Animal Totems
“When
Brown Thrasher appears to you, it is time to sing a joyous song of
life and all of the experiences that surround you. Coincidences and
synchronicities will expand your spirituality in a profound way...”
Animal
Totems Website
I couple of days ago, I
wrote about animal spirits, specifically birds. And, if you've been
reading this blog for a while, you know that a pair of Brown
Thrashers built their nest in the middle of a Japanese umbrella tree
in my back yard. They hatched at least three chicks and were diligent
parents. For the last few days, there has been a Brown Thrasher in my
front yard almost continuously. Every time I go out, or come in,
there he is, hopping around in the grass; he doesn't fly away or seem
afraid of me, though he can fly and is not disabled in any way. When
such things happen, I notice and I take them seriously. Today, I
looked to see what the symbolic significance of the Brown Thrasher
is. In addition to teaching one to pay attention to synchronicity and
coincidence, he urges care and tact in how you speak. He encourages
one to follow hunches and impressions, and to follow one's soul's
purpose. He brings alertness, internal peace, and transformation.
I am preparing for surgery next week, and doing all the unhappy things necessary
when such an anxiety provoking event is on the horizon—like
updating one's Will and creating a Living Will/Right to Die contract.
And, guess what! The surgery is being done on Halloween! You can see
why I pay attention to synchronicity and coincidence, right? All
Hallows Eve! I take comfort in that, actually. The souls of all my
forebears will be nearby, and will support my recovery—I think.
Having Brown Thrasher make his presence known to the extent that he
has is, to me, a good omen.
Perhaps, you think that
I'm stretching credulity to find meaning in such things. I assure you
that I am not alone. One way of living and deepening your life with
Spirit is to pay attention, to be alert to such occurrences. A man in
the spirituality group last night was telling about his recent trip
to Colorado and Utah. He camps for three weeks every fall, and spends
the time alone. At one point, he had stopped his truck beside the
highway where there was an especially beautiful view. He got out and
found a sheltered place to sit and meditate. As he dropped down into
deep meditation, a hummingbird came and circled his head. It stayed
suspended in air moving around his head and face for what seemed a
long time. He didn't move or open his eyes for fear of scaring it
away. It was, for him, a holy moment. This man is recovering from
knee replacement surgery, and hummingbird is all about conserving
one's energy and resources. It is associated with healing.
I encourage you to pay
attention to the life around you—not just the human life, but all
life. Are there living things—trees, flowers, animals, water, sky,
earth—that you are especially drawn to, or that are intruding on
your consciousness in an unusual way? If so, take a moment to look
and listen. You can find the symbolism and meaning of almost anything
on-line. You may find it surprisingly informative. And considering
that all things are connected in this universe, your spirit and their
spirit are related; tethered together in a meaningful way. Deepen
your spiritual life simply by paying attention.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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