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Tania Marie: There’s Beauty in all Phases of the Journey
We’re just about to embark again – duration unknown – to do some caretaking. We’ll be making a road trip out of it and breaking up our drive with an overnight in Mammoth to hike before continuing on to my birth place of Southern California. We’ll return before or by Thanksgiving.
Leading up to this we’ve been able to enjoy some walks down Summer’s lane, as the weather provided us wonderful opportunities to immerse in our beloved activities.
Weather has continued to swing back and forth, providing us extended days filled with hiking, biking, and even a perfect kayaking day.
Just look at these amazing conditions on the crystalline waters of Lake Tahoe.
In between it all we’ve been handed some reminders of the actual season we’re in, mixed with cold, rain, frost, and even snow at the mountain tops.
Temperatures seem to be dipping just as we leave and looks like a more pre-winter chill will be in the air upon return.
It’s all brought up the mushrooms and even this field of giant white beauties.
As I, and all of us, go through our own unique and profound transitions, so, too, does our Earth Mother.
Leaving behind the warmth and brilliant bosom of blooms, she embraces the mysterious darkness and elegant cloaks of fallen wisdom, making way for frosted shawls of wintry wonder.
Seasons change and so do we.
There is much to both let go of and to remember.
The light of day fast surrenders to the dark of night so that we experience more connection to the rhythms of Earth and Cosmos in harmony.
This is a celestial event of spirit in flesh, where deepening sacredness overflows from the cauldron of our hearts.
It can be illuminating when we surrender and have the courage to retrieve what’s been forgotten.
Our vulnerability is empowering and clarifying.
Yesterday, we came upon a sight that stopped my heart in its tracks. I did take a photo to remember it, but won’t share it since it would be emotionally traumatizing for some.
We found a perfect wild cottontail rabbit body on the side of the trail, without her head. There was no blood, no signs of anything except a clean cut of a missing head. I picked her up and buried her, totally mesmerized by her beauty and perfection, and the feeling of her sweet fur, thumpers, and tail. It has been a while since I’ve held a rabbit and of course I identify with them.
Without going into personal details of this, I’ll simply state that it reflected to me a renewal of self and transformation of identity.
Later, I was curious to look this up and had my feelings confirmed, along with these symbolisms: death of the old self (way of thinking/being), a “silent” beginning (one that is embodied rather than spoken), living even more from intuition/instinct/feeling rather than intellect/overthinking, and even a sacrifice for the new self.
Autumn Equinox brought equanimity within and without and of all opposites that light and dark might reflect to each of us.
And when things stand with conscious awareness of this reflection, the sweet intricacy of every thread becomes as valued as the whole web of All That Is.
It is a most miraculous and beautiful thing to exist indeed.
Every day I feel immense gratitude for the air I breathe and the beauty all around me. I don’t take for granted that there are varying experiences across the globe and that what I am able to see, feel, and immerse in is an astounding gift.
It is this very reason I share these gifts, so that they might touch, inspire, or bring some level of hope and belief in some way to whom ever needs it in the moment they see these windows or read my words.
We are bridges for one another and that is most beautifully made possible through the vortex of our hearts – the gateway to harmonic convergence and our multidimensional potential.
Enjoy these reflective windows into my garden of life ~ our days here in the alpine region of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, our recent Taurus Full Supermoon, a harvest of some Autumn blooms (I’ll be harvesting a ton of lavender soon), and the bed of plants and blooms in their transition.
There’s beauty in all phases of the journey.
And here’s a sweet peak at two new, magickal crystal beings that are now available:
Crystal Friends for All Seasons
Bunnies, Birthdays & Beginnings Have Begun ~ Portal Painting Magick as a Marker of Spiraling Change
This is an interlude before the next reblog of White Dreams & Visions Revisited so that I can share some updates including a very important full circle closure AND opening for me that has to do with a portal.
But before that, I just want to extend extra love, healing, and grace of flow to everyone and especially those of you who may find yourself going through some very rough patches. I have heard in the last couple of weeks from several people I know that are themselves going through major health challenges to include various forms of stage four cancer and aggressive lymphoma, or their loved ones are going through the same.
Many people are moving through big changes in various areas of their lives, not just health, and even if ultimately they are for the highest good, things may feel uncomfortable or unclear right now. So let’s take some deep breaths together and remember all the things we have already made it through. One step at a time.
There also continues to be a wide gap between contrasting experiences that can be triggering or add strain on things so, again, it’s helpful to try to find that connective bridge of kindness toward self and others, understanding how everyone is going through their own stuff. The breath and pause with curiosity around the moment unfolding can help to curtail creating a domino effect of explosions. Anything you can do to nourish and support yourself, anchor into the conscious present, listen to and act upon inner messaging, or maybe even reach out to others would be of great benefit as things are changing rapidly and will inevitably continue to unearth reveals and invite more of us on board in the coming days and months.
Although I know it’s a given that collective connection is our innate experience, I have intention that any breakthroughs, uplifting, inspiring, successful, and peaceful energies I experience are shared in the collective pool with others. The way we each move through life creates doorways for the collective.
I’ll share some of the changes and updates that have taken place this month in case they speak to energy shifts and similar kinds of things that you’ve been going through as well. This month has felt like the year’s energy is really starting to clarify and anchor new momentum.
As you know, I’ve been transitioning my own life focuses to put closure to a cycle and prepare for a new one. I felt this energy guidance even before I remembered the actuality of it taking place with my birthday kicking in the essence of #1 numerologically this year. So of course it was a huge a-ha click to why everything was happening. And this #1 energy inevitably gives me a lot of oomph behind the drive I feel compelled to act upon.
I’m so happy to report that I have been able to accomplish this goal of completions and have already removed several pages from this website for offerings that are no longer. I will continue to remove pages in the days ahead leading to my birthday, and eventually will begin updating pages with fresh energy and clear slates.
During the past few weeks I also discovered a weird thing with my gmail acount that is too complicated to explain, but basically showed me another door I would be closing and opening with kind of an “identity” themed focus. Somehow we (Dave and I) had set up two gmail accounts for me when first I created one and unknowingly everything had been operating through one that I don’t use including my YouTube channel, all saved contacts, photos, etc. Of course, I just happened to discover this right now and we took measures to move everything over to the right account, which was quite the project – especially YouTube – and then deleted the nonused account. Needless to say, it’s all fixed and that felt like a reflection of new identity and fresh starts too – kind of like the old account was this in between place holder of a me that would only be temporary.
During the last month or so of completions I also found myself not using my office and Wonderland room I shared with Astrid and the crystal family. I’ve had a temporary setup with my important things on the kitchen island and have been working from the couch in the main living area. I wondered why that was, but then this clicked in as well that it must have been my sensing the energy of transition and not wanting to anchor in that in between within my special space. That space is a container for new energies building, and interestingly during this transition I have been welcoming in and moving around a few last crystals and crystal skulls.
The only thing I have been doing in my Wonderland room is painting, which I just started on 2/11 and completed on the evening of 2/17.
This is one of the important completion projects that has haunted me for a while – to finalize my giant 5 foot x 5 foot portal painting titled Once in a Blue Moon. It makes sense why I haven’t completed it until now, and with everything off my slate I was able to paint the final keys to this doorway of new experience.
I first channeled the painting in 2012 with Nestor (who had already transitioned) and Joy (who was still with me at the time) anchoring it. This is a professional photo of the painting that captures colors differently.
I had no idea then that Cosmo and Astrid would be coming, but I must have intuitively had an idea because the painting was very simple and empty, as if also being a place holder for more.
Over the years of having Cosmo and Astrid, I knew that I wanted to eventually add them to the painting, but also Gaia who is connected to all of them – especially Joy and Nestor – and in fact was Joy’s companion until Cosmo came – as well as Twinkie who was my first bunny when I was twelve years old and whom I feel came back to me as Cosmo. Five rabbits in all and their comrade the Russian tortoise.
It was a project that I kept saying I wanted to do and could have done with the passing of each of them, but it wasn’t until now that I finally felt the energy was ready and of course I created the time for it with clearing out things.
It seems like the perfect marker from old to new with a magickal celebration of everyone together to support what’s to come. And, in fact, also a celebration for my birthday new cycle. I knew it would be done before that and in fact I did it with nine days to spare.
Here it is taken just outside my office door in the sunlight – I had to move away the snow.
I wish I could photograph it as well as the professional one of the original.
It’s SO hard to capture the colors properly – some lighting washes things out and makes everything more blue – other lighting makes things have a yellow undertone. The painting in person has a lot of variation in colors especially where all the detail is, and in person the bunnies are all the proper colors they should be.
But I think the photos will give you an energetic idea of the magick – including their favorite amethyst crystals and special symbolism, bridging details, earth and cosmic landscapes (check out Gaia’s Himalayan terrain), and star codes.
These next photos of Cosmo show you how the lighting shifts the colors – you can see in his fur and the flowers.
I’m excited to see what ignites by its completion and hanging in my Wonderland room where Astrid transitioned.
I already saw one acknowledgment – this sunset took place the evening of the 17th when I completed the painting. This was the second confirmation.
Then on Valentine’s evening 2/14 I finished painting Astrid and took this photo, which showed energy all around her.
I basically painted one of my companions each day since I started on 2/11 and Astrid was to be the last. The background took me two days. Well, the very next morning of the 15th, the first confirmation came after I woke earlier than usual to see the Moon through the forest.
Frith showed up.
I haven’t seen Frith in ages, but there he was.
He ran across our upper deck and then down the stairs to the spiral garden.
This is where I first discovered Frith, before I had the spiral quartz garden, when he was just a baby and would flop himself near the bushes there and act like a domesticated rabbit. That’s when Astrid took him under her wing and they became great friends.
Well, that morning he sat looking at us watching him through the upper picture windows of our living room and I remarked at how much he looked like Astrid in my painting – the same stance.
He’s grown so much!
And he’s still his frisky, sweet self, as he dashed about the spiral garden now covered in snow from our last and biggest storm yet. Then off he disappeared under our deck.
I felt he was Astrid’s acknowledgment and joy of the portal being activated with her coming alive on the painting. They were both happy!
In fact, last night’s dream was graced by Astrid who was full of joy and bursting exuberance. In my dream she got out through the door and was zooming and springing about outside, dashing here and there in the snow. She mirrored Frith. She would leap and twist and turn and move like a flash with great energy bubbling from within. That warmed my heart.
I know this to be an actual portal, as when I first painted it and hung it in my office in Costa Mesa, Southern California, I experienced the magick. I woke in the middle of the night one day and because I could see the painting in my office through both room doorways from my side of the bed, I saw why it woke me up. I saw the painting open and all of these magickal beings came jumping out of it and running across the floor – gnomes, elves, fairies, and other devic creatures.
I wonder what else will happen now that I’ve completed and hung the painting back on the wall of Wonderland over a couch that houses stuffies of all of my sweet rabbit companions with Astrid’s crystal grid in front of it?
Well, I’ll tell you what happened next.
After photographing the painting yesterday morning before going out skiing, I hung it back up in its place on the wall.
Later, after we got home and had lunch, I went downstairs thinking I might get better lighting now to photograph the painting because the morning light made everything blue.
As soon as I walked in my office I was amazed to see the painting down on the floor behind the couch. When I went over to it I realized that the wire broke in half, sending the painting straight down to the floor. Luckily the couch is in front of it, as it would have toppled over onto my table of crystals.
That said, I knew the portal was activated. Just like when I had gridded the crystals on Astrid’s table and she flung my lighted ornament tree onto the ground behind me to tell me it was done and ready to go.
I told Dave that the painting fell and that made three things already happening since painting it.
He said to me, “It’s been hanging on the wall all of these years since we moved in. Nothing’s changed. It’s not like it got heavier.”
I laughed and said, “The whole painting image changed! That’s exactly it. Nothing changed to the canvas itself except the portal is now activated with everyone on it.”
His eyes bugged out and we both laughed. I showed him the wire on the back of the painting and we both said it looked like Astrid chewed right through it. LOL!
“Take that!” Dave said as stand-in for her.
The very strong metal hook on the wall was completely bent from an upright position to a horizontal one. That took me longer to bend back into place than stringing a much stronger, thicker wire across the back, doubling it around the broken one. But it’s all super secure now – unless something else decides to take place.
So, indeed the portal has ignited.
A lot of acknowledgments continue to roll in, including the clock numbers. We all see the repetitive numbers a lot these days, but sometimes the experience is heightened. That’s been the case the last couple of weeks where I’m seeing the numbers like crazy every single day and multiple times a day. This includes seeing my birthday 2:26 on the clock all the time – both during the day and waking up to seeing it during the night.
And speaking of night and sleep, I had another incredible bear dream the night of the Leo Full Moon of the the 12th. This time it had both cubs and momma bear in it.
There were two larger sized cubs that were following me and wanting in the house that I was in, in the dream. Every time I opened the door, they snuck in and wanted to play. I couldn’t keep them out. They always discovered the door I opened and would get in. The cubs were relentless about wanting to be with me.
I thought momma bear must be close and kept looking for her, as I didn’t want to upset her that the cubs were with me. Then I saw mom appear from the woods, but to my surprise she was human – although I knew she was bear in essence. A shapeshifter perhaps.
She carried in her arms a smaller, third cub and I noticed that when she stepped forward in view by the trees that she had a very pregnant belly underneath a long gown. She reminded me of the Empress card in Tarot, which is interesting since I’m a three in numerology by birth number and that is associated with this card. Momma bear had three cubs and one on the way.
She brought the little cub into the house and laid him snug inside an open dresser drawer lined with soft material to sleep.
That’s all I remember, but it was so clear and stayed with me.
I told Dave about my dream and even he said, “Wow you are constantly dreaming of bears.”
Yes indeed!
I’ve also been in a pattern again of dreaming about so many people I know, even if I’m not in contact with them regularly, like a collective streaming of communication and connection happening seamlessly.
And speaking of connection, we got to enjoy a beautiful celebration weekend with my family for my brother’s 55th birthday at the beginning of this month. We also celebrated an early one for me since we wouldn’t be down again until early March.
We ended up spending two nights with them because a snow storm was starting and we didn’t want to get caught on the roads in the event it got as bad as they were predicting.
It didn’t end up being that big, but we were happy we followed our intuition and it gave us more family time to enjoy.
Going down early provided a window to hit one of our favorite fun spots in Reno for lunch, try a new place with vegan baked goods, enjoy a short walk by the river, and do an errand.
I finally got a photo with my favorite momma and baby whale sculpture downtown too!
Snow by us, meant rain down in the valley and that produced this beautiful rainbow when we arrived at my parent’s house.
This was the view from the front door.
Game nights, talks, and yummies are all a part of family fun time. In fact, two of the gifts we brought my brother were new games, which we all played together.
On the morning of my brother’s birthday we woke to this gorgeous, shifting sunrise view through the blinds and windows that looked like a celebration from the heavens!
This was the amazing vegan cake my dad made for my brother that we enjoyed in the beautifully decked out dining room after mom’s delicious meal.
Dave and I even hit the gym at the clubhouse by my parent’s house on both days and I had my usual deep and shifting talks with my brother. This one was a timely, major breakthrough talk perfectly aligned with the changes and my birthday.
On our way home on the 8th, we saw three coyotes following each other in a perfect line, in a field near our house.
And that first night back home, after the powerfully shifting talks with my brother I had another powerful dream.
In the dream I was receiving a blood transfusion in a place that felt different than here. There were actually a couple of other people also receiving a transfusion, but what I realized is that mine was different. They were each receiving human blood and I was receiving rabbit blood. And the interesting way that this was being given to me was by tubes in my mouth that made it so that I needed to swallow the blood.
Interesting given this took place before I started my painting and after talks that involved discussions including my rabbit companions and missions.
Anyway, while that storm of the 6th didn’t end up as big as they thought, the second one did and we were grateful for that.
On the 12th and 13th, just before Valentine’s Day, we got our biggest storm of the season that brought 16 fresh new inches of snow at our house and 28 inches to the ski mountain above us.
We’re very happy about that, as we haven’t had a very big Winter this year so far.
This brought enough for us to have some good snow shoeing this past weekend too, which was perfect to do with our friends who invited us over to do an early birthday celebration for me.
This included the outdoor fun, relaxing, a meal and birthday cake they made for me, game time, and a two-round sound healing session by the guys before we hit the sack for a fun overnighter.
After walks and snowless beach days, we’re back to Winter enchantment, more skiing, and snow is hanging around finally at the house.
February seems to be the new month for Winter Wonderlands to kick in, which adds to birthday fun and magick.
Birthday celebrations have definitely begun and I love that the bunnies are in full and high gear along with me!
I’m looking forward to what’s up ahead, but am feeling super grateful for all that’s here now.
Winter Solstice: The Light is Reborn Plus Episode 3 of Talks With Crystal Skulls, Surprise New Offerings & 5 Day Sale
This is the first Winter Solstice and Christmas without Astrid physically with us, so as you can imagine I am reminiscing about the special times we’ve spent with her over the years.
This enchanted season was a favorite of ours. Astrid loved to look out the windows at the Winter Wonderland scape before her, just as much as I did, and enjoyed all the wonders that lit both of our hearts.
So, indeed, there is a mix of feelings this year for this special time I hold dear. And in general, I do think it can bring up a variety of emotional waves for many and especially with all that is going on in the collective. As the year winds down and one reflects and reviews all that has unfolded in the months now behind us, may we release with every exhale and expand with every inhale.
With the loss of Astrid I’m riding those waves this time of year and it does stretch my heart muscles to feel even more beauty and warmth, as well as know the gifts that all of it makes available to unwrap.
I loved getting her special gifts to let her know how much she was adored and deserved the very best, but mostly we just loved snuggling up together.
It warmed my heart to see her happy, zooming about, cozying up by the fireplace to watch a movie with us, thumping her presence in a room, and making sure to let us know early in the morning that new snow had fallen across the land while we slept.
We even enjoyed some magickal photo shoots, while snow fell softly on our fur and hair.
She was a true snow bunny and I often thought of her more like a snowshoe hare, as she reminded me of these incredible, strong beings I experienced in the more northern parts of the Rockies of some of my favorite areas while we were in the Magick Bus – so mystical, wise, and illuminated with otherworldliness from within.
I’ll always remember Astrid’s first time setting her paws and thumpers on the snow after mom had just gone out barefoot in it herself. Hehe!
And how she almost got the best of mom…nearly escaping through the side of the gate I hadn’t pulled in tight. She looks at the opening and then turns back to me, as if to say, “Oh, nothing here to see mom.” Then after assuring me all is well, she turns back to go for it. That’s when I shut the video off before I have a true, wild snowshoe hare on the loose!
She even gave her signature thump on queue with the music in this short little video of her exploring her first snow. You’ll need to click through to the post itself to watch, as videos don’t show up embedded in emails if in fact that’s how you’re receiving this.
A Winter faery queen and her faery queen rabbit we will always be.
Astrid loved to dawn her crown proudly and step out safely in mom’s arms to explore the wild alpine world we called home together.
It warms my heart to look back on our memories we created and to know that her spirit is in every crystalline sparkle that winks at me from the fresh fallen snow.
She has left her mark and magick in every piece of life for me to unwrap each day.
There’s no more precious gift.
She also reminds me constantly that magick is a state of being that beats within our hearts. We merely need to embrace this inherent truth of our embodiment.
Magick is the way we experience life as a result of knowing this about ourselves.
When you realize the miraculous nature of your existence, you open yourself to being more present about the miraculous nature of all things from the smallest to largest.
The observer creates the experience both by perception and reflection. You have the ability to paint each day as you would like to experience it.
The world can be your Wonderland to navigate from the vision of your heart. Your inner landscape is yours alone to live by and no matter what takes place outside of that, no one can take away your experience, feelings, visions, or hope.
We’ve been enjoying so many magickal moments that Winter’s sparkle has woven into the fabric of our experience by constantly embracing that inner child wonder and belief around every corner. Even though Winter is only now officially here, and it’s a very mild one so far this year, there’s been enough little surprises from Jack Frost to make things wonderly.
The pendulum swing of seasons continues a bit, though, as we just had two plus days of rain and wet snow where we are that melted away our white carpet, but this did bring a few inches of new snow at the mountain tops.
That didn’t stop us, as we just jump right into Nature’s current expression and enjoy what she has to share. That has included some wet forest walks out back.
And if we hadn’t embraced the moment, no matter what shows up, we wouldn’t have discovered this beautiful little bird’s nest.
How perfectly synchronous to my post on 12/5 where I mentioned seeing a vision of a nest in my mind’s eye as reflection of energetic themes. You might recall this description I wrote in sharing how the nest felt like:
“…the rhythmic pattern of love and intentions woven into the most intricate and devoted ways. A labyrinth of commitment and dedication to the seeds cultivated within. A swathing of content interlacing dreams into forms and embodying a sacred geometry of the heart’s expression. The nest as a weaving of the heart wanting never to cease spreading its energy in the exquisite way only love knows how.”
This little nest we found on our walk the 18th is a perfect reflection of this. You can’t see fully in the photo, but the inner core of it is absolutely exquisite with the tiniest of interwoven fibers so delicately and meticulously laced with love and intention. I will be preparing it, once it dries out from the fresh rain, and adding it to my ever-growing nest mobile that is a centerpiece of sacred intention and energy in our space.
And in the outdoor space, the expansive vistas and quiet terrain have been a fresh breath, since most people aren’t out enjoying Nature walks at this time of year and especially not in the in between.
Even wildlife here is mirroring this in between, as the bear theme continues strong.
The bears are not hibernating yet and even the small animals have been out and about with unusual behavior. While starting a hike with our friend and his dog where the above photo was taken, a large coyote greeted us and seemed to be wandering in the later morning and we’ve been seeing a lot of large gray squirrels dashing about, sometimes seeming disoriented. We’ve also seen deer tracks in the snow, which we don’t usually.
I mentioned in one of the videos about a crystal skull available, that I overheard our neighbors talk about a big bear that had come to their house recently. And just yesterday we found another half eaten pumpkin by our bear friend from our neighbor’s front yard.
Well, then these two sightings hit the headlines about bears crossing the ski slope at the resort we ski at.
Bear at Heavenly Ski Resort Darts Across Ski Run
Mother Bear and Two Cubs Crossing Under Ski Lift
This is the run, below, and in fact we were skiing on these days when the above bear sightings took place, although we didn’t see them firsthand. Dave was there when the first one happened and we were both there when the second did.
Playing in the in between is where the field of potentials and alchemy stir. It’s always interesting to see what things ignite in that potent space.
Our more consistent snow isn’t forecasted until just after Christmas, but we venture up and down the mountain to immerse in some of both worlds, just as right now the collective feels to be experiencing different worlds and timelines.
When we anchor ourselves within our hearts and create that as our center of peace, we can then more easily move in and out of experiences, worlds, timelines, and what ever shows up in life. This core of you is your home, your grounding, your reference point for all else. It can be your stabilizer, as well as your fluidity so that you can maneuver more easily and navigate what shows up.
And when we create that inner stability, then we open ourselves up to more love.
The way to experience more love, is to love more.
Contrary to our ego mind’s conditioning to want to protect ourselves from a survival standpoint, the higher self’s wisdom is to feel without limitation and to breathe into each expansion and contraction so that we stretch the muscles into greater realms of possibility. This part of us knows how resilient our hearts actually are and that to place a limit on the alchemy of love, is like locking away your power and potential – love leads to growth and unlimited creative potential.
Any time my heart has ached, the depth of breathing into the human beauty of feeling has led me to know greater love. It’s not always easy, but until we lean into it we won’t actually experience the truth of love’s power.
Opening my heart to all experiences, has led me to the now and I’m grateful to feel SO much, as it’s led to special moments like these that are entwined with great and small gifts in all varying shades and colors of life’s artistic expressions.
So, as we embrace this beautiful Winter Solstice, what parts of you might you extend a little more love to and a little shift of perspective on to see how magickal your illuminated existence truly is for the collective?
Where do you feel contractions to your heart’s ability to feel?
And how might you surround yourself with something that lights your heart in ways that supports some softening into love’s strength?
We don’t all have tender childhood memories to call up, but we do have the ability to love that inner child in all the ways she or he deserves, right now.
When I was growing up, I had a nutcracker that looked similar to this giant one above. I called him my boyfriend and he in fact was the nutcracker I danced with as Clara in The Nutcracker ballet.
I imagined many things when I was a child and continue that dreaming into today. Imagination is where dreams take root so it becomes important to bring that part of us into our adult years to help continue the momentum of creative visualization helping to form realities.
It took me many years and a lot of heart stretching into the greater love zones to manifest my Nutcracker alive, just like I experienced being Clara, dancing in my dreams with him as a child.
But every step is part of the manifesting process and even the unearthing and unwinding to recreate process, bringing one closer to the essence of our visions for the highest good, layer by layer…just like it takes experimenting with the ingredients to find the aligned recipe for that gold alchemy or universal elixir.
Sometimes life is like exploring a vast library with rooms connected to rooms, shelves upon shelves, spiral staircases to each floor, stretching out in all directions…and each day and moment you can pick out a different book, turn to a new page, read a new paragraph, and understand things from a different light of that moment.
You also have the ability to become the author of each day’s book and write the story for that day from morning forward, or start rewriting your “herstory” or “history” as you would like to know it to be – reworking the pages of your inner world with all the magickal ingredients of your choosing, imagination, editing, discarding, or blending.
Some of that is about seeing the journey like a “choose your own adventure” book where you get to pick the twists and turns and even the beginning and ending, over and over.
How ever you want to see and experience things, make it your own, AND….make it fun.
Wishing you warm fuzzies that kindle the light within your heart to glow more brilliantly even when the day feels short, as this inner lantern will help you navigate any storm and know your way through any form of darkness.
Warmth is a state of heart that comes through the sharing of our love, kindness, and creative magick.
Winter Solstice is when the light is reborn and you remember that a new beginning always stirs.
Today’s Winter Solstice felt like the perfect portal to share Episode #3 of Talks With Crystal Skulls. It explores the world of crystal skulls some more and will be the first time we hear from The Speakers.
Yep, there will be some messages and other introductions that may speak to something within you.
I hope you enjoy this little Solstice gift from our hearts to yours (mine and The Speakers that is). Again, the video won’t be visible if you’re receiving this by email, so please click through to watch or you can visit my YouTube channel taniamariemagick directly.
If you watch the full episode, you’ll also learn about the new crystal skull sessions with The Speakers. This was a surprise unfolding for me, but I continue to listen to the prompts they share and say, “yes” to what is showing up. Energy sessions and channeling sessions are now available – the energy sessions are the most powerful transmissions I’ve yet to experience. They wanted me to introduce these in the show, but greater detail about the two kinds of sessions can be found here:
The Speakers: Crystal Skull Sessions
There’s also a surprise crystal skull Winter Solstice Sale that they told me to offer for the remaining skulls in order to help get these beings to their cocreators and help support the work ahead, as well as to let you know there’s some pretty special little gifts that each is accompanied by. This special will begin today 12/21 Winter Solstice through 12/25 Christmas Day – 5 magickal portal days that Astrid and I adore.
Included in the group of four is a Brazilian hand carved, spectacular, large elestial smoky quartz crystal skull alchemist with tons of rainbows that walks and bridges both the Earth and Cosmic realms – this is one is exceptional and hard to find at this value for size and quality. This skull and the next can really support you to stretch your spiritual muscles into the next phase of your evolution, so if you’re doubting your new up-leveling, they invite you to embrace more of your personal power and trust. – This one is CLAIMED
Then there’s a powerful Himalayan quartz with black tourmaline and iron oxide star being master carved by Subhash Meena, with heart carved at the third eye, channeling Cosmic love and connecting with multi dimensional realms, while supporting and grounding high level spiritual transformation into embodiment (pricing already discounted from its original value before sale).
Then there’s an Indonesian chrysoprase (heart chakra and growth stone) gentle, but powerful skull being that supports journeying challenges with more serenity and stability, helps with all levels of emotional challenges (broken heart, anxiety, intense emotions), and helps bring more joy, optimism, and prosperity. – This one is CLAIMED
And last a Leandro master carved golden healer quartz star traveler master healer working high vibrations in a gentle way to support you reaching your highest potential, open to possibilities, live life more fully, and reach goals with love and optimism. – This one is CLAIMED
You can explore the remaining crystal skull spiritual allies, and more about each, that await their heart home here (special offerings will be reflected individually):
At this same page, you will also find a brand new opportunity for bringing home powerful crystal friends. I’ve just added “Personal Crystal Showings” as a way to explore crystal friends in a private experience.
As the paragraph on this describes on that page near the top: This is for very special, personal release crystals from my collection that are ready to work with new cocreators. I have a large group of potent and incredible crystals – too many to post – so if you would like to have me help you with finding one for you or would like to see what is available, please reach out. You will be sent a video of the pieces to explore. This is a way I feel I can better serve your individual needs and work more intimately with you in connecting cocreators – something I love to do! Great discounts and special bundle pricing will be available.
The contact link is at the page as well.
And last, I’ve just recently updated the page of Mody Ra’s work with a variety of smaller carvings that include Isis, Sekhmet, Horus, Bastet, Earth/Gaia Goddesses, Sphinx, Dolphins, Flower of Life, Scarab, and Moons in Ancient Egyptian Stones. There is also an incredible, large Nefertiti head carving of extremely old black basalt from Aswan Temple of Isis. All stones comes from sacred areas of Egypt.
There are just 3 skulls remaining from the initial introduction, and 1 brand new one that’s just a little teaser of more to come in January. The last skull on the page link below is carved in an extremely rare, new Ancient Egyptian Stone Tomb find – Granite – that is a one-of-a-kind. There are no other skulls carved in this stone. On Mody’s last visit to Egypt, from which he just returned on the 14th, he was working with a group of the rarest stones he has yet to see and work with, which this last skull is one of. I had the opportunity to be in on this process of securing the stones with him and seeing it all unfold from the start. We’ll be sharing an upcoming episode in the New Year about the stones. You’re in for a treat with these and he’s taken his carvings to the next level, yet again (wait until you see the images carved into the upcoming ones). I’m so excited to receive the new pieces he custom carved for me from this group and I just know those of you who are drawn to ancient stones and skulls will find these new skulls out of this world.
Egyptian Skulls & Dragons by Mody Ra
Happy Winter Solstice dear friends!
Rabbits On My Mind, Transformation In Motion & New Store Now Open
February is “Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month,” to bring focus to rabbits living in shelters awaiting a forever home, which is such a sweet sync wink for me since it’s also my and Nestor’s birthday month.
In fact, I had a potent rabbit dream very early morning of Nestor’s birthday on the 1st of February that held a lot of symbolism woven through it. It featured Astrid in the first part and then Astrid and another rabbit in the last part.
The other rabbit was a black, velvety, Rex male rabbit with dark eyes – very handsome, regal in stature, and embodying shadow essence. The dream was both disturbing and alchemically powerful, but had a complexity of layers to it that spanned several depths of experience. At one point Astrid turned into a white rabbit.
Side note: Although, I don’t talk a lot about my very first rabbit when I was 12 years old, he was in fact white. His name was Twinkie, pictured below. So, I have had the honor of five (my favorite number and one of the messaging systems the rabbits use in communicating to me with repetitive 5’s) soul companions in rabbit bodies.
Without going into detail, I will say that the black, Rex male rabbit immediately reminded me of The Black Rabbit of Inlé from Watership Down – messenger and servant to Lord Frith (god figure/Sun in rabbit folklore said to have created the world), death personified, and as Wikipedia describes him:
“Known as Inlé-rah (“Prince/Chief of the Moon” or “Prince/Chief of the Dead”) to his ghostly Owsla, he is a sombre phantom servant of the god Frith who appears in rabbit folklore as a kind of analogue to the grim reaper. His duty is to ensure all rabbits die at their predestined time, and he avenges any rabbit killed without his consent. Inlé is the Lapine term for the moon/moonrise, as well as the word for the Land of the Dead”
I get chills thinking about it all and this sense of big transformation in motion with what’s about to take place in the micro and macro worlds.
Of all my rabbit companions Astrid is most similar to Nestor, although they all commune tightly, with Nestor as kind of the guiding force threading them all together. Astrid and Nestor’s similarities make me feel like sometimes they cross in spirit.
I also remember not long after I brought Joy home that she actually went into a fully surrendered state in my arms to the point I thought she was dead, and allowed Nestor to come into her body for me to feel and know Nestor’s presence was still with me. I recall this took place as I was sitting in my solarium overlooking Lake Tahoe, under the stars, and tears rushing down my face as I felt Nestor fully inhabit her body.
Joy was the rabbit Nestor led me to, after she transitioned, who helped me through the traumatic and devastating loss. Nestor chose Joy for me because Joy was so versed in telepathy, dream journeying, the ability to be a channel, and see other dimensions, amongst other gifts. It was her telepathic skills that enabled her to message me to come adopt her in the first place. Joy looked up to Nestor tremendously and had learned much from her that she also helped pass along to Cosmo, including Reiki Master training.
Oh, the stories I have about these soul companions who once inhabited rabbit bodies – most of which no one would ever believe. I know them all as masterful souls who just so happened to choose rabbit bodies this go around, because it’s closest to their nature and also in order to be with me as they are.
It’s no wonder I’ve also been busy redecorating our rabbit-themed Wonderland here during this time period, which is being directed by my rabbit companions themselves, and have heard from others how rabbits have been showing up a lot, at interesting times, but also in quite magickal ways.
All that to say that I’ve been experiencing a lot of rabbit energy, signs, and messengers coming through MORE than usual, which says A LOT. I have rabbits on my mind, and of course in my heart.
There’s been a feeling of something extra stirring with all of this.
And I’ve felt increasingly different through it all.
There’s a dichotomy of feeling more familiar and foreign to myself, at once and another round of life review and major time periods of healing and shifts that took place in my life that I’m viewing as confirmation of what’s playing out collectively now.
And interestingly, I’ve also felt more in this world, but not of it than I have before – observing things like an inquisitive visitor, reviewing things like a well-prepped researcher, experiencing things like a new-born inventor, and reporting back like a pilgrim of the Cosmos.
But all the while, as Dave has told others recently in conversation, I “bounce around like a pixie with a lot of energy to move in spontaneous ways,” and he’s in awe of “how someone could be so joyful and sing and dance around the from the moment she wakes.”
The rabbits have taught me well, as I really am SO much part rabbit.
I love the explanation of the varying aspects of rabbit behavior from My House Rabbit, all of which I relate to including:
“People unfamiliar to pet rabbits may not know that bunnies have a very dramatic way of expressing excitement and joy. They dance! Leaping in the air, contorting and twisting their bodies, and kicking their feet out, binkying rabbits are quite the spectacle. Sometimes rabbits lead up to a binky by taking a running start. Other times, a binky is a sudden burst to the side. What’s really fun is when the binkies occur in succession, creating a grand acrobatic display. I’ll submit that anyone who thinks rabbits are dull has not seen a bunny in the act of binkying.”
Although we (rabbits and me) are “relatively quiet creatures,” we both have unique ways of communicating. 😉
And that includes communication through creations, which leads me to what’s been going on behind the scenes as rabbit energy has been on extra high.
As I shared in a recent post hinting at what was upcoming, The Enchanted Realms Collection – much of which features rabbits – manifested into the form of new creations I was able to have made in the image of the originals.
This was such a well-received, magickal collection and because it’s often so bitter sweet seeing off my channelings, even though I’m so happy they go to loving homes I know they’re meant to be in, I was really pleased to be able to recreate them in sweet little ways I, and others, could also still enjoy them too. So, yes, I love them so much that I created some of these new items for myself. 🙂
These include year-round ceramic ornament shapes, a couple of keychain style options, acrylic coaster sets with holders, 100% cotton tote bags, and a golden oak with ceramic tile top and velvety lined keepsake box – all under $40.
There is a new page on this site where you can find the collection and two options for bringing home anyone that calls to your heart. Here is the link:
The Enchanted Realms Collection
The bottom of that page has ready-to-ship items that I printed to test, which can be packaged off to you right away. I’ll do my best to keep it updated with what’s available or sold, but unfortunately I have to do that manually and may not always have access to my computer. I apologize if a duplicate order happens and of course will reimburse anyone if necessary.
You can read more details at the link.
You can also go direct to our Zazzle Store here where you’ll find two extra items with another image option I didn’t have time to order for ready-to-ship:
TheMagickRabbitThe ready-to-ship items I have are only available for sending within the U.S.
The items at our Zazzle Store link are available for international shipping.
In any event, we (me and the rabbit collective) hope you enjoy these creations from our hearts. While simple, like anything we create, it’s always infused with much more and you can discover that meaning for yourself, each time you peer into these mini portals of transformation.
Would love to hear from anyone who also may have “rabbits on the mind” or are experiencing extra appearances or messages from these magickal creatures.
On Wings of Ostara ~ Flying Through the Spring Equinox Gateway of Renewal
Although we still walk through patches of melting snow and ski upon fresh powdered sugar-laced grounds that surround us here in the high mountain altitudes of the Sierra Nevadas, the sunshine illuminates in warm vernal rays, the skies have begun to moisten the forests with cleansing rains mixed with whispers of Jack Frost’s lingering goodbyes, and the Earth is singing in green bursts of celebration.
There are still the morning dawns of ice diamonds upon branches, brisk chills in the Zephyr winds, and snow tracks from burrow to burrow of the snowshoe rabbits turned white. Yet muddy trails emerge for hopeful feet to journey upon lotus promised grounds.
“If there comes a little thaw,
Still the air is chill and raw,
Here and there a patch of snow,
Dirtier than the ground below,
Dribbles down a marshy flood;
Ankle-deep you stick in mud
In the meadows while you sing,
“This is Spring.”
~Christopher Pearce Cranch, A Spring Growl
As we step through the potent Spring Equinox Gateway, I am reminded that Nature reflects to us how to navigate the inner realms by way of surveying Her landscape as our own spiritual terrain.
Ostara is the Goddess of Spring who nurtures the innately rich land and keeps a loving eye on all the sprouting new life emerging from Winter’s blanket. This time of awakening from quiet preparation gets stirred by her fertile spell into inspired action.
She illuminates opportunity and the dawning of a new cycle, where possibility stirs in every new bud of life.
The sensual, soft, and magnetic aspects to the sacred feminine she embodies, also carry powerful creative forces like no other that can give and take away life through birth and rebirth.
This is the access point to the field of potential within the vortex of your heart.
There are many symbols that represent the generative powers of Spring – some of my favorite including the rabbit or hare, butterflies, blossoms, and The Cosmic Egg.
For Winter Solstice I was called to share with your heart, a visual spell from the essence of my spirit and once again I drop into the well of my heart’s depth to bring forth another of my spirit’s emanation. The creative energy of my signature frequency heeds the call to express herself as a form of transformative regeneration to join with the collective’s intentions to create a New Earth experience.
Through our creative energy, we each weave a thread of activation that unites the collective tapestry.
We each embody an energy signature and archetype by birth. My own, from onset of Earthly emergence this life, carries the numerology of the number three when my birthday is broken down simplistically. This is the energy signature of The Empress in Tarot ~ creative abundance and manifestation, unlimited fertile possibility, harmony, love, Earth Mother nurturing and growth, creating beauty, sensual comfort, stability, birthing of new beginnings that constantly recreate themselves, and wholeness from bigger picture Cosmos to smallest Earthly detail.
Synchronously, the qualities of Ostara are found in The Empress. And so it is no wonder I walk this Earth with a rabbit familiar and rabbits have been my soul companions for years – my first appearing when I was twelve years old. It’s also no coincidence that when I first, very consciously, began my spiritual journey and asked to receive the symbol of my life’s work, it came to me as the butterfly.
And ever since each of these first appearances in my life, both have been prolific in presence and uncanny experiences, not to mention have shown up in consistent, guiding ways.
So, when I received the message that I would be sharing another visual spell for this seasonal turn of the Wheel, it became clear I was to embody my birth essence in honor of Ostara and Spring.
My Venus in Aquarius has been speaking very loudly these days and partnered with my inner Empress, the creative expressions you see here are my answer to the Spring nudges, carrying a specific encoded message from heart to heart.
While Astrid would have lovingly danced with me, I decided to let her rest and support me from the comfort of her castle tower overlooking things from her dream state, as she’s already bravely taken on so much this Winter with our journeys. She instead helped choose the pieces to accompany me, including a golden rabbit as her stand-in.
I hope you enjoy this creative expression from my thread of the tapestry and here’s a Spring Equinox Prayer and Ostara Poem to accompany the journey as you flutter softly through our transitioning forest and garden here with me:
The dancing hare foretells the spring,
With fertility and new life this time does bring,
Gay Eostre dances on the earth,
As seeds and flowers come to birth.
Tulips and daffodils come into bloom,
And life sprouts from the Mother Earth’s womb,
Birds lay their eggs now and the light is growing,
Catkins and blossoms on the leaves are showing.
The sun reaches forth with his hand,
To the Maiden of flowers returns to the land,
Their dance brings new balance into our life,
Planting the seeds to overcome strife.
We grow with the flowers and the trees,
Winters gloom banished on a spring breeze.
The joy of new birth enters our hearts,
As we look forward to Beltane’s love.
May this portal of renewal activate your own rebirthing of creative expression, abundant potential, and harmonious, inspired action.
Ask Astrid Fridays ~ The Rabbit’s Corner: Nurturing Well-Rounded Experiences
The ever-wise Astrid joins us today for a share about wellness derived from a balance of varied experiences we invite into the dance of life with us. It’s also about how living from the source of love in your heart, opens doorways to accessing your multi-dimensionality. The result – greater feelings of wholeness and well-being.
It feels like we’re constantly receiving the same theme messages over and over, but the truth is there aren’t any really new messages or ideas – there’s simply different perspectives they come through or evoke and different, perhaps more aligned timing they speak to us.
Because of these, the present landscape feels seeded with greater potential for openings, as a vast majority of the collective continues to slow down and is faced with more contrasting experiences.
Briefly, I’m happy to report that Astrid continues doing extremely well, her toe injury from losing her full nail has been non-existent since we arrived to our location of the last nearly three weeks, and she increasingly exhibits a deepening of joyful exuberance and loving connection that have added both comic relief and socialization sweetness.
While being displaced from her normal routines and realm on this trip, as well as having more confined spaces at times, could very well have made Astrid retreat into herself, permanently revert to triggered patterns from her past, or even worse – weighed on her physical well-being – quite the opposite has taken place. I’ve already written about how she’s been opening up even more and working through core fears, but today we thought to share some sweet photos and fun little stories to accompany her transformation because after all, a picture speaks a thousand words.
The reason she feels it important to share this, is because rabbits can be an extreme example for the same things we go through because of their sensitivities.
Rather than pull back, feel depressed, or become ill, Astrid has welcomed more layers of living to be part of her experience no matter the circumstances. She exercises, plays, has conscious introspection time, rests, eats and hydrates regularly, communicates, and engages connection by choice. All of which help her to maintain wellness and support an increased level of personal evolution for her soul in rabbit body.
She’s especially become fond of yoga, stretching, and meditation time with dad during the wee hours of the morning or in the evenings by the fire while watching a movie.
When ever dad gets the yoga mat out, Astrid makes a beeline to him and plops herself down right next to him, runs around or lays on the mat on her own, stretches, or engages Boojum to invite him to play on the mat with her.
In the mornings she sits quietly with dad during meditation or gives and invites loving connection to show that she’s creating space for this healing practice and supporting him with something she enjoys too.
This is all especially endearing to see, as she used to only engage with me and now she’s truly opened to the whole family.
Then there’s super Astrid exercise time to express her exuberant joy of life and being in body. This consists of her leaping, twisting, and hopping in place (called binkies), or racing around like a flash of lightning until she’s fully released the wave of energy spontaneously moving through her. One morning she demonstrated her amazing strength and agility running laps in and out of tight corners, then raced from one end of the room and did a flying leap over the 1 1/2 foot high, 3 foot long ottoman, ending with zooming right under our female cat’s body between her back and front legs, as she was mid-walking. She had me in stitches!
And of course the multitude of ways she shows her desire to connect, communicate, engage, and love from a vulnerable space that include anything from jumping on the bed with a good morning nudge to laying next to us while we are working, relaxing, napping, or reading, or running over and nosing us with desire for snuggles and kisses.
She also engages the cats by sometimes touching noses with Boojum, or hopping at them and stopping a few inches in front of them, then hopping or circling away in hopes they’ll follow her lead. Sweet Pea and Astrid are often found a couple of feet away under a bed or table sharing space silently. The females seem to engage on an intellectual level and when Boojum’s introduced it, it’s usually only about fun. 😉
There’s times she chews her wood, pine cone and cardboard, times she takes down her cardboard house and moves it elsewhere, jumps into or onto things, sits on a chair demonstrating her bigness, times she lays with and licks her amethyst or stuffed friends, times she sits tall and still like a Buddha bunny, and times for the new hard flop into a tranced-out deep sleep. The hard flopping is different for her, but oh so good to see. When a bunny flops on her/his side it’s a sign of complete and utter vulnerable comfort and trusting surrender to feeling safe and loved. It took her a while to do this from when I first took her home and then she only softly would, but now there’s the full-on free-fall flop.
The more she engages on a variety of levels, the more possible avenues of joy she creates and the more she derives comfort in all the parts of herself and what being in body has gifted her opportunity to experience in this life. And the more she nurtures a more well-rounded approach, the greater her well-being.
I’ve found the same true for myself and people I know through friendships or work – the more we open to the variety of ways our souls have ability to express themselves because of being human, the more we create wellness by providing open channels for energy to do what it wants most to do – flow through. And even if we have a restriction in one way, as limitlessly creative beings we can find other ways to channel energy.
For instance, Astrid can’t speak like we do, but she has found many ways to express how she feels through other kinds of sounds like grunts, thumps, teeth chattering (their way of purring), or through bodily movements like giving a quick shake to her head and ears with excitement, leaping in the air, racing around with joy, nosing you to ask for something or exchange a love message, following you and laying close to share connection, sharing a rare lick to demonstrate affection, tugging at your pant leg or sock to get your attention, or jumping on the bed to welcome the morning.
But as we know, balancing our lives remains an important aspect to wellness. If we are too out-weighed in one thing of any kind, we can create underlying blocks that express as feelings of resentment, anger, blame, sadness, frustration, boredom, etc. without realizing that we are limiting our experience of life by limiting how we choose to focus all of our energy. This can also start to create tightness in our bodies or other kinds of physical discomforts or challenges simply as a reminder to move our energy in a variety of ways. And movement doesn’t just speak to physical movement, but also creating outlets to channel the different parts of ourselves and energies so they don’t become stagnant.
Astrid could easily create literal “blocks” or blockages in her sensitive digestive system if she doesn’t keep moving energy and sampling the possibilities that opening her heart to more can provide.
Rabbits demonstrate the natural energetic flow that is so vital in the way that they must always have their systems moving in order to thrive, or how they need to move in order to help push through blocks.
If she lets fear, for instance, take over energetically….she can literally become debilitated. If she doesn’t eat or exercise properly…she can experience physical shut down.
So, she’s chosen to surrender to life no matter her circumstances, and with my loving support and encouragement, continues to experience a wider range of possibilities that more authentically reflect her multi-dimensionality.
Our hearts are incredible portals to amazing things. They are the source of more than we have yet to understand and by living from these amazing portals they provide us access to a myriad of experiences that would otherwise be limited.
Astrid’s multi-dimensional experiences used to be only limited to her inner world where she traveled both as a means of escaping the pain of her circumstances before her and the only option she had given those confined circumstances.
But once love found a way to open her heart through our connection, she realized that she no longer had to protect it nor keep her parts separate…she could channel and integrate her ethereal experiences through the enjoyment of actually being in a body now also capable of sensual enjoyments only the physical can provide. And whether that be opening to the feelings she didn’t think were possible to experience, engaging in ways she was afraid to trust before, or allowing herself to surrender into the body she always preferred hovering outside of more than being in it, she discovered that multi-dimensionality meant being able to have well-rounded experiences on every plane of existence.
I’m convinced that Astrid wouldn’t have made it much longer if we hadn’t met. As strong as she was, eventually the separate life she lived, in not being able to express her soul fully through her body, would have created a full detachment at some point. She was a butterfly living inside a glass container. Now she’s able to stretch those wings and access more layers of experience.
And this is what she wants to express to each of us.
We all have potentials of expressions beyond however we feel limited in the moment. By the nature of our being multi-dimensional, we have a multitude of ways to bring through our energy and the more we surrender to possibilities, the more possibilities we create. The more we open our hearts, the more the doorways of multi-dimensionality find an access point to weave through greater experiences of fulfillment.
Astrid, as a rabbit, may have needed someone to hold that space for her, but we as humans have greater possibilities that can come through other (any encounter, partnership, companion, friend, family member, loved one, teacher, or mentor) in the same way, or through ourselves holding that space for our inner child and essence.
But like Astrid, the more ways you move energy through you by opening to and engaging a variety of experiences, the greater balance and well being you will create because this mirrors your multi-dimensional essence, which is part of what we’re activating more of collectively. The smaller we play and the more limited place we play from, the more we separate rather than unite who we really are.
We each have layers to who we are. And these layers brought forth invite more to the table, individually and collectively.
Like Astrid is the loving, the playful, the wise, and the amazing – so too are you the loving, the playful, the wise, and the amazing you.
Ask Astrid Fridays ~ The Rabbit’s Corner: The Soft & Strong of Embodied Empowerment
To say I adore my soul companion in rabbit body, Astrid, is an understatement and the depth of that love is far more than snuggly sweetness we share between us (although that definitely is a big part of it). It includes how much I admire and am inspired by her agile spirit, strong heart, and wise instincts. I also love her humor and childlike innocence she so exuberantly and unabashedly displays, while the next moment standing in the unwavering power of her benevolent queen’s essence. She is so in tune with her body and feelings, and together we are like a finely tuned piano of black and white keys working in harmony. But that is something that doesn’t just happen overnight. It comes with committed patience, open-hearted presence, and willingness to be open to seeing each other as equals.
I’ve written quite a bit about animal communication, the importance of communicating everything with them, how we can share harmonious relationships with our animal companions, and in fact how important it is to keep deepening into the vortex of your heart so that possibilities in this realm will become the new norm. One of these shares was about how Astrid and our niece opened the communication channels, which you can read here: Animals Understand
And it’s just such clear communication channels between the two of us that assist during times of change.
I’ve been so very proud of this sweet, strong soul who has been fully back to having 100% free roam during our travel time away. The first week was a trial run of part-time closure within her giant, mobile pen the size of two and a half pens put together only while we were out during the day for a few hours and sleeping at night. This was for potential safety and damage control in foreign new spaces.
But after having a check-in and long conversation with her where she expressed her frustrations to me, I knew it was time to leave the door permanently open and this has continued since – she’s on three weeks of open pen and full free roam at all times.
We agreed on trust guiding things and with the freedom she would know that I honored her word and soul needs, which in turn she would reciprocate. And we’ve both kept our word.
Astrid’s soul is SO big and advanced, to contain her in more than just her physical body alone is spirit crushing – both to her and me. So it’s been back to full freedom always and that makes a happy queen and mom. She still uses her pen for the majority of the day and everything in it as her safe space and personal realm.
She’s shifted from guarding it all quite diligently from cat spies and robbers to relaxing into a new ease, while coming and going as she desires.
It’s been super interesting to watch both her old and new behaviors emerge, which have evolved to suit her temporary home life and reflect her transformation process. So far I’ve witnessed her behaviors change based on triggers from having an enclosed space, the different homes we’ve been in, the layout and space of the home, how she feels in it, the way the cats are behaving, and how she’s embracing being the traveling rabbit for the period of time I’ve told her we’ll be gone.
She’s gone from frustrated to empowered and joyful – from unsure to secure and confident.
She went from also knocking down her cardboard cabin, chewing on her mats and pen (even when it was open), tipping over hay bins and snack bowls, and being afraid someone would steal her treats, to complete peace, her usual tidy ways like back at home, and sense of security even if the cats lurk around.
The more we communicate and the more I demonstrate my trust in her, stand behind my word of never ever leaving her side, and literally holding her hand throughout every new transition of every single moment, the more she relaxes into even greater embodied empowerment.
One of the entertaining (although equally frustrating to me) behaviors she displayed was in the first home of three weeks we were in, where she became much more territorial. This was her way of asserting the need to honor her feelings while she traversed through the changes she was going through and learning how to process the new. This made her charge at or chase any cat that infringed on her realm. She was even temporarily back to charging when you put food in front of her (an old shelter response) until assured with pets and snuggles.
I especially got a giggle out of her stealth attack on our male cat Boojum. She would lay low in her cardboard cabin calmly with her amethyst, and if Boojum tried to pass (he’s known to steal her hay and water) she lunged at him with full speed and grunt, sending him on his way. She would then immediately and quickly retract back inside. This fast stealth strike and equally fast retreat back into oblivion had us calling her a little moray eel. 😉
She would also lay directly across the front of her small hay bin that is the bounty both cats will sneakily try to get, and basically like Gandalf from Lord of the Rings declared, “You shall not pass!”
There was never any violence or fight that ensued. She just asserted her boundaries and I LOVE that about her.
The cats know to back off because Queen Astrid is quite a force to reckon with energetically. You wouldn’t think so looking at her sweet silver butterfly kissed lips and twinkle toes, but she’s learned to be comfortable in her power of both strength and softness. She’s the Rabbit Queen, afterall!
In our first place she had morning moments of binkies and running laps with me in the master bedroom, but mostly processed how to integrate the new with staying in the main living area with us and asking dad for lots of extra snuggle time while he did his stretches on the floor. I loved how she looked to both of us (mom AND dad energies) for encouragement and love, as ingredients to the new she was deciding how to integrate.
And this behavior continued on the first leg of our journey until we got to our second landing spot.
With four weeks and already three of the seven road trips under her wings, she came to a steady and more anchored place of softened confidence, encouraged by her parents. And it is in this last week where even more of her exuberant and explorative inner child also made many more appearances again. She’s had a blast exploring the entire home from the get-go and not one night did she spend contained in her pen. It was only put up to create the feeling of her having her very own, safe realm within the new space, but it was left wide open all day and night long.
It’s a very nice space where she has a beautiful winter scape view.
She’s actually evolved into being the happiest I’ve seen her, the most social ever with everyone – not just me, the most self-assured and content, and super communicative, responsive, and interactive. She literally fills the space of the room, but in a sweet way that evokes a smile and invites you to play.
She doesn’t feel the need to own the room, but shares it with everyone and really has taken her spot as a bridge for the whole family.
There’s times we’ll come downstairs to find her sitting tall on the center round ottoman like the benevolent queen who is excited for the fun to begin and to let down her hair.
And in the evenings when we watch movies, she’ll move between laying like a bunny loaf in front of us on that ottoman, joining dad in his stretching exercises, and then jumping on and in between us on the couch, laying there awaiting pets and enjoying snuggle time.
There’ll of course be a few hops, zoomies, and teases, as she invites everyone to add play to our peaceful evenings.
You can tell by the last several photos where her favorite spot is right in the middle of all of the action and smack center of the energy in the room. It’s so endearing to see her in her essence and element and even Dave has remarked how she’s really blossomed in this new space and surprised him with how not only well she’s doing, but how she’s let out her personality even more.
It has been so fun to watch her surrender into her childlike self as she runs, jumps, binkies, and leaps with joy. The more guarded, old parts of her have relaxed again back to how she is at home, but also in a newly empowered way.
She’s jumped on every surface possible – couches, ottomans, wide adobe window sills – and had no problem running up and down the wooden stairs to the second floor so that she could explore there and also come thump by my side of the bed to tell me she’s ready for morning and morning snacks to begin!
She would run upstairs in the evenings while I’m working and tug on the comforter or the velcro attachment of my computer cord to let me know it’s dinner time.
She’s even followed me around at my feet, excitedly been coming when ever we call her name, and has been craving dad’s attention too, enjoying her teasing games with him for snuggles and carrots.
And during the day she securely rested in her cardboard cabin or sprawled out on the mat in her pen, awaiting us to return home.
She’s been finding her balance and like the collective, is mirroring how to revisit the old patterned, painful memories of her past, but realize that the now is nothing like that. So while she’s had trigger reminders of being locked up, abandoned, and badly handled come up through the experience of major change on her traveling adventure, she’s been able to revisit it safely and quickly with our loving and nurturing help, so that she can move through and beyond those old behaviors at even greater depths of clearing.
She’s realizing, through our communications and demonstrations of honor and trust for who she is – being seen and fully supported – that the old doesn’t have to define her anymore. She’s learning that it’s okay to demonstrate vulnerable frustration and have feelings come up, but she’s also realizing that they are in fact only based on what “used to be” and what “is” is something entirely different.
She understands our trust in her and she trusts that we will always be here for her.
She’s being supported into her authentic self and loved every step of the way. We don’t judge her for her actions while she processes the feelings and needs she has to draw lines. We honor her need for alone time and give her plenty of nurturing when she needs encouragement.
And she’s understanding that boundaries are healthy, but can also be bridges of understanding rather than violent separations.
In the latest new home she hasn’t had to be territorial in the same stealth way. She’s softened into a more direct line of communication because of being more at home with her feelings. She simply stands her ground with solid and sweet confidence and I’ve now found her sitting not far apart from both of the cats at any given time. In fact, they’ll all be huddled in a triangle of sorts, leaving you wondering what’s being plotted amongst them.
She’s coming into a new sense of how it is to be both soft and strong when in embodied empowerment.
There’s a whole new programming she’s undergoing within this experience, much like me and how I’m reprogramming my relationship to the old fears surrounding height edges and skiing that has more profound effects on a wide range of things beyond what meets the eye.
Never are our experiences isolated to self alone.
We’re both learning how to move through and transmute these primal patterns so that a new experience can be possible.
And this in fact also reflects what I feel the collective is moving through and rebooting as well – something I’ll likely share a little more reflections about in an upcoming post.
Astrid wanted me to remind you that her Ask Astrid Fridays are also open to any of you who might have questions for her.
Do you have something you’d like to ask Astrid?
If so, please send them along either in the comments below, or through the contact form and we’ll try to get some of them up in future posts.
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
Rare Halloween/Samhain Full Blue Moon Magick
A Blue Moon is the second Full Moon in one month and October 2020 illuminates just that for us, with bookending Moons at start and end. This Full Moon is in Taurus and being a Blue Moon will add an extra magickal boost and thinning of veils all falling on Halloween/Samhain.
And to add to that extra magickal boost, Astrid sat herself below center of my painting titled Once in a Blue Moon (as seen below), wearing her Moon and Star dusted Cosmic witchy/wizard hat, to anchor her own message and infuse some rabbit alchemy to the mix.
Since Full Moons showcase a rabbit in the Moon, her point is well taken – I always listen when she “speaks”.
So much is culminating as year end draws near and the energetics continue to rise in ways that point to the continued importance of self care, preparation, inner work, anchoring, and maintaining your own equilibrium.
If you can be open and ready for the unexpected, stay focused on what really matters and is of most value to you, tune into, listen, and support your body’s messages, feel and channel through the sensual aspects of life that make you human and are the gifts of spirit in body, and embrace the changes that have ability to put closure to things, you will find yourself in a much more strengthened and empowered place to navigate the waters of the journey ahead.
Since Earthy Taurus is the focal point of illumination, body and Earth speak loudly now and that might mean extra time in the great outdoors Mother Nature gifts us with, or anything nature-connected so that ultimately you’ll be immersing in some mystical communions with the nature of you.
It’s a great time for mischievous magick, intention-seeding, or your own version of mystical, love-filled spell-casting in Nature’s womb of creation, illuminated by the Full Blue Moon.
This last week we’ve been doing just that, as we created space for another Earthy immersion – this time in the Arizona sunshine and waters of Lake Havasu City to celebrate with our dear soul family we haven’t seen in a long time. I’m grateful that opportunity came to take some safe, distanced outdoor-focused excursions recently. Last time it was the ocean and faery forests of the Pacific Coast, and this time it was the red rocks, desert sands, and warm waters of the Colorado River and Lake Havasu – different, but equally nurturing, enriching, and cleansing.
And with the building of the Full Moon energies in the night sky, coupled with Arizona sunsets, the Earth and Cosmos merging has been felt strongly in the body and soul.
This was amplified by the ability to connect with my sweet nephew and godson, Nova, (whom you’ve read about in a previous blog) who helped me tune in with my dearly departed rabbit son, Cosmo.
Nova is just as sweet and perfect as I knew he was – such a tiny faery bunny who loves snuggles (he’s about 2 pounds lighter and several inches smaller than Astrid). Tuning in with him this last week was timely because Cosmo has been on my mind being that Halloween was the day he transitioned, four years ago. The Universe knows what we need and Cosmo always finds a way to communicate and send me love. This week, through the adorable Nova.
And to add to that energy, it was such a gift to see this sweet Burrowing Owl on one of our evening walks.
I haven’t seen one in years. The timing felt particularly potent. Although not the clearest photo, I’m surprised she even showed up given the evening lighting casting dark shadows in her burrow. But I love the way she did because it adds to her mystical energy and deep mystery.
Owl is one of my key spirit animal figures for my path, which I had reiterated by a favorite reader in Sedona, Arizona upon twice visiting him, but especially particular species of owl. Their feathers show up prolifically these days. They carry the power of sight, intuition, and hidden wisdom that reveals the true reality which is hard to be seen by others.
I love this interesting information about Burrowing Owl from http://www.pauldfrost.co.uk/burrowowl.html that mirrors the time of year right now before Halloween/Samhain (time of thinnest veils) and the upcoming Full Blue Moon.
Mythology & Folklore :
The American Indian Hopi tribe called the Burrowing Owl Ko’ko, meaning ‘Watcher of the Dark’. They believed it to be associated with Masauu, their god of the dead, the guardian of fires & protector of all things underground, including germinating seeds, making it a very sacred bird. As the owl lives underground, it was believed to be able to communicate with the dead.
The American Indian Gosiute tribe (from Utah and Nevada) believed the Burrowing Owl to be a protective spirit for brave warriors. Owl feathers were worn by the warriors & rattles were covered in owl skins, to frighten off their enemies.
And the owl energy continued, as the very next day after an evening with Burrowing Owl, it was all about Great Horned Owl. With two, rare physical encounters with owls back-to-back I’d say something’s afoot.
“Every real story is a never ending story.” ~The Neverending Story
Our nine and a half mile expedition of the senses was a literal Neverending Story journey with all the major characters showing up in rock formations, including the magickal gates that guard The Southern Oracle – The Great Riddle Gate with two Sphinxes (in this case we had two sentinel rock portal gates that included one naturally carved into the Luck Dragon, Falcor, himself), a perfect Morla rock – the giant turtle known as The Ancient One, Rockbiters and Big-Headed Rock Creatures. It was incredible. There were also snippets of Lord of the Rings and the journey to take the golden One Ring to Mordor and a bit of The Secret of Nimh when Mrs. Brisby meets The Great Owl in his bone-laced lair. Wow!
The latter literally manifested a Great Horned Owl that greeted us upon entering the slot canyons. We saw her emerge from her big nest perched between the narrow slots and take to flight down the corridor, coming to rest up on a ledge of the rock walls ahead, as seen here ever-so faintly.
The rest of the time we walked down the slot canyon to the desert beyond, on our way to a secluded beach on the lake, we kept finding a variety of small to medium sized feathers amidst all the bristle brush at the bottom edges of the rock walls.
We also discovered a lot of small bones and skeletal parts of the little animals she fed on – both on the ground and contained within owl regurgitation.
We wondered if she’d be there again on the way back, and indeed she was.
She greeted us once again with a fly-over (enabling a photo capture this time), and more feathers, including a large one I found during a funny episode of me shimmying up the rocks we had to climb down into the slot canyon.
While literally suspended at the top, flat on my stomach with arms and legs flailing out as if I was swimming, since I was having trouble getting up, this put me in the perfect position to see a large feather at eye-level to where I was laying. I stopped everything between two people pulling and pushing at each end to say, “Hey! Look at that perfect large feather behind Dave!” We all laughed. Nothing stops my hawk eye from seeing magickal discoveries, nor gets between me and them. I always seem to provide comic relief for everyone and this one was caught on video.
The slot canyon felt like the Great Horned Owl’s lair Mrs. Brisby bravely enters on her journey to the Rats of Nimh, and the whole energy and finds of the day without a soul but the four of us, plus all of the things we kept discovering (ancient petroglyphs in the gorge walls of the Colorado River, Osprey twice flying above us as trains passed over while we went under the bridge on jet skis, a monarch butterfly gliding by us on the river – butterflies are said to be ancestors returning, and more) and having revealed during the rest of every adventure-filled day this week, made for the perfect lead-up to Halloween and the Full Moon.
And so, during this liminal time of year when boundaries are at their thinnest to the Otherworlds, it feels like the Universe conspired with my/our intentions in supporting the energies and experiences of greatest benefit, and revealed the way showers for the journey ahead.
Alongside several nature treasures, I even found this sweet, little, brown faery bunny at a store to bring back for Astrid (with detachable wings) – the perfect find for my magick rabbit
If we want to create some meaningful experiences for this doorway, we have the support of many beyond the veils – the Fae, ancients, ancestors, deceased, and even right under our feet – Mother Earth, around us – animal and Elemental messengers, or in the stars – the Cosmos and our multi-dimensional selves and star families.
And speaking of all of these mystical and potent energies, Astrid and I thought we’d share some of the magick we’re conjuring up at the Forest Portal mixed with Faery rabbit enchantment and wonderfully witchy wishes from our hearts to yours.
With a blend of Earthy and Cosmic ingredients, we’re always brewing up some fun and love to bridge the gap between the shadowy depths of the heart.
The photos you see laced throughout this post capture the alchemy we create together and love spreading out into the world as cocreators.
You got a glimpse of Astrid’s new cosmic witchy/wizardy hat back on October 1st’s Harvest Full Moon, but we saved the extra enchantment for October 31st’s Full Blue Moon.
And I just had to reshare this fun from 2019’s Halloween post, which came from my BinkyBunny.com newsletter I subscribe to.
It felt particularly fitting with this year’s photos of Astrid and me. I think you can see why. 🙂
BROOMSTICK BUNNY
- “Traditionally, rabbits are the most prominent animal that is associated with witchcraft, but cats have since taken their place.
- Rabbits are associated with lunar energy, luck, hidden knowledge, divination, love, creativity, success, sensitivity, agility, swiftness, spontaneity, abundance, rebirth, renewal, transformation, and fertility.
- In some folklore, it is said that witches would transform into rabbits as a disguise due to their elusive and swift characteristics.
- Rabbits are still considered to be a common familiar for witches.
- Rabbits are symbols that represent various goddesses, such as Artemis, Hecate & Cerridwen,…
- One of the classic 48 constellations as named by Ptolemy is Lepus, the hare.
- Rabbits are associated with spring, the vernal equinox, and the sabbat Ostara due to the fact that cold weather is fading and flowers are beginning to bloom.
- While rabbits are associated with luck, it’s not inherently good or bad luck – it can be either depending on the circumstances….
- [Some] superstitions state that rabbits can dispel negativity, cleanse, and break spells….”
Credits: art – regardingcomic.com/Penny Collins;
article – witchtips.tumblr.com & lunaesteria
Today’s Halloween, Samhain, and Celtic New Year is a portal to access and create realities to mirror your true multi-dimensional self.
May the key become conscious for accessing more of this each day.
And may all possibilities be open to you.
In love and creative magick,
Tania and Astrid
July Energy, Celebration Sale & Mini Update
Happy July everyone! We have a Total Solar Eclipse and New Moon in Cancer tomorrow, so there’s a lot of potent energy working behind the scenes alongside the shifts you, like myself (and Astrid), might be navigating through. You can learn more about this month’s energy via Lee and his energy forecast below.
To celebrate and renew, beginning tomorrow the 2nd through the 7th to include 4th of July Freedom Day, The Magick Rabbit will be having a store-wide 30% off clearance sale, which puts many items at crazy below cost prices.
Click through link below to explore and shop what calls to your heart:
Could even be a great time to get in any pre-holiday shopping too, since we’re already more than half through the year. Sounds wild, but it’s right around the corner! Time is flying like Faeries! 😉
Also the perfect time to snatch your favorites up – like the magickal little themed worlds that have been inspirational for so many.
We only have 15 mini rabbit gardens remaining from around 50 first created. We likely won’t be creating more at this time, as we have a lot of new items to keep us busy for quite a while in our spare time.
We sold out of our first batch of Magick Rabbit Talisman crystal necklaces, but there’ll be more down the road.
Alongside mini gardens, there are five original Magick Rabbit paintings, prints, three notebook journal options remaining, and greeting cards also to choose from.
I’m not sure when new items will get into the shop, as from here on out I can only create in my spare time since I’m switching focuses right now in my life. I’ll be sure to let you know when anything new hits the shop though – likely they’ll be one at a time, or in small batches, as I won’t be able to do full shop updates like I have before.
I continue to take time for myself, am getting a lot of nature, physical outdoor activity, garden and Astrid time, and inner work in, while I reconfigure my life. I’m exploring how my new schedule will look and what is going to be on the agenda, but want to finish anchoring in things and feeling alignment with where I go from here. I know what some of it looks like, but am waiting to see the last pieces that could even involve a service of sorts being available.
If you’re on Instagram, I’m also going to be be opening up some art auctions for some of my animal paintings so keep an eye out there – maybe even starting today – with 50% proceeds going to rescue rabbits.
We are still taking some what of a break from regular blogging, with just some updates now and then like we have this and last week. There’s just so much percolating and a lot of energy and feelings to navigate, that it doesn’t feel right yet. Plus, there’s just not enough time in our days right now.
I’ll leave you with Lee’s energy forecast for this month, as I know these resonate a lot with many of you and are helpful and inspiring.
Once again, this month’s theme is so synchronous for me, as just yesterday during our Tahoe Herbivore’s Meetup hike, I was talking about extremes with a fellow hiker, how I used to be an extremist, and even posted briefly about this reflection on my Instagram. And of course, up pops Lee discussing this. 🙂 Even the very specific three topics he gets into were exactly what we discussed.
I sure am doing a lot of reflection, grounding, and while moving energy through my body a lot, am also being very present and still in terms of not making moves and decisions in my inner and work realm, as things are moving so fast that it doesn’t feel right to jump aboard the first things that pop up just yet.
Definitely giving things “time to land” as Lee shares.
In his video below he explores Surfing the Extremes through these three dualities:
Alignment and Rejection
Elevation and Depletion
Realization and Reflection
Wishing everyone solidity with your journey.
