The unknown path can be both daunting and exciting. It asks of our courage to explore things outside of our comfort zone and familiarity. Curiosity can help with gentle steps forward.

Where do you feel tightness when thinking about change?

This can help reveal where greater understanding and compassion could be of support.

Daily, I watch as our new wild rabbit baby, Finn, greets each day with curiosity. He has a built-in survival response to keep his senses always on alert, but he balances that with this innocent joy of adventure, wanting to explore his new world and try out the delicacies that his home provides.

He knows to stay within the safe bounds that mom has taught him and never goes too far out of safe distance to his burrow so that he can easily bolt back if needed.

Yet, he zooms, hops, and sniffs about with curious wonder – even chinning ownership over things like our new jacuzzi – sometimes coming nose-to-nose with chipmunk and squirrel friends who also celebrate life with zest. They joyfully welcome this new little prince of the forest.

I saw Finn out with Foxglove yesterday morning. I haven’t seen that, actually, since Frith was a baby and would hang out with mom in the front yard sometimes. I feel Foxglove is Finn’s mom, teaching him the ways of the forest.

I fall in love even more with life when I witness Finn’s exuberance and buoyancy of spirit while fully enjoying each precious moment. He tempers just enough exploration with familiarity, learning how to expand his experience one step and day at a time, as he faces decisions that can sometimes mean life or death in the moment. He never knows what each day and stretch he takes will offer, but he continues to be curious and to want to learn more every day.

I’ve noticed energies challenging and triggering everyone right now in new ways, and how all of this is taking a willingness to step back and detach from in order to look at it all vulnerably and feel the truth of things beneath the surface from a place of curious detachment and presence.

I’ve also been hearing from more people of all ages that are receiving a surprising health diagnosis that is also asking a lot from them to handle decisions around how to face choices that are even more pressing and defining.

It’s definitely not an easy time right now for many.

Sometimes nature reminds us that we have more choices than we think we do and our approach can have a profound effect on how this day and moment could be.

Things don’t define us.

We define…or rather…we expand our experience by the deepening of our hearts in every moment.

Finn’s days aren’t promised, but he promises to make the most of each day.

That’s all any of us can choose to do.

Happy Virgo New Moon

Just a heads up that the only crystal being that is available is the incredible Elder Cathedral Lemurian Quartz Skull by Pitico. This one has Rainbow Light, Record Keepers, is an Interrealm Traveler, Bridge Harmonizer, Star Seer, Ancient Terra Code Guardian & More. There’s been a lot of interest in this one, which isn’t surprising given the light and energy they exude, but is still awaiting their home. It’s amazing to feel these connections forming and building in the background as the person works to ready themselves. I often find that crystals like this one draw in either someone who knows immediately, or someone who doubts themselves and is working at claiming their power. You can find details about them, including some very rare attributes, at the link below. To find a cathedral lemurian crystal in such natural, high quality, let alone to be carved is amazing.

Crystal Skull

Messengers have been reaching an all time high these days in terms of conscious, magickal connections. Have you noticed that too?

While I’ve always communicated with animals, the precision of communication has amplified in terms of Spirit channeling through the bodies of the animal world.

I’ve expressed before how I feel that higher dimensional consciousness streams through this way because I sense it’s how they can assist and come through for us in waking life that doesn’t totally disrupt or shock the human experience until that state of being is more fully ready to receive in this way.

While I experience these kinds of communications via dream and meditative or altered state times as well, it is more evident how much they are communicating and transmitting through direct animal encounters – a way to merge dimensions and worlds.

I share a lot – not all – of these stories here to thread together some of what I mean by this.

Another experience with owl recently happened as well that demonstrates both the direct communication lines and the manifestation possibilities.

I mentioned finding some owl feathers on the last day of our backpacking trip – they were a little tuft of smaller ones I discovered in a mound of special quartz pieces KC – aka Bean – and I found. Finding them at the end in this high energy spot seemed fitting after all we’d gone through on that adventure and a way to herald in what was upcoming.

Then on the 13th – last week – while doing a short hike with Dave, I found a Great Horned Owl feather. It was the smaller kind that comes from their body – breast area – with soft tufts of gray down attached to the bottom.

My finding it was kind of extraordinary because I noticed just the gray down part was stuck around a rock and dusted with dirt on the trail. I wasn’t going to pick it up, but decided to bend down and lift up the rock to pull it out. As I did so, the rest of the beautiful feather emerged from the dirt. I brushed it off and smiled. I wouldn’t have known that was there if I hadn’t decided to follow through on the nudge of curiosity.

I was overjoyed and felt it to be significant in timing.

Owl energy can be around when you are entering periods of transition to help assist in accessing deeper wisdom and intuitive knowledge that will help guide you into the new, unknown.

There is an owl hieroglyph at the Temple of Edfu in Egypt – interesting as you’ll see, since this Temple is dedicated to the Falcon God, Horus. Horus has also been linked with Hawks.

For Egyptians, owls are guardians of the Underworld and are bringers of wisdom and protection, and act as guides for the souls of the dead on their journey onward.

Owls are quiet observers with ability to pierce through shadow energies and therefore impart that there will be times to sit quietly and/or remove ourselves so that we can receive what others might miss and align ourselves with our truest path.

Owls have also been linked with extraterrestrial experiences. While that’s been true for me, they aren’t the only animals that have marked ET encounters in my life. They just seem to show up a lot in this form for other people.

I placed the owl feather into the pocket of my shorts where I had found a hawk’s cheek feather I’d placed there a couple of days before, but had forgotten about, and I continued on. After that I found some raw quartz and added it to my pocket. When we got to the car I went to retrieve everything and found that the owl feather was gone – the quartz and hawk’s cheek feather were all that remained.

I was so sad to have lost it, as I felt the importance of its energy. I couldn’t understand how it had fallen out. Or was there some other explanation? I wondered why it had disappeared.

I kept thinking about it on the ride home and Dave told me maybe I would find it the next day, as we were going to be doing a longer almost seven mile loop hike with some friends that would include the little section we had just done.

I hoped, but knowing how hikers, bikers, and animals come through there along with the wind at that elevation as well, I wasn’t sure where it might end up. Afterall, it was miraculous that I found it in the first place being that it was hidden under a rock and dirt.

That night, as we were watching a series with our sliding glass door open to take in the cool night’s air, we heard the loud hooting of an owl.

We’ve never had one so close to the house, let alone do I remember one hooting by the house at all. It sounded to be in one of the trees just off the deck. Dave was even surprised, as we listened.

I knew the owl was getting my attention.

I immediately told Dave, “He’s telling me he wants me to have the feather!”

I also felt other messaging – that he wanted to assure me that others are assisting with the preparations for things I’d be doing next month and that he’d heard my intentions around things and was supporting them. The feather was indication of guidance for the journey and the wisdom to discern.

Eventually Dave got up from the chair and turned on our outdoor deck lights that illuminate the forest trees just off of it to see if the owl might be visible. Of course as soon as the lights went on, the owl stopped hooting and didn’t resume again.

The next day we went on the longer hike with our friends.

As we got about midway on our hike, I suddenly noticed something peeking through the dirt on the middle of the trail again. Up until then, I had carried owl in my heart and had a strong sense that something was going to show up and it did.

It was another owl feather, but larger this time and baring the barred patterning.

I said out loud, “An owl feather! The owl wanted me to have one.”

Dave said, “Seeeee….you got one anyway.”

I was so happy and could feel owl winking at me and strongly in my presence, surrounding my aura like we’d become one.

I went about telling our friends the story of what happened and they thought it interesting.

We continued on and I was getting more excited knowing we were back on the part of the trail from the day before.

Suddenly I reach down to the right and retrieve my long lost feather, “I found it!”

Dave again said, “Seeeee. I told you, you could find it again.”

I repeated, “The owl wanted me to have it and the other was an added bonus to let me know how connected and clear the channel was.”

I was so happy.

It was so much more to me than finding the feather again, or the feathers in general.

It was the clarity of communication and the powerful connection that I felt. There are simply just no more veils or boundaries with things. And the animal world was my direct channel to the heart of things that would otherwise seem out of reach.

This process of surrender, trust, and heart knowing was part of the guidance and message.

Synchronously, last night after I finished writing this part of the blog about owl, we went out for an evening jacuzzi immersion on the forest. I saw a large bird fly through the dimly lit sky and come to rest in a tree off across the trail behind our house. I could see its pattern of flight and outline, knowing immediately it was owl silently making an appearance as an underscoring to my insights and experiences. He remained silent in the dark.

Silence is golden…another of the messages that has been strong recently amidst anchoring space for others in a different place.

Not long after that, bats began dancing in the air above us.

I mentioned hawk earlier when referencing the Temple of Edfu and Horus where one of the owl hieroglyphs can be found.

Well, hawk has also been revving up with very deliberate messaging.

You know I’ve shared how my, and my rabbit companions’, connection with them is strong. I have had a deep bond with Horus and many unusual and surreal experiences of protection and guidance with hawks especially, and falcons as more rare, refining of energies.

I mentioned the small hawk cheek feather in my pocket with owl’s feather. And I mentioned the hawk feather in my last post that I found after the ptarmigan feather, but I’ve been finding quite a few of their feathers actually in recent weeks since returning home from our months away. There’s been a more consistent flow of them and alongside the feather finds, Horus has made himself known and present.

But before getting to that, an unusual sighting happened first that I haven’t seen in years since I lived at the north end of the lake back in 2006-2009.

Just last week, right before the owl feather experience, I was sitting having my morning fruit bowl pre-breakfast and suddenly a huge presence flew straight across the windows on the forest. She flew super low at eye level to me sitting on the couch, and was just a few feet from the deck.

This was no hawk, although I’ve seen very large hawks. It was a Golden Eagle.

Her flight across the length of the windows took place as if in slow motion. I could see every detail of her face, feathers, and enormously powerful body. And those eyes! They pierced into my soul on this deliberate fly-by. A transmission took place that was unmistakable.

It happened while I was also in communication about something important. I knew it to be a punctuation of things upcoming and wanting me to know that everything was in alignment and I was ready.

I haven’t written about Golden Eagle before, but here’s a few things that stand out.

Golden speaks to me of alchemy.

Eagles have incredible vision and can be linked to prophets or seers. Golden eagles are considered by some to be linked to the supernatural and celestial, embodying great power and strength.

Golden Eagle is linked to the Sun and is known as the Thunderbird in North American indigenous cultures. This magnificent one is sacred and carries messages of renewal and well being.

I can still see and feel her presence.

Fast forward to yesterday.

Dave and I were coming back from a hike we haven’t done for a few years off in a place called Hope Valley. As we were driving back on the highway we both gasped.

A giant red-tailed hawk flew directly across the front window of our car at eye level again. He was literally only inches away from hitting the car, but his navigation was impeccably timed.

This large red-tailed hawk, again, remains etched in my mind’s eye and seemed like it took place in slow motion. Every detail of his face, eyes, and feathers are clear and the experience just as exhilarating as when it happened.

We were both shocked as to how this hawk managed to make it across without us hitting him. But more so, we were in awe of the experience and sight.

Hawks are also connected to the Sun and hold protective powers – my experience for sure! They have a presence of guardianship.

Although falcon is the main connection to Horus, hawks have association as well in my experience and for me I have always felt an immediate link to Egyptian and Cosmic memories…they are also sacred and often depicted hovering over a Pharoah’s head as protection. They rule the sky and also protect Terra with their wings.

Synchronously, I learned that a very special, custom carving from Egypt of Horus (created in the image of the statues at Edfu) had arrived Friday. I haven’t picked him up yet, but during all of this he’d been in transit, journeying home to me. He was brought to life by my friend Mody Ra in a most sacred and powerful stone that comes from inside the Great Pyramid itself – a place that was hugely transformative and integrative for me and where Horus made a grand appearance after one of the activations we did inside, on one of my visits there.

But back home, this made three encounters with large raptors just in the last few days that felt deliberate as experiences they intended for a reason – Owl, Golden Eagle, and Red-tailed Hawk.

Not everyone may look at things the same way, but when you start to make the connections to things going on in your life, questions or invitations, and timing, it’s hard to ignore them.

When I have encounters such as these, but especially with the particular types of birds, whether in person, visions, dreams, or through feather gifts….it has heralded a change or upgrade in direction of my life, more bleed through of cosmic integration and support coming in, as well as opened doorways to what used to be hidden within me to be remembered and accessed.

I know I’m not alone in this way of experiencing the connections. And I also don’t expect anyone to change their thoughts or beliefs otherwise.

I remain open to how guidance comes through without judgment or parameters on it.

Messengers are a way for the All, Spirit, God, Goddess, and the Multi-Dimensional aspect of You to share guidance and answer even when you think no one’s listening. Depending on your particular way of receiving, this can come in many forms and is something we can respect and honor as an individual experience.

In the meantime, the coyote packs have been howling in the forest every few nights, Astrid showed up with a powerful dream message last night, and the contrast between worlds is merging seamlessly.

And speaking of a merging of worlds…today I have another surprise, extremely rare and large crystal being who specifically asked to be shown. This magnificent one says that someone has been preparing for the connection to begin the next level of their life’s work path while they have been doing their work and readying in the interim. They bring together cosmic light, unconditional love, and ancient wisdom – highly transformative and amplifying for manifestation as highest good for all, facilitating bridge work for transitions and manifestation, and assistive for aligning with your truest spirit and heart calling. Like the spectacular citrine rainbow elder that was released and homed recently, this one is also an elder who has anchored the frequencies of Astrid’s giant Earth and Cosmic grid. More info for their guardian and cocreator can be found here:

Crystals & Crystal Skulls

The day before the 8/8 Lion’s Gate I received a sweet gift from none other than a dear butterfly spirit.

Butterflies have been with me as my guides since the start of my conscious journey and have been meaningful messengers ever since. In fact a butterfly was my very first sacred tattoo I imbued on my skin while living in Sedona, AZ at a pivotal point on my transformational journey.

A butterfly was also the guide who showed up when I was given a message around my path in life when first learning to hone my psychic visions.

Some cultures believe butterflies to be spirits coming back again to this plane of existence.

To the Mayans, butterflies are seen as ancestors returning for a visit to physicality, and part of that return is to support the shifts in consciousness by bringing back the wisdom, integrated into the now, for a return to natural harmony.

I remember on one of my sacred journeys to Peru, upon arriving at Machu Picchu, a butterfly flew at me and directly brushed my lips like a butterfly kiss. We all saw it happen and our shaman guide said, “The ancestors are welcoming you back.”

Dave and I were doing one of our go-to hikes on 8/7 and near the end of it is when my encounter took place with this Pine White Butterfly.

I saw her land on the dirt, pine needle, and rock ground next to where I was hiking through on the trail – Dave was ahead of me – and noticed her struggle and seem very frail. I wondered if she might be transitioning.

I bent down and put my hand out. She instantly crawled upon it without hesitation.

I held her for a while, noticing she didn’t seem to want to move too much and the wind was easily moving her folded wings back and forth like a sail, as she held onto me.

I decided to keep following Dave and continuing back to the car, feeling like I could give her any energetic support she might need for her process for as long as she wanted to stay with me.

I walked for several minutes with her in my hand until we got to an opening where the Sugar Pine Trees grow. I stopped briefly and watched as she suddenly took flight into the sky.

She looked more like a flower floating on the wind…her flight was very different than I’ve seen from a butterfly before. I wondered if she had received all she needed and was ready to go. Yet, also was curious as to the way she danced on the edge of air and life like a fragile feather blossom.

She ascended straight up high above, passed the Sugar Pine tip tops toward the Sun, and then suddenly stopped and flitted here and there on a soft, floating, but intentional descent.

I watched with great interest to see where she was headed and to my surprise, she aimed straight at me like an arrow and came to a gentle and deliberate land right on my chest, over my heart – attaching her sweet legs to the vintage Peter Rabbit dress I was wearing.

I took this photo from above, looking down from my chin – hard to do!

I was in shock – literally in awe of what I’d just witnessed and experienced.

It was also like the saying about “If you love something/someone, set them free. If they come back, they’re yours.”

And as corny as it may be, I also heard the words from the old Mariah Carey song, “Butterfly” in my head that came out in 1997 after I was strongly anchored in my butterfly energy back then.

The meaning of the song was about a relationship, but the literal expression of the words had just happened – taking place between me and the butterfly:

I have learned that beauty
Has to flourish in the light
Wild horses run unbridled
Or their spirit dies
You have given me the courage
To be all that I can
And I truly feel your heart will
Lead you back to me when you’re
Ready to land

Spread your wings and prepare to fly
For you have become a butterfly
Fly abandonedly into the sun
If you should return to me
We truly were meant to be
So spread your wings and fly
Butterfly

That just gave me chills all over again.

I felt she wanted to come with me and there was alchemy taking place between the two of us that no one else would truly understand, but it felt so full circle and so potent. Parts becoming whole.

It wasn’t to end just yet.

I caught up with Dave and shared the incredulous story. He thought it was amazing too.

I was right, as she stayed over my heart on my dress all the way back to the car. I told her if she stayed with me I would take her home to the garden flowers and she could do as she liked there…enjoy them, or pass in the magick of this space.

She sat still on my chest on the five minute drive home and when we got there I put my hand out, which she took the invite to, and let her walk from my hand to this flower.

There she sat, glowing.

Again, her folded wings moved left and right in the wind like a sail, but she hung on. I watched her a couple of minutes and then she spiraled up to the top of the flower.

My attention was called by something – I can’t remember what now. I turned away literally for a couple of seconds and when I turned back – poof! – she was gone.

I never saw her again.

Did she fly off?

Did she slip through the veils and was literally a manifestation called up for this energetic encounter?

Originally, I thought I might be able to give her energetic support, but perhaps it was I who was the one to receive.

Maybe both.

Maybe it was a manifestation of my own creation – a part of me returning to me.

Maybe it was an ancestor helping to prepare me for what’s to come with an activation of deepening remembrance.

All I know is that her leaving and then aiming right for my heart where she stayed all that time, was not random.

And I could feel my heart frequency shift.

It was the smallest act and yet it held so much significance and was truly magickal.

Anything is possible when we invite that belief into our every day life.

The Moon was huge in the sky the next few nights, glowing golden for the full illumination and igniting of the Lion’s Gate Portal.

The day after 8/8 we went on another go-to hike.

It was the epitome of late Summer feelings in the air as we descended one of our favorite areas – an open meadow on the slope we ski down in Winter.

During Summer this space flourishes with plants, blossoms and buzzing life.

The plants on this day were the tallest and fullest we’ve seen.

Look at D glowing!

He reminded me of my Pine White Butterfly friend.

And although the flowers were nearing end of season, there were still so many goldenrods, lupine, fireweed, and more!

At the beginning ascent aof this hike I found a beautiful and sparkly quartz root with granite cap that looks like a dragon’s head.

And on the descent, down the steep slope and lush meadow, a ptarmigan feather appeared.

I showed Dave and said it’s from a ptarmigan. He shared how we haven’t seen one in this meadow for quite some time, thinking I might not really know what type I had found lol!

Well, instant manifestation in order again! Dave’s been exceptionally good with this speaking something out loud and things happening right after.

She appeared literally thirty seconds after that.

She started to cluck softly and move up on a rock after crossing the trail in front of us. We had a feeling she might have some chicks nearby. She didn’t act or sound upset though. She continued to just look at us and softly cluck.

We continued on.

Several minutes after that I found a hawk feather that caught my eye in the middle of the flourishing meadow.

At the end of our backpacking trip I found some owl feathers and have found a few hawk feathers since.

The wild rabbits continue to grace each day. Foxglove has been around the most since 8/8.

Butterfly, ptarmigan, hawk, owl, and rabbit all carry symbolism of messengers between realms – Earthly and Spiritual.

I do feel a stronger focus in the in between right now as I prepare for things next month…and of course that is likely not just me. I just share from personal experience.

In the meantime, a lot of support is streaming through and I’ve noticed my sleep time being even deeper with a lot of preparation happening, restorative nourishment, and things rearranging.

Physically, I’ve been led to start a new exercise routine I used to do back in my twenties. I added it to our daily adventures and that’s felt invigorating and strengthening.

And, after abandoning my Garden Tower when Astrid transitioned – you might recall that I used to grow her herbs that she liked – I finally got the inspiration to move it.

It had the old, dried out soil just sitting in it on the lower deck all of this time – a place that’s never been conducive to long term care because I had to be present to water it.

So, I took it upon myself to finally take action on the inertia I was feeling because of the scope of the task. I started to empty the top 1/4 of the soil and composting center, but after discovering that I could move the tower with even just this little less weight in it, I set about doing that rather than the arduous task of continuing the cleaning out.

I was more intent on moving it than emptying it at this time.

I had the vision of it sitting next to my garden in the space where we had to remove our two beautiful tall guardian trees that had become infected by bark beetles. It also happened to be the flattest little spot that seemed like it was created just for it. So, I slowly lifted and shimmied it down the most direct path I could see possible. This was a step-by-step process.

Once down near the area, I had to then clear the ground because the branches of one of the sprawling bushes was in the way of my being able to get the Garden Tower over them – at least on my own.

So I went about pruning it – a great thing anyway – falling over on my butt once because of the thick branch I had to cut through lol!

And then I was able to shimmy the Garden Tower into place. With a little repositioning of soil and turning it just right, I got it perfectly positioned, sturdy, and steadied on flat ground. It’s actually an ideal spot with both direct and filtered Sun at all the right times of day too.

At some point I feel that I will get guidance on what to put on the stumps, but for now they carry the whispers of the tree beings that once stood there and feel right to leave as is until then.

I won’t be getting the Garden Tower going this year, as the season is too short now here in Tahoe to start stuff. But in this spot I’ll now be able to connect it to the garden dripline system, replace the soil, and plant herbs, veggies, and flowers once again! Yay!

After positioning, I had to then cut down the big branches I pruned in order to fit into our waste can and haul that out.

It was a big task, which confirmed why I had inertia to start it, but once done I felt so accomplished. 🙂

While doing this I also noticed how I have mystery plants growing in my garden that seeded themselves. I have no idea what some of them are, but they’re lush and I’m excited to watch what kinds of blooms appear.

I even discovered a pineapple sage plant growing next to one of my new rose bushes! What?!

I haven’t had pineapple sage since during the years of Astrid in my Garden Tower, now over two years ago.

Anyway, now the deck is clear, all the plants will be together and I have the solution for watering it that I never had before. All of which support our current lifestyle without fur babies, and our leaving the home more for backpacking, travels, or even overnights at the folks’ house!

Sometimes inertia can be a good thing for aligning with timing and inspiration, as I didn’t really have the vision before for what to do with it. I just let it sit there. I was almost ready to donate the Garden Tower, but now it can stay! Yay!

I also haven’t fully been in my office on a regular basis still, but just completed setting everything up and energetically preparing the space because my project is in the phase of full flow.

It’s taken time to settle into a new way of life without Astrid and the kitties. Life will always be different, but it can evolve into something beautiful too!

You don’t need to rush things, but get ready to rumble when the energy amplifies in divine messages!

As I return back to civilization and a more regular daily routine, I find myself reflecting on the last two weeks with all the potent symbolism and themes that were loudly singing amidst the music of life.

I’m soaking up the Summer sun rays and enjoying the sweet simplicity of my garden’s auric joy.

So much has spoken to a message of “embracing the now” and how we can “turn the mundane into magick”.

I, and those with me, also noticed an increase with instant manifestation happening. Unbelievably amazing how the spoken word brought forth a direct and exact result within seconds or minutes.

Did anyone else experience a rev up of energy since July’s New Moon?

On top of these, there was an incredible flow of animal messengers that carried their powerful wisdom and reflections of what our days and months ahead would hold.

On the day after my last blog – July 24th’s Leo New Moon – a streak of snake energy began big time, accompanied by an Astrid and magickal rabbits dream.

First it was a garter snake crossing the trail at the beginning of a hike Dave and I did that day. The snake wasn’t bothered by us, just sitting there watching, and then slowly moved across the path. And on the way back, a more rare alligator lizard shimmied across the trail – not far off from where the snake had been on the way up.

I’ll skip the details of the dream, but what I loved was their appearance, mirroring a cosmic family.

The rabbits were called “lavender eye rabbits” in the dream, although their eyes were more of a very deep purply azure in the shape of really large almonds. One rabbit was white and two others were agouti coated similar to Astrid.

The next morning a new baby wild rabbit appeared right after confirmation of a very exciting, upcoming experience. I didn’t get baby’s name until later on August 3rd though.

Then our friends Happy and Bean arrived – now two Sundays ago – and the adventures began.

This included a coyote sighting from our back deck on our first evening together at the house. Last time they were here it was a young bear.

Coyote felt perfect to ignite our trip, ringing in the playfulness, adaptability, and balance our time together would be saturated with.

He appeared to be molting, which mirrored the “shedding of layers” all of the upcoming snakes would represent for the changes we all talked about in our lives.

Messages of embracing big shifts to what we thought were our plans had all come to us each, individually.

We set out the next morning for a five day backpacking journey that took us through both familiar and brand new terrain in the backcountry here.

We drove to our starting point and left the car there, with plans to come out at another end and Uber back once we completed it all.

It ended up being a thirty plus mile trek with 8700 cumulative feet of elevation gain.

We usually take it pretty easy on our backpacking, and just do the longer miles on the way in and out.

Dave and I usually just do three day trips here and in Yosemite.

We also did a four day trip with our friends in the Grand Canyon several years back.

This time we extended it out to five – the most we can comfortably accommodate foodwise with our bear cannisters.

This time we all wanted to explore more – mirroring all of our intentions in life to expand into new directions overall – and while we still didn’t do anything extreme like some hardcore hikers who do the whole Tahoe Rim Trail or Pacific Coast Trail in one big sweep, we still did more than normal while also keeping balanced.

Day 1 was 7 miles

Day 2 we stay stationed to relax and immerse with only a 2 mile day hike

Day 3 we did 10 miles

Day 4 we did 5+ miles

Day 5 we did 6+ miles

All of this equaling 30+ miles with a lot of ups and down, which adds up to that 8700 feet of elevation overall.

It was breathtaking, awe-inspiring, raw, wild, adventurous, exciting, hilarious, challenging, and had us all honing our different skills to support the team.

I wasn’t expecting to, but I ended up being lead hiker the entire trip, keeping us all paced at a nice turtle-like rate good for both the heart and enjoying all the surprises along the way.

That is, until I went into rabbit mode for the miles we needed to get through super fast on our longest day, to avoid the mosquitos that the previous night’s rain (and all of the afternoon thunder storms of the previous week) had stirred up.

That day left me and Bean delirious with laughter to get to our campsite after doing more strenuous miles than we thought – well, the girls actually had mapped out the correct mileage and we agreed we should likely keep in charge of what we each know well lol!

I was also cultivating and honing my tracker instincts as “Pocahontas – Pokey” to help keep an eye on the trail, especially on all of the new sections we’ve never done and when trails were hard to see in the more wild areas.

This was the wildest portions of trails back here we’ve experienced, but we had a great team of very prepared and experienced hikers. Our friends also had satellite phone access if necessary for emergencies.

We did have maps and all that too, but instincts are also important on hikes like these and we worked so well together when we needed each other.

The adventure was a huge success on all levels with SO much beauty, raw magnificence, and amazingness to explore. Many river crossings were involved and views to take your breath away around every corner. It was also full of laughter, connection, comradery, joy, and sharing.

It’s really hard to express what these experiences are like, but the memories you make are priceless.

It’s not something for everyone, as it does take one being open to relinquishing a lot of the things in life you become accustomed to enjoying or feeling that you need. Yet, we also really make the most of the experience and have created our own version of backpacking joys.

Yet, there’s this freeness and wild abandon that exceeds in ever-giving pleasure to experience.

Feeling the fresh air on your skin and in your lungs.

Sleeping under the stars and living closely with nature.

Knowing you don’t need all of the things you think you do.

Being in tune with the elements and deepening your instincts, strength, adaptability, resiliency, and intuition, as well as cooperation.

Experiencing your senses on high and feeling the freshness of truly being alive.

Having the sun awaken your aura, the water revitalize you, the dirt remind you of your nature, realizing that the animals and plants speak the same language as you, seeing how the stars do mirror the beats of your heart – all of this clicks a switch and suddenly everything starts to make sense.

The mundane becomes magickal.

And you realize how important it truly is to embrace the now.

Life doesn’t wait for us to put everything into some idea of a perfect place.

Life goes on and so much is happening beyond the stories you hear on television, social media, in the papers, or even through secondhand gossip.

When I’m out in nature like this, I hone in on the now moment with ever-increased attunement.

We saw three garter snakes on our adventure – two on the first day’s hike in, including one crossing the rocks and one swimming in an enchanted lily pond we stumbled upon and have never seen in this area.

Then another on a later day. That first day we also found what appeared to be bear cub tracks right by the surprise lily pond.

We saw three frogs including a larger one, medium sized, and a tiny baby tree frog across the days.

We had three bald eagle sightings, which is unheard of in these parts. This all took place on our first evening. Two caught our attention at the same time when we heard their screeching call to each other and saw two come together in the sky above us and then both go off in different and opposite directions. Later, before sunset, another one came flying over again.

On our amazing hike up and down the pass, we discovered the most giant mushroom any of us had seen. We stopped to photo it with one of our traveling companion guardians (Sasquatch) who protected us along the way.

Here’s some of our other friends.

We had a falcon cross over us when we reached a beautiful meadow where what looked to us like an “Eye of Horus” cloud had formed in the sky at that moment.

We had an osprey fly over the lake of our second destination campsite.

I had a three inch common desert centipede scare the heebie-jeebies out of me when I discovered it in the hood of my rain jacket I was folding to put away! It gave everyone a scare when they heard me scream, although they said my scream sounded like a half giggle! We got that guy out into the forest rapidly and were on high alert after that. Centipede energy in the symbolic crown (hood) – hmmm!

We had a hummingbird come at the group out of nowhere on the last day when we stopped for a break under the shade of some trees of a rocky climb we were on. The courageous little one just stopped midair to say high and acknowledge us, hovering, then sitting on a branch without wings flapping a million miles a second, and then disappeared.

And all along the way we saw tons of butterflies, moths, dragonflies, bumblebees, fish, spunky chipmunks, little birds, and ducks.

I also found several perfect natural seahorse carvings mirroring the one we have in our living room, plus many more creatures and beings alive all around us, etched by Nature’s hand, including magnificent Ents (ancient tree beings)!

Not to mention, an array of gorgeous flowers blooming everywhere along the way!

Summer was buzzing and so were we.

You can’t help but to feel the electricity of life force and you easily forget that anything else exists or matters.

As mentioned, along the way, we experienced incredible, instant manifestations also.

Too many stories to tell on that, but let’s just say wow!

Our individual energies were complimentary, but by the end were synergized even more than they already were.

It all pointed to how we can unite and become more powerful together when sharing our individual and unique gifts as a means to strengthening the whole.

And this continued in reflection upon returning to civilization – a hard thing to do I might say, after you’ve been so peacefully in tune with nature’s cycles.

We called for an Uber at the end of our journey, in a more remote area and wouldn’t you know that the perfect driver met our call and vibe.

It was the best ride ever from such a great soul with a relaxed, joyful, flowing, and embracive energy.

He also just happened to have crystal and orgone pyramids on his dashboard, along with the grooviest music playing the entire forty-five minute ride.

His pyramids mirrored the myriad of pyramid formations of mountains and stones along our five day journey.

We celebrated our homecoming with a walk along the Lake Tahoe, as we waited for our favorite Thai restaurant to open for us to enjoy a feast.

We then settled in for a relaxing evening back home, being greeted by our resident red-tailed hawk out back, sitting atop a tree watching over us – as if to say, “Well done!”

This was bookended by my new wild baby rabbit showing up the next morning to greet us home.

To integrate things, we decided to enjoy a beach day after that and our mutual friends joined who just moved back to Nevada in Reno. We piled in a car and off we went.

And it was the perfect way to soak it all in and relax after an invigorating physical experience that lets you know what being human is all about.

On the morning our dear friends got back on the road to head home, Finn popped out again.

That is the name that immediately came to me, creating a trinity of “F”amily to the rabbits here – elder Frith, adolescent Foxglove, and baby Finn.

But the animal connections didn’t stop there.

The next day, Monday the 4th, Dave and I decided to do our bike/hike trails – one where he bikes and hike.

It happens to host the site of one of my secret crystal places (smoky quartz that is) and oh did it gift me again with some of the largest I’ve ever found there, along with beautiful formed and etched pieces from very light to super dark and saturated smokies.

I actually felt called to turn back earlier than usual, in part because I had no more room to carry anything in my tiny, overflowing hipsack.

I discovered there was reason for this, as it put me in timely position to save a giant rubber boa.

We don’t often see rubber boas, as they are more rare to sight than the garter snakes. We’ve seen about four in total since living here and this one made five.

I got near a turn in the trail when I noticed the long shimmery olive green girl jutting out nearly half way into the trail. She wasn’t moving and I thought at first she might be dead. I looked closer and nudged her slightly with my finger and saw her tail slightly move. Phew!

What was incredible was that she was untouched, and seemingly had gone unnoticed. At least three people had been ahead of me on my way back on the trail. Not to mention countless others before that. I let them pass, as I was going slower so as not to drop my stash of crystals. None of them had stopped to see her likely because she looked like a branch.

I became worried, as she seemed to have been sunning herself and just resting, while not only hikers went by, but more scary was all the bikes going by and that I could hear coming. I couldn’t get her to move with the little nudge, so I decided to stand right next to her left side at the edge of the trail, to protect her. I heard many people coming on bikes and hiking.

Again, incredulously, nobody looked down to see her. That was my hope in standing there, along with making sure people went around her, but thought they might stop. Instead, they just looked at me and said “hi” and went on their ways. Phew again!

Once I knew the coast was clear, I then went down to her again and talked to her. This time I rubbed her gently from midway on her back to her tail – oh how I love the feel of snakes! – and she seemed “tickled” by that. She began to finally move more forward and I told her to hurry! I heard people coming around again. I gave her one last tail touch and off she went, slithering beautifully away through the brush and under a log to safety.

If I hadn’t been there, I think she would have been run over while she was asleep sunbathing, or harassed by people who may have had a different way of interacting with her.

I’d never seen a rubber boa as large as her. She was nearly three feet long and about an inch and a half thick. Rubber boas are harmless and not venomous – and actually are known to be gentle and one of the most docile species of snakes. I really love them and seeing this large beauty really punctuated the snake experiences of the week, as well as underscoring the energies of peace, resiliency, and connection with Mother Earth.

I read that rubber boas also symbolize “protection, transformation, and adaptability due to their unique defensive posture and secretive nature.” They curl up when they feel threatened and may give off a musky odor.

I feel this magnificent being was a pillar of our collective experience in how these times really need us to learn to be more like her.

Peace within chaos.

In tune with Nature.

Resilient to rapid changes.

Protective without violence, in knowing oneself and anchoring embodied self-awareness and harmonious connection.

My wild rabbit family continues to appear daily and sometimes a couple of times a day. I was so in awe when this morning, this one stepped out – I believe it’s Foxglove – after Finn had traipsed across the deck last evening before bed. I know Foxglove by her notch in one ear, but couldn’t fully make it out.

She was sitting camouflaged in the shade when she miraculously caught my eye and I started talking to her…then she hopped into the sunlight.

This all took place after another part of the exciting upcoming development lit up this morning.

Just look at her glow!

Like a wink from the Cosmos.

Step into the brilliance of your embodied authenticity and don’t be afraid to bring all parts of you to light. You are whole and complete as you are.

Everything is magick depending on your perspective and how you want to dance with all of it.

The every day is incredulous when you realize all that we take for granted.

I hope you find some morsel of nourishment from today’s share, for the spaces within you that yearn to be fed.

~

A little heads up that the remaining crystal beings listed are now on a special Sale through the 8/8 Lion’s Gate. I was guided to offer 33% and 22% off the pieces until then, if they call, in order to help them get homed and doing their work. The time is now.

Two of the pieces were temporarily on hold/claimed right before I left, but released while I was away. I also had a few messages asking about the Paypal option being removed temporarily. I’m still in the process of getting things changed there, which is going to take a while, but am able to open this option up for this sale. So, if you were preferring that, you’ll find that available when viewing the page and these incredible deals:

Crystals & Crystal Skulls