beaver

Finding Safety & Security – Day 169

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Box Turtle – Photo: L.Weikel

Question and Answer

I recently received an email from someone who’s been reading my posts. They asked me a question, and since I feel the question could be something lots of people might wonder, I thought I would share my answer.

Reader’s Question:

“Hi Lisa, I’ve been reading your posts and website, and it seems that we have many common pet peeves. I was wondering how you deal with them and where you find the strength. In general, I just feel that life is filled with torment. Where do you find safety and security?”

– JF (edited only slightly to remove possible identifying details)

My Answer:

“Dear JF,

First off, thanks so much for taking the time to read my posts and website.

Interesting question you pose. Where do I find safety and security. I guess my first response would be “in my connection with Mother Earth.”

As I’ve cultivated my ability to listen (and yes, there really is something to the sentience of all beings, including those that humans consider ‘just animals’ or even ‘inanimate’ – and they really are willing to communicate with us), I realize and know, deep down, that I’m not alone. And not only comfort but guidance is available to us.

We just need to learn how to ask for connection and cultivate our ability to See and Hear in new ways.

As we raise our energy and awareness, we really do start to see things in a new way. All of this may sound like a bunch of b.s., but I’m living it. And I’m doing my best to share the magic with others who are ready to shift their awareness.

Have you read my book yet? The experiences I had in that book were back in the early 90s. I’d never even taken a shamanic journey during the slice of my life that I describe in that book. So basically, Owl Medicine describes me at the beginning of this life-long journey.

If I did not have the world (and beyond-world) perspective that I cultivated over the past 30 years or so, I doubt I would have come through the experience of the death of my son in the way I have. Of course, it’s a process. And I still have my moments. But there is so much more beyond what we accept as reality. And I know that because I’ve experienced it directly.

As you can tell from reading my blog, though – I still get really freaked out and pissed off at the unconsciousness of so many. But wallowing in that for too long only brings me down. My task, as I understand it, is to raise my own energy up and trust that those who are ready to raise theirs will respond to my message, and my “Work,” and join me.

We can’t change the world, but we can shift our own selves and perspectives and then everything and everyone around us has to shift too (or fall away).

Don’t know if this makes sense, but…

I’m really glad you wrote!”

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I just want to mention that I chose the Torment card (which corresponds to the Devil card in traditional tarot decks) from the Vision Quest Tarot two days in a row, yesterday and today, as Karl and I walked. And I chose Turtle (Mother Earth) – with Beaver (Builder – or ‘doer’) underneath this morning. Given that the word ‘torment’ was used in this question – and my answer was directly related to Mother Earth – it seemed like Beaver was urging me to share this interchange.

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If you enjoyed this glimpse into the way I think (which, let’s face it, you subject yourselves to just by reading my posts anyway), please feel free to help me mix up the format!

Email me a question you may be pondering and I’ll do my best to give you my perspective, which may or may not be predictable, controversial, laughable, or even relatable. I’m not promising I’ll answer every question I receive, but if it’s sincere, I’ll do my best to give it a shot.

I just want all of you reading my words to know yet again how much I appreciate that you take the time to do so. And please: if you read something you enjoy or find interesting or helpful, feel free to share. If I’m going to be dedicating myself to this endeavor for the next 942 days (or more), I might as well seek to be read by as many as possible!

I know I have a core of you who have been sticking with me for 169 days so far. Wow! That’s just so cool. I hope you feel my gratitude.

Photo: recinet.ca

(T-942)

State of Our Union – Day Eighty Six

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 4 Comments
Photo: L.Weikel

State of Our Union 

Naah, I’m not going to talk politics. But I did watch it (the so-called SOTU); and I watched Stacey Abrams’s response. And all I’ll say is that I felt inspired listening to Stacey Abrams. I felt heartened by her vision of working together, searching for and implementing innovative responses to our country’s issues for the benefit of us all.

And it felt rejuvenating to contemplate just how quickly so many of our current, existential issues can still be turned around – before it’s too late – if we work together.

Our Ability to Share is Based In the Power of Knowing What We Have

We can do this. We must not give in to fear. We must not give in to the cynical fatalism that encourages people to take as much as they can from whomever they can get it because it’s every man for himself.

I loved the story she told of her father walking home in the pouring rain from his job, soaked and shivering when Stacey and her mom and siblings went out to meet him in their car. I loved that he gave away his coat, knowing he would be soaked and freezing cold, but knowing also that he was going home to his family; knowing they would take care of him, get him warm, and give him dinner. Giving his coat to the homeless man was a no-brainer for Mr. Abrams because that man didn’t have Mr. Abrams’s knew and felt certain of the power of greatest resource: his family.

I think that’s the single most important realization we can make in these times: we need each other. Whether we know each other or not, we must be family for each other.

We Need to Offer Of Ourselves

Yes, some of us are lucky enough to have that support system readily in place in the traditional sense. By that I mean siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins living in relatively close proximity to us. But a pretty significant portion of us do not have that comfort and sense of stability close at hand.

Instead, we’re asked to look to our left and look to our right. Some of us are starting to realize we need to reach out to our friends – and maybe even our neighbors. We need to offer our friendship and support, offer our unique skills. Offer our selves.

We’ve all seen that every time a catastrophe happens, people rally. We come together and offer what we have. We pitch in to help each other, scrounge up sustenance, and provide emotional and energetic support (if not also tangible and fiscal support as well). We don’t stop to ask about politics or who you voted for. We tap into our humanity. We tap into our shared experience.

Embrace Beaver Energy

I yearn to be challenged by our leaders to be visionary and innovative. Don’t you?

So much more is possible when we work together and hold each other up. So much more is possible when we embrace our Beaver energy.

Come on. You knew I’d bring some archetypal animal medicine into this, didn’t you?

Embrace your hope. Embrace your wit. Embrace your intelligence, your inspiration, and your passion. And be vigilant about giving your power to or believing anyone who would tell you that your woes and miseries are someone else’s ‘fault.’ That the ‘other’ (who would actually give you the coat off their back) is someone to be feared, hated, or bullied.

We are in this together. We need to believe. In us.

(T-1025)

recinet.ca

Trusting the Leap – Day Nineteen

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 4 Comments

 

Trusting the Leap

I’m having a hard time coming up with something to write about tonight. Nothing is jumping out at me; I had a long day, I’m tired, and I didn’t experience any major “Ahas!” regarding this morning’s ‘pick.’

Technically, my full pick this morning was Black Panther/Beaver. Although I always love when I choose Black Panther – since its title attribute in the Medicine Cards© is “Embracing the Unknown,” I always enter my day when I choose it with a sense of anticipation and a bit of mystery – I can’t say as though I noticed it applying to the way my day unfolded.

Beaver’s title attribute is “Builder,” and my usual default sense of Beaver when it’s underneath is that it somehow has something to do with working with others, or ‘teamwork.’

Applying My Cards to My Dilemma

And now I will admit to something:

It is only now as I am writing this post that I am sensing the application of my card pick.

My receipt of Black Panther was the cards telling me that I needed to “leap empty-handed into the void with implicit trust” in writing tonight’s post. I just had to dive in. And as soon as I wrote that first sentence, I felt like I might be onto something. Just admitting that I had no subject was a subject!

That’s when I thought to consider what I’d chosen on my day – at least it might give me a jumping off point.  So, while it may have been more accurately described as an empty-headed leap into the void with implicit trust, here I am, embracing my Black Panther.

And the Beaver underneath? Well, that sort of just falls into place for me now and underscores that Black Panther is appearing in reference to my 1111 Devotion . Beaver’s placement underneath is you. Why? Because we are a team. We are a community. By taking the time and according me the honor of choosing to spend a few precious minutes with me each day (or whenever you can), you are respecting my Act of Power. You are respecting my dedication to this crazy devotional practice. And honestly? Knowing that you (and yes, your single self is absolutely precious to me) are going to read this has spurred me on to put one sentence after another and follow through.

Sometimes They Make Sense Only Later

It’s also another way for me to show how the Medicine Cards©work for me. They do not always make sense to me as I read them at the outset of my day. Some days I honestly have no clue as to how my pick will apply. Some days I can honestly say I never figure it out.

But then there are days like today, when the meaning or application has not had an opportunity to manifest until the sun has long since set and I am starting to grow sleepy.

The cool thing (for me), though, is that I still feel the magic. I’m delighted that my choice of cards this morning taught me something this evening. They came to my aid by informing me that sometimes we just have to leap into the void, even if we are empty-handed (or empty-headed), with implicit trust – in order to keep building on our commitment to the ‘team.’

So again – thank you for being there for me.

recinet.ca

(T-1092)