Dropped Prey? Sad Messenger – Photo: L. Weikel
An Odd Discovery
Karl and I managed to get a shorter (2.2 mile) walk in today before the so-called “bomb cyclone” was scheduled to arrive in our area.
OK, so first of all: Bomb cyclone? Is this what used to be called a bad storm? Do I sound like an old crank wondering out loud about the dramatic monikers we give storms now?
Don’t get me wrong…I realize that a ‘bomb cyclone’ is, indeed a real thing. Indeed, it is a ‘bad storm,’ but one that’s characterized by barometric pressure falling at least 24 millibars (or .71 inches) within the span of 24 hours. Obviously, such a precipitous drop will often cause harsh winds and often bring torrential rain.
The prospect of getting caught in a torrential downpour held no allure, so we got our walk in at the beginning of our day instead of the usual walk at the conclusion of our day.
Sad
Whenever and wherever we walk, we make it a habit not only to pick up whatever trash we may find (the vast majority being cigarette butts, beer, and other bottles), but also to remove any roadkill from the road surface.
We do this in order to protect the black and turkey vultures that live around here from getting hit by vehicles while feasting. Of course, removing roadkill to the side of the road keeps other carrion-eaters such as crows from being in harm’s way as well while doing our ecosystem a solid favor. Our usual response to discovering a creature that didn’t make it across the road is to pick it up, place it respectfully in the grass or weeds on the side of the road, and offer it a few strands of hair in gratitude for its life and in honor of its death.
It’s no big deal – but it is our habit.
As a result, we tend to notice the deaths we encounter on our walks.
Today that meant realizing about half way through our walk that we’d just passed two dead moles. They were next to each other, which added dimension to our discovery and made it all the more remarkable. One was pretty flat, while the other was somewhat sloppily eviscerated. Mealus interruptus, was my thought.
Sad – and Peculiar
After we’d walked about 20 feet further, we discovered yet another dead mole. This one was in pristine condition. Not yet squished, nor did it appear to have been hit by a car. Indeed, it looked, to me, as though it was a dropped meal. I wondered out loud if perhaps a young owl or hawk was practicing its hunting skills and had dropped it. Regardless, it was weird to find three dead moles, all on the left side of the road, within 20 feet of each other.
We continued walking up the hill and, again, about 20 feet further, came upon yet another dead mole. This one, like its brethren before it, seemed to have been felled on the left side of the road. This was getting creepy.
All told, we found six dead moles this morning. The last one we found seemed to lend at least some credence to my suspicion that at least some of the kills were the result of a predator. (A clumsy one, perhaps, but definitely not a four-tired one.) Because I’m odd, I did take a photo of the last one we discovered, just to show how it looked like it had been grasped in the center of its body.
Is There a Message Here?
Even before our official tally reached six, we were wondering what message, if any, Mole might be conveying to us.
In his book Animal-Wise, Ted Andrews states the keynote qualities of Mole to be: “heightened senses (especially touch) and luck in endeavors through one’s own efforts.”
Other attributes ascribed to moles in Animal-Wise: “The mole is well adapted to life underground. The places beneath the earth were often considered mysterious. They were places that lead to the land of the dead and to great treasures. The mole shows us how to dig out our own treasures in life, through our own efforts. In shamanism, they can be guides into the underworld.
…Often for those to whom the mole is a messenger or totem, there is a natural ability to dig beneath the surface of things, to analyze and uncover the hidden.
…The mole’s skin has more organs for touch than any other animal. For those to whom the mole is a totem, the sense of touch is already or will soon become greatly heightened.
…Psychic touch will be a major part of this. Psychic touch is something that should be relied upon by those to whom this animal appears. Do not trust what you see or hear as much as what you feel.
Increasingly those with the mole as a messenger will find that their own sense of touch will let them know what is true. Trusting in what is felt, no matter how strange the impression, will become important.
Moles dig their own ventilation shafts so that they have fresh air. For those to whom the mole is a totem, it will be extremely important for your health to get plenty of fresh air.
…Luck in your endeavors comes now through your own efforts. Treasures you have been seeking are close, but you must continue your efforts.”
Karl and I are both putting in effort on projects that will expand upon the work we’ve been doing for years. We’re both poised to jump with both feet into some new and exciting opportunities. Sometimes – at least I know I can say this for myself – it feels like I’m tunneling in the dark. I’m moving forward more on faith and the feeling, deep within, that this is where I need to be heading.
For now, perhaps this is the message I should take from our discovery. That we need to keep digging. We need to keep moving forward, even if it’s dark and we can’t see much further than the next step or two. If we keep at it, perhaps some unexpected treasures are waiting to be discovered.
Even if I try to find some message we can take from our discovery today, I’m still grieved, nevertheless, that so many little ones failed to make it across the road. I hope the local raptors were able to find the little mole bodies at the side of the road so that at least they didn’t die in vain, but instead contributed to the circle of life.
(T-772)