselves."

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Blessings,

Judy

Whale As A Guardian

The Whale and the diver! This beautiful picture comes from an email from a friend in Hawaii.

 

I have been reading about the Sirians (from the planet, Sirius) and their various flights to Earth.  One of the common themes is that the Sirians are water loving, and that they, perhaps, brought whales to planet Earth, to monitor the oceans and to keep an eye on the land.  

In the picture above, Whale definitely seems to put forward a fin of friendship, even after all the thousands of years of whaling, and using whale for everything from food to aphrodisiacs.  Why has the whale never turned on man?  Well, perhaps one or two have, yet the species as a whole, has not.

What if Whale really did come from another place?  What if Whale is far more intelligent than humans give her credit for?  What if her sonar sounds can be picked up by a space ship?  What kind of reports is she sending home? Why do the whales tolerate us?

Our Ancestors lived in a world where everything had meaning – had a spirit.  Many ancestors believed that Whale was a God. Perhaps that idea is not so far fetched because Gods generally come from the sky.  And, maybe whales did descend.  

What purpose do they serve?  I think that they are Guardians of the oceans.  I believe they are meant to stop man from destroying the bottom of the ocean with digging, and mining.  I believe that they are constantly cleaning the ocean water as best they can.  

What do you think?

Blessings,

Judy

Buddha Talks About "Wild Thoughts

 

Buddha Speaks - Wild Thoughts

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Your thoughts run around like a wild horse and your feelings jump about like a monkey in the forest. When the monkey and horse step back and reflect upon themselves, freedom from all discrimination is realized naturally. "--Dogen, "Instructions for the Tenzo"

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Have you ever had an encounter with someone, and then walked away and had all these wild thoughts running through your head?  Thoughts like:-“I would like that person to have a taste of what they dish out”; or “I would like to banish them to the Arctic!”; or, “I wish all their friends, if he has any, would turn away from him!”

These are thoughts that are wild and free and may be drawing from your past life memories.  They may even be associated with a past life with this person.  The thoughts do not make you a bad person.  They are human.  When thoughts like these come your way, bless them and thank them for the creative vision of what could happen, and then allow them to leave. 

What makes our character is the way that we handle our thoughts, emotions, and impulses.  When we can let them go, then we are moving on the path of blissfulness.

Blessings,

Judy

Kola Bears

       

Snuggling!  One of the greatest joys in life for all beings!  These two Kola Bears, spirit animals, tell us that touch is a much needed in the world.  Hugging, snuggling, keeping one safe, are all parts of this.  Kola also tells us that a big part of touching is trust.  Keeping one’s eyes closed while another watches over you is the greatest form of trust.

We humans, in the decades beyond 2010, have lost much trust in our selves, in our community, and certainly in our leaders.  We are in a place where we need to find a safe place to learn to trust.  Kola shows us that being at the top of a tree, with no place else to go, gives you a space to learn to trust.

Perhaps we need to climb a mountain, or trek a long way from our safe environment to meet ourselves and others that we can trust.

Blessings,

Judy

Touch The Earth

Humans, and mothers especially, have a love-hate relationship with dirt.  Yet, dirt grows what we eat.  The minerals in it are part of us.  We need it!  Sometimes, the quickest way to ground absolutely is to touch the earth.  Sometimes, getting down in the mud brings a relief to a time filled with stress, grief, and worry.  

So, today, if you are having a difficult time with family, work, relationships with friends or lovers, go and find some dirt.  it will make you feel better. 

Blessings,

Judy

Precious Human Life

The poster says:  Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious Human life, I am not going to waste it.  I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.  I am going to have kind thoughts towards others.  I am not going to get angry or thin badly about others.  I am going to benefit others as much as I can. - Dalai Lama

“Every morning, recite this.” ~ Dalai Lama

The time before the full moon is usually difficult for most people.  The MOON pulls at you.  It brings out your dark side.  Yes, every month, Grandmother Moon reminds you that you are shades of dark and light.  This is the perfection of each of us.  

Blessings,

Judy

Gazelle on Speed

I sat down in our meditation room.  I set my intention to meet new friends and/or to gather new information.  I closed my eyes and let my mind drift to fogginess.

Quickly and silently, I was transported to a place of heat and dust.  I glanced around.  I was in a desert like place.  I wondered who had called me to this place.  I heard a noise – like galloping of small horses.

I looked around and saw the Gazelle and knew she was a Spirit Animal.  She called out as she ran past, “I called you here to show you what I know about speed.  I hear humans talk about speed as a state of elation.  Speed is a tool.  For all animals, the faster you move, the easier it is to avoid being someone else’s meal.  Or, conversely, the faster that you move, the easier it is to have food.

The humans who use speed are not using a tool that helps them to hunt or to avoid being hunted.  These humans on speed actually paralyze themselves and allow themselves to die.  It is amusing, to us wild things, that humans call speed a trip to the wild side when really it is a trip to paralysis.  The product that you use has an irony in the name for although it seems to speed things up in the body, really, it is simply speeding up things to a place of death.  We wild things think it should be called “Stop”.

We tell you that speed matters whether you are running, flying or swimming.  Think about what I have said the next time that you hear the word, “Speed”.

Blessings,

Judy

Elephants Never Forget

I received a beautiful email from my friend, Leslie.  It confirms so many of the traits that I have written about animals over the last several years.  Check out the story, and see if you view animals in the same way.

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Elephants never forget

SOMETHING IN THE UNIVERSE THAT IS MUCH GREATER AND DEEPER THAN HUMAN INTELLIGENCE. THE ELEPHANT'S JOURNEY TO PAY RESPECT, BUT HOW DID THEY KNOW? Lawrence Anthony, a legend in South Africa and author of 3 books including the bestseller The Elephant Whisperer, bravely rescued wildlife and rehabilitated elephants all over the globe from human atrocities, including the courageous rescue of Baghdad Zoo animals during US invasion in 2003.  On March 7, 2012 Lawrence Anthony died. He is remembered and missed by his wife, 2 sons, 2 grandsons and numerous elephants.  Two days after his passing, the wild elephants showed up at his home led by two large matriarchs.  Separate wild herds arrived in droves to say goodbye to their beloved man-friend.  A total of 31 elephants had patiently walked over 12 miles to get to his South African House. Witnessing this spectacle, humans were obviously in awe not only because of the supreme intelligence and precise timing that these elephants sensed about Lawrence 's passing, but also because of the profound memory and emotion the beloved animals evoked in such an organized way.  Walking slowly - for days - Making their way in a solemn one-by-one queue from their habitat to his house.  So, how after Anthony’s death, did the reserve’s elephants — grazing miles away in distant parts of the park — know?  “A good man died suddenly,” says Rabbi Leila Gal Berner, Ph.D., “and from miles and miles away, two herds of elephants, sensing that they had lost a beloved human friend, moved in a solemn, almost ‘funereal’ procession to make a call on the bereaved family at the deceased man’s home.”  “If there ever were a time, when we can truly sense the wondrous ‘interconnectedness of all beings,’ it is when we reflect on the elephants of Thula Thula. A man’s heart’s stops, and hundreds of elephants’ hearts are grieving. This man’s oh-so-abundantly loving heart offered healing to these elephants, and now, they came to pay loving homage to their friend.”  Lawrence's wife, Francoise, was especially touched, knowing that the elephants had not been to his house prior to that day for well over 3 years! But yet they knew where they were going.  The elephants obviously wanted to pay their deep respects, honoring their friend who'd saved their lives - so much respect that they stayed for 2 days 2 nights without eating anything. Then one morning, they left, making their long journey back .....

Blessings,

Judy

Generosity

Poster reads - We make a living by what we get, but we make  a life by what we give.

The practice of generosity is the practice of freedom, and it carries with it all the joy and pleasure that are associated with liberation. Indeed, there may be no greater sense of fulfillment in life than the simultaneous feelings of human interconnection and pure freedom that arise from an authentic act of selfless generosity.

- Dale S. Wright, “The Bodhisattva’s Gift” 

 

It is hard to imagine in our world filled with so much abundance, that we collectively seem to have trouble with generosity.  The other part of generosity that puzzles me is that so many people want to tell you a) that you should be generous, and b) how much you need to give in order to be generous.

The conflict for me is the judgement and control that seems to be in our society around generosity.  If generosity must come from the heart, how can someone set standards of giving, or pass judgement on those that they perceive do not give?  

The passage above caught my attention because it says “generosity is the practice of freedom”.  The words resonated deep within me.

Generosity is taking time to do something kind for someone else, without acknowledgement from anyone other than the receiver, and if it is anonymous, then without acknowledgement at all.  How wonderful is this gift to self!

Blessings,

Judy

Merry Christmas 2024

Many blessings on your house upon this Christmas Day!

This is a time of peace and of fellowship and cheer.

The best that we can do, or so the Angels say

Is to love one another more compassionately this year.

We look around at all the things we have and feel

That we’ve been wronged because it doesn’t measure up

To the things that we see and have great appeal 

To the need to consume and “fill ‘er on up”,

That the media created to get us to buy.

 

We humans are more than a consumable good.

We are marvellous and beautiful and kind.

We are laughing and joking and makers of food

That we share with our friends or anyone we find

Has need of some time to refresh and to heal.

We are the ones that see others and care

Whether they are cold or need a good meal.

That kind of need isn’t so rare

Now that the world is turning upside down.

 

Merry Christmas to one and all!

Blessings,

Judy

Ant On Work

I am always amazed at the Spirit Animals that find their way into my meditations.  They bring such wisdom and stories.  We are all connected.  Here is today’s lesson from the Spirit Animals.

Ant marched into my space in meditation.  He said that humans have no idea, really, of what work is.  He says that if daily, we walked every where we went, and travelled the miles that Ant needs to travel to provide food and stuffs for the nest, then we would work.  If humans carried everything they needed at home with them on their back, then we would work at the same rate that Ant does.  And, if we could hear the one Ant in the hive that was needing help, and if we paid attention, then we would be truly honourable in our work.

Ant’s words were indeed humbling.

Blessings,

Judy

Elementals Speak - Fir, Spruce, And Pine - The Christmas Trees

 It is soon time to begin looking at Christmas trees.  The Elementals shake with frustration when their beloved trees are mistakenly identified as pine, when they should be fir, or as spruce when they should be pine.  So, the Elementals asked me to give a brief lesson in how to tell the trees apart.  And, yes, they are all EVERGREENS, remember, however, that calling a tree an evergreen is like calling you a human instead of using your name.

A Guide To Recognizing Christmas Trees

 

Look for the number of needles that come out of the same spot on a twig. If a twig bears needles in groups of two, three, or five, you can safely call it a pine.

Pine Tree Branch

If the twig carries its needles singly, it’s a good bet you’ve got a fir or a spruce. If the needle has four sides and, thus, rolls easily between your fingers, it’s a spruce.

Spruce Tree Branch

Pull off a needle, and roll it between your fingers. If it feels flat and doesn’t roll easily, it’s a fir.

Fir Tree Branches

Note:  This information on the trees comes from www.finegardening.com.  I am grateful for their informative site.

Blessings,

Judy

Coyote Plays

 

Coyote has many personas in many belief systems.  In North America, Coyote is seen as a trickster.  In other places, Coyote is the messenger from the gods.  Still others think that Coyote is a special guide that warns you when trouble is coming, and tells you to beware.

Coyote comes in today to tell everyone to play more.  Her observation is that humans are too serious and that humans miss all the possibilities to increase their productivity and creativity. 

Her message is that you do not need to play for a long period of time; you just need to play to relax your focus so that you can let go of the tunnel vision that plagues many people.

Coyote says that by looking at things with a fresh eye, you can tell whether you need to be in service to the situation, or to offer a prayer for the situation, or, even whether you should be doing some soul searching around the situation.  Nature creates events to allow us to grow.

Blessings,

Judy

Differences are Due to Ego!

 

  

  

There are two types of people--those who come into a room and say, 'Well, here I am!' and those who come in and say, 'Ah, there you are.'   Frederick L Collins

One of my friends and i were having a fascinating conversation about the different styles that people have – styles for getting tasks accomplished in a group, or for getting people to gather behind a belief or value, or even for entering a room.  And then, coincidently, one of my friends sent the wonderful quote above.  (I love how the Universe works to give you confirmation of the ideas that pop up in your life!)  

The Angels say that we all come into this world to experience different styles, and to understand different things.  We all have uniqueness that expresses through our posture, our speech, and through how we do things.  

The Angels flashed me back to the StarTalker Quest class that I taught in the past, when we were all making Prayersticks.  At the end, each of our Prayersticks did look a lot like us.  That is to say, our unique style carried in to how we decorated our Prayerstick.  

The last thought from the Angels was, “The idea of uniqueness is that humans are all experiencing something different because humans are all the same and want to have adventures.”  And then they laughed!

Blessings,

Judy

Elementals and Embracing Nature

One of the pictures that has been coming up in my meditations, is the image of Nature being cared for by the Elemental energies – for grass, plants, and trees; and for soil, and for water, and for environment.  Each Elemental is a specialist, and does what is needed to keep things moving forward.  This process involves creating and letting die where the change is needed. 

Some of the Elementals are frustrated because humans think that they know more than the Nature Guardians, the the humans interfere in what should be the natural progression of a species.  One of the Elementals talked about the modification of plants – GMO – and how that upsets the blueprint for the plant.

Another Elemental talked about the human need to “preserve” a plant or tree that was scheduled, by blueprint, to die off, to make way for its next adaptation.  

In life, we learn that we must let things go to get new things.  We learn that cycles are natural and that fighting them by trying to preserve what is, becomes an exercise in self defeat.  We learn not to be too attached to anything.

My response to the Elementals was that each person needs to go through a learning and growth stage.  If the people that want to do the preserving are in that stage, then, it is part of what they need to understand, and we need to let the learning unfold.

Many blessings,

Judy

Wolf Insights

Wolf drops by from time to time to share some insights.  Although regarded as a predator, and therefore something to be fearful around, Wolf is quite gentle when she is treated with respect.  That is her first insight.

The natural order of all things is to separate into levels of dominance or seniority or skills.  Humans do not follow this natural order.  Often the weakest, the least skilled, and the thoughtless become leaders or seconds.  They are careless with Nature and with life.  Trust them not.

Keep the pack small.  When the pack is small, you are more mobile and can follow the food more easily.  Larger packs are more work and are more likely to give the leader trouble.  A kill does not feed as many and there is more greed. 

Train the young.  The youngest and weakest wolf is trained in the way to fend for itself or for another if that is what is called for.  I see your young and know that most cannot fend for themselves and certainly will not care for another.  This erodes the power of the pack and the species.

Hunt the sure thing.  It is not in our Nature to go after the biggest and the strongest.  The chase simply will wear us out!  We are caretakers and help keep the herd animals strong.  We take the weakest and let the herd keep its strong to lead and to breed.

Blessings,

Judy

Peregrine Falcon - Spirit Animal

 

Last night, just after supper, we had quite the surprise!  A large peregrine falcon flew down into the yard, and sat on the fence.  After about five minutes, he took off, and flew through the trees.

I had a very busy day, and I realized that Falcon was coming in with a message for me.  The message, however, is applicable for anyone who is making changes, and who sometimes feels like they are alone in the forest.

• Move when you need to find new territory or when the weather becomes unbearable and food is scarce.   Humans seem to think that they are rooted to one spot.  Falcon moves all over the world.
• Live along mountain ranges, with a valley below, and lots of fresh water.  You will always have food.
• When you see that you have the jump on your prey, take advantage of the element of surprise and do what you need to do.
• Do not haphazardly destroy the food supply or even your enemies.  At some point, you may need the enemy to give assistance.
• The element of air is very healing.  It carries light, and, although invisible, it can cushion you in times of falling.  Learn to work with the air.

May Falcon guide you when you need it to be there.

Blessings,

Judy

Mink Matters.. A Spirit Animal

 

What I remember about Mink from my childhood, is that when Mink is around, it may dig into the hen house and eat the chickens.

When Mink popped into my meditation today, I was rather surprised.  Mink was offended by my surprise and insisted that she mattered as much as any of the other animals.  Mink tells me that she is gifted with abundance by Creator.  She says that in Nature, Mink is given a territory that she must guard or defend from other Minks, and often from other predators. 

Mink offers that her diet is what humans should be eating because it keeps her slim and healthy.  She eats fresh fish twice a day, or wild meat (rabbit and small animals are her favorites) and she drinks lots of water and gets lots of exercise.  She loves to swim, and believes the cold water keeps her blood circulating.

Mink has some thoughts to share about life.

• Move about and don’t stay in one place too long.  If your habits are too predictable, your enemies will hunt you and eat you.
• Know your environment, and watch for changes in it – even the behaviour of your neighbours.  It will warn you that something is up, and you can find a safe place to wait out the problem.
• When you have something that is valuable, other people want it – like mink fur.  Watch for those that will take away what you have.

Blessings,

Judy

The Angels Talk About The Passing of Time

 

I love flipping through my writings from years gone by because much of the information from Spirit and the Angels is timeless.  Here is one of those writings.

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Thirteen years ago, we celebrated my mother-in-law’s eightieth birthday.  It was a wonderful time!  Friends and family gathered to pay tribute to her eighty years.  The stories were funny and often, touching.

Later, when everyone was gone, the Angels tapped me on the shoulder, and said that it was a lovely gathering.  I had been thinking what it must be like to live to eighty years old, and I guess I formed it as a question because the Angels were coming in to answer.

The Angels told me that humans were getting longer lives so that they had the opportunity to finish all the lessons and to have the chance to get to the place of “no illusions”.  This means that people are getting to see through the illusions and to see the perfection of all beings.  To me, this means being without expectations of how things should be, or, of how things are.

They went on to say that there are other reasons, and that I could sit in meditation and talk about them, soon.  The hint being that I need to do more meditations.

Of course, the Angels can see the complete picture, and we cannot.  Still, I think that I like this explanation!

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Many blessings,

Judy