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Ask Astrid Fridays ~ The Rabbit’s Corner: Where Heaven & Earth Meet – A Story of Becoming
Let me tell you a little story about a girl who was born looking human like many of you, but what pulsed through her blood was something quite different. Her brother always told her she was more animal (amongst other things) and it made sense given her connection with them. He also used to play telepathic games with her to test his intuition about these “other” parts he felt her to be. It was a bit unnerving when she discovered the game.
At age 12 her first rabbit companion came into her life and this changed everything. No longer did she feel quite so alone when looking at the stars. Her rapid heart rate when under duress or moving her body physically, mirrored that of rabbit. In rabbit, she found solace. Where there had not been an anchor to Earth, rabbit became the way shower to deepen into her chosen embodiment.
Life grew more challenging and at every turn of greater intensity and needed transformation, another rabbit companion would find her. The relationships deepened beyond outside human understanding. And it made sense to the little girl, now woman, that these souls in rabbit bodies were the only ones who could reach her.
Their starry essence was disguised to outsiders, but to the woman stardust was all she saw. And although quite Cosmic, these rabbits were so connected to Earth’s womb that it supported the woman’s journey to the union of spirit and body.
As the years went on, and through deep loss of her soul family in rabbit bodies, she came to know herself even more. Through pain she grew. To her surprise, her heart expanded with every trauma and, again, it was rabbit that taught her the gift within every experience.
When offered the invitation to be with them forever, she chose to stay and be as they had been for her – a way shower to unify spirit and body and bridge peace and harmony on Earth. Through that choice life changed in every way, beyond what she could have imagined possible.
Through that choice, I found her, and was also supported into greater alignment I had been waiting for.
Nature became the cathedral where essence was easily accessible. Here she could hear the whispers of all remnants of stars within every creation before her. And that included herself.
It became easy to drop into her own nature, by listening to the stories within every cycle unraveling before her. And as rabbits do, she found her joy playing in Earth’s realm. Her senses heightened, her body strengthened, and agility of being increased. There were times to go deeper underground and times to leap with elation. Times to be on high alert and times to lay still and listen. Even the foods she ate and loved, mirrored her rabbit friends and her world made sense through these new eyes.
Rabbit and woman were one.
It’s been incredible to watch this unfolding and with every day of her transformation comes a deepening to our bond as well.
I am able to go with her on every adventure she takes because we have merged through this evolution, too.
There is no separation. Essence brings Unity.
I love the journeys she takes me on daily in the mountainous forests where we live. I can feel the snowflakes on my nose, as they kiss hers. I hear the chickadees in my large ears, as they sing to her. I smell the fresh pine through my twitching nose, as she luxuriates in their aroma. I binky with joy when she becomes elated with wonder. I feel nurtured by the vibrations beneath my large thumpers, as she walks with deliberate and present footsteps.
And most of all my heart expands as hers does, every time she drops into essence and becomes both Heaven and Earth.
~Astrid
Clarifying & Reimagining with the Help of the New Moon Total Solar Eclipse
I woke this morning to a magickal paradise scene surrounding our home on the forest.
And as I shared on social media, the view had me singing Willy Wonka’s Pure Imagination…
“If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it
Wanta change the world?
There’s nothing
To it…
There is no
Life I know
To compare with
Pure imagination
Living there
You’ll be free
If you truly wish to be”
The message of this song is one I sing in my heart always. It’s what carries me through life when the rest of the world can’t hear it.
Being the Sagittarius New Moon Total Solar Eclipse and the day after concluding a very potent weekend of Reiki 3 Master Teacher initiations, it all felt like a fresh reset enveloped the forest portal here, but also collectively.
The energy is fertile, even with the blanket of snow covering the Earth’s skin.
I took intentional time off last evening and first half of today to let things integrate and settle. I also got a lot of good sleep in and slowed everything way down.
I’m glad I did.
After a slow, relaxing morning we headed off just up the road from our house to immerse in the fresh powder solitude on snow shoes. The day was incredibly surreal, as you can see.
It was the perfect thing needed, as was the enchanted landscape before me. It may even have been a manifestation of my intents, hopes, and imagination, as I had very strongly both voiced and wished for a winter wonderland the night before.
As we climbed the mountain I could feel the surge of energies from everything flowing through me. It actually made me feel slightly nauseous for about a half an hour (which is not normal for me), so I slowed my pace and deeply breathed the energy in and out, focusing on regulating the accelerated shifts. I also focused on my body and my feet merging with the snow covered ground.
Everything balanced out and as we reached our destination vista point I felt a new harmony anchor and everything has been a peaceful steady since.
While outdoors and during my integration time, I got the message to wind some things down. With the ending of full level Reiki trainings since August, this was a perfect closure point for the year. Yet, I also need to put to rest some of my offerings, as I need some more time to myself these last weeks of 2020.
So, although I had the special running until end of December on discounted sessions to navigate these challenging times, I was told to remove them early. I hope you understand, if in fact you’ve been considering these. This is why you won’t find them offered on my site anymore.
I intend to just complete sessions with clients that I already have, continue to work on custom art commissions, and then use the rest of the time for myself.
This will give me the extra balancing time I feel will be supportive for the work at hand and for continuing to integrate the changes I’m undergoing. It will also give me some good down time before the two new 2021 classes in February and March.
I’ll also be listening between now and the start of the year, as to what other changes will be implemented and how I’ll reimagine a new landscape of experience for 2021. I am feeling the percolation, just like warm seeds coddled far beneath the ground and snow. For now, the halt on these extra sessions feels supportive.
As I’ve told all of my students and clients, balance is key and balance is something I have made central to my life. So, when I get the message that things are feeling more intense than necessary, I listen. This changes things instantly.
I thank you for your understanding with this. I trust that things are always in alignment for what is most important and for the highest good.
Also, I wanted to extend gratitude that the two original, new pieces we added to The Magick Rabbit Etsy Shop this morning at the maximum eclipse time went off to a wonderful new home just minutes after they got listed. This reiterated why they had been important to create, as I heard the connection that they made, which included even just having been seen and experienced by others.
Creating them also gave me, as I mentioned yesterday, the needed little surges of free expression and imagination immersion, which leads us back to Willy Wonka’s Pure Imagination.
We can use the power of our imaginations to create the world we want to see and to set ourselves free. It’s one of the things no one can take away from you, including hope.
Here’s to fresh slates for your imagination to thrive on.
I hope today’s New Moon Eclipse energies have been clarifying and renewing for you too.
Mystical Wings & New Frontiers
There’s been quite a lot of interesting, strange, expansive, and potent energy and experiences in the last few weeks that feel to indicate an initiation into a whole new arena of life. Of course, the collective is sharing a wild ride of swift and unknown changes as well. So, the two are definitely mirroring one another – individual and collective, that is.
Some very rare physical encounters have been taking place for me, which have involved the avian clan of spirit messengers. I always have a lot of bird energy around me and find feathers literally every time I’m outdoors hiking. Some special feathers have been part of that mix, including a variety of owl, hawk, osprey, sooty grouse, wild turkey, pheasant, and most recently, bald eagle for the first time. But actual physical encounters add an extra powerful punch since some of these birds are quite rare to see in the wild unless divinely in alignment.
However, as I shared in a recent post, last week great horned owl made a very prominent and deliberate appearance while we ventured through her slot canyon lair with feathers arriving in conjunction with her grand entrance. This took place the day after burrowing owl showed up for us, which I haven’t seen since being in the Galapagos Islands several years back, synchronously as we had just been talking about dreams of a potential future revisit to these special islands.
And just recently I found my first bald eagle feather, but we hadn’t actually seen one in maybe a year. That dry run came to an end on Wednesday the fourth when one made another deliberate appearance for us and my parents, whom we were taking on a walk by the river. You can see him captured here in the photo and video.
We also had just seen osprey the day after great horned owl and yesterday a most gorgeous, giant hawk (largest I’ve seen in some time) made a deliberate glide across the front of our car as we were driving to a hike, and came to rest on a light post to stop and make visual contact. Interestingly, the eagle seemed to do the same, as after he flew overhead he came to rest on the tree you see him in and waited for us all to get under that tree to have a little eye-to-eye before flying off again. Since Dave had missed seeing him fly and couldn’t make him out, this pause the eagle did, ensured very clear sight of him once we reached where he was. No one was to meant to miss him.
Although back in Costa Mesa I’ve seen great horned owl in the physical, when no one else had, sitting on the roof of a house in the distance, a barn owl that flew across my windshield while on the freeway, and bald and golden eagles in extremely rare moments since 2006 living in Tahoe and on our Alaska trip, these new encounters have been bunched up all at once – one after the other – and accompany energies that feel vastly different.
Being that these are all very large and rarely seen birds – at least for us here – and their symbolism is quite powerful and filled with insightful wisdom and higher consciousness and cosmic connection, they feel significant to the shifting path ahead. I thought it also quite interesting to see bald eagle right after election day, continuing to unfold its direction.
But alongside the actual birds and feathers, there have been other mystical wing encounters.
I found an actual small bird’s wing feather on a hike this last weekend. This, on a day that was quite still and calm, followed by several days of extreme calm, nearly no wind, placid water on every lake we hiked by, and a loud stillness in the air. Similar to the calm before a storm, which in fact literally is happening here as we today had our first rain in a while and winds that are preparing for our first snow storm on the way this weekend.
The timing of everything is always fascinating.
Another incredulous “mystical wing” encounter, took place on Saturday’s Halloween/Samhain Full Blue Moon. While we were sitting by the river enjoying a distanced picnic lunch, I suddenly felt a sharp pain on my left elbow.
I immediately brushed at it, feeling some kind of creature, and then looked at my elbow to find an odd stinger in it that looked three-pronged. It hurt and burned a lot and I had Dave immediately yank out the stinger.
No one saw what it was except one friend who said, “I saw something with very large wings, but couldn’t make it out.”
I’ve never “randomly” been stung like that on purpose. Only two times in my life did I get stung, but they were my own unfortunate doing. Each of those were from bees. Once when I was a little girl and stepped on one on the grass by accident. And once, incidentally, when I sat on a bee on the seat of the boat we were on in the Galapagos Islands. Each time giving me crazy skin reactions lasting a long time. I was actually told when I was a child that the only thing I was allergic to was bee stings, so this made sense.
But my skin reacts hugely from stings or bug bites of any kind. Luckily I’m not allergic in terms of getting anaphylactic shock, serious illness or sick feelings, etc., but my body goes on major localized attack of anything foreign introduced.
So, the sting burned and hurt quite a bit and in the days to follow it swelled like a small tumor, hurt like a bad bruise to the touch, and got very red and itchy. It’s currently just a bit blotchy red and itchy, but is healing.
The strangeness though is the auspicious timing/day of the incident and that no one can identify what got me. It wasn’t a bee, nor a wasp or yellow jacket – neither of these fit the large winged description nor do any of them leave a stinger, let alone a three pronged stinger. Our friend that got a glimpse said the only thing he could find online to somewhat mirror it was an Asian Giant Hornet. That’s highly unlikely, but apparently even hornets don’t leave stingers.
Something that large is nothing we’ve ever seen around here, but otherwordly visitors coming through dimensions is a whole other thing. 😉
I’m convinced it was a cosmic faery initiation that came through the thin veils that day to activate a new crossroads. Even my faery sister, Laura, reiterated the same sense when we were talking about it and our shared bee allergies.
The potent Full Blue Moon Samhain zap seems to indicate big shifts and combined with the rare, powerful avian sightings, I’m curious to see what’s in motion.
“The elbow represents the capacity for radical change in direction in what we do in our lives regarding our own path, our goals. It represents a professional change or one that concerns our objectives.” https://www.flowsandforms.com/elbow/
And, since elbows also symbolize our flexibility, there’s an increased focus on expanding that to incorporate even more possibility and an intention around changes involving freedom to act in accordance with our identity, drive, and dreams. The left elbow is also yin/feminine, so there’s a shift with all things of this essence taking place.
Synchronously during the time period of all of these experiences, I have actually been reviewing and receiving a lot of inspired guidance and nudges. This led to a big redo of my office and shared Wonderland room with Astrid.
I’ve expanded and revamped my creation space with two side-by-side matching desks to have one elongated area to work. When I first got my desk it had arrived partially damaged, so the company ended up sending me another. That one also had partial damage and so they sent me a third. So I ended up with three for the price of one and with a little transfer of parts from one to another had two perfect desks out of it.
I had only ever had one in my office and the other we stored in the garage, but I got inspired to create an expansive and comfy work space that would be much more useful and inviting for my non-traditional ways of working. I also got rid of my desk chair and replaced it with my super cozy reading chair so that I now feel like work time is welcoming and supportive to my Pisces dreamy energy. It also puts in me in better view of seeing out to my garden.
I’ve never liked the office desk and chair concept, and throughout my school career always did my work, studying, and typing (on a type writer) of papers on my bed despite having a small desk in my room.
This new set up feels inspiring and with of course my decorative touches, it is more of an imaginarium space that happens to be work-friendly.
I am still in process of redecorating, but all the major clearing out/organizing is done and it feels good. What I love about it all is that not only is it so much more fun now to be there, but I feel this was necessary in order to do the next phase of my writing.
I hadn’t felt called to do what was next with my novel, but now this feels like the exact invitation and nurturing “someone” knew I needed, which also aligns with the energetics shifting. I’m glad I listened.
So, that’s one big change that took place and more are in process, as I’ve embraced nudges around doing work I previously felt complete with. In fact, next week I’ll likely have another update on some offerings upcoming because of this.
I also just did another big purge of clearing out things and am actually off to Goodwill as soon as this blog posts. And it looks also like another upcoming short get away is in order. It seems like a bunch of new energy activations are streaming through in overdrive.
In the midst of it all Astrid has been excited with all the changes too. She loves the new hidey space it created behind my reading chair, under the desk and the whole set up actually created more open space and an expansive look and feel to the whole room.
And speaking of Astrid, she also received her own “mystical winged” faery initiation, as you can see here.
These are photos of the night we returned home from our time away and I introduced Astrid to her very own faery bunny! The tag attached to her named her “Fiona,” but I’m sure Astrid will let me know if in fact that’s who this little one really is.
She took to her right away and gave her the usual enchanting with some energy-infused nose nudges.
No matter where I put her, Astrid was right by her side giving her magickal nose kisses.
She’s enjoying the new energy and is excited about the upgrades she’s also receiving alongside mom. This to include some brand new mats on the way for her sweet little feet and thumpers so she can lay cozy by mom through the colder seasons and have her feet cushioned with support where she likes to sit/lay most.
These new little islands of comfort and joy are like the new frontiers mom is also embarking on and together we’re excited for a very different winter experience upcoming.
Even our recent hikes since we’ve returned home have all taken us to great climbing heights overlooking expansive, more secluded vistas and anchoring with the sacred stone outcroppings in each of the areas.
These vantage points have offered me a broader perspective and nurturing nudge to open and trust even wider, despite the strangeness I sense about.
The energetic landscape of the world is shifting greatly and has many unknowns, but our personal piece of the story can be a different kind of journey if we commit to the work.
Climbing a mountain is always filled with reflections of growth. And while the view may be incredible, it’s truly how we embrace the climb that makes the difference.
And although summit may seem like a natural end, peace comes when we embrace each part of the mountain as rich and treasure-filled.
There are layers of mountainous journeys to traverse, but remember that the journey is where we discover ourselves and learn to anchor amidst anything.
I’m seeing with new eyes and feeling into things with all parts of me. One thing I know is that only I can control how I feel, or what my experience of life is like, and I refuse to let anything or anyone have reign over that domain.
It didn’t always used to be that way, as I never had boundaries to my energetic world. I used to have trouble differentiating between what was mine and others’ and I was susceptible to persuasion and telepathic undernotes. Now, I’m on high alert and am always privy to what other’s are really up to and I keep a strong sense of self even though I have a strong sense of unity-loving connection.
I love how in the photo above you can actually subtly see the red site on my left elbow where the faery initiation zap of radical new change took place. This photo feels very symbolic of the new frontiers ahead, demonstrates connection, but with different vantage points of our experience of life, and anchors a joy and strength for the unknown journey.
This is the most strenuous hike we do around here because it steeply climbs 2000 feet in only two miles. We do it in only an hour, which is a big accomplishment for me.
This is the first time we’ve done it where the air was still without a breeze and the water below was equally mirroring.
In the stillness of presence there is much to receive.
I also love that my eyes are protected by the shade of my hand – creating shadow or diffusion of light in order to see.
Yes, we are capable of clarity and finding direction even amidst seeming darkness. In fact, sometimes going through caverns of experience can be necessary in order to understand with new wisdom and bring forth greater richness.
We are traveling new frontiers of experience together, step by step, and with trust we’ll find new wings to carry us further.
Magickal Update: Today, the day after posting this, the “mystical wings” theme and symbolism continued double fold with the finding of a bird’s wings. While hiking I found the wings with the feathers in separate, but connected pieces creating sections of the wings and almost making each large wing look like many little wings. The photo above is of the gathered wings in my large vest pocket. I like to honor the energy of each being and message in special ways. The large feather in front is a separate feather I found on its own – feels like goose – along with a beautiful, tiny spotted mystery feather. They’re pictured below.
Transitions & Upgrades ~ Shedding New Layers with the Seasonal & Moon Shifts
At the start of this week I focused on printing and sending out all of the Reiki Level 1 certificates to the group that completed their training this past weekend. Even just that process was a big energy shift on top of all the Reiki flowing through the hours of teaching and attuning the last two weekends. It’s equally transformative and recalibrating for the teacher, as it is the students that are receiving, so I’m definitely experiencing my own activation and inner triggers for reflection.
For this reason, and both because I don’t write blogs as often as I used to AND I feel that others are going through a variety of changes right now in more significant and likely conscious ways than they have in the past, I’m sharing a longer post today. It’s a way to thread connection, too.
So, I noticed that as I sealed the envelopes and sent them out in the world it felt like sending out keys to new doorways of potential that feel to be gridding and lighting up more and more on the Earth. In their own way, they are seeding new openings to wider and innovative ways we can move forward for the greatest and highest good.
At least that was the intention I had, as I sent them out with love.
Since this unexpected teaching flow invited me to also expand wider and change the approaches I adapted until now, it ignited a whole level of reinvention on other layers as well. And it definitely amped up energies that have put into motion a domino-effect of shifts to explore.
In a nutshell, I’d say my experience is all about transitions and upgrades right now. And with all the collective change happening simultaneously, it feels aligned with acceleration at large, and needed.
So how are these shifts and upgrades translating for me?
I’ll share some of the ways I’m experiencing this, as a way of demonstrating the varied levels of life that can be affected in a naturally organic way – especially when embraced – as we go through life changes. This may also be helpful to any of my students that read this blog.
This concept of recalibrating, cleansing, upgrading, and realigning, etc. is something we discuss in training, and includes the possibilities of what that could look like.
However, even though I know this shift is getting an added boost from the Reiki teaching, I also feel it was on its way simply as a natural process of transitions – like Nature’s seasons are reflecting currently and even the upcoming Full Moon is heralding in, as it brings to full amplification and illumination the things in your life that no longer serve you.
I ended up having to upgrade to a new, larger, more powerful computer that Dave just helped set up for me (since I’m not a very tech savvy person) at the start of this new week. Interesting timing right after completion of training. Also interesting is that I always used to have very tiny laptops – like notebooks. Then after a series of those and crashing all of them, I adopted Dave’s older, bigger laptop. I’ve had that quite a while, but it finally was starting to poop out. So now I have an extremely heavy-duty, larger, powerhouse laptop that is all my own and can do likely more than I’ll ever need. But that creates space for growth and new because who knows what the future holds, right?
Likely the very near future few months may hold a new cell phone in store too. Mine seems fine, (even after falling into the water, as you may remember – going through its own rebirth), but we may be upgrading together to a different carrier for several reasons and they likely will have different options of phones than this one that goes with their plans. It’s not surprising to have all electronics go through upgrades with big changes so that what ever is coming will be supported.
Luckily, I must have my energy better harnessed or something, as I don’t seem to blowing out things anymore and do have miraculous fixes like the water dunking with no ill effect. One experience that comes to mind was when I taught a large group Reiki retreat in Laguna and my phone literally sizzled and gave me an electrical shock on the morning of Reiki Master Teacher training. That was a full three levels in one weekend teaching, so it wasn’t surprising really.
The more mild experiences I have now might also speak to the more balanced life I’ve created and make a priority, and how I’ve learned to channel my energy more effectively, as well as do a lot of grounding, exercise, and nature things, along with self-care and holding center amidst contrasting dynamics all around me.
I’ve also been in home improvement project mode, which actually started last Friday before classes with working on tile prep in our shower to get it ready for Dave to seal, caulk, and fix grouting. I found myself scrubbing away with great vigor and being that the shower and water energy coincides with Pisces – my native sign, but also the sign the upcoming Full Moon is in – it seems reflective of bringing up deep subconscious and clingy stuff to the surface to observe, integrate, and move out altogether.
Improvement projects continued Saturday after class with me spending a couple of hours in the garden sanding my garden bench and restaining it to prep it for the upcoming seasons. Again, another layering process in motion, much like the shedding of old skin.
The shower tiles and the bench getting a renewed layer by removing the old one, and in effect some of my layers are coming undone too.
And the projects have continued little by little for us to include some minor redecorating in my office (still underway, but soon to be complete) and a little in the master bedroom, outdoor clean-up and fixers with the yard, pine needle removal from the roof, refilling the jacuzzi with new water, and repairing some insulation under the house. We are thinking about some other changes we may make as well, so there’s again that cleansing and renewal energy in motion.
I’ve also been completing a round of side-work projects to free up my time, along with monthly record-keeping I do.
I’m also in clean out mode and getting donation bags ready again – a favorite thing of mine to do whenever I feel change is in the air.
The weekend of teaching saw me physically drop a little weight, as any old load was lightened. And, for the first time in a while I am getting the strong feeling of lightening things with my hair as well. Since the ends of the hair are the oldest parts, it can make sense why the literal cutting away can come at significant periods of change in our lives so that we’re letting go and dropping that time period or part of our life it represents.
I have mostly just been letting it do whatever it wants and so it just consistently grows longer. Yet, I’m sensing there may be a more significant change upcoming instead of just my four-inch trim I’ve been doing every six months or so. Perhaps a more significant new cut is in store? I’m waiting to see if this is in fact the route I’ll take, or if I’m just feeling so much change that it inspires a large gamut of ideas and inspiration to flood through. In some cases like that, I’ll wait a little to see what actually feels to be the new anchoring, or if in fact energy is simply moving and may bring up other things, so it’s not about settling on the first idea that comes through.
Other changes have included seeing the potential for new possibilities with a feeling of greater flexibility I’m opening to that I wouldn’t have before, and allowing exploration in order to find the highest path that aligns with now. I’m finding myself revisiting things from about four years ago and this includes a resurgence of ancient and cosmic timelines merging and choices that were made at that time. It has brought underlying a-ha empowering moments, alongside some sadness.
There’s also been an experience of simultaneous, parallel realities. One carries the strength for the other, while it simply goes forth to explore. One dips into realizing the new challenges ahead of the unknown and is processing the stages of how to get there. At times, already being where the challenges are integrated and yet aware of the journey to get there being a step at a time and that it will ebb and flow. Then moments of the ebbs and flows. 🙂
We’re also starting to make different plans for the upcoming seasons and looking at some travels with the animals to change up energies very soon.
So, yes, there’s a lot of energy transitions taking place – even more than I’m sharing here. These may give you an idea of how when we stay in observational mode and decide to be more conscious of the active role we can also have with changes, the more things become obvious as to the levels of transformation that are actually happening, and the easier they shift.
And speaking of Nature, it’s also interesting to observe how the changes we go through can also be reflected in things like seasonal shifts, the different animals that show up for us, the things that draw our attention when we are outdoors, the types of plants and flowers that speak to us, the weather patterns, and unusual sightings in general.
As I just wrote that, a squirrel got my attention outside who is laying in an unusual rounded-over ball on a limb of the tree outside my office. Looks as if he/she is resting, but then sat up, still maintaining that ball-shape – so much so, the little tummy appears as if pregnant with tail wrapped perfectly up and around the back in a half circle. There’s a feeling of this little one resting and reflecting/pregnant with ideas and energy – and as soon as I said that he/she moved quickly on to the next task, which currently includes rubbing the entire front of its body and belly in the cutest fashion, flat all over another limb, relishing in the feeling. 🙂
But this is just a direct reflection in the moment right now.
Others have included how the smoke from the California fires have been blowing in and out of the region here. At times feeling like a veil thickening and lifting, or a transitioning taking place of transmutation. Smoke in fact is the transition of matter into spirit.
Then there’s been the increase in sightings of garter snakes that either cross my path right in front of me or lay across the path I’m approaching. Sometimes they catch my attention from the corner of my eye, and Dave is amazed I even see them since they are camouflaged in the grass. So much snake energy speaks to that shedding of skin, as layers removing for renewal. Another one was on our path while hiking down to the lake a couple of days ago, as you can see here.
This same day I also found a sweet, little dead mouse laying to the side of the trail, which I stopped to bury.
About a week before this I found a dead bird. In both cases the body was fully in tact and didn’t appear to have injury. Perhaps death by natural causes, but interesting at this time period.
In general, seeing a dead animal can symbolize something coming to an end in our lives through a natural cycle – a major life transition from one thing to another. It can also herald the time for a new direction or choice. It’s not necessarily a literal death upcoming, although could be and is relative to the person seeing it.
Seeing a dead animal can be a message or reiteration that a door is, or needs to be, closing. It can also be a reflection of hope in times of challenge. And depending upon the qualities of the particular animal, this can signify the areas in your life that it is highlighting. For instance, mice tend to small and tedious little things and so this could indicate an end to minor issues no longer bothering you or not allowing fears getting in the way. Could be an end to any shyness or timidity, or perhaps resourcefulness no longer being a challenge.
It’s interesting that alongside seeing snakes a lot, we’ve been humanely trapping and releasing mice under the house quite a bit before fixing the insulation, and now I see the dead mouse. Mice in Ancient Greece were considered sacred because they are associated as food for snakes, which were sacred to the Greeks as holy healers.
One thing that jumps out at me about mice is this description of their symbolism from Avia Venefica, which I shared in my blog about the little mouse named Fiver that was so transformative for me.
“Our ancient ancestors observed their affinity for ground-burrowing, and likened this to mice being ‘one with the Mother’ (Mother Earth, that is). This ground-loving behavior was also seen as a connection to the Underworlds (or Otherworlds, depending upon your source of reference). This kind of connection makes the mouse a kind of mediator between physical life and recycling life (spirit energies in transition). This Earth and Underworld connection continues in western, medieval Europe, where folk superstitions tell of mice possessing the ability to carry souls of humans who have passed from this physical life.
There’s that reference again to energies in transition, similar to the smoke and the general theme I’ve been speaking about.
And this transition has been taking place in both the garden and the entire landscape here as I watch the end of Summer move into hints of Autumn vibes.
I am really enjoying the transitioning energy showing up in different waves of blossoming and shades of colors turning, fading and warming. Especially soul-enriching to me is all of the golden sage blossoms. It speaks to something soulful coming into glowing illumination.
On the same hike down to the lake where I saw the snake and the dead mouse, we enjoyed the beautiful meadows, pond, creek, and forests full of signs that Autumn is approaching.
And even my garden continues to transition, too, with sunflowers going through life cycles (nearly
half of the 30+ buds all in bloom), prolific wildflowers popping up with more on the way, plants both growing rapidly and coming to end, roses on their last leg of flowering, a last batch of mini
strawberries ripening for Astrid, and pollinators doing their thing to ensure next year’s growth, as
well as squirrels and chipmunks beginning to hide their Winter’s stash (in my garden). 😉
I have a really tall, wild thistle plant out front that is in full fuchsia bloom and starting to turn to puffs of white dandelion-like seeds, as their maturity is during late Summer to early Autumn.
With only a few last days of August remaining, we are approaching the upcoming Pisces Full Moon of the 1st/2nd of the month (depending on where you live) and Autumn Equinox on the 22nd.
September feels like it will be a quieter month for me, full of deep exploration, decisions, and a new layer of writing upcoming. It also happens to be Astrid’s birthday month, which I know she’s been prepping for and she has her regular vet check at the start of the month, too, for her to start afresh. I have an eye appointment at the end of the month to see if any prescription updating is in order, this may be the month for hair changes, and I’ll be planting daffodil and tulip bulbs for next year.
The Full Moon means that intuition will be on an all-time high, so listening to it and trusting it will be key to support moving into your true power. It will help you to gain deeper insights and understanding about the seeds you’ve been planting in your garden, the intentions you have for them, and will illuminate what truly is guiding your life so that you have a broader grasp on the creative forces at work and how to harness them.
Establishing and recognizing boundaries will be the theme for well-being and is a lesson for the boundless Pisces energy to understand how to balance in a healthy way.
This is a powerful time for deep soul level closure, to exercise greater compassion rather than judgment, and to practice radical acceptance, which helps you to release suffering. Suffering is a refusal to accept things. It’s time to give up the suffering, do an energy cleanse, and ask how you can make the changes, then engage action to do them.
All of this is speaking to a time of transition with our relationship to things in our life and perhaps creating some kind of ritual or acknowledgment around supporting what is time to release, so that we can more fully step into the life we want, and receive those upgrades.
There is so much beauty in all stages of life.
The shifting environment reflects the shifting within.
When the time comes for change, there are many ways in which we are messaged about how we can support that process to be easier, more efficient, graceful, and peaceful.
It doesn’t feel like the energy is anchoring yet, which makes sense given the transitional stage that even nature reflects.
Yet, we may see and feel the importance of which things speak most heart and soul-fully to us that would like to take root for the season ahead.
Today happens to be my dad’s 75th birthday – so a shout out to my dad with lots of love as I acknowledge how his birthday also signifies a huge shift and transition period in life.
I know as I edge toward 50 here not too far off, these 40’s have been the biggest shifts indeed.
Be the Bridge
The Bridge…..
See what someone can become – their wholeness of being, not solely what they appear to be.
See the magnificence of possibility in an individual. Then you can see what they are attached to as a current reality – their pain, their tragedies, their story of incompleteness.
By doing this you create the space between – an immeasurable void of enlightenment.
You see what is and what could be.
This place is the origin and return where the stars of the Cosmos are alive within.
When you meet someone in this void and infuse intent into the starry constellations of the heart center, a shift will occur and becoming is activated.
Stars move and form anew.
Love is the Bridge.
~
The Heart Chakra is where unconditional love resides. It is the balancing integrator of opposites (between body and spirit, male and female, persona and shadow, ego and unity) and acts as an energetic “bridge” between the lower and upper chakras.
Love is the most powerful energy in the Universe and is a vital energy to be focusing on every moment of every day, more so now than ever. Holding your hand over your heart with conscious connection, for even just minutes a day, can help you to stay present in your heart, help heal and open it to greater depths. It can help you to see with eyes of love and choose, respond, and act from love. Ask for help in doing so from your guides, angels, your Source connection and even ask your essence to be present in your higher heart always.
Sweet New Moon Wishes of Softening Potential
Wishing everyone a beautiful New Moon of sweet possibilities. I’m feeling like a cool breeze has blown in carrying with it a refreshed and inspired energy around this Gemini Moon, and as if a softer layer has been revealed under any resistance that might have been present. It’s perfect support for the current book cover painting commission I’m working on that is a portal of possibility itself.
I was never hugely drawn to pink, except for when I was a little girl and now that the little girl me is so much freer within my inner world, wearing pink feels nurturing. There’s an innocent little faery giggle I hear in pink that feels like a burst of sweet strawberry icing on the tongue or puffy cotton candy clouds dancing in a baby blue sky. Perhaps the shedding of more and more layers has uncovered a magnetism for it. Pink feels soft, vulnerable, innocent, sensitive, hopeful, romantic, calm and joyfully loving.
Softness, to me, being a message on a wider scale asking of us, where can we soften our inner dialogue, rigid perspectives, angry behaviors, harsh judgments of others or self, and our hardened shells we learned to erect for perceived, self preservation?
Protection can help nurture freedom, but can also restrict evolution. It’s not about having no boundaries, but the comfort in knowing you can energetically create these when needed as balance, and not simply out of constant separation, judgment, insecurity, and isolation projections.
Themes I keep sensing and are increasingly revving up for people include anxiety and stress at an all-time high, amplification of fears while illusion and escapism don a cloak of intuition that hides the reality of them, confusion as to how to navigate the deeper, darker depths in order to open the wisdom behind the fear doors that keep you away from yourself, and barriers to self knowing, love, and care because the conditioned cycles have been circling around for so long. It’s easy to get caught up in what’s going on outside and with trying to make everyone else change, but this is a futile mission without softening your own inner world around the ways you might resist change yourself.
There aren’t only contradictions in our outer world circulating, but also within us, which can torment us endlessly and war with each other to the detriment of own exhaustion. This New Moon window aids us in illuminating the possibility to see yourself more clearly. Gemini brings new perspectives so that misunderstandings can be brought to light.
Communication and perspective are highlighted now, which includes how you see things and communicate with yourself. An invitation to truth is a way to practice opening up to real conversations and discovering what you’re holding back or holding yourself back from. This is a great time to clear out the mental chatter, inner clutter and stories that are taking up time, energy, and space in your world.
Fear can hinder your expression, creativity, growth, and overall well-being and potential. A new approach to life constantly beckons us and doorways like this New Moon can support that if you’re willing.
Connection is also valuable right now and finding ways that suit you to feel more connected with others, All That Is, Nature, and yourself. Finding avenues that resonate for you and help cultivate this more are wonderful…writing, communicating, networking, reaching out, being in Nature, sharing your gifts…are forms of connecting.
Perhaps if you do too much technological connecting, then simpler ways might be a fresh start via communicating through your talents, immersing with Nature, using energy work or meditation. Or, if you’ve felt more isolated, maybe a technology upgrade to help you tune in with others or share your gifts on a larger scale might be activating.
It’s also a wonderful opportunity to recreate yourself…imagining a whole new you you’d like to express in the world. Here you can ask yourself how your life, actions, speech, and feelings align with your values. What message are you embodying and transmitting to the world? Are you consistent in what you believe, say, feel, and how you behave?
A lot of people tell me that they’ve done everything – positive thinking, self-healing, growth processes, and sometimes even exhausted medical help if they have a physical challenge….and are exhausted. Understandably they want so much to learn the lessons, feel better, and be done with things. They share that they want to feel whole and sense there must be more than meets the eye, as they simply can’t shift out and break free. I understand that frustration, having been there many times myself.
They ask me if there’s anything missing?
I don’t claim to know all of the why’s of their challenges, as there can be many levels to it to explore and uncover, but what I do find that can many times fundamentally be at the core is that sometimes people aren’t fully ready to embrace being freed or “healed” as they call it, as this would call for a whole new way of life, being, and responsibility.
The challenge seems to serve them in some way and there’s a part of them that is not really ready for what it means to not have the challenge anymore. It can be something very deep we hide from ourselves. So it becomes important to root out any thoughts and impressions, deep beliefs and feelings for why you may not feel “deserving” of this integration to take place. And perhaps even why you may be afraid of the “responsibility” that comes along with it.
Perhaps the very challenge is also what fuels the beauty of who you are and what you have to impart in service to others – in essence, it provides the “gusto” behind your message and dreams.
Sometimes we can’t see our wholeness that already IS within the experience we are having. That there is a perfection in the experience when we release it from definitions of life’s should’s and should not’s. We get in our own way when we think we know it all or have tried everything.
First off, this is not possible, as the universe is unlimited and it is self-deceptive to think you have explored all possibilities. You may have gone as far as your current perspectives are open to, but I assure you that they always have more room to expand…limitlessly in fact. And simply, too.
Sometimes it can be the smallest of tweaks that makes the difference, which comes at the right time and place for that click to put things into motion. There’s no time frame or right or wrong about this. It’s a journey and an experience of spirit in motion of being human.
If you find yourself hitting a wall, learn to love this wall, as it is there for a reason, take a break and allow your feelings and mind to refresh and let your subconscious percolate with the feelings and frustration for a while. When you separate from the need to have to get a solution then you work with and align with your energy instead of against it. It’s this embracing and love that will enable you to see more than one solution and from your heart you can find your creative power to create something new.
Life really calls for a softening in our hearts on all levels and toward life itself. It’s understandable that life circumstances can create a hardening, but at some point we may need to unlearn that, as hardening tends to crack and break at some point.
Clarity and true compassion comes with softness.
Softening isn’t about weakness. It’s a strength that knows it needs no false shield to be empowered. Standing fiercely in transparency and truth comes with a softer approach. One that is willing to reveal the authenticity and trusts the power of that to speak for itself.
Quick Update:
Online Reiki Training Certification Classes are almost full. I’m only taking 6 participants per class and here is the current availability.
Reiki Level 1: FULL (However due to there being 1 available space in each of the other 2 classes & a new student may want to do all 3, I’m opening Reiki Level 1 an extra space for someone interested in registering for all of the levels. I’ll also take names for a waiting list for this as a stand-alone class)
Reiki Level 2: 1 space available
Reiki Level 3 Master Teacher: 1 space available
You can register in full or hold your space with a deposit here:
And our Magick Rabbit Etsy Shop continues to host our biggest sale through June 20th, Summer Solstice. We have a few notebook journals, greeting cards, prints, and original mini and large paintings remaining. We continue to support rescue rabbits with sales, and with the current, mirroring, deadly virus strain (RHDV2) pandemic for rabbits (killing both wild and domestic rabbits), this is especially dear to my heart to do.
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.
May 2020 Energy Update with Lee Harris
Especially in these current times I feel insights like these can be of support to help navigate what you’re experiencing. Even if you don’t spend time tuning into what you’re feeling, just listening to something like this can trigger an activation within that can plant a seed for when you are ready. A-ha moments are flip-switchers.
Here’s Lee with the current energetic landscape including these themes:
- The deep end of coronavirus
- Truth surfacing
- Fine tuning your values
- Volcanic to the tender
- Upgraded listening
- People pleasers identity crisis
- Rise of the hero archetype
- Allowance and acceptance
- You are love and you are loved
- The chaos has a design right now
We’ll be back tomorrow with Ask Astrid Fridays.
Nature is Helping Me to Embody the New
I thought I’d hop on briefly after being away from blogging the last ten days, just to share some of the beauty, special moments, and reflections I’ve experienced during this time. Maybe you’ve felt similar things or this little burst of nature’s inspiration may be exactly the breath of fresh air for you right now. In any event, I hope that you had a beautiful Summer Solstice, however you chose to welcome it in.
I’m still spending most of my time within the inner landscapes, but that is reflected in an increased deepening with nature and immersing even more in her realm.
This mirrors the time we lived in the Magick Bus exploring nature and National Parks for nearly a year and a half when life called me in a new direction. It’s only now that I’m getting what it all meant and where the embodiment of that change was leading.
It’s almost been like getting my feet wet again in body, from what was a resurrection of sorts from the waters of life – actually most literally. I have needed the last couple of years to reacquaint myself with things from a new perspective, which has had me dipping in and out of some things from before, tried out in the now.
Some clothes just haven’t fit, either feeling too tight or too loose – meaning they were still too tied in with the past and the energy I had completed, or they were so new that I wasn’t sure how I felt about them and hence all the extra room to explore.
It’s been a time of allowing what ever wants to move through, letting go of to-do’s, and softening the reflections so that even my process with things doesn’t mirror how I used to process stuff. Life is a soft and gentle focus now. In this way, not only will what ever the new is that comes through be different than before, but the journey will be too.
I find it important for me that nothing mirrors the past, although can weave in the possibilities it held.
It still feels very fresh and I’m only beginning to immerse, as last week was more about the surrender, continued nurturing, and letting nature guide me.
So, with Solstice ringing in Summer, there’s been a ton of outdoor activity. It started Wednesday of last week while we explored a new hike to Cascade Falls – a shorter one, but climbs technically quite a bit. That felt invigorating and perfect for allowing the flow just like the gushes of water cascading down the mountain. Both the climb and the being with the water were perfect metaphors for things.
That same day we went to Baldwin Beach – another new beach for us. There, a mother duck and her seven ducklings visited and after they explored the higher activity of people down a ways from us, they came to rest in peace in front of our umbrella. Another beautiful reflection.
Thursday was a very special day – the two year anniversary of Astrid’s coming home to me at the gateway of Solstice. That’s what these first three photos celebrate. Since Astrid is such a huge part of this new life journey for me, I felt it important to capture some beautiful moments between us in the forest portal backyard of our house.
She was a surprise to me, but as I navigate this next part of my life, Astrid is my greatest guide. Where I have no example for the new I reinvent, she emulates the potential I most admire.
I love this photo below where she and I look merged as one – almost creating a Yin/Yang effect in how her body curves into mine.
Solstice is a very special time of the year for me ever since three years ago my beloved bunny, Joy, transitioned through its portal on that day in a place very dear to me – Montana. She and Astrid came from the same rabbit rescue and I feel that their entering and exiting at this gateway is significant.
The Mayans celebrated Solstice for spiritual initiation and change, creating ceremony to be in harmony with the Earth and Cosmic energies.
I remember the words from my dear shaman friend Amaru in Peru, “Nokan Inti Kani” – meaning “I am the Sun.”
Solstice extends an invitation to join the Sun’s energy and connect with your Higher Self, follow inspiration and dreams, and tune inside to the alchemy of “as within, so without.”
I find nature to be that gateway for me, as are my rabbit companions, and the Cosmos.
The Solstice gateway gifted me this beautiful golden hawk feather that I’m so grateful for.
So every day since Wednesday, nature time increased with tons of mountain biking, hiking, and beach time, as well as late afternoon/evening gardening time upon returning home from the physical activity.
To say I slept well is an understatement, as the deepening into body and moving a lot of energy in a grounding way was both nourishing and took me through cycles of decharge and recharge.
Solstice saw us in Squaw Valley where I enjoyed an intentional walk in the gorgeous meadows by myself anchoring in that new while Dave enjoyed his last day of skiing on the first day of Summer. You’ll see photos below of how beautiful this area is, reminding me of both the Swiss Alps (where I haven’t yet been, but seen photos of) and adored Iceland, as well as my favorite spots in Montana.
Seventeen miles of biking along the Truckee River that day was a way to move the energy and flow like the river.
Twenty two miles of biking the next day continued moving that energy along more gorgeous vistas.
All the while during each ride, allowing visions, thoughts, and feelings to flow, as my body did the integrating.
Two back-to-back hikes to different lakes Sunday followed by a vegan potluck picnic provided continued anchoring and as I said, each day I’d come home and plop myself in the garden planting perennials to create a low maintenance, inspiring, and beautiful backdrop that blends wild with a little intention.
I promised the Faeries of the land many things when moving here and I’m happy to create a special sanctuary for them to play in.
I’ll share more of the front and side gardens, as things blossom, but for now here are my beautiful Portulaca blooms that I adore!
The forest out back is in early stages of bloom, but as you can see they are already creating a welcome carpet to our home for the Faeries.
I just love how the wildflowers are blooming with joy everywhere – and it’s just the beginning. They feel like a love spell on my heart.
And as you can see from the below photos of Squaw Valley meadows, the Truckee River, and Cascade Falls, there’s been an abundance of inspiration all around from Mother Earth – the best nurturer there is.
As mentioned, I’m just beginning to immerse into a new realm of exploration within, so all of these good nature vibes are very nurturing to the vulnerable parts feeling safe to come through.
Because I feel that I haven’t much example to draw upon for that new, I feel nature provides me the best template and reflection for the journey.
Cultivating the garden is also very supportive, as my heart guides its creation in reflection of me as well – mostly wild, with woven threads of cultivated pockets that create synergy and harmony.
This last Wednesday I went to my third meditation group meeting that ended in a lovely picnic dinner at the beach with everyone who joined, however I feel it will likely be my last time going (at least for now) because I’m clear my work at home is more aligned for me at this time. I did leave the group with a few book recommendations to help with the “self love” topic, so they at least have some tools for any exploration they may decide to embark on past this month’s theme.
I feel called to explore on my own for now, dipping in and out when the moment calls.
The good news is (at least to me), I feel like I’m in greater alignment with the new path I’m creating than I was before. Remember I mentioned those clothes that felt too tight or too big and loose?
Energetically the ones that felt too big are now taking root and feeling more like home.
And on the literal, tangible level, the continued cleansing of, and weeding through, my closet leaves me with what feels to be the perfect essence of a place I now feel comfortable in heading to.
What’s fascinating is that the five Portal Paintings that found their new home, only just departed from Nevada on the Solstice – Yes! The Solstice of all days! Talk about divine alignment. Even though I dropped them off a week and a half earlier, they didn’t get crated and shipped out until then and so that also feels reflective of this anchoring in and clarity beginning.
The whole wild journey to get them to that point has mirrored so much of the changes I’m going through.
I’m excited for them to arrive in their new home across the country in Athens, Georgia with their amazing co-guardian where they will be open to anyone who wants to visit and meditate/work with them. This new home is being created into a form of a mini healing center welcome to people wanting to immerse in a conscious journey. As things evolve with that, I’ll keep you posted. It’s a way that people can experience them and more, and if at some point they are ready to journey on, they will be available via that portal.
I leave you now to return to my garden so I can complete the last planting I didn’t get a chance to finish yet. It feels integral to the next phase beginning.
What I love is that although the future is unknown and the vision is yet to be seen of how things look, the journey is so much more gentle and peaceful. There are those ebbs and flows, but it’s all naturally unfolding if I listen, allow, honor, and observe.
Do you experience reflections in your life that mirror the changes you’re going through?
My guess is we all do and if we stop to observe things, we’ll see it and make those connections.
If not, how might you create intention around something – like a project, gardening, etc. – to embody the potential you’re being guided to?
It will be interesting to see where the journey leads all of us.
Giveaway Recipients & A Break
I’ll keep this post short and sweet by kicking off with thanking those of you who joined in on the New Moon Gratitude Giveaway. Because of a busy week, it took me a while to go through the lists from people who decided to see it all the way through with me and us. I hadn’t had opportunity until this morning to go through things and post the recipients of the four gifts I promised as a way of honoring your commitment.
The four people in no particular order are:
Reid Reichardt
Ana Pena
Jane Guzman
Lisa Gonzales
I’ll be contacting each of you to get your gifts out. I was truly moved by the experiences you had with this and how meaningful you found it to be. I honor each of you for doing this challenging work.
This last week has been both full and full circle for me. It has solidified some things and put others into motion. Wednesday through Friday were particularly shifting, as well as a bit exhausting, yet pivotal clarity came as to a phase I chose three years ago.
I had only snippets of what it meant, but am understanding more what is in alignment with it. It’s a new phase that hasn’t an example to reflect for me, so it will be both a challenge and adventure to reinvent things.
It is because of this that the regular Ask Astrid Fridays blog didn’t come in yesterday and because of things she and I are committing to working on together, we’ll be taking at least the next week off from any blogging as well.
Depending on how much we move through, will depend on how the next week looks, but I at least want one full week to dive in deep so that I can get a handle on and anchor in a new experience we’re reinventing.
Once it feels to be in motion, I’ll be better able to schedule in other things.
This feels supportive also to my being very inward these days and needing more space for myself.
Thursday is a big day for the two of us leading into Summer Solstice on Friday. This is a special time and sacred portal that feels especially supportive for igniting what we’re focusing on right now.
We hope it will be a beautiful doorway for your light as well.
Thank you again to everyone who delved into the self gratitude and giving in the way that felt right for you. I hope you’ll continue to implement this into your life to become a natural part of living.
