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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.
Nature is Helping Me to Embody the New
I thought I’d hop on briefly after being away from blogging the last ten days, just to share some of the beauty, special moments, and reflections I’ve experienced during this time. Maybe you’ve felt similar things or this little burst of nature’s inspiration may be exactly the breath of fresh air for you right now. In any event, I hope that you had a beautiful Summer Solstice, however you chose to welcome it in.
I’m still spending most of my time within the inner landscapes, but that is reflected in an increased deepening with nature and immersing even more in her realm.
This mirrors the time we lived in the Magick Bus exploring nature and National Parks for nearly a year and a half when life called me in a new direction. It’s only now that I’m getting what it all meant and where the embodiment of that change was leading.
It’s almost been like getting my feet wet again in body, from what was a resurrection of sorts from the waters of life – actually most literally. I have needed the last couple of years to reacquaint myself with things from a new perspective, which has had me dipping in and out of some things from before, tried out in the now.
Some clothes just haven’t fit, either feeling too tight or too loose – meaning they were still too tied in with the past and the energy I had completed, or they were so new that I wasn’t sure how I felt about them and hence all the extra room to explore.
It’s been a time of allowing what ever wants to move through, letting go of to-do’s, and softening the reflections so that even my process with things doesn’t mirror how I used to process stuff. Life is a soft and gentle focus now. In this way, not only will what ever the new is that comes through be different than before, but the journey will be too.
I find it important for me that nothing mirrors the past, although can weave in the possibilities it held.
It still feels very fresh and I’m only beginning to immerse, as last week was more about the surrender, continued nurturing, and letting nature guide me.
So, with Solstice ringing in Summer, there’s been a ton of outdoor activity. It started Wednesday of last week while we explored a new hike to Cascade Falls – a shorter one, but climbs technically quite a bit. That felt invigorating and perfect for allowing the flow just like the gushes of water cascading down the mountain. Both the climb and the being with the water were perfect metaphors for things.
That same day we went to Baldwin Beach – another new beach for us. There, a mother duck and her seven ducklings visited and after they explored the higher activity of people down a ways from us, they came to rest in peace in front of our umbrella. Another beautiful reflection.
Thursday was a very special day – the two year anniversary of Astrid’s coming home to me at the gateway of Solstice. That’s what these first three photos celebrate. Since Astrid is such a huge part of this new life journey for me, I felt it important to capture some beautiful moments between us in the forest portal backyard of our house.
She was a surprise to me, but as I navigate this next part of my life, Astrid is my greatest guide. Where I have no example for the new I reinvent, she emulates the potential I most admire.
I love this photo below where she and I look merged as one – almost creating a Yin/Yang effect in how her body curves into mine.
Solstice is a very special time of the year for me ever since three years ago my beloved bunny, Joy, transitioned through its portal on that day in a place very dear to me – Montana. She and Astrid came from the same rabbit rescue and I feel that their entering and exiting at this gateway is significant.
The Mayans celebrated Solstice for spiritual initiation and change, creating ceremony to be in harmony with the Earth and Cosmic energies.
I remember the words from my dear shaman friend Amaru in Peru, “Nokan Inti Kani” – meaning “I am the Sun.”
Solstice extends an invitation to join the Sun’s energy and connect with your Higher Self, follow inspiration and dreams, and tune inside to the alchemy of “as within, so without.”
I find nature to be that gateway for me, as are my rabbit companions, and the Cosmos.
The Solstice gateway gifted me this beautiful golden hawk feather that I’m so grateful for.
So every day since Wednesday, nature time increased with tons of mountain biking, hiking, and beach time, as well as late afternoon/evening gardening time upon returning home from the physical activity.
To say I slept well is an understatement, as the deepening into body and moving a lot of energy in a grounding way was both nourishing and took me through cycles of decharge and recharge.
Solstice saw us in Squaw Valley where I enjoyed an intentional walk in the gorgeous meadows by myself anchoring in that new while Dave enjoyed his last day of skiing on the first day of Summer. You’ll see photos below of how beautiful this area is, reminding me of both the Swiss Alps (where I haven’t yet been, but seen photos of) and adored Iceland, as well as my favorite spots in Montana.
Seventeen miles of biking along the Truckee River that day was a way to move the energy and flow like the river.
Twenty two miles of biking the next day continued moving that energy along more gorgeous vistas.
All the while during each ride, allowing visions, thoughts, and feelings to flow, as my body did the integrating.
Two back-to-back hikes to different lakes Sunday followed by a vegan potluck picnic provided continued anchoring and as I said, each day I’d come home and plop myself in the garden planting perennials to create a low maintenance, inspiring, and beautiful backdrop that blends wild with a little intention.
I promised the Faeries of the land many things when moving here and I’m happy to create a special sanctuary for them to play in.
I’ll share more of the front and side gardens, as things blossom, but for now here are my beautiful Portulaca blooms that I adore!
The forest out back is in early stages of bloom, but as you can see they are already creating a welcome carpet to our home for the Faeries.
I just love how the wildflowers are blooming with joy everywhere – and it’s just the beginning. They feel like a love spell on my heart.
And as you can see from the below photos of Squaw Valley meadows, the Truckee River, and Cascade Falls, there’s been an abundance of inspiration all around from Mother Earth – the best nurturer there is.
As mentioned, I’m just beginning to immerse into a new realm of exploration within, so all of these good nature vibes are very nurturing to the vulnerable parts feeling safe to come through.
Because I feel that I haven’t much example to draw upon for that new, I feel nature provides me the best template and reflection for the journey.
Cultivating the garden is also very supportive, as my heart guides its creation in reflection of me as well – mostly wild, with woven threads of cultivated pockets that create synergy and harmony.
This last Wednesday I went to my third meditation group meeting that ended in a lovely picnic dinner at the beach with everyone who joined, however I feel it will likely be my last time going (at least for now) because I’m clear my work at home is more aligned for me at this time. I did leave the group with a few book recommendations to help with the “self love” topic, so they at least have some tools for any exploration they may decide to embark on past this month’s theme.
I feel called to explore on my own for now, dipping in and out when the moment calls.
The good news is (at least to me), I feel like I’m in greater alignment with the new path I’m creating than I was before. Remember I mentioned those clothes that felt too tight or too big and loose?
Energetically the ones that felt too big are now taking root and feeling more like home.
And on the literal, tangible level, the continued cleansing of, and weeding through, my closet leaves me with what feels to be the perfect essence of a place I now feel comfortable in heading to.
What’s fascinating is that the five Portal Paintings that found their new home, only just departed from Nevada on the Solstice – Yes! The Solstice of all days! Talk about divine alignment. Even though I dropped them off a week and a half earlier, they didn’t get crated and shipped out until then and so that also feels reflective of this anchoring in and clarity beginning.
The whole wild journey to get them to that point has mirrored so much of the changes I’m going through.
I’m excited for them to arrive in their new home across the country in Athens, Georgia with their amazing co-guardian where they will be open to anyone who wants to visit and meditate/work with them. This new home is being created into a form of a mini healing center welcome to people wanting to immerse in a conscious journey. As things evolve with that, I’ll keep you posted. It’s a way that people can experience them and more, and if at some point they are ready to journey on, they will be available via that portal.
I leave you now to return to my garden so I can complete the last planting I didn’t get a chance to finish yet. It feels integral to the next phase beginning.
What I love is that although the future is unknown and the vision is yet to be seen of how things look, the journey is so much more gentle and peaceful. There are those ebbs and flows, but it’s all naturally unfolding if I listen, allow, honor, and observe.
Do you experience reflections in your life that mirror the changes you’re going through?
My guess is we all do and if we stop to observe things, we’ll see it and make those connections.
If not, how might you create intention around something – like a project, gardening, etc. – to embody the potential you’re being guided to?
It will be interesting to see where the journey leads all of us.
Ask Astrid Fridays ~ The Rabbit’s Corner: Taking a Paws
So much of what Astrid and I have been experiencing the past couple of weeks is an increased level of presence and pause – not altogether slamming on the breaks and stopping, but a deliberate slowing and gentle motion forward, clearing for clarity, while also being ultra open. Astrid would say it’s more of a “paws” – kind of like when she stops to clean her face with her two front paws, as you often see rabbits and other small creatures do where they sit on their back legs and lick their paws and rub their face, eyes, head, and run their ears through their sweet furry hands.
She’s still in motion, grooming, clearing, and giving herself almost like an aura cleanse, but she hasn’t altogether stopped moving even though she’s anchored to the ground on her big hind thumpers. And once she feels complete with one round of grooming in motion, I notice how she will sit very intentionally with nose moving rapidly and all of this information flowing through her and beaming out of her eyes. She may then move on to the next round of grooming.
She’s in process and it’s almost like a meditation if you watch a rabbit do this. It’s very soothing and this fluid motion is incredibly adorable as well.
So, in a way I’m “pawsing” along with her, continuing to move forward, but only in cue to the energy vibrations I feel pulsing through. Each step keeps leading me to the next and rather than stop the movement, I just hit the paws button and do more clearing, clarifying, and allowing, which has been incredibly interesting to see how ideas are gushing in with new possibility that wasn’t on my radar.
I’ve found this “zone” much like Astrid’s meditational grooming, where I feel like I continue to ride the energy currents with matching my vibration, and don’t have to create these separate compartments to everything where I start this, stop that, need to completely hault or walk away, or feel forced to make a choice. I just keep myself in a rhythm of openness without attachment and this creates the feeling of riding a current.
I bring it throughout everything and is kind of like how I’ve explained my life to be more like a walking meditation.
Decisions and steps are also becoming a more fluid journey as well.
It’s almost like being a leaf on a stream.
Sometimes I might float faster. Other times things slow down. Sometimes I might ride over some wild mini rapids through rocks or go from a wide part of the stream to a very narrow funnel head, until I’m popped out the other end.
I may even get caught in a breeze or mini whirlpool that gently circles me about in what seems like one place.
But never do I completely stop unless I decide to anchor at shore along the journey and try my feet out on land for a bit to explore a destination of choice, until I decide to get back on my leaf and continue along the stream of life.
All the while I continue moving.
So there is a new kind of pause I’m feeling and it involves more of a “yes, and….” response.
Meaning, “yes that could work and so could this,” or “yes that feels possible and wow there’s this too.” So I explore each thing and stay open, which suddenly brings in a new wave to flow on. Each builds upon the other, but there’s an invitation to creativity and imagination for opening another level of possibility that could offer more expansiveness and take me down a new part of the stream that has more potential destinations along the shore of life.
It’s not that I won’t arrive at a choice, but I’m providing a wider playing field for potential and not seeing something as a dead end or a clear “no way.” I’m also not having to stop and stick my oar into the bottom of the stream to try to latch on to something desperately.
It’s curiosity meets presence and vibrationally keeping aligned with the stream.
I don’t know if it makes sense what I’m trying to put an experience of into words, but there you go.
Water is amorphous and so I am becoming more so I guess.
So, Astrid and I have been on “paws” while we fluidly groom life right now. We’re taking in each morsel and flowing along the frequency until it morphs into something else.
This right now has felt more important than trying to get off at a destination of choice, although some energy currents have led us eventually to choices, as they are mini journeys within the whole.
Others, have much more expansive effects and reach, so these ones we do the “paws” on to clear and cleanse, while inviting in a greater part of our imagination.
It’s a much more enjoyable ride now because of remaining open without need to control and stop the process.
And it truly wasn’t until today’s share, that I’ve reflected on trying to explain a process that has now become my natural.
It’s like that with everything truly.
At first things could seem like retraining yourself or looking at all of the parts, but then they become the natural you.
Lately I’m seeing that there really isn’t work involved and things fall into that natural rhythm simply by remaining open to what is wanting through.
There’s a lot of wisdom in the “paws.”
Astrid’s nose twitches in agreement.
Whimsical Wednesdays ~ The Artist’s Corner: The Inner Artist & Upcoming Flash Sale
Although we’re heading toward Memorial weekend, it has been a flashback to Winter here the last week and a half. It’s interesting to reflect on how Mother’s Day weekend was like Summer here and we were spending every day at the beach then, and the week leading up to it. Directly the next day temperatures dropped and we’ve experienced sporadic snow flurries, rain, and intermittent or full-on cloudy days. This morning we woke to six plus inches of new snow, as you can see in the photos, although it’s half melted already. It all disappears quite quickly, but I’ve even had to cover my Garden Tower for the last week because of below freezing temperatures at night.
We still have another week upcoming of colder weather with rain and clouds, but most of the snow may be halting after today other than some mixed flurries with some of the rain.
It’s all felt very mirroring of the inner landscapes – a time of pause, release, refresh, and percolating new that I’ve been feeling deeply. There’s been an odd, but good sense of things changing even though I can’t see what that looks like yet. It still feels to be headed in a positive direction, so currently it’s just about slowing down and taking care of the little things, paying attention to what’s popping up, investing deeper into intentions, and creating ever-more clarity.
Supposedly there’s one more week of this vortex-like bubble before we’re back to Spring vibes, but who knows as mountain life is so unpredictable, just like life!
I’ve been making use of this reset time and seeing how it is nurturing the inner artist.
The inner artist is the part of me/you that is also connected to your inner child. The inner artist might speak directly to your artistic talents and how they channel through in terms of a creative project, but the inner artist might also speak to the creative energy woven into the very fabric of life and how you harness that for living in general.
It’s that part of you that creates for the pure joy of creating.
It’s the part of you that finds peace in those moments of creative impetus flowing through.
It’s the part of your heart that knows what is most healing, transformational, and aligned with your spirit self.
It’s the part of you that longs to express itself, be honored, trusted, heard, reclaimed, nurtured, and supported.
It’s the part of you that knows.
So perhaps, while you may not be experiencing a literal Winter-in-Spring cycle, you might find that something is calling you inward nonetheless.
This might be a calling to acknowledge your strengths and gifts, create healthy and balanced boundaries that honor your needs, and time and space for what you desire. That includes releasing toxic people, things, ideas, and beliefs so that you can open to more expansiveness.
You may need to reacquaint yourself with the priorities and commitments that feel essential to you and then eliminate the things that take you away from that, don’t make good use of your time, and fundamentally avoid doing what clearly is your joy.
And if it’s not quite clear, then slow down and refresh, so you can hear that voice and create a restorative cocoon to nurture what stirs within.
Keeping your space organized and clear helps you to be more clear and focused.
They don’t call it Spring cleaning for nothin’!
I feel that only new things are wanting to be around and am making room for that new to come in, but also in general to create space for the new I’ve already embraced, to anchor. It feels good!
The inner artist of life seems to be inviting me to create from an ever-clearer energy and I’m feeling that redirection of alignment during these Wintery weeks.
How about you?
Although we may still have a wet and cold Memorial Day in our future, part of this refresh celebration is extending to our Etsy shop for an upcoming Flash Sale. YAY!
New inventory feels to be percolating to share over the coming months and so we’re making it easier to bring home things you love in our shop, in order to create space, by offering a 25% Off Flash Sale shop-wide that will begin this Sunday and conclude at the end of Monday’s Memorial Day.
This added to already slashed prices creates bringing sweetness home at steals.
More than anything we love making you smile and the reason for creating this shop was purely a heart-to-heart connection.
So keep an eye out in the shop for that here:
We’re so grateful to everyone who has brought home the inspiration and whimsy Astrid and I have been called to create and share with you to support your inner child and artist of life.
It’s moved us greatly to read all the sweet and touching reviews from those of you who have so generously shared those with us.
We so love and welcome any reviews from our friends, as it helps us to know what you love about our creations and your experience, so that we may continue to create in that vein.
I sense that we’re going to have another release upcoming of some sacred art – some of your most beloved – so stay tuned for that too.
In the meantime, if you’re on Instagram, head on over to my page to see the latest discovery released – perhaps one might call to your heart.
Here’s to your inner artist child!
Tania Marie 