Last month I participated in this wonderful event run by an Ojibwe Medicine Woman called the 21 Day Ceremony Challenge.

The whole thing was amazing, powerful, so intense.  I learned things about myself. I built up my altar with new items and offerings. It was a wonderful way to spent a few minutes every day focusing on myself.

One day, pretty early in the process, she sent us on a little guided meditation to find the spirit animal that would be guiding us on our journey.

Honestly, it took me several tries to get in the right frame of mind to truly get into it. I expected something like the fox or deer I’d recently seen.

Nope.

My spirit guide came plodding along on all fours. Green. Bumpy. Big teeth.

An alligator.

Honestly…I had to really take a few minutes to digest it. I’ve seen all sorts of spirit animals from spiders to horses to hawks and even mice.

But an alligator? What?

Then, I thought more about it – and it makes total sense.

For one, the obvious, we are planning to move to Florida. What’s crazy-prevalent in Florida? Alligators, of course.

Then there’s the fact that my middle one, Molly, has had the nickname of “Gator” since she was a baby.  It’s a cute story about a onesie and an enamored daddy…but we’ll save that for another time.

Once I sat with the knowledge for a while, I took in the lessons he brought me.

His message to me was to work hard at being my authentic self, which I have always struggled with. The rest will fall into place if I continue accepting and becoming my true self. His presence with me tells me to continue my path of sticking to my guns and know that even though I’m gifted with emotional understanding, I don’t have to allow myself to be dragged into the chaos and mire of others drama.

So I’m happy to walk with the alligator, and let him be my guide…

And proudly say that I’d bet anything my spirit animal is weirder than yours. Which is just how I like it.