Blog Archives
Animal Medicine ~ Nature Guidance for Conscious Evolution
One message that always reiterates and was clearly evident on my retreat time away – nature is where I thrive and belong. Since I first arrived on Earth this time around, the animals were always there to comfort and guide me. This is actually a soul history pattern for so many of my lives in this realm. Whether conditioning grabbed hold around me at any point in life, the whispers of the animal kingdom never stopped calling me back. Their language is the language of my heart, where truth resides alone. They helped remind me of who I really was – the nature of me – and how to organically unfold the petals of that Cosmic blossom here on Earth. In essence, they have always reflected evolutionary and harmonious alignment and how to be with peace as the center of my compass. The reason being because they match my wild heart’s innocence.
So while I’m keeping most of my time away to myself and Dave, I did feel guided to share the animal messengers that showed up to surround me in their medicine and serve as confirmation of alignment – ultimately adding activational inspiration to the path ahead that I’m leaning into creating anew.
This being because I know the power of collective symbolism and I feel that sharing our individual experiences can be beneficial. Also because I feel that nature and the animals are wisdom keepers of organic being and the closest thing to pure energy flow that can provide us invaluable pages of answers to the many questions running through us.
To reiterate past shares just briefly, I refrain from labeling things higher, lower, better, worse, positive or negative to describe paths across the board because they feel to create a definitive right or wrong simply by implication of their meaning. And in using these phrases we unknowingly can taint, manipulate and limit someone’s perspective, rather than support a widening perspective or openness of heart.
Simply put, there’s choice and what is your heart’s truth. If you choose from awareness of your intuitive heart resonance, then that is the most valuable gauge you’ll have. Even with splits and dramatic contrasts to what’s unfolding on Earth there’s still that choice alone to make, no matter the path you choose. The only thing that makes a difference is if you desire to make choices free of outside interference, then you move into personal awareness, which puts the focus on being present to your inner world’s response to things and not what others are doing or saying at you, no matter what group they belong to. And we, of course, have choice whether or not to be present in the first place as well, which is also perfect.
I can fully admit that I haven’t always been present in my life, or at least didn’t want to recognize what was presently before me. I’m grateful I choose to experience consistent presence now and it is because of this supporting greater attunement to frequencies, elements, and vibrations that I experience what seems like magick. My awareness fine tunes all my senses in ways that I feel I become much like an animal myself with extreme clarity of vision, sense of navigation and environmental awareness, telepathic communication, and more. And this is available to all of us.
I believe that’s a big part of why I find or encounter things the way I do. The other part has to do with my soul signature. Curiosity underscores the experience so that I’m open to any message or reflection the encounter imparts.
I’m steering more and more away from sharing the symbolism of things, as it’s very easy these days to research that online about specific animals or other symbols that show up, but more so it’s to encourage each of us to find our own way and messages from things reflected to us. Also to support trusting our intuition. I think you can likely draw forth some of what these meant for me, if you are familiar with these animals even in the most simple of ways. And in your own life, I also know you can draw from an experience of seeing a particular animal, element of nature, or something that catches your eye, attention, or heart in a different way, what meaning it might have for you at that moment, or what answer or message it is mirroring for what you’re currently experiencing or have been wondering about in life.
For this reason, I am moved to simply sharing these encounters and sightings as my own thread in the collective tapestry. They were particularly meaningful for my own conscious evolution at this time in my life and being that some of them were extremely rare, made them that much more potent. The timing of how and when they showed up also spoke volumes.
I do feel that nature is our closest ally right now in supporting each of us toward more of our own authenticity, empowerment, and heart communication. I feel that development of our senses and awareness, overall, can be enhanced by time in and with nature. I believe our physical well being and immune systems can be strengthened and experienced with greater peace and grace by time in and with nature. I believe clarity of connection with our intuitive messaging systems and with the Cosmos at large can be opened by time in and with nature. I believe hope, inspiration, and creative flow can be nurtured by time in and with nature. I believe our capacity for kindness, tenderness, vulnerability, compassion and nurturing can be nurtured itself by time in and with nature.
Nature has the natural ingredients to support conscious evolution on an individual and collective level if we open ourselves to her. And the best thing is, she’s free and she welcomes you with open arms no matter who you are or where you come from.
From micro to macro, nature shows us daily alchemy at work and how we each have the innate ability as alchemists by nature of being as well.
Our retreat time away began enchanting from the get-go and every single day was no exception. In fact, on the day we first embarked, we got a send off from the biggest herd of wild horses we’ve ever seen – including little foals – and a bald eagle majestically gazing out on the herd and us from a tree.
Whether it was multiple, daily animal encounters or gifts, nature and I were in sacred communion the whole way.
I already mentioned the abundance of wild turkey feathers, which were literally a daily discovery in the most hidden of places that are almost unbelievable I could “see,” as well as the two naturally shed, complimentary deer antlers in separate places miles apart that were also nearly undetectable on the forest floor covered in branches, twigs, and Autumn leaves.
Every single day we’d see multiple deer (most of the time in small groups with occasional single sightings like these), morning and evening, and nearly everyday we’d see wild turkey.
From grazing to curled up and resting, playing with each other to leaping gracefully with ease across the trail, the deer were prancing into our lives with their gentle and innocent presence. And two turkey flocks would sweetly gobble along the outskirts of forests and homesteads with curious, at-ease presence and beautiful feather displays.
Some of the more rare sightings included moose, great horned owl, swimming turtles, and bald eagle.
There’s a story behind the moose that is personally incredible for us and connected to our past, but let me just say that her appearance not only was pure alignment and magick, but confirmed why I have felt moose to be one of my key totem animals. She is SO much like me.
My experience with the great horned owl was also incredible. Again, almost a miracle I saw him. I woke one morning and as I passed the window in the bedroom I noticed a dark mass in a tree across the way.
I felt immediately this was an owl. I slipped on my tennies while still in my jammies, and made my away across the forest floor to confirm what my heart felt. And there he was, still half asleep, but aware because two magpies had just been yelling loudly at him to leave the area. It was still dimly lit outside, so he peered at me with half moon slit eyes, turning his head toward me to let me know he heard me when I spoke to him.
We then left for the day and upon returning in the evening, hours later, I decided to go look at the tree again. To my surprise he was still there, but now fully awake.
I felt he waited for me to continue our conversation and connecting. He would let me come close and just turned his head with wide eyes to make sure we were directly locking ours together.
He was never bothered by me from start to end. I spoke to him gently and each time thanked him for his sacred presence, message, and gift.
He felt to be much more than an owl and yet even as an owl this creature of the night was a Cosmic gift to me.
The swimming turtles actually surprised me while I was deeply communing with nature and receiving. I heard a noise in the water, then taps under the floating mini dock I was laying on that brought me fully back from melting into everything.
When I peered over I saw a larger and smaller turtle swimming sweetly and then disappeared below.
Not long after, a giant grasshopper whizzed at me and stopped so we could gaze into each other’s eyes.
We also saw a couple of voles run across trails, a fun and spunky little guy that leaped onto a branch like a flying squirrel and then stopped to comically pose for me with a pinecone in his mouth, and one chipmunk in particular caught our attention. While they are not rare at all to see, this one was so deliberate and unafraid. She decided she was going to continue nibbling regardless of our presence and sat a foot away just “being” with us and enjoying her lunch.
She had the most beautiful, thick little chipmunk tail either of us had ever seen and she was like a little character straight out of a novel, come to life – full of sweet personality and completely at peace without the usual twitches, fast movements or breathing. Not long after her another one did similar and let Dave go within inches as he crouched down beside him. He wasn’t as fully calm in embodiment as the first one, but still indicated that he was open to being more of that.
My take away from these two, and in general the animal encounters, was that these beings were waiting for us to meet them in that same curiosity and peaceful presence.
Nature’s invitation is increasingly being extended as a form of support even more so these days. Not only inviting our conscious interaction and understanding, but extending an added effort by way of demonstrating a reflection of humanity that we’ve forgotten.
And while we didn’t see this one, we were told that a mountain lion had come into the neighborhood just a few days after our arrival by our house host. Since mountain lion are so reclusive, it’s not usual to see one, but just feeling that presence at the time we were here meant something to me. Another invitation and messaging to go deeper within and be present to the inner messaging always speaking to us in a variety of ways. I’ve only once seen a mountain lion slinking down the wall of a canyon from the other side in Colorado. That felt like a comfortable physical distance to me. 🙂
I discovered two of the largest wasp nests I’ve ever found – well actually four, but two of them were scattered in pieces – plus a smaller one still attached to a tree limb sitting next to just the top of one of the other two large ones I found that had dropped to the floor.
Although these two nests are big, as you can see by my hand as reference to size, they were still only half of the nests.
They are all abandoned nests that have served their purpose for the season. In fact, I found two dead wasps inside of the one you see above.
I just LOVE nests, whether bird or insect, I find nests and hives so incredible in artistry. I explore the intricacies and sacred geometry of these nests and am fascinated. The inside of these giant ones are just amazing! And I love the honeycomb centers, as well as the tunnel holes in and out.
I also kept seeing an array of enchanting little mushroom worlds everywhere (these are just some of the enchanted little realms I captured). They, too, were hidden across the forest floor and my eye would always find them.
They took me even further within, since these micro worlds direct us into the tiny underworking and value of every little thread to the whole.
Mushrooms have been around for ages and their ancient presence not only shamanically and spiritually have value, but are essential to Earth’s biosphere.
Therefore their wisdom is mighty, although part of the mini worlds you might often overlook. Just like your unique light and presence of being is impactful although you feel you’re just one of billions of humans on earth.
It’s been an incredibly enriching time away and every single moment has been cherished and remembered. This was one of the most magickal times for me – more than I could have imagined it to be. I’m beyond grateful and in many ways awe-struck at what has unfolded, how it has, what it’s put in motion, and feels to be indicating for the road ahead.
Everyday I would have what I called Faery T time, after our full nature days, where I immersed myself in my own little world with nature. On my last day, after having received more gifts and saying my thanks and farewells for everything, Grandfather and Grandmother turkey came to see me off. Every other day it’s always been the flock, but to have the two largest and oldest, alone, meet me was just perfection in every sense of the word “sacred“.
It’s also been meaningful being away during the change of seasons. Not only did we get to immerse in Autumn splendor, but also felt Winter’s breath begin to touch the land.
Temperatures dropped, some rain refreshed everything, and snow kissed the mountain tops. We even had a short fall of sweet hail snow drops coming through sun shiny skies to bid us a magickal farewell.
This apparently was happening back home at the same time, with some needed rain coming in along with Winter snow kisses to follow. Our house sitter sent us a video of our first snow dusting the Forest Portal floor. The fire that once knocked on the door also experienced 98% containment while we were away (the projection has been 10/16 for 100%) and so returning feels like a nearly full refresh from this magick bubble we dipped into the last 11 days that is and always will be dear to my heart.
May we each receive the guidance we desire and that supports the conscious choices that align with our hearts for evolution.
August Energy Update for 2021 with Lee Harris
The August Energy Update, I feel, is an important one that I hope you’ll take the time to listen to and allow to settle in and percolate in the background.
It’s very resonant with my own senses and insights that I was just talking deeply about a couple of days ago in terms of a theme being around the direction we’re each choosing to go and where I’m, personally, choosing within that.
Lee stressed it’s about choosing “which way we’re going,” for a purpose. It may not be clear as to what these directions are leading to for everyone, but that’s not as important as staying present to conscious choice and reminding yourself of the essence of who you are. He always does a good job at staying larger in his descriptions rather than detailing things out with labels, so that we can each feel into what that means for us.
He shares that August is going to be a great month for letting go and releasing and clearing – for conscious release if you want a different future.
He goes on to talk about how surprises, creations and instant transformations – the magickal energy of all of this – want to come in and will continue to, with that conscious release.
Just like self care and nurturing isn’t a luxury anymore, healing is not just a hobby you do randomly, he makes a point of adding. And in contrast to the past challenges this healing path used to have, healing can now be fast, light, and easier than ever before simply through being conscious.
Lee concludes with the message I think we all can’t hear enough of right now – not allowing yourself to be consumed or distracted by the outside stuff, not wasting your life force giving all of the external dramas all of your attention, and not forgetting the power of spirit on this planet. When you give your life force away, you’re playing into the drama or lower energies. Keep the shadow and darker side in perspective and reclaim these parts instead of having them claim you.
To assist with August being a great month for releasing, clearing, and conscious healing and choosing, remember that the 8/8 Leo New Moon Distant Group Reiki Healing Attunement is available to add extra support to what would assist you most with these. If you’d like to join the group, please remember to register by Friday 8/6. And for those of you who already registered, please don’t forget to send me in your intention for this by the same date. You can do that by emailing through this Contact Form.
And here’s the link to register:
8/8 Leo New Moon Distant Group Reiki Healing Attunement
I hope July has presented some new perspectives and opportunities to your journey and that August will bring even greater sense of empowerment toward the new you’re choosing to create on Earth personally and collectively.
Ask Astrid Fridays ~ The Rabbit’s Corner: No More Playing it Small & Beltane Wishes
When you look at this photo of Astrid what does it bring up for you? What message do you think Astrid is reflecting? If you feel so called, please sit with her photo (and the other photos of her throughout this post), relax, and see what comes through. Spend some time and open to where her energy and wisdom anchors for you.
Astrid has a very powerful presence and as a rabbit she is not your typical “prey” or “victim” energy associated with what some might define as a prey animal. While she is full of heart, she is also quite fierce and can trigger people with her strong energy. It’s an energy that can be polarizing and demanding, as she won’t stand for anything less than you owning who you are.
She doesn’t do this to antagonize or start conflict, she simply mirrors the incongruent energy you have within and instead of meeting you in your insecurity, she will stand firm until you rise above the ego stories – both ones that keep you small or hide that you really do feel small, but wear a mask to protect that.
If you aren’t interested in exploring that relationship with yourself, which she is mirroring, then you’ll likely walk away and brush it off as she just doesn’t like you, she’s a mean rabbit, or she’s scared and defending herself with an air of reasonable protectiveness.
She is less dramatic with these behaviors these days, opting to be a bit more subtle to see who truly does want to be present with their energy, but they do still pop up and often someone might feel either rejected or special, depending on which way she acknowledges you – neither of these being her intention. She simply owns her energy and asks the same of you, even if that simply means to be honest with yourself.
Because of this I feel she is an incredible therapy rabbit who can provide powerful mirroring for the deep work.
I spend the most time with her, so I’m very acquainted with what her subtle and not so subtle behaviors are communicating. Overall, however, I feel she is often misunderstood. Especially so, before she came to be with me.
To me, she simply knows her boundaries and they are very pure and clear in terms of what she aligns with and what she knows you are capable of. She doesn’t stand for less in both the energy she desires to be in and recognizes that at the heart of it all, you’re not satisfied with what you’ve allowed yourself to operate as either.
Less than, is definitely a choice, but she brings to the foreground the conscious exploration around this so that you ARE actually making a choice and not just operating blindly on conditioned cruise control.
If you are battling with internal conflict, Astrid will have something to say about this in order to help you realize it’s within your power to realign yourself.
She mirrors the self-sabotage, the belittling stories running the show, the doubts, the games you run circles around yourself with, the false masks, and the fears. While she understands why, she doesn’t want to spend time with you in that place. She doesn’t want to feed these energies and make them more powerful than they really are. She doesn’t feel it’s okay to keep saying you’ll change tomorrow, some day, or that you have unlimited time to focus on things. She speaks to the time being now, if you are serious about wanting and seeing change, and so she reflects that in subtle or not-so-subtle ways, depending on the situation.
The more dramatic feels to be an immediate call to action is necessary and would benefit you greatly.
The more subtle feels to be an invitation to commit to the process and that she sees potential in you to be a teacher, so she will take you through steps to help guide that.
Of course, that is, if you embrace the invitation in either case.
Astrid doesn’t feel good about supporting your continuing to be small.
She stands her ground in order to draw forth your authenticity.
It’s a powerful mirror of the wisdom she embodies and holds equally as important for herself.
Rather than cross the bridge to the small story, she holds the anchor of who she really sees you to soulfully be and calls you forward to that end of the bridge. She doesn’t feel it responsibly supports you to meet you in the place of fear. She helps draw forth your strength and sits patiently in the trust that with commitment and presence you’ll be able to journey to your truth while she reflects and holds that embodied space for you.
It’s not an easy journey, as it requires willingness to investigate and spend time in some uncomfortable spaces, but when we embrace the invitation with curiosity we can uncover the real motivating forces that are running the show.
Astrid holds unconditional compassion for everyone’s individual experience. Yet, she believes that indulging the stories does not benefit one’s evolution. Like myself, she feels that dropping her vibration to match the small voice doesn’t provide anyone a way out. Instead, she anchors in your highest potential, while extending a loving hand for you to embrace. Sometimes that love can seem a bit tough, but knows responsibility isn’t always meant to be the easy street.
When we want to be seen as more, we must ourselves see our more.
Our roles are to stand in what we see you to truly be and lovingly encourage you to do the same. It’s no wonder we found each other and I’m grateful to Astrid for holding me accountable to this journey by her example.
I believe the deeper invitation that Astrid embodies is reflected also in these current times we are facing.
Which voice do you allow to dictate your experience?
The one that keeps you tight like an endless bud, or the one that pulses with authentic potential, ready to blossom its wisdom?
Astrid knows that the smaller voice leads to a life that will only ever scratch the surface of your potential. She meets you as your higher self nudging you into your wholeness.
She also knows that it’s not about reaching a finite result, but about how much you are willing to open yourself to the adventures of the journey. It’s about more being and less excuses. Astrid knows there will be stumbles along the way, but as long as you keep shedding light into the hidden corners of what keeps you small, you are living more authentically.
Astrid and I wish you a magickal Beltane. This peak period of Spring midway between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice is a celebration of life when Earth’s energies are most potent with fertile creativity, growth, renewal, and embody the designs of manifestation in motion. What a joyous time of year, perfect for expanding your hopes and visions into rich action, while having fun along the way. I may not be the May Queen in sacred marriage with the May King today, but this does mean that my own wedding is approaching at this half point to Summer Solstice.
I’ve been spending time in the garden daily, which feels especially aligned with this time of year. In fact, on Nestor’s special day I was out seeding the garden with a lot of hope in her honor – literally hoping for a magickal garden full of perennial wildflowers to attract pollinators like the monarch butterflies and symbolically growing a vision garden to aid the blossoming of my dreams. Now, I water and nurture it, while I do the same with the intents and projects I have in life.
Yesterday our big Easter, Anniversary, and Spring Shop Sale ended, but seeing how our creations have been sweet and supportive gifts shared between friends during their challenges at these times and used as anchoring portals of hope, we have decided that the rabbit magick will continue!
In honor of Beltane’s fertile celebration, we’re extending our Magick Rabbit Etsy Shop sale until June 20th – Summer Solstice! And with the extension we’re extending the discounts. The previous 25-40% off goes to 30-50% starting today, May 1st.
We’re almost sold out of many items and at our lowest inventory since opening just over a year ago. A restock date of new items is unforeseen at this time, but if you’ve had your eye on something or would like to share the love with someone in need or that you haven’t been able to see for a while with distancing in place, we hope this makes it all easier.
Softening Into Consciousness
Dandelion by Tania Marie
What is consciousness?
A simple way to look at it, as I’m all about making things simple, is that it’s an experience of being in a relaxed state of heightened awareness, on all levels, where your mind is quiet, yet gently, softly, and easily focused on what is going on in and around you right here and now.
It’s about surrendering to, being and staying in the present moment, not trying so hard, releasing all judgments and expectations, and learning how to be more fully engaged in life, what is showing up, and how you’re showing up.
How can you embrace more consciousness in your life today?
Mindfulness ~ Your Impact on the World
You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. ~Jane Goodall
Seeing with the Heart – A Way to Perceive Energy & Bring in More Light
Temple of the Sacred Heart by Tania Marie – available here: https://taniamarie.com/gallery1.htm
I hardly read books anymore, unless I receive a big message it’s important I do so, but I used to read a ton. I currently only have two books I’ve been led to read, after quite the hiatus. Lately, however, I keep getting these nudges to share passages, excerpts and quotes from past books I’ve read.
Since information isn’t new, but recycled, and in most cases “ahead of its time” I find, the information seems very relevant to recurring patterns and themes that I see and feel come up for the collective.
And seems natural, since many of the things repeating are the most challenging to wrap ourselves around and to practice on a consistent basis. Ironically, they also hold valuable gifts that can be the key to unlocking doors of experience we are wanting to, and about to, enter.
It’s about timing and perspective, as to what we are ready to hear, embrace, or actually put into practice.
Today I’m sharing some passages again from Sanaya Roman’s channeled book, Personal Power through Awareness, coming through Orin. Several things kept jumping out at me this week from her book and I’ve let them unfold as they wanted.
Here are some quick insights from her book that may hold some gems of wisdom currently for you in your relations with others and yourself:
As you tune into others, open your heart, and embrace them with a thought of love, not criticism. Imagine an unloving, critical person tuning into someone’s energy. The other person would not open (even subconsciously or on an energy level) to reveal any information, for that critical energy would feel like an intrusion. Then imagine a gentle, caring, and loving soul seeking information. The other person would open to that warmth and bask in that love. As you start to sense energy, you will discover not only the pain and confusion in others, but also different reality systems that may not fit into your own. If you approach people with compassion and tolerance, you will be able to gather much more useful data. Many people are very aware of energy, and yet when they sense something that does not fit with their known reality, with life the way they believe it to be, they tune it out. You will need to be willing to see that many people think differently and believe in different things than you without making them wrong, if you want to accurately perceive their energy.
Tolerance means you can accept many different viewpoints and love people for who they are. If you are willing to be tolerant, you can embark on an enormous adventure. Each person has a unique way of looking at the world. If you can discover what is unique, is free, open, and loving about everyone you know and meet, you will discover new ways that you yourself may become more free, open and loving. It is fascinating to discover the ways people perceive the world. As you open to many beliefs, you will become more fluid and less rigid yourself. To grow lighter yourself, be flexible and adopt whatever viewpoints are appropriate to the outcomes you desire. Most people are fixed within their own being. They have been taught the world operates in a certain way, and that is how they see it. This inflexibility leaves them with fewer and fewer areas of freedom and choice. You have seen people who are stuck in certain ruts. They are unwilling to change even though their lives don’t work for them…If you want to direct the energy in your life, if you want to see clearly the world you live in, you will need to be willing to see life from other people’s perspectives, which may be quite different from your own. As you do so, remain open and nonjudgmental, keeping a sense of discovery, love, and adventure.
Pain is only triggered by another person when there is already pain within you.
Every time another person creates pain in you it is a gift. It is showing you an area in which your heart has not yet learned to be open. It is showing you a place where you may bring more light into yourself. You have drawn certain people into your life to show you the places where you need to become more open. Part of your lesson will be to stay open and loving even when they are acting in a way that used to cause you pain.
Before you approach the other person with recrimination, closing your heart and pulling away, creating more separateness and pain, stop. Ask yourself if you are willing to bring in light.
Tania Marie 