by Sarah | Apr 12, 2019 | 50 before 50, All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Bucket List, Gratitude, Oola, Pagan Me Happy, Personal, Pour Your Heart Out, Redefining Perfect
I have this friend that every time we talk, something profound comes out of it. Even if I tackle her with an inane conversation, or I just message to give her a boost or vice versa. Maybe it’s that she’s a shaman, or maybe it’s that sometimes I need to chatter my face off to find a message sometimes, who knows?
Over the course of several months she’d been having a rough time. Between living in the middle of a desert, the government shutdown affecting them, and missing Christmas, she was…stressed.
However, for the same amount of months she’d been talking about the biggest message she’d been receiving in all of her studies, card readings, spirit messages…it was always SURRENDER.
We were discussing the difficulties she was having, the tension she felt, everything all in a nutshell. I was letting her vent, really….when I made the offhand comment:
It’s hard to surrender when you’re holding your breath.
We both kind of stopped right there. It was a big “Whoa” moment for us as we read and re-read the words I’d just typed.
Apparently as much as she needed to hear them, I did as well…because I realized that I’d been doing the same thing, for MONTHS. With the hope and anticipation and this sense of NEEDING to go home to Florida, I’d built up so many levels of tension in all of it. Some days I couldn’t breathe for all of it.
BREATHE.
Do you know how important it is to breathe? Not just for the fact that it keeps you alive…I’m not talking about that breath, really. I’m talking about holding our soul’s breath.
Waiting…
Anticipation…
Fear…
Doubt…
Excitement…
It holds our souls captive. It locks them in a cage and hides them away from what could well be the next miracle around the corner.
BREATHE.
Right now.
Stop. Whatever it is you’re doing, stop.
Release the tension you’re carrying in your shoulders, your jaw, your neck, your heart.
Breathe out long and slow in release.
Explore what’s causing that tension.
Where are you going? What are you doing? What’s the biggest anxiety in your brain?
Surrender it.
Turn it over to whatever God, Goddess, Nothingness you wish. Give it over to the universe.
Nope. It’s not easy.
It’ll come back to haunt you. To put those knots back in your shoulders.
BREATHE.
To hold your brain hostage.
BREATHE.
To nag at your sense of peace.
BREATHE.
But when it does, you have a weapon.
You let it go.
You breathe.
You release.
You surrender.
Stop holding your breath.
by Sarah | Apr 8, 2019 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Pagan Me Happy, Personal, Redefining Perfect
Once a month I’ll be posting a new Spirit Animal. This is both for me to study and learn, but also to help inspire each month.
This month the animal made itself known to me in many ways. Not just because of April the giraffe having another baby popping up in my feed everywhere, but in many other ways. A tag clip at work with a baby giraffe on it, a random screensaver on the computer facing me that featured a giraffe, an internet search for something unrelated popped up an image of a giraffe.
I didn’t balk, I took the message and began to search.
The giraffe had so many messages that spoke to me this month. I hardly know where to begin.
The giraffe is a stately animal, but powerful. With one swift kick it can kill a predator. That’s how it protects its calves. The giraffe is also seen as very spiritual, for the way she kneels to sleep it appears as though she’s meditating or in prayer. The time they are most vulnerable is when they lower their head to drink water. Because of this, they can last for up to a month without water. Though her tongue spans over 20″, she rarely makes a noise we can hear — rather the giraffe communicates with body language.
Her messages were many, and so clear and strong. The ones that speak most to me are:
- The power of silence. Quieting our spirit and centering.
- Seeing the “big picture”.
- Remain grounded without losing that higher perspective. (oh, this one is tough right now)
- When your life is chaotic, keep your head up and avoid getting entangled in needless argument.
- Fully appreciate what you have, and give freely without expectation.
Some of these messages mean even more than I can divulge at the moment…but I’m holding all the lessons close to my heart and spirit.
What animal is speaking to you this month? Do they have lessons for you?
by Sarah | Mar 25, 2019 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Oola, Pagan Me Happy, Redefining Perfect
Along with my monthly spirit animal, I’ve decided to start researching different Goddesses every month, and to be fair I may throw in a random God or two as the spirit moves me. Back in December when I was doing my 21 Day Ceremony challenge, the Goddess Morrighan made a very distinct visit to me during one of the ceremonies. Thus, I’ve decided that my first monthly study would be on this complicated Goddess.
Morrighan, sometimes called Morrigan, Morrigu, or Macha is a Celtic Goddess.
Often symbolized by a raven, and a shapeshifter, she has appeared in many forms. As a woman with a bird head, a raven, or as a woman either with a raven, or a murder of crows. In some stories she’s also appeared as a cow and a wolf.
In my research I’ve found so many conflicting reports about her history, that I dare not dive too deep into it because I don’t want to get it wrong. So instead I’ll give my impressions of what I’ve learned.
First off, despite my husbands initial reactions when I mentioned her in December, Morrighan is not Morgan le Fay (some studies say she is, but it is not a fact and my instinct says no…so I’m leaning that way).
I was never off-put or disturbed by the call of Morrighan to study her and work her into my practice in some way. Though I’ve read that people fear such a call, because she is so often linked to war and battle, I viewed her more as I’ve been urged to look at Kali. For though she is representative of war and battle, she also symbolizes sovereignty and rightful kingship.
I’ve spent the past week studying on Morrighan’s messages and what they mean to me, specifically in the now. Here’s how I’m taking in her message this month:
- Step into your power. Do not be afraid of what battles you may face, whether internal or external.
- You are the rightful heir to your true self. Own it.
- Adaptability may be necessary to achieve your goals, and that’s okay. There can be power in shapeshifting when it’s for the right purpose.
- Sometimes things have to die in order for you to make it where you’re meant to be. Mourn the dead, but do not let them drag you down with them.
- Morrighan is clearly in command without being threatening. You can be in your power without being angry.
I am happy to honor Morrighan and her teachings. I feel like she’s going to be with me for a long time as I’m working out redefining myself. I will learn from and honor others, but I think Morrighan is more than my goddess of the month. I think she’s here for the long haul, and I am happy to embrace and honor her as well as I’m able.
by Sarah | Mar 4, 2019 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Pagan Me Happy, Personal, Redefining Perfect
Once a month I’ll be posting a new Spirit Animal. This is both for me to study and learn, but also to help inspire each month.
This month, the first month, the animal is…of all things…a skunk.
Hey, I don’t pick ’em…these suckers show up to me. I know they’re weird – it’s fitting because so am I.
Anyhoozles…onto Mr. Skunk.
First reaction to this spirit animal might be to wrinkle your nose and back away.
When you look deeper though, there’s more to him than that scent – although it’s a big part of who he is.
A skunk doesn’t use his spray lightly, he only does so when it’s absolutely necessary because it’s actually draining for him to use it because it takes a week to refill. It is a last ditch effort, which actually makes him the ultimate pacifist.
Skunks have few natural predators because their reputation precedes them. Their distinctive color and scent make most back away. There is a natural boundary to them. If you study them, though…they are actually adorable and playful animals.
The messages of the skunk all spoke deeply to where I am now in my growth and life.
- The skunk symbolizes the need to live our lives authentically (I’m working on being my true self these days, no matter what), and to build confidence in ourselves.
- He tells us to have my strength of will & independence (will power is always my biggest struggle)
- Develop trust in yourself, build your intuition. Go with your gut. I hear it often, but sometimes I forget to listen.
- The skunk offers a keen sense of balance – because they don’t attack lightly, every situation is weighed.
- Meet life’s challenges with a calm and peaceful heart – my biggest struggle to date. I enter panic mode (or anger mode) way too quickly.
- The last message he’s bringing for me is also one of the biggest messages I need to follow. Find the balance between being a people pleaser, and your self-respect. Create boundaries.
The lessons from skunk go deep into my current process of learning to love myself for who I am…and by extension heal myself by forgiving others and establishing boundaries for myself while simultaneously opening myself to new connections.
It’s life on a tightrope, but skunk’s lessons help me find that balance and stretch out in my space.
An unexpected companion for my February, but one I’m appreciating the more I study on him.
I have this friend that every time we talk, something profound comes out of it. Even if I tackle her with an inane conversation, or I just message to give her a boost or vice versa. Maybe it’s that she’s a shaman, or maybe it’s that sometimes I need to chatter my face off to find a message sometimes, who knows?
