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!