Covid Archives - Owl Medicine: Shamanic Healing

Spectacular Sunset

I realize I’m jumping on the bandwagon tonight, but seriously – how could anyone witnessing this evening’s spectacular sunset resist taking a photo (or 10)? I saw so many photos of this very same sunset on FB tonight. I tried to talk myself out of sharing my photos, but here I am.

What I love is how so many of us chose to revel in the astounding beauty that unfolded before our eyes. The colors and incredibly variegated forms of the clouds made me feel like I was living in a Cloud Appreciation Society video. Round clouds resembling giant medicine balls (remember them from high school? talk about useless) gave way to swooshes that resembled mares’ manes.

And the colors. As rich and vibrant as they appeared one moment, they miraculously took on even greater resonance moment by moment.

Then – just like that – the entire tenor of the spectacle shifted to a still lovely but far less fiery demand of our attention.

Same Sunset – Moments Later; Photo: L. Weikel

A Sense of Quiet

Our walk, while visually captivating, was also remarkably quiet and still. Was it the sudden blanket of cold air that seemed to mute the landscape?

Perhaps it’s just the approaching anniversary of the insurrection that has me feeling a little uneasy. I dare say, it’s on most of our minds.Something unsettling is in the air, and I’m not quite sure what it is.

Maybe it’s Covid and the ultra contagiousness of the Omicron variant.

Photo: L. Weikel

All It Takes Is a Moment

I spoke to someone I care about today who contracted the virus over this past weekend. Triple vaxxed, extremely careful, she spent the evening with a single, solitary friend who is equally cautious. Just the two of them escorting 2021 out the door in the comfort of her friend’s home.

As the night unfolded, her friend started to feel weird. Rapidly, she felt worse and worse. My friend started feeling the effects last night and tested positive this morning. Because she has some rather substantial risk factors, I’m hoping she’s a candidate for monoclonal antibodies. During Delta’s surge, that probably wouldn’t have been an issue. But given the explosion in number of infections with Omicron, that therapy is now in short supply.

All it takes is a moment for everything to change.

If this is indeed the quiet before a storm (or storms), let’s pay attention. Remain vigilant. Love and care for each other. And celebrate Nature’s dazzling gifts with an open heart (and a camera at the ready).

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CSA Flowers – Photo: L. Weikel

Sacrifice

So far, I’ve been extraordinarily lucky not to have been asked to sacrifice a great deal as a result of the pandemic.

I’m grateful that no one in my family has been hit with the virus (yet), although I have had a few friends contract it. Thankfully, there have been no hospitalizations (yet).

Part of the ‘luck’ I feel Karl and I are experiencing is a direct result of our ability to aggressively keep to ourselves. Both of us are able to continue our work from home. Yes, even my work – which I suppose might be an interesting blog post in itself.

A key to a lot of that aggressive isolation is continuing the protocols we began back in March, even though our state began ‘opening up,’ albeit carefully, a few weeks ago.

Discovering What’s Necessary

Karl and I discovered in those early months of the pandemic that we really don’t need to run around anywhere near as much as we used to. Indeed, we’ve begun admitting to ourselves and each other that a not insubstantial portion of our hopping in the car was related to procrastination.

Needless to say, we’ve both stealthily acquired and honed a few new procrastination techniques – but I can confidently assure you, they do not involve our cars. So that’s a win/win in my book.

We’ve also realized just how little we actually need of anything other than food. And books. Of course, how could I forget books.

A Revelation

So it was a revelation to me today to witness just how thrown I was by my decision not to travel to Connecticut to participate in my eldest sister’s 80^th birthday.

Damn. 80. That just doesn’t seem possible. If you were to meet her, you’d never think she was 80. She still works, even, twice a week, in a museum gift shop. And I’m grateful she can do that – I have no doubt it keeps her sharp and provides for essential human contact which keeps her young at heart, in mind and spirit.

Which leads me to my feeling of having sacrificed today in a meaningful way. It’s not been a sacrifice for me to ‘hard quarantine.’ It’s been annoying at times, and inconvenient. But having to actively say ‘no’ to myself and restrain myself from jumping in the car and heading north to Connecticut to celebrate Jane’s huge milestone was huge for me. And weighed heavily on my heart.

A Strategy

Indeed, I scheduled a session with a client for this afternoon precisely because I knew I’d be tempted at the last minute to ‘be there’ for her – and to see her kids, my nieces and nephews. But I knew I wouldn’t cancel with a client; that’s sacred. And I felt the wisdom of the foresight of that strategy, believe me. Instead of licking my wounds and second-guessing myself, or worse – feeling sorry for myself – I focused on the needs of my client.

Another win/win.

Saying ‘no’ to myself and refusing to allow myself to go to Jane’s party felt like a true sacrifice. I did it, though, because I want Jane to live to see more birthdays in her 80s (and beyond, Goddess willing). And since who knows whether Karl and I might be asymptomatic carriers, I could not and would not risk attending. And that goes for my nieces and nephews and their kids.

I want our family’s clean record to remain unbroken. And for that, I was willing to sacrifice.

Love you, Jane. Happy birthday!

Photo: L. Weikel

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