How have you been finding 2021’s energy so far? When you draw awareness to your present moment do you find yourself having walked through the doorway fully, not at all, or with each foot straddling the threshold – half in and half still trailing behind reluctantly?

What fears might be holding you back from stepping into the potentials that invite you and how might you create greater peace and nurturing for yourself so that you feel more supported to move in the direction you would like to?

It’s okay to feel some trepidation around the new and it’s okay to feel confused, overwhelmed, or even needing to slow down. There’s a lot of energy in motion and where ever you find yourself is the perfect place to begin – again. And however you choose to move forward, inviting more awareness and love to walk with you can make all the difference.

Remember that with creative energy we are given the power not only to create, but to recreate. So it isn’t a focus of healing a particular thing, but in realizing the perfection of each creative moment and accessing your ability to start over just as nature renews within her seasonal cycles.

We’re moving away from New Age ideologies and spiritual fluff and into an era or frequency of being, which is not about “love and light” alone or learning how to intellectually be versed in a prescribed dialogue to fit into specific glorified niches. It’s about fuller embodiment, loving, consciously choosing, and moving with aligned actions that reflect your heart’s truth.

My sweet friend Brad shared a powerful and resonating blog post yesterday titled The End of Self-Improvement. I am sharing the link because it is a great partner to today’s message that I was in the middle of writing when I saw his, and teamwork is part of the Aquarian new energy we’re embarking on. Perhaps you’ll find some pearls of wisdom that unlock something for you in it.

I wanted to touch in now that we’re settled. Dave and I spent the last day of 2020 and first day of 2021 on the slopes of Heavenly Mountain in Tahoe before we headed out. These were my first ski days of the season warming up for the winter ahead. It felt symbolic to be up on the mountain at this precipice of yearly changes, facing and embracing some of my greatest challenges – continuing to work with certain fears I have of heights and steep edges, as well as deepening into my ski-learning process that I’ve written about before.

We were in transit January 2nd and 3rd, but have been nesting the last few days in our first, temporary winter base of Utah. We broke up our road trip into two days to make things less stressful on the fur babies. Although our cats, Sweet Pea and Boojum are seasoned travelers, having journeyed and lived in The Magick Bus during our rv life for a couple of years and joining on several other road trips, this was Astrid’s first big travel adventure.

I’ve been super lucky to have such great rabbit travel companions since rabbits stress very easily, especially when in transit. Nestor traveled on the plane with me from California to Seattle, on ferry across Puget Sound, and on car trip from Washington to Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Joy and Cosmo both traveled on The Magick Bus and accompanied us on road trips, too, with the kitties. And now Astrid has proven herself to be super bunny traveler extraordinaire, as well. In fact, Astrid actually nibbled on some food and drank water while in transit, which is amazing given stress usually shuts down that desire.

It’s not that I would say any of them “love” the traveling, but they do quite well.

The cats immediately forget that they even traveled, once we touch down anywhere, and Astrid hasn’t had any disruptions in her normal eating and eliminating behavior, which is the main concern for bunnies who have sensitive GI tracts and can go into stasis easily under stress.

Her resiliency speaks to her flexibility and although it isn’t that she wouldn’t rather be in her queenly realm back at home, but she’s open to change because she knows it offers creative expansion for the choosing AND she prefers being with me than being left behind.

Love trumps all and because she and I share a fully transparent relationship, I make sure to have conversations around the changes upcoming and explaining to her what to expect and how we will both be working together through it all. I make sure she knows I’ll be by her side the whole way and that anything that happens, I’m right there. I also let her know of the things to look forward to like both being able to experience the energies of new places and taking in the inspiration together – that we’re stronger as a team, rather than separate on our own.

I believe fully in communicating everything with our animal companions because they understand and appreciate it. You can help your animals get through things by sharing with them just as you would anyone else.

I love that Astrid always lets me know how she feels. If she’s frustrated or upset about something, she tells me so – usually with a thump, or two or three. 🙂 She’s not afraid to share how she feels and then once she does, she moves through it. She’s a great example of how expressing yourself and letting feelings flow through you, is healthy. She also knows I’ll never judge her for it, which is something also that we can all work on being better at because communication is not just a one-way street.

If you want someone to be honest and transparent with you, then being as unconditionally compassionate toward them when they do, will support that and greater communication expansion and heart connection will be possible without shut-down happening.

So, thump thump took place when we arrived at our first hotel and more thumps when she was put into her pen. Astrid hasn’t been in a pen since we first moved into our house and she had to be contained due to workers fixing up the place for us. Since then, she’s had full reign and loves her freedom. I knew it would be a transition for her to go from that to part-time pen life while we’re away, so I expected her to tell me so.

At first Astrid pulled a Houdini and when I say that I mean it literally. She is much like Nestor, possessing extreme magickal qualities. Nestor did things that defied any explanation. Astrid does similar.

I put together a smaller pen just for the first hotel night stay while she was still in her carrier, so that I could have things ready for her to be released into immediately. She didn’t see me put the pen together, but it wasn’t long before she made a beeline straight to where the pen panels join together and grabbed the bottom with her teeth, lifted the pins out of their holes, and opened the pen. We had to laugh.

Dave said, “Where did she learn to do that?!”

I said, “She’s a magick rabbit. She just knows.”

And she proceeded to do it two more times after I closed it again when she went back to her food and litter box. So, I then had to tie the bottoms to contain her.

Thump, thump, thump, THUMP!

In the new place where we’ll be for three weeks, she has her giant pen enclosure now, which is a combination of two full pens and an extra three panels all put together to create a large area for her because a Queen and huge soul in bunny body needs her space! We only keep her in it when we’re sleeping at night and out skiing/snow boarding/snow shoeing or grocery shopping, and every morning and all afternoon and evening it’s open for her to roam. We have to do this in order to make sure no unusual chewing takes place on anything that isn’t ours, and to keep her safe from any potentially harmful accidents she could have from exploring while I can’t watch her.

What’s interesting is that now when I open it, she doesn’t run out right away and actually stays inside quite a bit, as well as prefers to lay in it cozily. She’s learned that it’s not a forever circumstance, there are still things she CAN do, she has a choice in how to embrace it, she can still come and go as she chooses when we’re home, and she knows mom comes to give her extra love all day long no matter where she is. She actually comes to the area I open in the morning or afternoon now to wait to receive snuggles and then goes back in. She’s learned that the pen is not meant to hurt her, it’s actually to help keep her safe and healthy, that she still does have many intrinsic freedoms, she’s able to choose how to embrace the experience, and she knows I love her incredibly much.

Interestingly, this mirrors much of what many have felt 2020 was like for them with having to be quarantined and taking precautions. Astrid has been processing the collective in many ways over this last year, and now has taken on some of the literal feelings and experiences so as to navigate transmuting them. I’m so proud of her!

As for us, we’ve been taking things easy, slow, relaxing, resting, and starting off the year with being grateful and fully embracing each day. We haven’t been trying to do a bunch other than getting out in the snow and enjoying the coziness of downtime looking out at it when we’re not in it.

The vistas on the way to our home-away-from-home were quite stunning with portal skies galore – all very interdimensional feeling.

At one point on our first travel day, a gorgeous and mystical barn owl hovered in broad daylight facing our car next to our lane right after a gorgeous brown and white marsh hawk glided by. It’s very rare to see the mythic barn owl, let alone in the day. This added to the feeling of being in another dimension and having things seep through.

A strong message to embrace the unknown and trust in the courage to navigate by the inner senses came to me. Heart clarity is where wisdom lies. Things are coming to light and profound change is imminent.

I choose to align with the changes, as Astrid is too.

Little by little, I’m starting to get organized for the year ahead, am listening to what’s showing up, putting together some plans-of-action that feel to reflect the now, and am focusing on completing the current work I have on hand before embarking on the new. My sense is that I won’t be starting on the latter until I return home in March, but will be taking in the inspiration needed for it and getting things in place so I am ready to go.

In the meantime, balance encompasses each day. I’m thoroughly enjoying the winter landscapes here and loving all the beautifully lighted trees all over town at night in every color. It all stirs the little girl’s heart in me to squeal with joy.

The morning views out the windows are the perfect backdrop for family time snuggled in with the fur babies, vegan lattes, pastries, and breakfast, while we map out what the day’s adventures will be.

I just love looking out on the open, white expanse from within the colorful coziness.

Cozy winter mornings remind you that what’s in your heart can warm any experience. Your capacity to love, express kindness, and spread and open to compassion is your super power.

I’m taking time this month to deepen into my heart even more and let it navigate my days.