Not Totally Dog Related…

Today was a rarity for this summer…it actually WAS summer! Clear, sunny, warm, an absolutely stellar day for this sun loving Leo. So, I ditched all the work that was calling me and went to the beach with a book. Then my nature show began. Oh, as a bit of background, as most of you know we own a resort here in NW MN and this is our busy season. Well, somehow I was the only person on the beach, everyone else was out fishing or on a town journey….I was ALL ALONE!

First, I heard a buzz in my ear and turned my head to be face to face with a sassy little hummingbird. He gave me a look and then zoomed away! Then I happened to glance up and there were, not one, but TWO eagles flying overhead, just lazily circling, enjoying their amazing ability to ride an air wave without exerting any energy.

I sat down and was reading my book and once again, glanced up and there was an eagle literally ten feet above my head! He was purposefully zooming along and I felt as if I could have almost reached up and touched him! A bit later I walked back up to the house to snag a water and there was a woodpecker feather…right on my path!

OK, I know I live in the woods…but this was all pretty amazing by MY standards! This is in addition to the usual chipmunks, swallows, and so on and so forth we see all over the place. I felt all of these sightings in such a short period of time meant I was supposed to SHARE, so here goes…

Eagle: divine Spirit and connection to creator: Eagles are a symbol of power, healing and wisdom. Eagle represents a state of grace that is reached through inner work, understanding and passing the initiation tests that result from reclaiming our personal power. It is the spirit of tenacity, the gift of clear vision with which one can truly see the things one sees. It is the patience to wait for the appropriate moment. It is to live in balance with heaven and Earth. Eagle tells you that the universe is giving you the opportunity to fly above your life’s worldly levels, or above the shadow of past realities. Eagle asks you to grant yourself permission to be free in order to reach the joy that your heart desires.

Hummingbird: messenger, timelessness

Hummingbird – the tiniest of all birds – brings special messages for us. It is the only creature that can stop dead while traveling at full speed. It can hover, or can go forward, backward, up or down. It lives on nectar and searches for the sweetness of life. Its long tongue lets it bypass the often tough and bitter outer layer to find the hidden treasures underneath. Hummingbird is loved by the flowers and plants, for as it sucks the nectar from the flower, the plant reproduces and more of its kind are created. In many traditions, Hummingbird feathers have been prized for their almost magical qualities. It is said that Hummingbird brings love as no other medicine can, and its presence brings joy to the observer.

If you have Hummingbird medicine, you adapt easily to whatever situation you may find yourself in, and make the most of your new circumstances. You don’t waste time looking back and wishing for “what was” for you are concerned with making the most of “what is”. Also, you could never become addicted to any artificial stimulants, for you find joy in your own heart. You take great pleasure in spreading joy and love and beauty to all around you, and have the gift of taking that inner joy into new and different surroundings. You have a talent for finding the good in people, and are not put off by a gruff or abrupt exterior, for you know that, if you can only get beyond that tough outside layer, you’ll find goodness and beauty inside. You may have a gift for working with flowers, maybe growing them to share with others, or using flower essences for healing. Aromatherapy may be your calling. You have high energy and a spirit that must be free. To restrict that wonderful, free, loving energy is to suffer great depressions and feelings of uselessness. Hummingbird must fly free in search of beauty, spreading joy and love to all it touches.

The Woodpecker: Their flight patterns are unique. Woodpeckers fly up, coast down then fly upwards again. Those with this totem often find that their path in life won’t always conform to society’s standards and that their personal unique rhythm needs to be honored. Woodpeckers teach us to honor our personal truth and move through life with perseverance and inner strength. By staying grounded in our pursuits our goals can be obtained.

Woodpeckers are opportunists. They know when to fly out from a perch to catch insects in the air or on the ground. Their barbed tongues and strong chiseled beaks symbolize life lessons associated with discernment and proper use of speech for those with this totem.

In spring the loud calls of woodpeckers often augmented by drumming on hollow wood are the sounds of males holding territories. Woodpeckers defend their territory aggressively. Those with this medicine need to be in control of their personal environment and will not tolerate others trying to change it. Although personal space is very important for woodpecker medicine people control issues can sometimes be a problem and flexibility needs to be learned. The woodpecker is known as the Earths drummer. Drumming is the heartbeat of mother earth and is associated with shamanism and the ability to move into other dimensions at will. For those with this totem the woodpecker represents self discovery. As they peck into and through trees and dead wood, hidden layers of ones psyche are revealed. Those with this medicine are good analysts and have strong mental capabilities. They make excellent psychiatrists and psychologists. Woodpeckers are active birds so caution is advised to maintain balance when reviewing any situation or issue. Too much analyzing can result in procrastination.