Month: May 2021

Organizing – Day 931

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Organizing at its Finest – Photo: L. Weikel

Organizing

Today was a day. The chilly and wet weather outside made it exponentially harder to avoid dealing with the task that’s been whining at me for months. The boxes of papers and files I’ve accumulated – no, curated – over the years have quietly begun organizing themselves into a rowdy group of troublemakers.

Yes, it’s grown harder and harder to ignore the piles and stacks of boxes that basically document our lives. So Karl and I both threw ourselves into the task today. Forty years of marriage wizened us to intuitively retreat to opposite ends of the house to tackle our respective monsters. This exercise, not for the faint of heart, could easily devolve into chaos if we shared too much of our respective struggles.

Forewarned

It could be said that my Medicine Card* pick on the day warned me how to proceed. I chose Snake reversed/Lynx. Snake is transmutation, so there’s the metaphor of getting bitten by snakes but being able to transmute the poison so it doesn’t kill you. There’s also, of course, the shedding of a snake’s skin – shedding one’s outer identity and becoming someone or something new. But the key word today, for me, was shedding. Getting rid of the baggage. Perhaps sloughing off the old beliefs of who and what I am or need to be in order to fit into this world. However I wanted to interpret Snake showing up for me today, I still needed to remember that it was upside down: so it was likely I might try to avoid the shedding of my skin – but ultimately it would prove futile.

And with Lynx underneath? Perhaps I was to keep my mouth shut about my process of shedding my skin – or maybe, in shedding my skin, I would be introduced to a whole new brotherhood or sisterhood as a result.

Old Habits

I think becoming a lawyer indulged (or perhaps even worsened) my persnickety compulsion to keep very precise records. Early on in my career, I learned that having everything I might need stored in a well-marked place where I could easily put my hands on it made my life exponentially easier. Thus, I have a file folder for everything. And I have those file folders organized and neatly stored in boxes that hold hanging folders.

The problem started getting out of hand when we got rid of our filing cabinets. Admittedly, they were dinosaurs – bulky, outdated, rusting – but they kept it all ‘under one roof.’ That was helpful. So when we decided to clear them out, I was left with plastic filing boxes here, there, and everywhere.

Cue the Sadness and Discomfort

And then I started going through the boxes.

Yup. I know why I’ve been avoiding this task. And I’m also recognizing the sad synchrony of this being Memorial Day (weekend) and how I feel going through my myriad folders of paper today.

I may not be remembering and honoring the service of military people by wading through these folders, but I am engaging in honoring memories.

And wading is the appropriate term. Wow. This is hard. And it’s bringing up lots of feelings.

Perhaps I’ll have more to share tomorrow. In the meantime – I wish we could all feel more confident that the sacrifices made by those who served in the armed forces to protect democracy and our republic were being honored and respected by those in power today.

Things feel disturbingly precarious this Memorial Day.

*affiliate link

(T-180)

Step Back and Reflect – Day 930

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‘Cosmic’ Crystal at Linwood Gardens – Photo: L. Weikel

Step Back and Reflect

I have to admit I actually relish the times when planets go retrograde. On some level, deep down, I feel a sense of permission being granted me. After all, when planets go retrograde, we’re told that all the ‘re’ words apply: rework, review, renew, restore, revamp, repair… You get the picture. So giving ourselves time and space to step back and reflect (there’s another one) is a gift. And if we’re paying attention, it’s a gift the Universe sort of builds into our lives: periodically encouraging us to accept some ‘re’ time (instead of resisting it). Ha ha – yet another ‘re’ word that happens a lot during retrogrades!

It’s occurred to me recently that there may be another reason why I generally welcome retrogrades. In looking at my natal chart (the position of the sun, moon, and planets on the date and exact time of my birth), I see that five planets were retrograde at the time I was born: Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. It seems to me that I might feel most at home or ‘settled in’ when those planets go back to the way they were traveling at the time of my birth. This is just a guess, but it makes sense to me intuitively.

It’s sort of like putting on a pair of comfortable shoes.

Hold True For You?

Is it possible that you, too, feel a kinship with the energy of retrogrades? Do you know whether any planets were retrograde at the time of your birth?

Once again, I encourage you to visit the Astrodienst site. It’s free and can give you access to an astonishing amount of information about yourself. All you need to know is your date, time, and place of birth.

Most people can find their exact time of birth listed on their birth certificate. Sometimes hospitals send parents home with an ‘unofficial’ birth announcement that contains this information. Others of us have baby books our parents kept for us, in which they tracked all sorts of personal facts and accomplishments.

It’s definitely worth doing some digging to find your exact time of birth, since that time is of particular significance in determining both your Ascendant (the sign that was on the horizon at the time you were born) and your moon sign. Both of these change significantly from minute to minute.

The rest of the planets, because they move more slowly, are less likely to shift from one sign or house to another within a 24 hour period. So getting a snapshot of the position of the planets in the sky at noon (as a default time) on the day of your birth will give you a reasonably good idea of your chart.

Amazing Complexity

The depth and complexity of astrology is remarkable (and not a little daunting). There’s no question in my mind that our lives here on Earth are reflected in the macrocosm. We’re not ‘fated’ by any means. But we’re all operating under influences that can be tracked and understood – and all of us are prone to having our buttons pushed harder at certain times more than others. It’s helpful to know when this might be happening to us and why.

Information is power. Understanding how unseen forces may be uniquely applying to us can be of enormous benefit in making choices, both big and small.

I do not have aspirations to become an astrologer in my own right. Goodness knows, this subject is far more complicated than the simple knowledge of our ‘sun sign’ (the sign the sun was in at the time of our birth) and the blanket attributes associated with that.

But I am keenly aware of how my understanding of the movements of the planets and luminaries can help my clients better understand themselves and their feelings. Understanding our charts can help us have compassion for ourselves and each other, too.

Furthermore, don’t be fooled: every planet is associated with a particular sign and house in the zodiac, and these all come together in varying interlocking and interconnected ways in each of our own unique charts. Where everything is situated, including the specific degrees of each planet in each sign and house, is significant.

We really did give ourselves a roadmap to the challenges and gifts we were bringing into this lifetime. Whether or not we decide to read and attempt to understand those maps is up to us.

Sweet Resource

Of course, it’s definitely worthwhile to have your chart read by a professional astrologer. Your best bet is to seek out a personal recommendation from someone you trust.

In addition to receiving readings periodically throughout my life, I’ve also read about this stuff for years and years. Mostly I’ve just glossed over the details and focused upon cursorily understanding the signs of my sun, moon, and ascendant. But recently I’ve been giving myself a chance to understand things on a deeper basis by, among other things, using Astrology for Yourself – a Workbook for Personal Transformation* by Douglas Block & Demetra George.

If you want to get to know yourself better, I highly recommend using this tool to delve into understanding your own personal map for this lifetime. There are lots of courses you can take as well. But this workbook is quite thorough and, well, tangible. I like that.

*affiliate link

(T-181)

On the Horizon – Day 929

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Grandmother of Wands ~ Matriarch, Tarot of the Crone by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince

On the Horizon

It’s been a while since I chose a card for us to contemplate. The intense astrological aspects taking place in the cosmos right now are influencing all of us, whether we ‘believe’ in them or not. As a result, I thought it might be beneficial to see what my Tarot of the Crone might have to say in counsel to us as we navigate the wild unpredictability I sense on the horizon.

The total eclipse of the full blood moon on Wednesday sent powerful ripples of revelation out into the world. Truths are being uncovered. Relationships exposed. Treacheries revealed. We’re being asked to review, reflect, and readjust over the next few months.

Pluto (planet of transformation, death, and resurrection) and Saturn (planet of boundaries, limits, foundations, and conservatism) have both gone retrograde recently. A cursory look at what those two planets influence make it obvious that some big stuff in our lives is going to be demanding our scrutiny. And Mercury (planet of communication, electronics, and technology/mechanical things) goes retrograde tomorrow.

The effect of Mercury retrograde will probably be more personal and also more fleeting. Nevertheless, it can be a pain. It would be a good idea for all of us to back up our computers. And try not to have a meltdown when your tv acts like it has a mind of its own or your appliances conk out.

Long Weekend

It seems to me that the coming long weekend will give us an ideal opportunity to hunker down and engage in some juicy personal reflection so we can navigate these turbulent influences with grace. Not only do we have a holiday weekend encouraging this inner work but many of us will also have rainy and chilly weather pressing the issue.

I do want to mention again one other planetary aspect that’s influencing all of us this entire year, but especially now and heading into the next two weeks (culminating on the 14th of June): the Saturn square Uranus transit. It’s essentially the old vs. the new. Tradition and the way things have always been done vs. new, radical ideas and approaches that turn things inside out, upside down, or just utterly transform.

It’s no surprise that we’re being asked to remember the insurrection of January 6th and deal with not only its aftermath but also – crucially – its planning and purpose. There’s a lot going on right now. Responsibility and accountability are two big words that have yet to be meaningfully invoked. And the tensions are only going to grow. Thus, we must prepare ourselves.

Request for Guidance

I asked what we maybe should keep in mind over the coming long weekend – and beyond. I chose the Grandmother of Wands: Matriarch (again, from the Tarot of the Crone by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince). The wisdom that’s shared with us when we only ask never ceases to amaze me:

Grandmother of Wands ~ Matriarch

“It is time to have a talk

And time to have a listen

Time to recognize our common bonds

With honest standing

With Goddess guiding

We create our culture

By how we treat one another”

“In a cave of light under a cover of dark, many figures gather closely around a fire. One figure looms larger than the rest; this is the matriarch. One of the group, she is also its heart and its strength. She speaks, she leads, she ensures all are heard and considered. She weaves individual strands into a tapestry, creating common ground and common cause. With warmth, rectitude and respect, she creates space for group magic to happen. She is tradition and invention in one. She is the fullest integration of your spirit. Embrace it; her power is yours.”

(T-182)

A Bad Sign – Day 928

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A Bad Sign

Ugh oh. It’s always a bad sign when I write three or four paragraphs and then go back and delete them all. Every single word.

But that’s what I’m doing tonight. Nothing’s sticking. Nothing’s gaining traction in my head and leading me somewhere even remotely interesting.

Oh sure. As soon as I wrote the above, the ‘poison ivy dot’ that appeared on the inside of my thigh last night started itching with a vengeance. I guess the Universe is giving me a counter-irritant?

I’m complaining about having nothing to write about this evening and so my body manufactures a poison ivy dot. See, I know this is a trap. If I scratch the itch that’s emanating from this single raised dot of irritated skin – and really, emanating doesn’t do it justice; It’s pulsing, taunting me. It practically has a life all its own – I know with preternatural certainty that the dot will spread its cursed tentacles across the back of my leg and thus will begin a summer of chasing the poison across the wasteland of my skin. From thigh to wrist to finger to foot – and everywhere in between.

Being Dramatic

Oh sure, you think I’m being dramatic. If you’re judging and dismissing my dismayed lament as exaggeration, it’s obvious you’re one of the lucky ones. One of those people who states with abandon (and yes, a taunting hint of glee in your voice), “I could roll around naked in poison ivy and never feel a thing!”

And as I type this – literally as I sit here – other dots are popping up on my body. Now there’s one on my pinky finger. And another on my back.

Aaargh. Obviously Spartacus must’ve gotten some urushiol (poison ivy oil) on his coat and then burrowed under the covers last night.

Honestly, I think I’m at least partially talking myself into this spreading across my body as I sit here. Either that or perhaps I’m having an allergic reaction to something else.

I think I’m going to call it a night and see if I can find a Benedryl tablet in the medicine cabinet. Sometimes it’s best to throw in the towel and raise the white flag.

(T-183)

Since 2004 – Day 927

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Hello There! – Photo: L. Weikel

Since 2004

I don’t especially remember Brood X and its emergence 17 years ago. Since 2004, which I truly do not recall being a dramatic experience, the best I can recollect seeing a few more cicadas than usual was the brood that emerged in 2013 (Brood II). To be honest, that was not a particularly noteworthy experience either. (In other words, I was disappointed.)

I’ve been a little confused by Brood X and the maps I’ve seen as to where they’re to be expected to ‘arrive.’ But in finding the link to the map of the different broods for this post, I realize that in our portion of eastern Pennsylvania, there’s actually a crosshatch over us – indicating ‘multiple broods.’ That makes a little more sense to me, as I do recall hearing about (and experiencing somewhat) Brood II in 2013, as I mentioned.

They’re Emerging Now

I have a friend who lives only about 15 minutes north of me and she’s remarked and posted on FB for at least a week or ten days about the emergence of her cicadas. I was starting to think we’d missed the boat entirely and that the cicadas around here just weren’t going to live up to the hype. That’s how I felt in 2004 for sure. But I’m delighted to say that they are emerging now.

I saw a couple on Monday, the first tip-off being the discarded exoskeletons lying crushed on the flagstones underneath one of our Maples. Of course, that made me go on the hunt for those that had shed their shells, and I was rewarded with discovering two.

While I was sitting outside today, though, I started seeing them flying across the yard. I called Karl outside to show him, and we had to laugh because it wasn’t entirely clear whether we were seeing a couple different ones buzzing from tree to tree or whether it was the same one just going back and forth.

Of course, I later figured out there must be more hatching because I marveled when I saw a Downy Woodpecker snatch one of the clumsy flyers right out of the air and start munching on it. The mid-air capture was impressive. Then Spartacus pounced on something and I realized he, too, had discovered one. Poor guy – I made him give it up.

I’ve only heard a couple males singing so far. While I realize their calls can become deafening, I have to admit I’ve never experienced that many around me at one time to feel overwhelmed by them. I’m hoping this year yields more cicadas than either 2004 or 2013.

Cicada 2 -Photo: L. Weikel

Tracking the Broods

Of course, being the Nature Nerd that I am, I downloaded the app Cicada Safari, which is used to track the emergence of the cicadas and note the differences between broods, as well as a variety of other variables. I’ve submitted two of the photos in this post to them for their records and have yet to hear back whether they will be accepted and noted on the app’s map.

It’s interesting to note that, predictably, scientists are tracking the disappearance of some broods. I’m hoping that perhaps the members of Brood II (2013) and Brood X (2004 and 2021) will be making a strong comeback this year.

And as I prepare to do my Perelandra Biodiversity Program protocol on June 1st, I am pondering whether purposely working to bring balance to our land and bolster the resilience of the biodiversity here will have any discernible impact on the cicadas. Obviously, I’m hoping every little bit any of us can do to promote the long term excellent health of our ecosystems is helping.

(T-184)

Going To Be Messy – Day 926

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Wispy Clouds – Photo: L. Weikel

Going To Be Messy

OK, so we all know the next several days are going to be messy. Not unlike many planetary configurations we endured in 2020, there are going to be a number of intense aspects occurring this week that, if they occurred all by themselves, would portend a challenge. But piling up on, triggering, and otherwise instigating each other this week, the squares, eclipses, retrogrades, and T-Squares (to name a few) taking place could very easily make the days ahead especially stressful.

Hence I thought we could use a little humor as we greet this morning of a blood moon.

Of course, it’s not exactly light and airy humor. What do you expect? I take my laughs where I can find them. And I found this one last week, outside of the courthouse in Doylestown, the county seat of Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Messages Everywhere

Last week I was ordered to serve as an arbitrator on a three-attorney panel to hear cases in matters in which disputes are for amounts of $50,000 or less. While this is a service I bear as a member of the bar, I’ve always enjoyed the responsibility and taken it seriously.

My colleagues and I broke for lunch and I took that time to bask in the wispy-clouded, breezy spring weather and strolled into the center of town for a coffee. Walking along the sidewalk, I noticed a white piece of paper amongst some scattered tree detritus. Me being me, I thought, “I wonder what the message is?” The paper looked even from afar as though it might have something hand written upon it that could, indeed, harbor a message I could interpret for shits and giggles.

Yes, well…

Ask and you shall receive, I guess.

Scattered in the Wind – Photo: L. Weikel

 

Probably Not Arbitration

Something tells me this was not a note passed across the table in a routine arbitration determining the value of injuries in a car accident. No, from my experience, this definitely smacked of a domestic relations case. Probably a support case.

Ah yes. This message took me right back to the good old days of my law practice. It made me laugh when I approached it as a message from Spirit. But the actual tone and intention, and the likelihood it was between two people who used to love each other…

A reminder: things may get messy this week. Let’s try to be kind to ourselves and each other – and keep a sense of humor!

That’s a Message Alright! – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-185)

First Total Lunar Eclipse of 2021 – Day 925

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DO IT – Photo: L. Weikel

First Total Lunar Eclipse of 2021

If you’re on social media of any stripe, you’ve undoubtedly heard that Wednesday morning the first total lunar eclipse of 2021 will take place. Earth will pass directly between the sun and the full moon, engulfing the moon in Earth’s shadow. Not only will this blot out the moon’s natural brilliance (as a consequence of it being full) but the shadow will also make the moon appear a deep shade of red – an occurrence that must’ve totally freaked out our ancestors.

I see that I’ve written about our experience of lunar eclipses before (here, here, and here, to be precise) with other mentions scattered throughout the past 924 posts as well. And I notice that the most recent two times did actually presage some, let’s say, revelation of hidden agendas and ultimately ‘upheaval.’

While there are a plethora of interpretations of the significance of us entering the eclipse season, here’s a link to astrologer Chani’s interpretation for the present one. I speak of the eclipse ‘season’ because there will be a solar eclipse in two weeks. And we generally ‘feel the effects’ of these interactions between the luminaries beginning the week before the actual eclipse event and extending through the week following the second eclipse.

I’d Rather Not Look – Photo: L. Weikel

Frog Making a Point

Karl and I had to laugh this morning when we picked our cards on the day. He chose ‘Frog Squared’ (meaning he chose Frog and there was a blank card on the bottom of the deck). We interpret that probably just as you imagine: not just as Frog, but as FROG. As in, “Buddy, you better clean the clutter out of your life.”

It was even more obvious that we are both in tune with this upcoming eclipse when I chose my cards on the day and got Frog – with Wild Boar underneath. Oh man.

Frog, just in case you’ve forgotten, has a lot to do with cleansing and cleaning out. This can be on any level – from clearing out your physical space, cleaning out your body, clearing your thoughts or emotions. It’s an encouragement to rid yourself of any ‘person, place, or thing’ that doesn’t contribute to your state of wellbeing.

Wild Boar Adds Its 2 Cents

And Wild Boar? Well – suffice it to say, Wild Boar urges one to relentlessly cut through one’s bullshit. I heard it snarking at me all day, to be honest, as I took to heart the need to set upon clearing out. (Yet again; yes, I know, I feel like I am forced to tediously face this beast too freaking often.)

But there it was, in our faces. The message of a lunar eclipse, and especially a total one, is to clear out the stuff that surfaces in our life. There seems to be detritus floating to the top (of our consciousness) all the time. It only looks like physical piles of stuff we’ve been accumulating.

I made a point of working on heeding this advice today. And no matter what card I choose tomorrow, I intend to have another go at it again. I’m feeling the need. And I want to seize this opportunity to clear the portal to a new attitude and some exciting opportunities.

(T-186)

Sedentary Sunday – Day 924

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You Can’t See Me… – Photo: L. Weikel

Sedentary Sunday

The arrival of summer temperatures this weekend (it feels too early to me to be hitting 90 degrees, but what do I know?) persuaded me to indulge in a delightfully sedentary Sunday reading and studying on my porch.

Every time I consciously spend several hours away from electronics, I start thinking about how different life was in the not-too-distant past. I know I’ve read a million articles about how addicted we all are to our devices and yet I still check the headlines somewhat compulsively. (I actually chalk that up more to the trauma of the past four years than simple devotion to my laptop or cellphone.) Nevertheless, I’m starting to entertain thoughts of a shift this summer.

We’ll see.

My Real Message

The message I actually wanted to convey this evening has to do with an encounter I had on my walk this evening. Spartacus and I were ambling along the side of the road, taking in the way the sky was being painted by the setting sun.

A car approached us and I did as I try to do as often as possible, which is getting both the pup and myself entirely off the roadway. Most people smile and wave. Some obviously figure, “What the heck,” and floor it. Many are respectful and seem to appreciate that I’m trying to minimize risk for all of us. Yet I’m always a little bit concerned when someone slows down.

Yes, it could be someone I know. But even most of the people I know or recognize from working the polls or simply from living here all these decades don’t stop. They wave and smile.

So I was just a scootch concerned when the compact, navy blue SUV slowed to a stop and the passenger side window whizzed down to reveal the 50-something driver. Her short hair was dark brown and wavy, and it framed her friendly, smiling face. I wondered, “Ugh, darn it. Should I know her?”

To be honest, she did act as though she knew me – and I’m pretty confident we’ve never met. But! What she said next just made my day.

Never Hold Back

“I just had to tell you,” she said immediately upon lowering her window. “I saw my first fawn of the season today!”

Delight was written all over her face and quite powerfully washed over me as she filled me in on the details. She described where she works (a special needs care facility that’s close by and situated in a setting surrounded by nature) and detailed how she’d been greeted by a Mama Doe and her quite fresh newborn standing in the driveway only minutes earlier. She marveled at how the fawn was actually nursing right in front of her – smack in the middle of the driveway – and how neither Mama nor Baby were at all afraid of including her in their moment.

The driver joked that perhaps Mama Doe was making a peace offering because she was pretty sure Mama may have been the same deer that jumped in front of her car on her way into work today. Perhaps presenting her fawn was Mama’s apology and excuse for nearly killing the driver earlier.

Joy Is Catching

The very best part of this entire encounter (beyond imagining the utter adorableness of the newborn fawn) was the spontaneity with which this driver chose to share the unmistakable joy it brought her – and best of all – how she chose to share it with me!

I don’t know which made me grin more: the idea of the Mama presenting her nursing fawn to this woman (and the delight with which this gift was received) or that this woman somehow recognized a kindred spirit in me enough to share her news. I was simply walking along this country road at dusk and my evening was turned into an experience of sharing Nature’s magic and love.

Sharing her joy was a spontaneous act of courage. Next time any of us are tempted to do the same, I hope we don’t hesitate or hold back. We just might change the trajectory of someone’s day (or even more).

(T-187)

My Ears Strain – Day 923

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An Old Ent, Pondering – Photo: L. Weikel

My Ears Strain

I’m sitting here in my living room all by myself. Oddly, I’m truly alone. Spartacus is upstairs in bed with Karl, which is not all that anomalous on its own. No, what’s wigging me out just a bit is the absence of all three of our cats. I’ve no idea where any of them are. The night is quiet. In spite of the front door being flung wide open, my ears strain to hear a sound – any sound.

The stillness of this evening is so complete that even the massive, dying, pine trees across the road are failing to utter even a sigh. I squint my closed eyes. Surely a tree frog or a cricket will give a high sign of life.

Most of me revels in the blanket of silence. A smaller part, though, noticing the lack of any sound, wonders what life would be like in a cataclysm. What if everything changed over night?

Sheltered Life

At times like these I’m confronted with the shocking truth of just how sheltered a life I lead. I cannot imagine the circumstances of those living in so many regions of the world – and so many places within our own nation. If I’m honest with myself, I turn away from truly permitting myself to imagine what it’s like to have my apartment building bombed.

I turn away from even the simple act of contemplating what it must be like to have my home imploded by a tornado or devoured by a wildfire.

My thoughts, when I permit them to even skirt around those circumstances, always seem to gravitate to the irreplaceable items. Of course, that doesn’t even count the possibility of losing a loved one (human or other sentient being). I guess it all comes down to our impermanence.

The ‘irreplaceable’ items – meaning the photographs and journals, primarily – provide context to our every day lived experiences. They also provide a window into our history. Without context, we’re free agents. Free to make things up as we go along.

But do we?

I don’t know.

(T-188)

Raptor Watcher – Day 922

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Raptor at My Back – Photo: L. Weikel

Raptor Watcher

I’ve been talking to Spirit a lot lately. Asking for guidance, maybe a friendly nudge in the right direction, yesterday in particular I sensed I was being heard. I feel I’m on the verge of receiving a response to my queries. And the reason for my optimism is the appearance of the raptor watcher.

The air feels pregnant to me; it’s almost electric in the sense of power I feel is building, but not yet found a place to strike.

As I drove to and from the courthouse yesterday, I must’ve seen at least six hawks. Not all at once, as in, a kettle of hawks. No, each one made an appearance as a unique and distinct visitor to my awareness.

At least four of them were being hounded by crows and smaller birds, perhaps sparrows or possibly starlings. It was obvious the hawks being bombarded had been on nest-raiding missions. Were these details significant? Who knows! I wasn’t feeling the love nor sensing a particular message.

Stop at the Creek

On my way home I decided to make a quick pit-stop at the Tohickon. Honestly, I didn’t feel particularly worthy of having a chat with her in that moment, but too much time had elapsed since I’d stopped and said hello. I even vowed not to whine to her if I stopped for five minutes just to settle my bones.

I parked in my most frequented pull-over spot and marveled at how low the water table is. The banks of the Tohickon appear dry and exposed, which worries me, given it’s only the 21st of May. What will the creek look like in early August?

As I exited my vehicle, I started speaking out loud to both the Tohickon herself and the creatures who live within and along her banks. I deliberately tried to steer the conversation away from my prior musings and questions, which echoed like whining to me in that moment.

No. I didn’t need anything obvious. All I needed was some creek time, some quiet and peaceful ‘alone time’ with the body of water from whom I source significant personal energy.

I scanned the trees lining the opposite side of the Tohickon for any avian visitors. Not a one in sight. I guess I’ve seen enough hawks for the day, I thought. And in that moment, I turned my head to look to my right. Right there, vaulting from a tree across the way from me was a Bald Eagle high tailing it downstream. As soon as I caught sight of it working its way down the creek about five feet above the surface of the water, it veered off to the right and disappeared.

“Get your nest out of the swamp,” I heard echo in my head. “Stop indulging in these sad thoughts,” was another comment. “Knock it off,” said an even less patient messenger.

Blue Heron right beside me – Photo: L. Weikel

Blue Heron Chimes In

There’s no question I felt moved and honored by Eagle’s decision to show up in my life, even if it was brief and only showing me its hind end. Hopefully I’ll never take Eagle’s appearance in my life for granted.

I reminded myself that I’d stopped to take photos of the Tohickon and the shocking shallowness of her waters. Taking my iPhone out of my pocket, I snapped a shot downstream, wishing Eagle would pop back out and make another appearance. But no. That didn’t happen.

I turned to look upstream and nearly fell over when I realized I was fewer than ten yards away from a Blue Heron standing proudly erect on a boulder just beyond where I stood. Oh my goodness, what a surprise. And to think all this time I’d been blithely talking out loud to the creek and to any other creature that happened to be listening.

“No one’s going to give you the answers you seek. You need to go within and do your own self-reflection,” I heard. “Listen to Eagle. Get your nest out of the swamp. Spend some time by yourself. You know the questions you need to ask. And you know you’re the only one who can answer them.”

Ummm. OK.

Raptor Watcher – close up – Photo: L. Weikel

Final Point

About 90 minutes later, I found myself walking with Spartacus. Still encountering some internal static in spite of my Creek encounters, I wasn’t even of a mind to pull a card or engage in any of my trusted practices. I just walked and picked up butts along the roadside.

A fracas in the stand of trees behind me caused me to turn around. I saw Crows dogging a Red-tailed Hawk for probably the fifth time that day.

And then I saw it. Looming in the sky above me. Had those messengers not secured my attention, I almost certainly would have missed the Raptor Watcher at my back.

No, the title to this blog was not a reference to me as a watcher of raptors. Rather, it was a reference to the Raptor – be it a Hawk or an Eagle, I can’t quite discern which – that had its eye on me as I walked home last night. I’ve been given the word. Will I listen?

(T-189)