Happy Mother’s Day

 This is a special day to remind us all of how much Mothers mean to each of us.  The following quotes about Mothers show some of the feeling behind our celebration of Mothers.  

"Mother: the most beautiful word on the lips of mankind." —Kahil Gibran

"To the world you are a mother, but to your family you are the world." —Unknown

"Mothers can look through a child’s eyes and see tomorrow." —Reed Markham

"To a child’s ear, 'mother' is magic in any language." —Arlene Benedict

"My mother is a walking miracle." —Leonardo DiCaprio

"Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while, but their hearts forever." —Unknown

 "A mother understands what a child does not say." —Jewish Proverb

"There is no influence so powerful as that of the mother." —Sara Josepha Hale

"Mother: the most beautiful word on the lips of mankind." —Kahil Gibran

"The art of mothering is to teach the art of living to children." —Elaine Heffner

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Blessings,

Judy

Elementals Love Mossy Places

This picture is a quiet place in a small forest on the edge of a lake.  It is a magical place.  Even though the trees have been cut down long ago, the Elementals love this spot.  If you look in the upper left hand corner of the picture, you may see the shadows of what looks like two beings in the woods. 

The Elementals say that much energy is transmitted in sites like these.  They suggest that you visit a woods or forest very soon and find a spot like this to sit and to gather energy.

Blessings,

Judy

Coyote Healer In My Dream

As I was reading some of my old writings, I was struck by how often I have realtime or dream time interactions with Coyotes.  In this dream, the interaction is very positive.  My dog Magic has been gone several years now.  The dream that preceded this one was a situation where I was in a battle of good and evil. 

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In my dream, I was on my knees.  I had been hurt, and was bleeding from two wounds, one to my left shoulder and one to my right thigh.  I hurt.  I was wondering if it was worth continuing trying to live.  I knew that I was bleeding out.  My head dropped forward, and I thought that I would soon die.  

And then I heard a yip of some sort.  I tried to see what was coming, but I could not.  I thought that I could not feel this tired without sleeping.  As I started to lean forward, I leaned into something very soft.  I looked up and saw a large, grey coyote in front of me.  He whined.  He leaned into me.  

I wrapped my fingers around his fur and I felt comfort – like when I was little and could hug my teddy bear.  I felt his fur absorb the blood that I was loosing.  I began to feel better.  I felt my strength return and I rocked back on my heals.  

As I started to say thank-you, he whined and licked my cheek, and then trotted off into the bushes.  I could just barely see him amongst the grey branches.  It seemed that he stopped to watch me, to see what would happen next. 

The next scene in the dream was that my dog, Magic, came running up to me, growling in the back of his throat as though he was giving me heck for getting out of his sight.  He dropped down in front of me, panting.  He sniffed the air.  And then he looked directly at the Coyote.  He barked once with what sounded like “Thanks”.  And then he nudged my hand, and got up, as though saying “ It is time to go home.”  I struggled to my feet, and wrapped my hands in the fur in Magic’s neck.  

The next thing I knew was that I was awake, and Magic was lying at the foot of the bed, pressed up against me.  And, I felt tired.

Many blessings,

Judy

Feeling The Magic!

 

I am amused when I listen to people say that there is “no such thing as magic!”  I believe that everyday has lots of magic in it.  I think that many people are so busy trying to control their life and to control others around them that they miss the little pieces of magic that happen all the time.

Dictionary.com defines magic as a verb -

verb

move, change, or create by or as if by magic.

"he must have been magicked out of the car at the precise second it exploded"

Physics tells us that energy changes when force is applied to it thus creating a “magical’ change.    For example, when we hunting for a product on a store’s shelves and the product isn’t there.  We ask a store assistant to help us and they confirm that it is not where it should be, but, they spot it several spaces further on, and there is only one item.  They tell you it was misplaced.  Perhaps it was.  That you could find it when the item is out is magic.   

Another good example occurred when my husband and I were travelling.  We were picking up our luggage in Vancouver airport.  Ours was the last off.  Everyone else was gone.  My husband was looking at the name tags on our luggage and asked me if I had a felt pen in my purse.  Sometimes I do but this time I did not.  So he said, “I wish I had a good black felt pen to change the writing on our luggage tags.”  Literally moments after he said that, the luggage carousel which was still running, carried a good size black felt pen around to where we were standing.  Magic indeed!  

Blessings,

Judy

A Dog is A Blessing!

One of my friends sent me this poster, and, I love it!  I say a prayer each day for my dog.

I seem to be in a story telling mood this week. So I thought that I would tell you a story from six years ago when I had two dogs.  Dog don’t just bring joy to their family, they also bring joy to others.

This story is about my dog Magic, now deceased, and my dog Merlin, still very much alive but a senior now.

The first story is about Magic, a border collie and blue healer cross.  We were having a gathering of friends to celebrate the fall equinox.  One of our friends asked if she could bring a guest.  We said yes to the guest.  When he arrived he was very quiet and reserved.  We asked that everyone sit on the floor in a comfortable position.  Everyone had cushions and we moved into a circle.  While the ceremony was going on, Magic went over to the new comer, and sat down, then placed his paw over the man’s heart.  They sat like that for about five minutes.  You could see the man visibly shift in both his face and in his posture.  Magic then lay down in front of him and dozed.  We later learned that the man recently lost his wife.  Magic recognized the grieving and applied his own “magic”.

The second story goes that Magic, Merlin, and I were out for an early morning walk at about seven in the morning.  The off leash area that we walked in was on the route to different schools and kids would short cut through the dog park. As we walked along the grass, we watched a young man (late teens) walk up the hill to get to the top of the hill where we were walking.  At the top, he turned and walked towards us.  He was using the short cut to the high school.  He walked hunched forward, like all the weight of the world was on him.  

Quite unexpectedly, Merlin started to act silly.  He would jump over Magic and race to me and jump.  I tossed the frisbee and he jumped, twisted and landed, with a big grin on his face.  Soon, the young man was laughing at him and trying to coax Merlin to give him the frisbee.  The two played for about five minutes.  The young man’s shoulders relaxed and he was caught in the moment where nothing matters.  For a few minutes, he forgot his troubles. 

 There are other stories about the dogs that highlight the way they see people and animals and try to help them.  I felt so lucky that I was blessed with special dogs that recognized when someone needed comforting.

I would love to hear your stories of your animals, if you have a story to share.

Many blessings,

Judy.  (In case you missed it, email to lightstationwisdom@gmail.com)

Pelican as a Spirit Messenger

"Pelican flock on the Bow River".    Copyright 2022 Judith Hirst

Calgary is unusual in that we do not have a large lake close to us and yet, every spring, a flock of pelicans (about forty of them) fly here at the beginning of May and stay until fall.  The flock is usually at the Bow River near where I live early morning or into the evening.

Pelicans are dedicated fishermen, and seem to have an unerring sense of where the fish are and how long they will be in that area.  When the fish have moved on, the pelican group will rise into the air in a flurry of white, and soar up the river (or down, as the case may be) looking for the next pocket of fish.

For several days now, I have been seeing the pelican on my walks or when I am driving to go shopping.  I have learned that this means Great Spirit has a message for me via the pelican.  Pelican is a Spirit Animal that is acting as a messenger.  Some days I think a phone call would be much simpler!  However, now that my attention is focused, Great Spirit knows that I will look for the guidance.  

At first, the message is not clear.  Black and white - all about mystery and magic.  Got that!  The black tips are on the wings - that is about flying into mystery and accepting the magic that appears in life.  As the pelican flies upwards, the black wing tips ground it even though it goes ever higher as depicted by the white representing the white lotus flower and the eighth chakra.  Part of the message then is to get in touch with my higher self, and sooner than later.  

The pelican has orange legs and an orange bill.  The legs are in the water which represents emotion.  The orange colour relates to the sacral chakra - the chakra of creativity and manifestation, relationships, and control.  Some of the issues that I often see connected with this chakra are about control, money, sexual issues, power, guilt and blame, and the duality of grace and joy along with fear and anger.  I remembered that black and white is also about duality. 

The thought that popped up was that I needed to wade into the emotions that I have been holding in my sacral around anger that I have around all the folks that are relinquishing their dogs, cats, and other animals to Calgary Humane and to SPCA.  I know that many are sacrificing because they can no longer afford them because of high cost of utilities here, the high gas prices, and the increasing property tax and insurance amounts.  The cost of food has risen ridiculously in the last year.  I am frustrated with our local and provincial government as well as the Federal government for raising gasoline taxes, not increasing pensions to seniors at the rate of inflation, paying out extraordinary amounts to countries outside of Canada without dealing with the high cost of housing and the increasing homelessness…. I am sure you can add to my list.  I am also frustrated because my writing and creating teachable modules of the work that I do is going so slowly.

The other part of the message was that  I needed to let go of "controlling so tightly" what the modules would look like.  I needed to let Spirit (the white is spirit) wade in and help me.  The orange bill indicates that I (we) will receive abundance, and like the pelican, I will always know where to look for it because I have that creative ability. 

When I finished translating the message, I felt pretty humble.  A phone call would not have been half as effective!

May Great Spirit fly a message your way,

Many Blessings,

Judy    

Magic and Mystery

  Mystic Lights from the Northern Sky

This world is now in a time when we all need something to grasp on to as hope for a better way.  The media launches pictures and articles about the tragedies that occur in many countries around war, loss of civil liberties, the lack of rights that women and children do without in all countries.  Why, we wonder, do some of these senseless acts occur and why does the Universe let them occur?  When we look at the sky, the answer does seem to appear.  There is a huge configuration of stars and planets, swirling around in a senseless orbit.  Yet when examined closely by astronomers, a definite pattern is reflected in the movement of these faraway masses.  They are simply so far away that without that big eye view provided by some of the massive telescopes, no one would even see the pattern. 

As above, so below.  The Earth, too, is held in its place in this Universe by the gravitational pull of the Sun and the Moon and the push/pull of all of the other planets.  It is a pattern so intricate that for thousands of years, no one believed it! The Catholic Church outlawed belief in it.  Just because the pattern is not seen or understood does not mean the pattern does not exist!

I believe that there are huge patterns of activity that occur on Earth that have meaning in the Universe, that have meaning for the cosmology of time to come.  I believe that while we may judge daily events, and scream for justice, that more justice exists in Nature than we truly realize.  I believe that some of these patterns are evening out karmic events in the same way that big winds and rains clean the ground to leave no trace of passersby.  I believe that every day we are witness to magic and mystery that simply flies over our heads because we do not understand.

Many blessings,

Judy

Canada Goose and a Spirit Message

    

                                       "Canada Goose Gander In A Tree" 

 

The first time that I saw a Canada Goose in a tree, my reaction was, "What the ..?"  And then I saw a goose several more times in this tree and in various trees, and I began to be curious. I have been seeing geese in trees for the last five years.  First, my curiosity was around why he was behaving this way, and second, I wondered why I was continually seeing this behaviour. I finally snapped this picture.

After I took this picture, I realized a certain irony in the situation.  There are wonderful stories about goslings (baby geese) being imprinted with the first thing that they see upon hatching.  The imprint leads the gosling to regard that object/animal/person as their mother and supreme leader until the gosling is ready to fly on its own.  Now, here I was, imprinting the goose forever in my memory by actually taking a picture of it. There had to be something going on at a Spirit level.

I remember reading in a Ted Andrew's book that goose is about the call of the quest  and travel to places of legend. Perhaps goose was reminding me that my life is  a quest and that I better get moving on it.  Or, perhaps it is to be a reminder that magic is possible, as in legends - that the impossible such as a goose in a tree, does happen.  Since the goose is sitting up high, and this particular group of trees is in the middle of a grassy field, it seems that the goose is actually a "guardian or look out" for the small group of geese that were below the tree and along the stream.  There are several coyotes in the area that do use the long grass for ground cover as the coyote quests for food.

The idea of "look out" sent me on a new wave of thought.  Perhaps this is a warning to be on the look-out for those things which may creep up on you.  Or, it may be a reminder to be protective and to guard your mate and your family and friends.  Goose is often associated with writing and telling the story because our ancestors used goose quill pens as writing tools.  So, the idea of being on the look-out for a story or for workshop material also seems like part of the message.   

The message that resonated with me, however, was "responsibility".  This goose shows that one must accept responsibility in the group to help the group's survival.  Further, goose accepts that there is a role each of the group must perform, and in doing that role, one doesn't get to indulge in self serving actions (eating, drinking, resting, playing, or simply refusing to get involved but wanting others to do the work). This realization caused me to do some soul searching.  Was I stepping up to the plate?  Was I doing all that I could do to assist my group? Was I self indulgent?  

The answer, I realized, is in the perspective.  When you are higher up, and more removed from the situation, such as goose is, up in the tree, one sees the bigger picture.  One sees how the field merges into the trees and into the bank of the stream and even the stream itself.  One sees the symmetry and balance of being able to forage without worry while another guards.  If however, you are one of the geese on the ground, all you see is the detail around you.  Part of the balance then, comes from each goose taking a turn at sitting in the tree as the look-out while the others, including the previous look-out, take time to eat and rest. 

In each of our lives, there are those people who are always demanding that we do more - that if we do not do more, we are "not responsible" or "not loving" or "not being part of the group".  As goose shows, one needs to be on the  "look-out" for those people in your life that will manipulate you, and will put your life out of balance.  The goose sends the message, then, of being discerning in where one goes and in the people or groups that one associates with, to guard against being out of balance.  That is a soul felt message from Great Spirit!

May you be peaceful and at ease, and may you be balanced.

Many Blessings,

Judy

Water

 

Picture of Elbow Falls from August 2021.

Water is an amazing piece of magic.  It sustains life around it because it carries oxygen and “waters” the plants and trees and birds and animals.  It makes up a great percentage of the human body.  And while it gives life, water can be so destructive as shown by floods, tidal waves, torrential rains, and pounding spring runoffs from the mountains that reshape river banks and wash out bridges.  

Water is healing.  We bathe in it, soak in hot springs, drink it, cook in it, and use it for recreation.  Water finds the path of least resistance and flows in the way that is the easiest.  Yet, if an obstacle obstructs the path, water ruthlessly eliminates the blockage.  

Water stays in the present moment for it cannot go back to a past and it has no idea of the future.

 We too, can be like water and go with the flow and follow the path of the least resistance.  We too can overcome the blocks or obstacles on our path.  

Today, pay attention to the present moment and stay in the flow.  

Blessings

Judy

Penguin & Black & White - Spirit Animal

 

This blog is in answer to several readers who have sent in questions about Penguin showing up in their dreams or during the day in a picture or on television.  And, this blog is a partial answer to why some guidance seems to be in black and white.

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Penguins have been around for 30 to 40 million years as verified by the six foot fossils found. This makes Penguin one of the older spirit guides.

When Penguin first appears to you, do not be surprised if she bows. As well as looking formal in their black and white attire, Penguins have an intricate social pattern that includes bowing to one’s mate upon leaving and arriving in the nest, bowing to others as they move throughout the society. Bowing represents a tool for appeasement and to maintain social structure. Those who have Penguin as a guide are encouraged to become more polite and attentive to how the social structure around them is holding together. Perhaps you are being called to pay honor to your mate or to your friends. Perhaps you need to appease someone where you have been harsh with your words or actions. Penguin also moves in straight lines when they are gathered in groups and moves with orderliness and a sense of purpose. They are determined and focus. If you lack determination and focus, ask Penguin to assist you in strengthening these areas.

As Penguin has become smaller over the centuries, and more aquatic, its ability to see out of water has diminished. It sees best in the water. As water also represents emotion, then Penguin has the clarity to see through the emotion and get to the heart of the issue. Additionally, Penguin moves through the water with the style of an acrobat or ballerina. They may be awkward on land, but Penguin is graceful and fluid in the water, twisting and turning and shooting upward, achieving speeds of 25 miles per hour. Penguin then teaches about tuning to your inner rhythm, and how to move with speed through emotions, shortening the time you would otherwise spend there.

Pay attention to Penguin’s color. Black and white, ying and yang, magic and mystery! The whiteness of the Penguin represents the awakening spirit and the light of all that is – as does the whiteness where it resides. The black represents the unknown, the density, and the different dimensions. The balance in Penguin’s color shows you how to balance and merge the darkness and the light, and to move between worlds as the Penguin moves between the sea and the land – two different worlds. Feel honored that Penguin is your guide for your journey of magic and mystery is moving in a new direction.

Many blessings.

Judy (email her at lightstationwisdom@gmail.com)

The Value of Gratitude

                       

If you are a participant in many of the spiritual conferences and podcasts that are currently available online, you will notice that all of them mention the power of gratitude.  For the record, www.vocabulary.com has a great definition of gratitude.

Gratitude means thanks and appreciation. ... Gratitude, which rhymes with "attitude," comes from the Latin word gratus, which means "thankful, pleasing." When you feel gratitude, you're pleased by what someone did for you and also pleased by the results. Unlike indebtedness, you're not anxious about having to pay it back.

Knowing how to feel grateful and how to practice gratitude is a gift from Great Spirit.  Buddhists say that in order to feel compassion, one must know how to feel gratitude and to express gratitude.

One of my teachers explained to me that gratitude is a special wave of energy that spirals to the heart of the Universe.  The Universe feels the joyful news and grace within the gratitude.  This wave of energy is like a magic wand that waves abundance to the one that expresses gratitude.

May you have a ton of gratefulness today!

Many Blessings

Judy