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

A Focus Point for A Meditation

This meditation focus comes from the book that I wrote, “Earth Wisdom Meditations: Contemplations For People Who Love The Earth”.  

I was sitting on the bench by the Bow River looking into the water.  A tree beside the river dropped a leaf into the water to my left.  I watched it float down past me.  I was just watching this leaf, and thinking, and I heard the words.  I wrote them down, and, eventually, they became a meditation for me that I use when I get stuck in my daily life.  Saying the words slowly and quietly, over and over, help me focus.

If you try this meditation, please let me know if it works for you.

Blessings,

Judy

You can see more about this book here.

Earth Wisdom Meditations: 111 Contemplations For People Who Love The Earth [Paperback]

Judith Hirst (Author)

Buddha Talks About "Wild Thoughts

 

Buddha Speaks - Wild Thoughts

"

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

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

Crow Talks About Life

When people talk about meditation and how peaceful and quiet it is, I think of some of my meditations where animals pop in, and while I may be peaceful, the time is not quiet.  For example, Crow came in to the meditation last night.  Crow caws constantly.  Even as he talks, he caws.  It is his nature.  And, Crow is loud.  He does, however, have some interesting things to say about life, about humans, and about other animals.  Check out his ideas.

• Life is not worth living unless you do it with gusto!  Be loud, try everything, and share what you know.  This is my motto for life. 
• If you set yourself up to be robbed by leaving valuables sitting out in the open world, then someone is going to take them.  Shiny stuff is very attractive. 
• A meal is a meal!  It does not matter if it is moving or not.  Take what is offered and be grateful.  A meal you do not have to get yourself is the best one. 
• Higher up in the tree is better.  You see more.  You see more opportunities.

I was just getting into the conversation when Crow had to fly off.  Somebody was really upset about some of the shiny things that Crow had taken today.

Blessings,

Judy

Keep Smiling

The poster says:  Sometimes all it takes is a SMILE to make everything better!

Reason to Smile

-by  Lendl Ian Servillon

How can one smile such sweet smiles, 
When one is so saddened by sorrows for miles, 
How can I smile the same smiles, 
When life brings me nothing but tears, 
I wondered for so long, 
What reason you had to smile that long, 
To keep smiling though troubles come, 
And still remain sweet and silently overcome, 
It's such a mystery to me, 
Your smiles from heaven with glee, 
I adore and yet envy thee, 
But I'd rather you smile those at me, 
I feel happy when I see you smile, 
Even if I'm sad and lonely, 
Your smiles bring me somewhere, 
I don't even know where, 
But it was you, 
You gave me the reason to smile, 
To smile with no reason, 
To smile for a smile, 
I guess life is just like that, 
We need not a reason to smile, 
For a smile is the reason itself, 
To rejoice and open-heartedly give thanks, 
I learned to smile because of you, 
Because your smiles bring me joy when blue, 
It proves how well and powerful, 
A simple sweet smile can become so beautiful, 
Smile for the sake of a smile, 
Smile for the sake of happiness, 
Smile for the sake of life, 
Smile because of hope left in life, 
Smile my friends, 
Smile for me my Love, 
Smile those same sweet smiles, 
Smile so the world can be a peaceful dove... 

**** 

Dear friends, 

Smiling is the best medicine. 

Blessings, 

Judy 

Gopher It!

Sometime this week, you will be given a chance to do something different, something you would not ordinarily do.  It might be the rekindling of a great love, or the opportunity to work in a different career and still use the skills that you have accumulated over the years.  Or, it might be the chance to move to a different city, province, or country.  The Gopher’s guidance is…”Go for it!”   Nothing happens unless you make a choice to change your life.   Gopher knows that no matter how far you “dig” to try and change your life, much of life happens by being in the right place at the right time.  Some call this coincidence.  In Science, a coincidence is when two rays of light strike a surface at the same place at the same point of time.  Sounds like the Universe sending light, doesn’t it?  Moreover, Science refers to this event as non-casual.  In other words, there are not any events that lead up to it.

So, if you see a Gopher, or several Gophers, or, if you see a lightening strike, know that the Universe is giving you some warning that something unusual is about to happen.  It is up to you to choose to accept the gift, or not.

Blessings,

Judy

Living With Your Heart

The poster reads:  

Surround yourself with people who make you laugh, forget the bad, and focus on the good.  Love the people who treat you right.  Pray for the ones that don’t.  Life is too short to be anything but happy.  Falling down is part of life, getting back up is living.

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Sometimes life just seems like chapters. Some good, some bad, but all come together to create the story of our lives. – Unknown

Today, find something to laugh at.  

Today, find time to share a laugh.

Then, find someone to enjoy a laugh with.

Find a way to flow with life.

It is good for your heart.

 

Blessings,

Judy

Fox In The Forest

The following information comes from one of my journals from 2016.  It describes an experience that I had when I was out with my dogs.

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I drove up into the Kananaskis area, just south of Canmore.  There was a lot more snow than what we had around home.  From the corner of my vision, I saw a dark shape.  I pulled over and stopped the vehicle.

Fox was coming out of the trees.  She moved with purpose.  I saw the beauty of her coat.  She stopped and turned to me.  I thought she might smell the dogs.  I swear that she grinned.  She barked three, sharp barks.  And then she moved on.

The barks represented:

• trust your senses
• stick to your purpose or goal
• rely on your own cleverness – no one else has your experience in your life

Blessings,

Judy

It is About Balance

The poster reads:

For everything you have missed, you have gained something else; And for everything you gain, you lose something else.  It is about your outlook towards life.  You can either regret or rejoice.

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Everything that we do is about balance.  You choose the pace of the balance in your life. No one else can choose the balance for you. Choose wisely! 

Blessings,

Judy

Living In The Past

I have many card decks.  Periodically, I pull a card for the day, or the week, or even for the month.  I pulled the card for today, Osho card #5, Clinging To the Past, for January 2025.

Below is the explanation for the card.  May you find some information int the explanation that helps you with something that you are facing.

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The Osho Card for today

These tenses--past, present and future--are not the tenses of time; they are tenses of the mind. That which is no longer before the mind becomes the past. That which is before the mind is the present. And that which is going to be before the mind is the future. Past is that which is no longer before you. Future is that which is not yet before you. And present is that which is before you and is slipping out of your sight. Soon it will be past.... If you don't cling to the past...because clinging to the past is absolute stupidity.  …..

The figure pictured in this card is so preoccupied with clutching her box of memories that she has turned her back on the sparkling champagne glass of blessings available here and now. Her nostalgia for the past really makes her a 'blockhead', and a beggar besides, as we can see from her patched and ragged clothes. She needn't be a beggar, of course--but she is not available to taste the pleasures that offer themselves in the present. It's time to face up to the fact that the past is gone, and any effort to repeat it is a sure way to stay stuck in old blueprints that you would have already outgrown if you hadn't been so busy clinging to what you have already been through. Take a deep breath, put the box down, tie it up in a pretty ribbon if you must, and bid it a fond and reverent farewell. Life is passing you by, and you're in danger of becoming an old fossil before your time!

--Osho The Great Zen Master Ta Hui Chapter 10

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Blessings,

Judy 

Mink and Water

 

Mink, a spirit animal, says that water is very important to all of us.  Creator has made us all – all animals – mostly water to remind us that we are all fluid – that is our spirit, our energy, is able to move with the flow.  There is no reason not to move fluidly, whether we dance, sing, run or walk.  We are meant to flow on the easiest path. 

Mink observes that especially in winter, humans do not flow.  Mink thinks this is because that humans do not move close enough to water.  Instead, they sit in buildings and other dry places.  Even drinking lots of water does not ease the burden of loss of fluidity.

Minks like to live near water and are seldom found far from riverbanks, lakes and marshes. Even when roaming, they tend to follow streams and ditches. Sometimes they leave the water altogether for a few hundred metres.  This is the example that humans should follow.

Blessings,

Judy

Today’s Word - Responsibility

The Poster says:  Responsibility — No single drop of water thinks it is responsible for the flood. —Author Unknown

In this time, we all have work that we must do.  Creator is urging everyone to now take responsibility for their own lives.

• Be accountable to yourself.  The onus is on you for who you are and what you have created.
• Others are responsible for themselves.  Do not try to take away their journey by making decisions for them, or assuming responsibility.
• Remove yourself from victimhood.  You have choices in your life that you can make everyday, in every moment.  And, you can take responsibility for them.
• Make mistakes and acknowledge them as a learning experience that adds to your wisdom.

Blessings,

Judy

Spirit Talks About Rhythm

 

Now is the time to celebrate.  Feel your heartbeat and the rhythm of life.  In movement and flow, everything has cycles and rhythms.  Feel and know your part of this rhythm through to the core of your being.  Get in touch with your inner self.

Do no let disharmony interrupt your rhythm and flow, bud dance your dance and sing your song with joy, and others will be infected with the delight of it.

– Treasures from Tikashi

As we move through the changes of time and space, find a place in your heart that is filled with joy.  Let this be one of your sanctuaries.  When you feel down or out, go to this place, to your reserve of joy, and let all things flow.

Blessings,

Judy

Peacock and Seeing

When I am meditating, and an animal comes in to speak about life, I am always intrigued, and invite them in with enthusiasm.  This was how I felt with Peacock.

Peacock had a message around seeing things.  His message is:

• Peacocks are known for their prowess in killing snakes.  Watch for the snake in the grass – the one that has a big agenda that does not include you.  Protect yourself!
• Many say that the spots in my feathers represent the all-seeing eye.  In some cultures, the eye wards off evil or wards off curses.  My feathers do offer protection to me.  Whether they are part of your path and sacred to you is your journey.
• Beware anyone that tries to dazzle you with the extravagant because this is usually for show and does not have substance.  When you are in a business deal where this is happening, do ask “show me the money!”.
• In most cultures, the circle is the symbol of cycles, and of continuity.  This is why there are circles on my feathers, to remind you that you may have been in this place before.  If you did not like it, then now is the time to change -  career, life, relationships, beliefs  -  all can be changed.

I thanked Peacock for his wisdom and bid him good bye.

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

Buddha and What Are We Training For

From 2007 until 2013, I taught classes on spirituality called “StarTalker Classes”.  The classes were popular and each class usually was a chapter in the class book that I put together.  In my classes, I sometimes had guest speakers that were specialists in certain parts of spirituality.  This blog comes from my notes on one of the classes.

Our entire life has been training. The question is: training in what? This question means: training in which direction?... Are we training in numbing ourselves in the face of fear, or training in waking up? Training in opening the heart, or training in shutting down? - from "Fruitless Labor," by Gaylon Ferguson

Last night, in my StarTalker class (I teach several ladies a program called StarTalker), our guest speaker talked about all the things that we do in our life, and how they all prepare us for working towards understanding ourselves.  It was interesting to me that it is not about understanding others which is what we learn in school, in psychology or sociology, it is about understanding ourselves.

We are on a journey of self discovery.  We are learning how unique and how exciting our journey is – even if sometimes it feels quite painful.  I am still working through all the ideas that were presented last night.  However, I am once again amazed that the Universe sent the above quote which ties in 6 the session from last night.  

We/I have lots to think about.

Blessings,

Judy

My Connection to Polar Bear

                         Picture is from Wikipedia - Polar Bear in the Arctic

While writing this, I was listening to "Unto The Burning Circle" by Andreas Vollenweider

Polar Bear north of Churchill from https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/polar-bear

  In my blogs, I talk about about many topics connected to spirituality. Each topic reflects something that is going on in my life.  Therefore, I truly enjoy writing about animals since the ANIMALS are such a large part of my life. 

The Polar Bear has been receiving a lot of attention recently.  Polar Bear, however, has been a part of my life since 1972.  That is the year that I went to work with Hudson Bay Northern Stores.  The clerical work that I did was for the Northern Stores in Churchill, Lynn Lake and north in Manitoba, Northern Saskatchewan and Northern Ontario. 

In the winter, the Store Managers, Trainees, and sometimes District Managers from our office in Winnipeg travelled back and forth.  Many of the residents from the north would come and visit at my desk.  They always had great stories of encounters with polar bears, arctic wolves, arctic foxes, and whales and seals and walruses.  As they realized that I really loved to hear stories of polar bears, they began to snap pictures of the animals and send them off to me in the next batch of books to be analysed.  I began to get several pictures a month during the winter. I kept some of the pictures, however, the earlier photographic paper does yellow over time, and does not stand up to much handling.  

Pictures like this one, of a mother and cubs were common.  This picture comes from www.nwf.org.  

The point of the story is that when an animal shows up over and over in your life, especially from an early age, a Shaman says that this is one of Power Animals.  A Power Animal both shows an aspect of your self as well as showing an external source of power that is always available to you.

At the time that I was meeting Polar Bear for the first time, I did not realize the implications of the true power of this Bear.  Polar Bear is truly a specialist in the North - the colour, the ability to hunt all prey in such a camouflaged way as to be invisible, and the great speed - send a message that I did not "get" until a couple of years ago. I think that I am still learning some of it.

What Polar Bear did for me during the time that I worked at Northern Stores was create a love for all things Northern, and a great sadness that the company that I worked for was sponsoring hunters to kill the animals of the North for their fur.  I realized that I did not want to be part of that culture and within the year of starting my job, I began taking night classes at University to become something else.  

One of the messages that I received from Polar Bear, in a retrospective look at my life, was to move away from being somebody without a goal or a specific purpose.  Polar Bear was a BIG motivating factor in moving into Education and then into Accounting, and finally specializing in Accounting Software.  

The other thing that Polar Bear did was make sure that I was with the perfect mate.  When I met the guy that is now my husband, one of the things that impressed me was that he had a picture of two Polar Bears playing.  That picture hung in our bedroom for many years.  It is now in our guest room.

I wish you happiness and days of playing!

Blessings,

Judy

Pelican Offers Advice

As we walked along the path by the river, we were surprised to see a lonely looking Pelican floating along the water, occasionally sticking its head below the water and then pulling it up again. 

My friend recently lost her husband to a long battle with cancer.  She was enjoying the walk and we were having a lively conversation.  Suddenly, the Pelican squawked, and stared right at her.  It began a lively combination of swimming, and sticking its head under water, and shaking water off, and then starting the combination all over.   We were surprised yet again, by this unusual behaviour.

Elizabeth asked me what I thought the bird was doing.  My reply was that the Pelican was giving her a message about life.  Here is my interpretation of the message.

• Pick up the pace of what you are doing.  It is okay to be gentle for a while, however, you do need to get on with things.
• When you feel an emotion, dive into it, and find out where it takes you.  Remember that an emotion is symptomatic of something else going on.
• Hiding from the world view by burying your head will not change things.  Meet things head on.
• When you have explored something, shake it off, and move on to the next thing.
• Moving with the water’s flow is easier than swimming upstream. 

Blessings,

Judy