Today’s post is a version of Ask Astrid Fridays with a Faerytale twist.

Yesterday evening we found ourselves at the last minute going to the beach down by the lake. A free music performance is put on every Thursday there during the Summer for about eight weeks. We hadn’t gone the week before, but after a long week it felt like an impromptu refresh. Nature put on an incredible sunset show as gift for coming that seemed to also reflect the stirrings in my heart. She started with a small rainbow portal in the clouds and then burst gently into dramatic and ethereal colors and expanse that were breathtaking.

Some friends showed up, including one of their moms who was on her last day’s visit before returning home. She came to celebrate her birthday this past week, turning 90. I met her once before and we shared a brief, but to-the-heart conversation before she left that was impactful.

She hadn’t spoken much during the time she was there, but then she and I were on our own for about three or so minutes right before her leaving. She was challenged with her speech, which I hadn’t remembered from last year, and asked me a few questions about how long I’ve lived here, where, and what I did as my work.

I told her about being an artist and writer. She asked what kind of book I was writing and I only briefly shared the genre before her son came over to gather her up and go.

As they walked away, after saying our goodbye’s, she stopped and turned to me and said, “Finish your book.”

It was so clear – more than anything she had said in conversation that evening and so much so that another very in-tune friend asked, “did she just say finish your book?” as he was also taken by the incredulous way she said it and how it came out. We both found it interesting, as I hadn’t said much at all about it, didn’t relay how I was in the editing phase, nor that I had taken another pause with it. And yet her message kept ringing for me.

I said to our friend and Dave that it didn’t even feel like it was her speaking and that’s what got me the most. It was more like she was a conduit for this message and the Universe was speaking through her, as something changed about her in that moment of relaying it.

All night and morning I keep hearing her and smiling at the way answers and confirmations come through.

Of course it was meaningful to me because I knew this is where I was returning after having spent time in the inner realm recently.

My book must be completed. That’s all I know. What happens after that isn’t important. Only that it’s time to return and Astrid agrees.

In fact, she got me in writing mode this morning, by inspiring a quick and sweet little “faerytale” to kick-start things with her explorations she called my attention to. I shared it this morning on social media.

It went like this with accompanying photos of her adventures:

Astrid woke from a long slumber, finding herself in a magickal realm surrounded by all the creatures and treasures she had only imagined in her mind until now.

Her heart leapt with excitement, for the possibilities in this new world seemed endless.

She explored all the enchantment, tenderly nosing everything…the crystals, sacred altars, sound instruments and sweet creatures all tickled her whiskers with delight.

“This could only be the sanctuary of a Faery,” she thought to herself. She searched high and low looking for the portal that must have brought her to this place, wondering how she could have come to be here.

“Because you belong here,” a voice from the Faery of this realm whispered in her heart. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

“But how can this be?” she asked.

“Because you are the Rabbit Faery Queen. Don’t you remember?”

It was at that moment in hearing these words spoken so purely to her heart that everything she once thought she knew melted away, revealing the truth beneath it all. A single tear fell from her eye, as she felt recognition wash over her. And so the story begins. 

I would not be a bit surprised if Astrid was the voice coming through the woman last night, or one of several collective voices in my spirit guide realm that channeled through.

In any event it reaffirmed the path I’ve chosen.

No other large scale project can be entertained until it’s done. So, even though I have had ideas streaming in, as mentioned in a previous post, completion is necessary with my current heart’s calling.

And having a couple of channels for quick creative inspiration, as well as the supportive sessions are perfect compliments.

Sometimes we need to simplify our lives in order to experience the full birth and death of each idea, path, project, and goal. Otherwise we stand juggling a ton of ideas and partial starts that stay suspended in air and never see their full cycle come down to Earth.

It made me reflect on the time we have here and now and how we utilize it.

More than ever the realization of impermanence is clear. We don’t know how much time we have and it makes living as present as possible right now so meaningful.

It’s not that what you decide to do with your present moment has to be something grand and with fireworks exploding, but it’s more about embracing the moment fully and living it with heart and gratitude.

This might mean appreciating everything around you and really sinking into the richness the tiniest things contain.

Or, this might mean that dreams, wish lists, things you have longed for, and incomplete projects or projects you want to start, you make priority and simplify the rest of your life in order to actually do, experience, and complete them.

You’ve heard it before about the importance of living life today, as if it might be your last.

So, if this was your last day, month, or year, what would you really want to do with it?

People often say before they transition that their deepest regrets are the things left unsaid or undone – ranging from telling a loved one how much they love them, forgiveness, more sweet moments with those they care about, taking time for the things that really mattered in life, investing in that thing that really felt pivotal, but the mind said it was impractical, a trip or goal they pushed off because other things needed to be in place first before they felt they could do it….

We always feel there is plenty of time for something and while it’s true that not forcing or rushing things is important, as well as finding the flow of alignment, there’s a fine balance and refinement to this and sometimes these can also be excuses to bypass something.

If something touches your heart and gut in a way that feels like a lingering ache in the background – subtle or profound – this is a message trying to get your attention.

Is there something you would like to do, change, experience, or step into that you can feel resistance to?

And if you do feel resistance, are you interested in exploring what that is?

Is it a fear, does it affirm your old or new beliefs, is it really about timing, does it speak to your inner author receiving inspiration for a rewrite?

The book of life is profound simply by way of being here.

It’s full of those short adventure stories where you get to keep choosing your path and endings.

When you finish one, you can start and rewrite another.

Don’t be afraid to finish.

Each ending is a new beginning.