The Lion King Archives - Owl Medicine: Shamanic Healing

Fox or Hyena? I pick Hyena – Photo: L. Weikel

Walk Without a Jacket

Deep down, I didn’t believe them. The prognosticators promised today would be even more brilliant than yesterday, but it sounded too good to be true. And yet the prediction was so accurate, I was actually able to take a walk without a jacket. In February.

Even better, though, were the clouds. Oh my goodness. It feels like it’s been ages since the clouds came out to play. Wispy feathers of clouds were the instrument of choice in today’s sky.

The one I loved the most was the one I placed at the beginning of this post. Is it a visitation by Fox or Hyena? At first I was confident the creature prancing across the expanse of sky was Fox. But now that I’m looking at it here at home, I’m getting a much stronger Hyena vibe.

I’m pretty sure it’s the ears. As weird as it sounds, they remind me of the ears of the hyenas in one of my favorite Disney films, Lion King.

Of course, we all know someone else I hold near and dear who has huge ears. Yes, I’m looking at you, Pacha.

Pacha Pup Playing Coy – Photo: L. Weikel

Daffodils

As I wrote last night, I noticed the daffodils breaking out of the ground during my walk yesterday but declined to take their photo. Well, they beckoned to me when I passed them again today and this time I couldn’t resist.

I know full well the daffodils (and croci, for that matter) will handle a return to winter weather in stride. But still. I hate to see their hopeful stretches toward the sun turn brown.

Phoenix?

Perhaps a tad less obvious than the hyena was the glimmer of a phoenix rising on the horizon. Hey, with even just the barest tangential tracking of the news lately, it only seems right to look for hope wherever we can find it. And Phoenix energy, rising from its ashes as it does, is a decent cloak for a Cloud Being to don.

I almost lost my head today simply reveling in the freedom of walking without a jacket. Believe it or not, I came perilously close to skipping. Good grief, what a sight that would’ve been!

If you haven’t had a chance to revel in the weather these past two days, you have one more day. Be your own sweetie and treat yourself to the bliss of turning your face to the sky and soaking in Vitamin D from the Source.

Who knows what’s in store for us in the days ahead. Nurture yourself now.

Daffodils in February – Photo: L. Weikel

(T+66)

A Donkey On the Edge

One phrase from the movie Shrek, uttered by the inimitable Eddie Murphy as Donkey himself, resonated so profoundly with me when I heard it that it became a permanent part of my personal lexicon of go-to phrases. Yes. It’s true. Referring to myself as a ‘donkey on the edge’ whenever I’m stressed out to the max could not be a more spot-on description.

I have to say, I think the animated movies that came out when my youngest sons were little were the very best of the best. We’re talking through the middle and late 90’s: Toy Story, The Lion King, Shrek, just to name a few. Another one that belongs in that lineup, albeit a completely different cup of tea than the first three mentioned, would be The Snowman.

It’s possible that these favorites hold their special place in my heart precisely because we enjoyed watching them together. Nevertheless, they’re also classics in themselves, conveying themes that resonate with our shared humanity and the values we want our kids and each other to hold.

Laughter – the Ultimate Tension Breaker

That said, and as much as I am inevitably reduced to tears watching Toy Story and The Lion King (or just hearing the musical theme of The Snowman), when I watch Shrek, I laugh. And the character that makes me laugh the most is, of course, Donkey.

Donkeys (in real life) and I go way back. Probably the most notorious instances of my relationship with donkeys harkens back to some shamanic training I did in Ireland 12 or 13 years ago. The estate where we gathered for the weeklong sacred work had some resident donkeys among a cadre of other wild and not-so-wild life, including two dogs that were as big as ponies.

But the donkeys captivated me. (There’s more to the story but not for tonight.)

As I sit here this evening thinking about these movies, I’m basically talking myself into watching at least Shrek tomorrow. I need a laugh.

I’ve been a ‘donkey on the edge’ lately, as have some other people in my psychic space.

Laughter is definitely what we all could use – in abundance.

(T-265)