Ted Andrews

Flicker – ND #142

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Flicker, left profile – Photo: L. Weikel

Flicker

I found a feather the other day as I was walking past High Rocks State Park. I made the discovery shortly after the rain finally abated after falling all day. Gray clouds persisted overhead and the feather, sadly, was caked with mud. I noticed it anyway because fragments of bright yellow still managed to peek out from its sad, soggy condition. What was that? A flicker? A glimmer of light amidst all the dirt and damp?

I picked the feather up, of course, if only out of respect. It was in sad shape, but I figured it only needed a quick run under the faucet. Yanking a couple strands from my scalp, I offered them in exchange and appreciation for the bird’s loss.

It was risky, but I stowed the feather gently in the front pouch of my hooded sweatshirt. The feather was superficially a mess, but it felt like a messenger and I wanted to honor it.

Yet Another Encounter

Fast forward a handful of days to this afternoon. Again, I’m out walking, about a zig-zag mile away from where I found the feather. Also again, the sky is overcast, the atmosphere thick with mist and about 20 degrees cooler than the day before. This time my attention is snagged by a furtive rustling amongst the dry, dead oak leaves littering the berm of the road. There! A bird, with coloring that allowed it to blend in yet stand out. Quite a trick. (And luckily, I was on a solo trek, because I’m sure Pacha and Brutus would’ve pounced on it.)

Oh, what a beauty! It hopped amidst the twigs and detritus seemingly unafraid. It scratched and poked, attempted feigned indifference, then glanced at me to discern my intentions. While I was able to walk right up to it, if I had to guess, I’d say it was just young and inexperienced. It didn’t appear to be wounded or compromised in any way, which was a relief, and the main reason I approached it.

I spoke to it gently and took a couple photos. And I made sure to tell this winged creature how much I appreciated its intriguing coloring and design, especially the magnificent heart at the back of its head. Of all the birds for me to discover ‘in the feather’ one-on-one, here was the very same kind – a flicker – that had left me a feather only a few days earlier.

Flicker, its heart at the back of its head – Photo: L. Weikel

Walking It Off

As it happened, I was walking off the effects of a profound discovery I’d just made within myself. If I made a choice I knew I was being asked to contemplate, my soul would collapse within itself. My heart would break. Sounds hyperbolic, I know; but that’s how it felt at the time. In short, I was feeling an absolute gut-level certainty that I couldn’t – mustn’t – go back. I thought I could, but my body and soul said otherwise.

I’d actually walked about six miles by the time I came across the bird – a Flicker, of course, in case you haven’t guessed. By that time, I’d not only processed my visceral reaction to the choice presented to me, but also pivoted within myself to embrace an alternative that felt like a ray of warm sunshine. A flicker of hope? The choice couldn’t be more obvious; the message more clear.

Looking It Up

Naturally, as soon as I arrived home, I consulted my trusty Animal Speak*, by Ted Andrews. I was delighted to discover almost two full pages of information. Following are just a few tidbits that called out to me:

“Keynote: New Rhythm of Growth and Healing Love.

(…) Flickers are woodpeckers in the process of changing from life in the trees to life on the ground. Because of the tapping and drumming that all woodpeckers do in their search for food, they have connections to new rhythms coming into your life.

(…)

The flicker is a golden-winged woodpecker. It often has a red patch on the back of its head and a black crescent on its breast, all of which are very symbolic. When it flies up from the grass, it takes off in a strong, bounding flight, flashing the gold of its wings. When a flicker comes into your life, it will reflect new bounding leaps of spiritual growth.

The red on the back of its head reflects a stimulation of the chakra centers of the head – the throat, brow, and crown centers. These centers will be stimulated into new activity. The reflects that latent talents and intuition are going to be activated to a greater degree.

(…)

If flicker has come into your life, it indicates a time of rapid growth and trust. Flicker will awaken a new rhythm and the ability and opportunity to manifest all-healing love.”

Trust

And there it is. While I might personally feel like the feather I found a few days ago, muddy and a bit battered, the bright ray of hope represented by the yellow shaft of a flicker demands a certain amount of trust. Trust in myself. Trust in my unique path. And trust that when I ask for it, my allies conspire with Nature and All Life to bring me the guidance and insight I seek.

ND #142

Flicker, right profile – Photo: L. Weikel (Thank you, little one!)

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Thistle – Day 1015

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Baby Bud and Mommy Thistle – Photo: L. Weikel

Thistle

I didn’t get a chance to walk yesterday. We went to the powwow and by the time we got home, a walk simply wasn’t going to happen. So I was determined to log some miles today. In fact, I walked both the long and the short routes (walk about and walk around). And the upshot of both was that thistle was demanding my attention.

If I’d known I was going to write about it this evening, I would’ve taken even more photos of this phenomenal beauty. Thistle is blooming in most fields and along the roadside all along both of my usual circuits. The stunning lavender-leaning-toward-pink blossoms kept grabbing my attention the entire afternoon.

Spiny, almost weapon-like leaves appear on some of the plants, appearing like fireworks splaying out in a manner that yells, “Get back!” And yet other plants seem to shyly downplay those very same needle-like weapons, toning them down and making a point of calling all our attention to each stage of their floral explosion.

Something to Think About

Most times when something, be it flora or fauna, persistently insists on catching my attention, I take it to mean that it’s bringing me a message of some sort. I honestly didn’t feel that today.

Every time I took one of the photos that are accompanying this post, I had a conversation with the plant itself, thanking it for sharing its particularly lovely self with me today. It almost felt like the Spirit of Thistle was showing me herself in every aspect of her blossoming, encouraging me to appreciate each stage for its particular loveliness.

When I realized I was getting the nudge to share these photos tonight, I wondered if perhaps the Spirit of Thistle wanted to reach out and speak with one of you. It’s possible some of you aren’t getting outside enough or frequenting venues where Thistle can get your attention, and this is a way to get the message across. I’m not saying the attributes of Thistle don’t have application in my life. I’m just saying they don’t feel as personal to me as many other ‘messages’ I receive on my walks.

Teenager Thistle – Knows it all; Photo: L.Weikel

Keynote

In checking with Nature Speak* by Ted Andrews, I discovered that Thistle’s keynotes are ‘keep a sense of pride; and protect yourself against criticisms of others.’ In reading the actual discussion of the plant, I got a sense that Thistle is best known and most respected as an aid to the function of our liver. It sounds as though Thistle can be used to both cleanse and tone one’s liver. (Again, as I mentioned in this post, always use the utmost care when working with the medicinal qualities herbs. They are every bit as potent as prescription medications and should not be used carelessly or cavalierly. Ideally, you should seek the input of a trained herbalist.)

Our liver does a ton of work inside our body, cleansing our blood and helping us eliminate toxins. The toxins it confronts are not always on the physical level, either. Our liver can suffer from exhaustion or toxicity from prolonged exposure to anger, rage, criticism, and other ‘negative’ emotions. It stands to reason that sometimes our liver needs a rest, a chance to catch its breath (metaphorically) and recover its mojo. Thistle can help with that.

Scottish Connection

Thistle is the national flower of Scotland. It’s said that a Danish marauder was trying to sneak up on a Scottish camp and stepped on a thistle, causing him to shriek out in pain. This served to warn the Scots that an attack was imminent and permitted them to defend themselves appropriately.

It’s plausible that Thistle’s appearance in our life is suggesting that we may need to protect ourselves. It may be appropriate at this time to express our upset at the way we’re being treated by others.

It occurs to me that we’re hearing a lot about how so many people are in each other’s faces about this, that, and the other thing, but primarily (lately) about masks, vaccinations, and our responsibilities to ourselves and each other. From my observation, the most vociferous declarations seem to be made by those who feel they owe no one any deference; that the only righteous concern is adherence to their own beliefs and choices for themselves.

Maybe It’s Not OK

Crone Thistles – They’ve seen it all; Photo: L.Weikel

I’m wondering if perhaps Thistle is suggesting that it’s ok to stand up for the collective. It’s ok for people to express some of the anger they’ve been swallowing. Many have patiently waited for those demanding respect for their personal space and ‘freedom’ to realize there are other people sharing this planet with them, and sometimes we have to do uncomfortable things or sacrifice a bit for the benefit of us all.

And when the hoped-for epiphany regarding generosity of spirit and sacrifice never arrives? Maybe it’s time to express some righteous anger. Perhaps in as beautiful a manner as possible, but express it nonetheless (before it poisons us all).

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(T-96)

Cranesbill – Day 912

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A Lone Cranesbill Along Our Path – Photo: L. Weikel

Cranesbill

Aha! I was just seeing if you were paying attention. Of course, I’m sure you immediately thought to yourself when you saw the title of this post, Cranesbill, “I can’t believe she’s milking the Wild Geraniums she saw on a walk two days ago for yet a third post. Good grief, she is shameless.”

Indeed, you’d be right.

Yes, I’m parlaying my recent discovery of the name of the lovely pale purple wildflower growing prolifically along roadsides into one final post. These wildflowers are seemingly everywhere now. I’m equally sure I’m seeing and recognizing them now because I made a conscious effort to learn their name so I would no longer pass by them with no recognition.

The reason I’m writing one last post, though, is because I just had to look up the spiritual attributes of Geranium. Alleviation of the physical symptoms that respond to Geranium didn’t feel like an immediate concern to me (thank goodness). And then the light bulb went off and I realized I’d failed to look up Geranium’s significance in my trusty Nature Speak* by Ted Andrews.

The Message – on this New Moon

As usual, in looking up the message Geranium might be bringing me (since it’s practically been haunting me the past few days), I’m both fascinated and intrigued by what I’ve discovered in the aforementioned Nature Speak:

“Geranium (geranium)

Keynote: new happiness and vitality; take advantage of new opportunities

Geranium is a perennial that comes in many colors. They are usually found and grown as groundcover in woodland gardens and rockeries. Some varieties suppress weeds through mounts of their leaves and flowers. They are easy to grow and the blooms are saucer-shaped. They are a summer blooming plant, making this a messenger about efforts coming to fruition having greater success in summer.

Geranium means ‘crane’s bill.’ In southern Africa, a variety of it is called stork’s bill. The crane, the animal to which this flower is also associated by its name, is a symbol of the solar deities and the bridging of the spiritual and physical realms. This flower and its energies awaken a greater sense of happiness and stir the heart chakra into greater healing and a renewed sense of joy in life. It vitalizes the aura of the individual which strongly repercusses on all those within one’s life. It helps one to pinpoint and grab life’s happiness. In most geranium beds, there will be an elf who oversees the entire area.

Geraniums as messengers foretell new happiness and vitality in our life. They also can show you where you may be missing opportunities for happiness. And they alert us to take advantage of new opportunities when they arise. Are we hesitating? Now is the time to act.”

Take-Away

Who knew?! What a delightful and most unexpected message to receive. And the synchronicity of this messenger arriving just as we approached today’s new moon, which calls upon us to plant seeds leading to new opportunities in the fertile earthiness of Taurus, is just wonderful to contemplate.

I love the intimation that where geraniums grow, an elf oversees that area. Gee, I’ve not been too obsessed with Beings hovering around the area lately, right?

Hmm. Pretty cool.

Watcher – Photo: L. Weikel

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(T-199)

Cacophany – Day 880

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Pileateds Face-to-face – Photo: L. Weikel

Cacophany

Spartacus and I were sitting outside on the porch this morning writing (actually, Spartacus was sleeping) when a cacophony of shrieks and excited chatter erupted behind us. The sound of wings flapping and clattering through the bushes behind me made me fear the worst: a red-shouldered hawk making a meal of one of my smaller songbirds.

Instead of carnage, though, I was stunned to see two Pileated Woodpeckers dancing down the length of a tree behind our house. Two!

I was beyond excited. The last time I was given the gift of a sighting of one of these extraordinary, why birds was exactly 742 days ago. At least, it was 742 posts ago. The day of my 60th birthday, in fact, I was awakened from my dreams by the incessant echoing pecking of a pileated woodpecker right outside my window. What a gift that was.

You surprised me! – Photo: L. Weikel

Double the Message?

While of course I hope you’ll go back and read that post if you’re so inclined, I’m going to repeat here the information I quoted from Animal-Wise* by Ted Andrews:

“PILEATED WOODPECKER – Keynote: Follow your own rhythm, regardless of others

“I am fortunate to have in the woods around my home at least seven types of woodpeckers, including the pileated. All woodpeckers teach us something about a new rhythm at play within our life. Some do so more strongly than others and the pileated woodpecker is one of them.

All woodpeckers have a strong bill, pointed for chipping and digging through the bark of a tree for insects. Their stiff tail is used as a prop, allowing them to ‘drum.’

The pileated is a wary kind of woodpecker. One of the largest, it is not always seen. It is solid black, distinguishing it from most other birds and it has the red crested plumage. Any kind of crown or crest on an animal is usually an indication to follow one’s own thinking.

When the pileated appears, it is time to follow your own thinking and your own rhythms. Be wary of others trying to nudge you into a rhythm or behavior with which you are not comfortable. Trust your own instincts as to the rhythm that works for you. Though others may not understand your thinking processes as you take on new endeavors, do not be dissuaded – even if you do not quite understand them. The pileated reminds us that our way will work best now. Take your thoughts and give them action.”

PIleateds Mirror Dancing – Photo: L. Weikel

Exciting Visit

I have to admit, this encounter with the Pileateds was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. Not only has it been two years since I last saw one, but that encounter was also from the inside of my bedroom. This sighting was incredibly intimate as we were just yards away from each other and – if they were paying attention – they most certainly would’ve been aware of my presence.

They were intent on checking out the entire length of two trees right behind our porch. I’m not sure if they were searching for food or a nice place to build a nest. But I’ve never seen two birds work in tandem the way they did.

Every once in a while they’d squawk at each other or flare their wings out. It almost seemed as if they were surprised to see each other appear from around the other side of the tree.

I wish I could share the videos with you. Perhaps I’ll try to upload one of them onto my YouTube account page.

In the meantime, I want to share these photos. I’ll leave the musing about the message – the double message – for another day.

Do You Like My Profile? – Photo: L. Weikel

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(T-231)

Did Not Disappoint – Day 849

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Red-shouldered Hawk – Photo: L. Weikel

Did Not Disappoint

Well, I must admit – the anticipation I was feeling last night over the prospect of a serious taste of spring was not only met but exceeded. In short, today did not disappoint.

The sap – both proverbial and literal – is indeed rising in Mother Nature’s many splendored children. The excitement attendant to simply being alive and having survived a very snowy winter was palpable everywhere I looked (and listened).

It’s this listening part that had the biggest impact upon me today. Early this morning, as Karl and I were having our coffee and picking our cards for the day we heard a very loud and distinct bird call sounding an alarm that neither of us recognized. We both noticed it; the bird’s urgency was clear and unmistakable – and it sounded like it was practically right outside our front door, perhaps sitting in the lanky pine trees across the road.

Slowly opening the front door so I could hear the call more clearly and perhaps get a glimpse of this intriguing new vocalist, the simple warmth of the outside air enveloped my senses. Oh my, such a dramatic change. How is it that even though I knew to expect this lovely shift in the weather it nevertheless stopped me in my tracks and demanded I breathe deeply.

There it was again! That call! My eyes scanned the sky. There! I called to Karl to quickly come and see. At least two hawks were quite literally dancing in the sky just above us. I could see (and hear) another one, maybe two, also darting and swooping in and out of my line of vision. Another was perching in a still bare beech tree a hundred yards down the road.

Raptor ID

I checked my trustee “Raptor ID” app and was quickly able to identify the distinctive cry of these Red-shouldered Hawks. I’m extremely surprised, to be honest, that I’ve never isolated this cry in my mind well enough to identify it as a Red-shoulder. After today, I guarantee I’ll never forget it.

These birds were very clearly in full mating mode, calling and dancing, tumbling and soaring. I’ve honestly never witnessed such a full-on display of pure avian joy and desire to mate and create life. I was surprised to read that they tend to be monogamous and mate for life.

Fascinating.

Photo: L. Weikel

A Message and Realization

While I’m intimately familiar with Hawk in general being a messenger – when they show up it’s often a sign that a message is coming our way or we’re being asked to be a messenger in our own right – I wondered if the Red-shouldered has a particular significance (aside from being the creatures that I suspect snack readily on our smaller birds).

The most I could find specifically on the Red-shoulder was in Animal Speak* by Ted Andrews. As with the Red-tailed Hawk, which are found in abundance in our area (but they don’t tend to hang around near our house) was a focus upon its red (ferrous) coloring and the particularly intense vibrancy of energy they may be indicating is arriving in one’s life. They could be considered instigators of new ideas and optimism, hope and creative opportunities.

All I can say is that I was smitten by the intensity of their ardor. They entertained me for hours, even after I successfully identified them and did my best to capture some photos with my phone.

As I re-settled myself on our porch and started focusing upon my own creative endeavors, I realized with a mixture of delight and dismay that these predators are definitely hanging out on every side of our house – and sticking close. This clip captures both their call – and the probable reaction of all our ‘regulars.’

Red-shouldered Hawk – Photo: L. Weikel

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(T-262)

Unexpected Message – Day 670

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Komodo Dragon in the Sky – Photo: L. Weikel

Unexpected Message

I was on a mission today, a quest of sorts. And in my travels I came upon an astonishingly unexpected message from a source equally unexpected. But in hindsight…

As I drove home in the very late afternoon, I happened to glance into the sky. And there was the biggest Komodo Dragon I’ve ever seen. As I’m wont to do, I checked my rear view mirror and, seeing I was all by my lonesome on this country road, pulled over to whip out my iPhone.

There it was. Clear as day. A Komodo Dragon. A Monitor Lizard.

Bigger Surprise

Imagine my surprise when I got home this evening and looked up Komodo Dragon. To be honest, I didn’t find anything specifically under either Komodo Dragon or Monitor Lizard, but I did find a photo of one in my trusty Animal Speak* (by Ted Andrews) under the generic entry of “Lizard.” And the photo provided clear confirmation that this was indeed the creature the Cloud Beings were forming for my – ahem – perception.

And therein lies the unsubtle persistence of Spirit when it wants me (any of us) to pay attention and listen.

The literal “keynote” associated with Lizards? Subtlety of Perception.

So there it is. I’m being hounded by the need to pay attention to my perceptions.

A Couple of Quick Hits

I suspect I should devote additional time and space to deciphering precisely why perception continues to be highlighted as something I (we?) need to pay attention to. But in the few moments I have left this evening, I’ll share two short passages from the entry under Lizards.

“(…)The lizard is the expert at subtle perception. It can sense vibrations through the ground. Its eyes can detect the subtlest of movements, and it has extremely acute hearing. All of these are symbolic of specific forms of clairvoyance practiced in many societies.

(…)

Individuals with a lizard totem should listen to their own intuition over anyone else’s. Lizard usually reflects heightened sensitivity. You feel what others may not. You will see things that others may miss. You will hear things that are not being said. No matter how strange it may seem, learning to follow those perceptions is what will enable you to succeed most frequently.

One of the most significant characteristics of some lizards and their claim to fame is the ability of the tail to come off. A predator may grab for it, its paw landing upon the tail, only to be surprised as the tail breaks off and the lizard scampers to freedom. The lizard then begins the process of growing another in its place.

This detachment is also part of what lizard can teach. They can help us to become more detached in life to survive. Sometimes it is necessary to separate ourselves or part of ourselves from others to be able to do the things we must desire to do. The lizard helps us to awaken that ability for objective detachment so that it can occur with the least amount of difficulty. Lizard can show up to help us break from the past. It may even indicate a need to explore ne realms and follow your own impulses before you get swallowed up in what is not beneficial for you.”

This is definitely significant. Not only to me but to us.

I will share more tomorrow.

Photo: CNTraveler.com

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(T-441)

Nascent Good Fortune – Day 625

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Photo: L. Weikel

Nascent Good Fortune

This little guy hopped onto the porch this morning as I was having my first cup of coffee. Obviously, I at least had enough of my wits about me to have snuck on him and caught a photo of him (or her…). I chose to think it might be an indication of nascent good fortune.

At first, I was thinking this cricket must be a baby (a nymph?), since it looks like it’s so ‘fresh’ that it hasn’t had a chance to gain its deeper coloration. Hence the title of my post.

But upon reflection, I’m wondering if it might be a cricket that has molted. That thought actually resonates more closely with what I suspect, since if it were a baby, it probably would’ve been much smaller.

Amazing

And wouldn’t you know it? I actually found information precisely on what that might indicate. Again, I’m referencing Animal-Wise by Ted Andrews:

“Most crickets molt at least once, and a cricket may warn us that it is time to shed old beliefs that are no longer suitable. (…)

The cricket should stimulate some self-examination. Are we not seeing things properly? Are we denying our own beliefs? Hav we forgotten how to believe? Is it time to get some new beliefs? Are we exaggerating what we perceive? Are we not hearing the true songs of the people around us? Do we need to listen to what is not being said as much as to what is? Are we not holding true to our beliefs? Are others?

The power of your beliefs is strong now – for good or bad. Do not distort your ideas. Trust in your own intuition before believing others.”

I need to get tonight’s post published.

There’s a lot swirling around, mixed up and intertwined in my thoughts and beliefs that could use shedding, I suspect. Perhaps if I make a point of doing that specific work, that examination and shedding of beliefs, I will call in some new opportunities – possibly a bit of nascent good fortune.

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(T-486)

Flamingo Medicine – Day 624

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Photo: L.Weikel

Flamingo Medicine

It’s funny how things play out in our lives. It’s also fascinating to see how Spirit will sometimes go to extraordinary lengths to get our attention. In the span of just a few days recently, Flamingo ‘medicine’ has appeared in our lives as a clear and obvious messenger of some sort or another.

To be honest, at first I was simply taken with the ‘kitschy’ aspect of the plastic hangovers from the fifties and sixties when we first spotted them lurking in the garden of our next-door neighbor about a week ago. Karl saw them and started salivating with envy and a scootch of “I told you so.”

OK, I’ll admit it. As soon as I saw them and realized someone else had actually taken the plunge, I regretted having scoffed at Karl’s desire a couple years ago to get a pair of our own. I’ll give him credit (now) – he was ahead of the curve, even if that curve arced backward. (There will be a price to pay. I’ll write about that another day.)

Within Days

Odder still was when, just a few days later, we found ourselves practically shielding our eyes from the neon brilliance of yet another pair of flamingos. We discovered these saucy birds perched on the elevated sand mound of yet a different neighbor at least half a mile away from the first.

I have to admit these two were remarkably photogenic, strategically situated such that their gaze naturally falls upon a pond filled with peepers and frogs at the edge of a stand of woods.

While I cannot say I’ve seen a third set of flamingos (which would ‘seal the deal’ that they are appearing as messengers to us), I must admit to being captivated by the second set. Not only do they grab our attention every time we walk past them, but they’ve also managed to yank us out of a couple of rather cranky moods we found ourselves in recently.

Flamingo’s Message

Of course, I took their photo the first time I laid eyes on them. My initial purpose in doing so was, of course, to share them with you. I had the idea in my head that they might serve as fodder for some evening’s silly or whimsical post.

I’m so glad I did take their photo, because otherwise I might not have realized that they were bringing all of us a message that just might serve us in good stead.

Checking my trusty reference book, Animal-Wise* by Ted Andrews, here is something I thought we all might ponder as we enter this final week of July, in this Coronavirus Pandemic year of 2020:

“(…) When the flamingo appears as a messenger or as a totem, we are entering a time of cleansing and filtering to find that which nourishes and heals the heart. It is a time to follow the heart in all endeavors, in spite of the environment we find ourselves in. (…)

We should also ask ourselves some important questions. Are we discerning about that which is most beneficial to us or are we just accepting whatever comes our way? Are we ignoring the things we love to do? Do we need to pursue what is in our heart? Are we ignoring what we are feeling? Do we need to explore our own healing gifts and abilities? Do we need to let others know how we feel?

Now is the time for healing the heart. Follow your own heart in all your endeavors and seek out only that which will heal and nourish what is dearest to you and your own heart.”

When I got the nudge to explore the meaning of Flamingo medicine this evening and share it here, I never guessed the message would feel so perfect, or the questions so provocative.

Flamingo Sky? – Photo: L. Weikel

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(T-487)

Grackle Medicine – Part 2 – Day 575

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Incoming! Share! – Photo: L. Weikel

Grackle Medicine – Part 2

Knowing a good thing when they’ve found it, several grackles continued to frequent our feeders today. While they did become a bit petulant and mouthy as the afternoon grew long and the peanut coil emptied, this only reinforced my commitment to sharing with you the message of Grackle Medicine – Part 2!

And so it was that, when I checked my trusted and dog-eared copy of Ted Andrews’s Animal Speak*, the entry for Grackle made my jaw drop. I will synopsize here:

Grackle –

Keynote: Overcoming Excess and Emotional Life Congestion – Cycle of Power: Early Spring

Although the grackle is often considered part of the blackbird family, along with crows and starlings, it actually is not. It is part of the meadowlark and oriole family of birds. It is a large black bird with an extra-long tail. About its head and shoulders are iridescent feathers that change from blue to green to purple or bronze, depending on the light.

This coloring often reflects a need for those to whom the grackle comes to look at what is going on in their life differently. It says that situations are not what they appear to be and you may not be looking at them correctly – particularly anything dealing with the emotions.

Keep in mind that black is the color of the inner and the feminine. The purple and bronze coloring about the head especially usually indicates that emotions are coloring our thinking process. The grackle can help us to correct this.

During courting season, the male grackle will fold its tail, creating a diamond-like trough. This diamond shape is often reflective of activation. It hints at a need to become active in regards to emotional situations. Have we been too passive in our emotions? Are we simply rehashing and talking about them without doing anything to correct the emotional situations of our life? The grackle is a noisy, chattering bird and may be a reminder to quit talking and do something.

(…)

Grackles have inside their mouths on the hard palate a keel which helps them cut open acorns and eat them. We have often heard the expression, “It’s a tough nut to crack.” Well, this reflects the role a grackle can serve as a totem. Dealing constructively with our emotions and those people and things in our life which aggravate them can be a tough nut to crack. The grackle can show us how to do this.

Grackles love to live in pine trees. Pine trees are very therapeutic to emotional states. In a form of homeopathic medicine known as flower essences, the essence of pine can be used to help alleviate strong emotional states, particularly feelings of guilt. Again this reflects the grackle showing up as a sign to help you clear the emotions.

Emotions that are not dealt with can congest our life, aggravating or even creating congestion in the body at some level. The grackle can serve as a warning to be careful of this possibility, but it can also help show us how to prevent it from occurring. The droppings of grackles can serve to culture fungi which, if the wind blows, can cause a pneumonia-like infection.**

Most illness is symbolic. Congestion, especially pneumonia-like in appearance, can tell us that we are holding in our emotions. It can reflect a suppressed crying or a refusal to deal with certain long-standing problems and issues. (Have we neglected situations, giving them time to be cultured?) It can reflect a refusal to take in new life and new approaches to life, and so we become congested with old emotions.

The grackle shows us how to handle this. It can teach the proper expression of emotions. They can show us where excesses are dissipating our life force and facilitating a congestion of growth and movement. They can teach how to get back to creative and beneficial experiences and expressions of emotion.”

Grackle sampling – Photo: L. Weikel

So Many Take-Aways

Hmm. Wow. A lot of the information contained in this entry set bells a-ringing and whistles a-blowing for me.

First of all, who can deny that emotional overload hasn’t been an increasingly powerful factor in our lives as Covid-19 took root in our country? Since none of us have faced anything like this pandemic in our lifetime, we don’t have a first-hand frame of reference with which to deal with it. So our emotions are all over the place. And when we don’t know what to do with them, they clog up our systems; we become congested with emotion.

Secondly, I had to laugh at the admonition: “The grackle is a noisy, chattering bird and may be a reminder to quit talking and do something.” Umm, yeah. Point taken. Indeed, I think we’re all realizing the importance of action over words. Social distancing. Wearing face masks. We either do it or we don’t.

Biggest Confluence of Meaning

But almost immediately, I see how much more Grackle’s message applies in a cultural sense, in light of the George Floyd/Black Lives Matter eruption over the past two weeks. Indeed, it was easy to draw parallels between our current social experience vis-à-vis guilt and facing hard emotional lessons (tough nuts to crack) in the first several paragraphs.

But I nearly fell over when both the trauma of the pandemic and the trauma of systemic racism in our nation dovetailed in the paragraphs on illness. It is as if Grackle was signaling me with flares and sirens that our current experiences are a perfect storm for transformation. We must process our emotions instead of deflecting and burying and denying them as we have, as a culture, for 400 years.

The pandemic is a symptom of the guilt and shame we carry, collectively, over the shameful act of exploiting others based on the color of their skin. And this infection is, in a sense, carried on the wind (which is why face masks protect us all), yet the brutality and inhumanity we are confronting now has been carried on the winds of time.

A Lot to Contemplate

I’ve read this information by Ted Andrews over and over since I finally succumbed to Grackle’s insistence that I pay attention. And I keep gleaning additional perspectives and tidbits of information that can help us all navigate this cultural storm.

Probably one of the most important concepts we can all apply to our experiences at this point is something one of my most beloved teachers, Puma Fredy Quispe Singona, suggested in a FB broadcast today: We must take care of ourselves as we deal with these great changes. And beyond that, we must remember that Mother Earth is here for us. She wants to support us; she loves us; she stands with us; and she is always there to ‘back us up.’

Grackle – Yum – Photo: L. Weikel

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**Clement, Roland C. The Living World of Audubon (New York: Grosset & Dunlap, Publishers, 1974) p. 254.

(T-536)

An Odd Discovery – Day 339

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
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)