Letting Go, Listening, Purpose & Celebration ~ Autumn Equinox Portal Preparations

Fall is in the air and everything is falling all around, including my hair. Well, not quite like that, but I’m letting it go as easily as the trees let their leaves shift and drop. More on that shortly.

I read a short share from Avia Venefica exploring where the phrase “turning over a new leaf” came from. She writes:

“…many types of trees can detect changes in their environment. They sense a shift in weather before it happens. It’s as if they predict the weather. Trees adjust to these changes to prepare themselves for pending change. For example, deciduous trees like maples and poplars turn their leaves as a protective measure before a storm hits.

Rather than flippantly tossing about the catch-phrase of ‘turning over a new leaf’, maybe we can embrace the idea that a deeper presence within and around us is beckoning us to shift our position. Maybe a powerful, sentient energy sees a positive purpose for making a motion for our betterment – for our safety – for our future.”

She points to how the inherent awareness we have is easily distracted, whereas Nature continues to listen to the signals no matter what is going on in the outside world. There’s an innate wisdom that can guide us just like trees. Surrendering to that space of knowing how and when to change will lead us to our most optimal life experience.

Yesterday morning kicked off with an Autumn celebration of joy and change with a procession of over twenty quail, a chipmunk and a squirrl, with chattering birds to accompany, all parading in front of me with a grand show.

I shared a video of the fun on Instagram yesterday, which followed the quail from fence to fence of the perimeter of our yard, with a chipmunk and squirrel who kept zipping by to add giggles to the show. It all made me so happy!

The quail use our yard for grazing and as their path into the forest. This is the sweet family we’ve seen since the babies were tiny ones, now all grown. I was doing my usual morning feeding and cleaning routine with Astrid when I caught glimpse of the action. The quail were lined up along our fence and squirrel was enjoying his pine cone not far from them and then ran closer, as if to make sure he was in camera focus (as seen above and below).

I went outside to enjoy both their presence and purposeful journey, as they hopped down into the yard, grazed a bit and hopped back up to the forest-side fence to continue on. While watching them, a chipmunk got super excited and started to zip back and forth in front of me several times, which I caught on the video. And then squirrel (this is the same little guy who always comes to tease me when I’m in the garden) decided that looked like fun and wanted to steal the show. So he ran up closer and made sure to look straight into the camera and then over to the quail and back to me.

It was so cute watching all the activity and observing the quail, one-by-one hopping up to the fence, surveying the forest, and then jumping down onto the forest floor. One of them was so excited she overshot the fence and when leaping with flutter to the top, toppled right over instead.

This reminded me of a dream I had last night where I was flying. I have dreams of being in flight, although many of them are about the effort and concentration it takes to lift off the ground and keep rising, but I prove that flying is possible. This dream was very different. Like the little quail who overshot the fence with propulsion, I had almost too much propulsion and force behind my flight. So much so that I was able to bring two other people along with me, as we held hands in a line (reminding me of Peter Pan flying with Wendy and the kids) and I flew us up and far, doing all kinds of tricky maneuvers along the way. By the end of the dream, I was in fact learning to harness, refine, and dial back my energy a little because it was on full force and I was having to navigate us to a very specific coordinate that I couldn’t overshoot. That seemed like a significant dream to have at this change in cycles right now and with all that I’ve been experiencing.

But back to the quail – I adore them and love that our home is such a welcome place for all the forest creatures. They, along with the activity of the other little animals in Autumn prep, herald the change of seasons to me.

This traveling troupe, I read, take us on a journey of reflecting upon our life story and the symbolism around purpose and progress…to see if the details are aligning us to where we want to go and what we want to create as contribution. And synchronously, this HAS been a big focus for me recently.

They speak to any action being sacred and that even the smallest of steps in the direction of purpose will propel momentum and create opportunity. So, in this way they encourage action toward our goals and to seize what is showing up.

Quail are also very social, aware, instinctual, confident, connected, and community-oriented. So there are varying levels of how these messengers may show up in our lives. As always, only we can decipher how that translates for us.

And yesterday afternoon, Hope made a reappearance in the garden just outside of my office that I share with Astrid, my rabbit. She was enjoying yard munchies and even had a fun encounter with squirrel where they nearly ran into each other, and she bounded off in surprise. Of course, I giggled out loud. She sat under the fence a while just exposing her cute little cottontail and I enjoyed watching her explorations. I discovered later that she likely ate my comfrey plant, which is funny because it’s the first plant that finally took after about four efforts. I took it as a sign she’s blessing it for next year’s abundance. 😉

While watering, two chickadees were flying and perching next to me, chatting with curiosity and of course my squirrel friend made me laugh, as he ran right up to me on the top of the fence I was standing near, looked me in the eye, chattered and then ran off. He’s such a tease, as I said.

So, it was a big day of forest celebrations for tomorrow’s Equinox, the circle of life, sacred community, purpose and the journey, and enrichment even within the transitioning seasons of change.

I’m very much hunkering into the change of seasons, which includes inner preparations matching outer ones. I’m also loving to wear the Fall colors and matching the natural environment around me. It seems to be quite a full time recently for getting a LOT done.

Do you find yourself making any shifts too, whether consciously or instinctively? Or engaging in more things than normal?

I have a full couple of weeks of bulb planting, cutting old growth, bookkeeping, house cleaning, updating our Magick Rabbit Etsy shop (which I’m hoping I can get up for Equinox tomorrow since there’s a couple of sweet Autumn additions), Reiki 2 online training and road trip prep, alongside new focuses I’m developing. So, I feel a bit like the squirrels and chipmunks in seasonal production mode. Yet, like them, am making sure to integrate some fun along the way.

Which leads to the opening about “letting go of my hair,” as tomorrow I have my first appointment with my hairstylist that got rescheduled by divine alignment to Equinox. She only sees one person at a time now so that works well. I’m planning on the first big cut I’ve had in years, since I’ve been mostly just letting my hair grow during these transitional and deepening years.

Yet, I feel so ready for something lighter, fresher, softer and releasing all the years of old at the ends. Normally, I’ve been trimming about four inches off, but it grows so fast, it never seems like I do.

I’m not yet sure what will evolve this time, but it makes me excited because I love change and get bored pretty easily. This may just be the first stage of cuts to come, but whatever and whenever they happen, it is a way I align myself with the new. And since it’s been years since I have done anything more drastic, it undoubtedly reflects big, apparent, upgrading change.

I thought this was interesting. My hair is currently a little past my waist, as you can see in the left photo, which was taken Friday to document the before. The lighting wasn’t direct, so it was a little more accurate to my medium brown hair (of course I have silver too, as you can see in the photo above this one). Then just a couple of days ago, Dave saw the light on my hair streaming in from outside and took the photo on the right. It completely transformed my hair to a honey gold, or slightly strawberry blonde, which made me look like a completely different person from behind and actually mirrors my hair in photos from when I was a little girl. I had both pixie hair when I was super young, and then hair down to my butt for years. The right photo reminds me of little Tania and seems fitting to have recaptured that, since a lot of focus for me has been about retrieval of my parts.

Now, it’s about reinventing something new.

The shifting light of the season casting a glow of change and reflection.

I also have an eye appointment Thursday to upgrade my prescription, as I can tell my vision is shifting. Vision changes reflect, to me, a different perspective on life. Vision and perspective feels important, as it relates to everything shifting so much in the way we are experiencing the world and collective right now. There seems to be a call to alter our perceptions overall and even a mass movement in terms of the things more people are becoming ready to see now. As layers of the veil peel back, we are being asked to see with new eyes and trust what is being shown/felt because that will be more key in creating a different reality than the one we may have thought was the only version of reality available.

As always, I am fascinated by connecting dots of the journey and share these experiences as one of the ways in which we can invite awareness and creative energy to the process.

Nature reminds us that we need to relinquish the need to hold on tightly with fear and to trust in the process – to allow ourselves to have everything we thought we knew about ourselves to be stripped away, only to discover a greater truth to our authenticity beneath the temporary structures.

And in the process you’ll discover the only thing that is eternal is the core essence of who you are beneath the temporal layers. You learn then that the rest isn’t as serious as you make it and is simply part of the journey to that core.

We let go, just as the trees effortlessly allow their leaves to shift colors and float off in the wind. We embrace the only permanence, which is change. And we take grateful stock of what we do have, while preparing for a new birthing that will be incubating during the symbolic stillness.

Seasonal transitions mirror the evolution of human consciousness and the dynamic shifts of life cycles.

If you feel so called, perhaps you might create an intentional space, moment, or ritual of your pleasure to connect within and without as a way to unify through love.

I wish you a beautiful change of seasons that represents the merging of two into one and a balance between contrasting energies, at the portal point of Autumn Equinox (for Northern hemisphere folks) and Spring Equinox (for Southern Hemisphere folks). May it illuminate your inner journey in enriching and deepening ways.

Whimsical Wednesdays ~ The Artist’s Corner: Wondrous Gifts from the Elemental Realm

Who better an artist to highlight whimsy, magick, wisdom, and harmony all woven imaginatively together, than the Earth Spirits themselves? Today’s short share brings to light how the Elemental Realm has been so sweetly showering us with surprises here in the days leading up to our wedding, and how much delight it has been to receive these generous and thoughtful gifts.

My sweet friend Mari pointed out how our Forest Portal Faeries are having a joyous time making sure that there’s a continuation of celebrations leading up, on, and following the big day – remarking on how they enjoyed sprinkling the sparkly powdered dust to create extra snowy enchantment that they know we both love.

The magickal snow seemed to enchant the garden too, as right after, my yellow lilies began to bloom right outside of my office and shared room with Astrid.

They evoke such joy, warmth, inspiration, purity and light heartedness. Seeing them makes my heart smile and believe in happy endings.

They anchor the path along with the welcoming yellow daisies in my garden and create a beautiful aura of energy in synergy with all my pink, peach, purple and white foxgloves blooming.

I have beautiful little blue faery flowers also blooming in the rock garden to the right of the lilies creating a lovely contrast.

I can’t wait until all the rest of the flowers burst with joy. I saw my first pink rose bud pop up at the same time the yellow lilies opened and all the wildflower plants and clover we seeded are all growing wonderfully too.

It’s the little things that make a difference.

The late morning before the surprise snow fall, we went on a crisp walk along the lake where I found four large geese feathers and another beautiful great horned owl feather.

Alongside the refreshing winds of change and clarity that day, these treasures were very meaningful.

There’s also continued to be a lot of new adventure hikes revealing inspiring vistas, sweet beauties, and unusual hidden things for my wondering heart to enjoy.

This included finding the largest sugar pine cone I have yet to discover at nearly two feet long from stem to end.

It’s exactly 21 inches! I thought the one I already have sitting on my desk was big, but this one towers over it nearly 6 inches more! I learned from another friend that pine cones were the first flowers so they carry ultra ancient wisdom and energy.

I looked it up and found amazing scientific information on it dating back 130 million years ago! Incredible! Also interesting is “the likelihood that a single male cone was responsible for the world’s first flowering plants owing to the elasticity of their genetic structure.“

I knew some of the symbolism of pine cones, but this info really put a new spin on them for me. I even read that in 1244 BC in Egypt they found an Osiris staff with pine cone at the top entwined by serpents rising up to meet it. The pine cone is associated with the pineal gland, spiritual consciousness, enlightenment, and eternal life. To be gifted such a huge one is something else.

The largest pine cone found according to the Guinness World Record is also a sugar pine at 22.9 inches. So, yes, I’m quite in awe by this massive cone gift that now sits beside my other one on my desk bringing in the ancient wisdom and forest energy to my creative space.

Other fun finds and sweet gifts have been little faery bell wildflowers, tons of lady bugs landing on us, swallowtail butterflies dancing between us, serene lush beauty that provided a natural healing

attunement for me during a solo hike on Sagittarius’ Full Moon Lunar Eclipse, a dreamy spot

where you can swing from a tree overlooking inspiring beauty, an incredible little cabin hut

someone is building off-trail out in the middle of the forest, and a carved stump made into a mini throne/chair also found hidden in the forest.

But these Earth Spirit gifts are not just for my/our eyes alone.

Earth Spirits show up in our lives to teach, guide, nurture, heal, inspire, and so much more.

They are way-showers to self-nourishment, living in harmony, stability, and abundance, and showing up responsibly and compassionately in cocreation with all life and consciousness on Earth.

The Elementals of air, water, fire, earth, and ether are spirits that embody varying forms of energy to assist with different aspects of life. Within each Elemental family there are varying creatures, beings, tree, plant, mineral – crystals, rocks, and stones – spirits, and life forces that help us to understand our place within the rhythms of nature and this world.

We can learn and receive so much from the subtle and potent messages they bring us that ultimately fine tune us to both our Earth and Cosmic selves.

They offer us ways to feel lighter, more flexible, listen within and trust, support greater creativity, imagination and inspiration, help us to clear and balance, experience more grace and flow, learn the secrets of transformation and purification, increase our vibrancy, awaken our dynamic nature, pave a way for clearer communication with all life forms, provide soulful illumination, meld instincts with heart guidance, strengthen and ground our life force energy, and overall guide us to raise our vibration and live in greater alignment.

As we open our hearts more to all that is going on in the world, let us not forget we have powerful allies within the Elemental Realm, too, that show up in the most wondrous of ways.

Monday Musings ~ The Writer’s Corner: Magickal Rituals & Tales from the Forest Portal

While I’m immersed in painting portal flow working on an author’s book cover, creative writing has been coming through me in small channeled snippets during a mini novel break. I love how everything interweaves together and supports the other. So, in my own short book hiatus, I’m still very much writing and book focused, with simple musings and artistic inspirations. These are two recent channelings that came through, inspired by the forest and my enchanted garden, which I shared on Instagram and compiled together for my sweet blog friends. I hope you enjoy and/or find your own inspirations from them. One friend called the tree channeling a magickal spell in ritual. In both musings, the words glided through me, but were both me and not me. Enjoy.

INVITATION TO THE GRAND SUMMER BALL

The flower faeries are beginning to appear and invitations to the Grand Summer Ball have gone out.

Some can hardly wait and have thrown on their gowns while they make preparations.

They are the way-showers for all the new faeries of this realm and ensure pollinator guests for when they make their appearance.

The mainstay perennial hosts have returned with vigor and in some cases multiplied with glee. They are cycling in intervals with many yet to bloom and others taking the plunge into early brilliance. They encircle the enchanted garden bed – the ballroom stage for this yearly celebration – awaiting the tiny green shoots newly seeded this year that carpet the realm.

You can’t make them out, but I assure you they sprout with glee to reach the sunshine and join the dance. Sparkling butterfly and dragonfly guardians decided to watch over the garden this year too, and send out beacons to all their family, inviting them to what could likely be the biggest celebration this realm has yet to see.

There’s even been an addition to the serving stations to ensure all forest creatures can easily hydrate during the jubilee. Alongside the larger standing water bowl and bath anchored with a quartz crystal center, there’s now a small sunflower dish with bird hosts watched over by a pair of rabbits with solar succulents that light the way for forest creatures of the in between hours. In this way the ground dwellers like rabbits and mice can sip of its contents, while the birds, chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons, and opposums can continue enjoying the higher water station.

There is much excitement and many whispers throughout the land, calling in the seen and unseen creatures of the forest portal.

Summer Solstice is near and everyone is doing their part to make it a beautiful celebration.

* * * * * * * * * *

GREAT TREE

Oh Great Tree your roots carry the whispers of times forgotten, your branches see times yet to come, and yet your strength is in the presence you bear witness to unconditionally.

You are a portal to your Mother, The Cosmic Tree, through which multidimensional experience is woven.

Pressing my heart to yours I remember. 

Pure Gratitude: A White Thanksgiving

I wake with extra gratitude this morning for a wish come true and heart full of gratitude! We woke to a white Thanksgiving this morning and magick blanketed all around. We were out late last night, which is highly unusual for us early-to-bed kids, but we had friends in town visiting, which put us outside witnessing the first falling snow and snowflakes sprinkling our hair, as we dashed in and out of destinations. It also created quite a contrast that found us sharing a very deep discussion into the wee hours of the night about the meaning of life, what’s really important, and having gratitude for those things with an extra layer of new tenderness while sitting up on the 18th floor of a casino in a bar overlooking the falling snow. I, of course, was only drinking a sparkling water splashed with fruity fun that looked like a tropical drink that could whisk you away on a beach somewhere.

The point is, no matter what I’m doing, even if it seems out-of-character, I always find some nugget of a gift to be grateful for and the contrasts usually help to highlight things even more.

Nature helps with that too, and the more time spent outside, the more you experience the richness of life that is always walking beside you, despite your sometimes not being able to see and embrace it.

I shared a post of gratitude on my Instagram to all of my friends and connections there this past week, which was prompted by a big hike out in nature that had me reflecting on all of the things to be grateful for.

And I now want to extend that same message here to those of you who have been with me through all of my creative evolutions, challenges, and celebrations and who have shared your own journeys and experiences of inspiration and growth.

I’m grateful for all that you contribute to the collective in all the myriad of expressions and experiences that create this colorful tapestry of life as we know it and unfolding magick within the Great Mystery.

Together, we move mountains and paint masterpieces.

Thank you for sharing your love, support, gifts, and incredibly unique sparks of beauty with me and the world. There is so much to be grateful for and today is a reminder to make that a regular practice, just like infusing fun into your life is fundamentally important, as they both are life-changers.

I just wanted to share a little message of thanks, as we’re heading off here for some snow-shoeing out into the Winter Wonderland that awaits us before celebrating this day with friends at a giant vegan potluck Thanksgiving, bringing together a collective community here beaming out joyful wishes to all.

I will be holding thoughts of love, gratitude, and hope with every step I plunge into the pure white snow.

Astrid and the kitty babies send their good wishes of wonder and joy too!

 

 

Unifying Layered Realities as the Living Dream

June feels ripe with much in motion and round-the-clock fullness, which is being mirrored in all the flowers and green blossoming everywhere. I mentioned recently in conversation that dream time is stepping forth in grand ways because it is where the layered realities of our multi-dimensionality are. This reality we are focused on in waking life is but one offshoot of what really is and things will flip when the collective is ready to “live the dream.” This last week has been layered with interweaving parts that are merging into a new creation. I’m sensing many can feel what I’m saying and are experiencing the difference, as well as likely have been involved in a lot recently too.

The first three photos you see here are of our home on the forest. Everything right now is coming up flowers and is completely enchanted. I can’t get enough of all the variety of wild flowers surrounding our house and throughout the forest, as we let our hearts wander the paths. I can’t help but stop to take them in with all of my senses, which sparks a feeling within to skip and frolick to join in Nature’s dance.

The layers of lush beauty and blooms seem to reflect the many layers of fertile potential stirring in the cauldron of our inner desires and dreams. Anything is possible. We just simply have to choose what we want to nurture, cultivate, and grow with all of that potential.

And speaking of dreams, I can’t emphasize enough how potent these are and have been for me. Things have been amping up and increasing there. I’ve always been a vivid dream weaver, but I’m experiencing so much more there than ever, including more of that cohesion of bringing together the multiple realities going on at once so that things are becoming more seamless.

I continue to dream in excess of people I know and having remote viewings, very clear psychic experiences – that I would rather say are simply tapping into the other realities and living and remembering them in the now, rather than actually being this psychic experience that seems supernatural – and when I touch in with people they confirm what I “dreamed” as being exactly what is going on with them.

This in part has to do with my Pisces boundless energy, but I’d like to emphasize that I feel this is where we’re headed as a collective in progressively tapping into our multi-dimensionality as no longer a concept in our minds, but a reality we live and co-create in. It would be too much for many if it simply opened fully and immediately, so in stages, the more each of us are tapping into it, the more the collective at large is, and vice versa it also speaks to the readiness of the collective that this is possible too.

This is the progressive spiral of humanity moving into a wider experience of dimensional cognition that the other parts of ourselves are already experiencing.

I’m finding that the more this happens, the more full my life is and the more I am experiencing the direct alignment and effects of every little thing I do very clearly. When we stop to recognize and be curious about it all, we expand and draw in more possibility.

It’s been a full week and continuing. I know many of you have found yourself with full plates as well. I always like to review things in my life and connect the dots, as it ignites things more and bringing things together.

And what a week it’s been:

• I read four books – just started my 5th – that had the perfect ingredients for the next leaps. I haven’t read much recently, but Dave has a library card and the last time I went with him I suddenly found myself with a stack of six books coming home – I’ll likely have the last two done here shortly. I followed my intuition and was led to the exact books perfect for the next phase of experience and creation. Even the order I’ve been reading them has unfolded in perfect cohesion.
• Cleaning out and organizing was at the forefront again – I am finishing our bedroom closet, started my office closet, and Dave and I have been working on our garage – the last piece of our house getting fully settled since moving in. We marvel at the fact that nearly 100% of the garages people have here in Tahoe are unusable, meaning they are full of stuff people store or throw in there and they park their cars on driveways – yes even in the snow of Winter. And even the few who do park inside have disorganized garages that are a storage area for mostly old and unused things. Feels very symbolic to me about the subconscious and unconscious parts of the collective that are running the show in the shadow. I feel that even our unseen spaces speak to our lives and it’s bothered me that the garage was, to us, unorganized even though to others it wasn’t. And the same for my office closet, although organized, just has way too much in it that I had to find space for at the time and now is going to be cleared. This speaks to clarity of mind, heart, vision, and manifestation to me and also of shadow integrated rather than hidden, denied, or tucked away. As I look through every piece it reflects a piece of my inner world I am putting into productive use or releasing. The timing on getting these clear as the last steps, mirrors what’s ready to come forth. We even decided not to just organize and open our last boxes for the garage, but are getting rid of things, got shelves and storage boxes to have it all organized, are hanging our bikes to have clear space, and before all this we’ve been prepping the foundation of the garage – also symbolic – by cleaning it, filling cement cracks, and painting it in a nice finish to keep it clean and look good. No reason the garage can’t be special! It feels like taking care of the shadow in a way of valuing and merging it as usable.
• I found a magickal horse duffel bag hidden in the garage – in the process of all the moving around a bag of stuff showed up that I thought I had lost, got stolen, or I threw away by accident. But in going through this process it showed up tucked away behind things. In the bag were some very cool things that were meaningful and special, including a portal tapestry I’ll be hanging downstairs in the guest room that will mirror mine and create a dual doorway reflecting layers of multi-dimensionality we have access to. Treasures found in the process of clearing.
• I found our telescope – my parents had given us a telescope when we moved back to Tahoe and there it was in the garage all dusty and in a corner. I cleaned it up and brought it in and set it up downstairs for now. This feels like a treasure too with clarity, vision, and connection bringing the Cosmos in closer merging with Earth, as the two become one through our physical forms
• Honing in on details for more effectiveness – I/we have been doing a lot of this and especially so in the shared business/work I have with Dave. In the interim it may seem like more work, but sets things up to be passive and supporting the intents we have for our life
• Anchored in new sacred rituals – in bringing to light more ways to be effective and aligned, I’ve added in some different practices to enrich my/our life further and it’s definitely making a difference
• Deepening shadow work and increased daily vitality and magick – this has included another level of awareness and application to bring more unification to life and making things easy and natural to discern and experience in each moment
• Taking action on intuition and putting in place the steps for actualization – by listening to myself I’m seeing the thread on the weave tighten from being a loose loop and the image of the tapestry reveal itself by bringing things together. I’ve put my ideas out there vulnerably and have received welcoming yes’s to them. This is bringing together the perfect collaborations and I know will continue to
• Garden tower recycling prolifically – I’ve harvested quite a lot and the last big harvest left the tower quite bare, but it’s all grown back in again. This tower has been even more abundant and rich than my last one and I feel its reflective of the things I’ve shifted, as well as the endless abundance available to us in our heart wells. I love seeing everything as a metaphor for my life
• Blueberry sightings amped up – the wild baby mountain cottontail that lives here outside my office has been coming around abundantly. I named him Blueberry based on a dream I had of a bunny I adopted. The interactions between us and seeing him daily is another metaphor for things and to me is reflecting the path I’m on and have been cultivating, as well as the book I’m completing and its process
• Fun news about Astrid – TBA but not only have her ears healed, but she is stepping out more and more collectively in her work and visibility
• Sunshine immersion – during all of this I have been getting out daily in our beautiful 70’s weather and getting some great Vitamin D time, which I thrive on and that infuses extra vitality. I’ve also started using my Sun Oven again, which also infuses extra vitality in our food. So while dream time is revving, it is in balance with daytime immersions. All things in harmony create wholeness of being and experience
• Dreams going crazy with psychic, remote, and symbolic messages that are bringing waking and dream life together – I already mentioned that above
• And amidst all of it I’m still on track to finish my book this potent month of June with the Solstice portal aiding it. This is my last editing/reworking before I surrender it to the next phase and a professional editor

So, yes there are many layers going on and these are just the main ones I’m sharing to express how I integrate the meaning, reflections, and symbolism into my life as a unified field of experience.

These last photos are of the Forest Portal we live on, where this magick is unfolding, and of all the beauty blooming here in the wild, enchanted garden of my heart.

Flower Moons & Memorials

Today’s Full Flower Moon in Sagittarius speaks to abundance, blossoming, expanding, exploring the new, and being free. As Earth’s fertile soil springs forth in flowers and welcomes the planting of new seeds, so too can you plant new intentions in your garden of life that speak of your deepest dreams and heart’s joys. Responsible action aligned in heart, leads to renewal. The last two days here spoke to me of these fertile and shifting life cycles, as we ended a couple weeks of thunder and rainstorms with Summery weather, saw the reappearance of a dear friend, laid to peace a sweet soul, and I reached the half way mark of reworking my book, which looks to be in line for completion this month, as I felt.

The Sun’s rays are so vital to life and for me, to have sunshine is key for my own vibrancy. I’m much like a snake or lizard, who thrives off time in the Sun and feels more alive when it’s energy touches my skin. I guess I also “shed” skin just as much as they do too with all my changes. 😉 So I do make a point to relax and read a book while soaking in rays when I can, as well as being out getting natural exercise with Nature, as vitamin D does the body good and for me, a lot more than others is needed.

Today I plan to harvest my Garden Tower, get some Nature time, and write, but I’m feeling a greater sense of joy and peace from Sunday’s sighting of what I feel was momma bunny.

After thinking a lot about her and tuning in, wanting a sign if she was around and okay as I was feeling sad, we pulled up to the house that day and there on the front lawn was my answer. She hung out for a bit then took off under the trees.

I then saw baby in the side yard munching away on the grass and wild sage, and he scurried under the gate to join out front by the trees. I’ve only ever seen mom and baby here, so unless this is another elder family member, my instincts say it’s momma. We were far from her, but it felt like her especially given my asking for a sign. Yay! I thought you might want an update too. I’ll be keeping an eye out to get a closer look for confirmation, as I know her eyes and face well. Seems she is teaching baby the ways of being on his own more and entrusts Astrid and I to also watch over him while she’s away and if she may go away one day. We are one big happy bunny family! 

And daily now are sightings of baby just frolicking in our yard. It is the perfect sanctuary for him and bunnies for sure, as it’s safe and there is so much for them to indulge on. This is definitely becoming a more and more magickal spot by the day.

Then yesterday was bitter and sweet, as Memorial Day saw me creating a memorial.

In the morning, as I was checking out my Garden Tower, I noticed a beautiful little bird laying on one of the pavers keeping the netting in place. Poor baby must have hit a window perhaps, but it was interesting to find this sweetie right there waiting for me and its symbolism speaks to many things.

I always seem to find animals, alive, injured, or moved on, feathers, bones, etc., or perhaps they find me. I feel I am here to create sacredness around their transitions, to bring peace, and be a bridge for them. And that’s what I did yesterday for this sweetheart.

I normally wouldn’t show a photo of this, but this dear one was so lovely and still so full of life, as I held him or her in my hand and nuzzled it’s sweet feathers and breast with my fingers. There’s something about its energy that moves me so much – perhaps to remind us of singing our song and living life fully EVERY single moment.

It seemed like it had happened not long before my discovery, and so I honored the little one and created a special spot to memorialize his or her life right next to one of my barrel pots of Foxgloves, Delphinums, and Salvias just outside my office door.

I want this to be a sacred place where all creatures great and small feel to be a sanctuary and honoring of their lives and a place they can feel to come and we can all share in the magick.

Yesterday was also like the first Summer day here and continues today, with temperatures in the low 70’s. Everything is blossoming, especially the trees and bushes here.

We spent most of our day outdoors, including celebrating with friends, relaxing and enjoying the beauty of the now and the joys life has to offer.

We shared a short hike out back and then enjoyed great food and conversation.

We enjoyed outdoor grilling of my Hawaiian veggie skewers, some Sweet Earth burgers, Field Roast apple and sage sausages, rice slaw with sesame siracha dressing, rainbow potato salad made by one of our friends, chips and guacamole, “cheeze” with crackers and spinach naan appetizers, fresh raspberry and rhubarb pie made by our other friends from their garden, and topped things off with S’mores…all vegan and full of love and yum.

Life isn’t worth living to me unless we are enjoying it to the fullest with gratitude and the freedom to “BE”.

Wishing everyone a blossoming week.

 

Forest Portal Magick ~ Astrid & the Animals

When Astrid first came home to us, nearly a year ago now on Summer Solstice, we were living in the treehouse up above the lake. She loved the views of the forest, lake, and having the Moon shine in on her from the wide open Cosmos, as well as seeing the squirrels and chipmunks climb up to our deck, with bear and deer visiting down below. However, now that we live on the forest and her viewing windows bring her face-to-face with the animals, she has truly shown herself to be quite the guardian of the little ones here, drawing in all creatures to our Wonderland realm on the Forest Portal.

I have seen every variety of bird come visit, including Robin, Steller’s Jay, Chickadee, Woodpeckers, and more. Some of which I’ve been able to capture photos of when Astrid is lying on her bed and they are just outside the door or on the tree in front of our room. Here you can see her with a black and white Woodpecker sitting on the tree trunk and a Robin sitting on the tree stump.

Also tons of squirrels and chipmunks love checking in on her. But it wasn’t until several weeks ago that that I finally saw our resident Mountain Cottontail bunnies. I knew they were here, as I’d seen their footprints in the snow during Winter, but now they have become a daily visit we get to enjoy in the physical.

I learned that we have a momma bunny and one baby bunny.

This is momma.

She is quite the wise one, reminding me of Nestor and Astrid, but with that nurturing of Joy and her little one reminds me of Cosmo…he’s just a bouncy little bundle of love and purity.

This is baby.

It was sad to me to know it was only the two of them, as that means her other babies did not make it. She watches over him with great care and has taught him to hide in the bushes outside my office, which I also believe houses their home.

I have recently only seen him, however, which makes me sad. I am hoping she is still around, but I haven’t seen her since right before I planted the Foxgloves, Delphiniums, and Salvias. I did manage to get one photo of Astrid and the momma at around that same time, which you can see here.

If you look right between the tree stump and the tree trunk you can see momma sitting. I am wondering now if perhaps she was asking Astrid to watch over her baby, knowing she may not be around much longer. The last time I saw momma I noticed her looking a bit scruffy around one eye, so she definitely was getting into things more.

And now it has been a regular sighting of baby bunny, playing, eating, and connecting with me and Astrid. There is chance we are now his surrogate family, so I am extra mindful of him and sending him lots of love and protection.

He is very trusting of me and will let me go outside and talk to him, as he sits and listens. And like the other animals of the forest, he is very curious about Astrid.

Yesterday was an incredible day that had my heart pounding with love and all a-flutter, as if butterflies were swelling inside.

It started with what was at that time, the absolute cutest thing that involved a big squirrel that ran over to the deck off my office and crept to the left of the sliding glass door, then got up on hind legs, leaned against the glass with hands and fingers open, and peered in looking for Astrid. It was right after she’d left her spot. It was too adorable! 

The rest of the day, the usual sightings of animals continued and then baby bunny started making his appearance.

I’ve caught him some mornings eating the grass alongside a Robin, and jumping and running back and forth with joy, as if inviting Robin to play with him. And this day he was again eating the grass, exploring out front, by going under the gate (we have lots for him to eat there too including wild strawberry plants), and coming back to safety in our side yard. He then sat atop the tree trunk pedestals next to the flowers and continued his exploring.

He likes to eye my very lush garden tower and has given it the bunny approval.

I know he’d love at it, but it is critter proof now and likely for the best, as I wouldn’t want him relying on it, since he needs to learn the ways of the wild.

And then, in the late afternoon/early evening I turned from my book I was working on at my desk and caught baby right up against the sliding door glass while Astrid lay on her bed – both a foot a part and only separated by the glass and screen door.

I only caught this one photo of them together, where you can see the top of the bunny and his ears, as not long after Astrid got up, which allowed me to connect with little one.

You can see how he peered inside looking for Astrid and not afraid that I was now only a foot or less away behind the glass. I couldn’t get enough of him moving about, chewing on the welcome mat, and stretching out his little body with legs and butt extended, as he continued to hang out and peer inside.

I am in love!

It’s incredible to see how much the little animals are drawn to Astrid and our Wonderland realm. They are very curious and quite aware of the Rabbit Queen who resides here and is spreading her wisdom and love. Astrid communicates so much with all of them and it seems interesting that her ear healing has come up when things have amped up the most the last week or two. Listening within and communicating from the heart is something available regardless of physical challenges. And Astrid has alerted me with this of my need to continue to do so about what my heart is telling me.

Perhaps even, the animals are all coming to assist her.

There is so much magick happening here daily at the Forest Portal and it’s only increasing. I found it interesting that the day baby bunny connected most was after my having a dream of a rabbit the night before. And no coincidence that the first time I saw him and momma was on Cosmo’s birthday.

In the dream there was a blueish gray bunny, similar to Nestor, but a male, whose name was Blueberry and we were thinking about adopting him. In that dream I also found a very large feather that appeared to be from an Eagle’s wing. Hmmm!

Then baby comes knocking at the door, sitting atop our “Welcome” mat while I’m writing and Astrid is connecting. Interestingly, I shared these photos on Instagram yesterday and the second I published them, the clock turned 5:55 pm – my magickal sign connected to my twin soul rabbit, Nestor.

For now it seems the bunny we’re adopting is him and I’m happy to see that our portal has felt to be a welcoming invitation to join our family. Who knows what is yet to come!

Our Best Snow Day this Season

Our best snow day of the season was yesterday, which is also our first time being able to snow shoe in our forest portal backyard due to the amount of snow here at our 6600 elevation level. It was my favorite day so far this winter. So grateful to have all this magick outside our door and mostly all to ourselves, as we were creating fresh tracks 90% of the time. Fresh powder up to two plus feet deep in some places, with bridges, creeks, portals, wise tree spirits, and more enchantment around every corner. What a work out too when you’re in such deep snow, plus snow shoeing is usually two to three times more the effort.

It continues to snow so we’re looking at maybe doubling our snow depth at this rate and will be snow shoeing all weekend. This morning I woke to find another foot plus of snow. It’s supposed to continue snowing through today and maybe some tomorrow and then again the weekend we get back home from our Arizona trip. Seems like we’re being gifted snow before and after we return. Yay!

I may look cold and seem all bundled up, but truth be told I was one hot faery. Although I only had one thin sweater and one pair of thin leggings on under my jacket, I literally was sweating profusely and wishing I was in a tank and shorts. If I’m not moving I’m cold, but the second I do, watch out! It’s like an inferno within. LOL! In fact, my hands and feet will be warm, even if they are exposed or get wet. I had to remove my gloves to help breathe a bit and would have removed more if I had somewhere to put it all. If not for the beauty and snowflakes falling all around me, I would have been focused more on how uncomfortably hot I was.

A friend mentioned it’s because I’m exerting extra effort with flapping wings too, making it magick exercise. I like that. 😉

Dave is the complete opposite. He is freezing all the time, and all layered up. He can’t understand how I get so hot and can basically be wearing little to nothing in the cold temperatures. We’re like yin and yang in this respect, but I have more yang and he has more yin. I think it’s my Mars energy.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this winter wonderland in our enchanted Forest Portal here.

This is a view of our house in the forest covered in snow

This is us with our house in the background. I call it sneaky faery. I can’t figure out what that smudge is. I think it must be snow, as the lens is on the opposite end of the camera and my finger doesn’t touch the screen to take a photo. I see also there’s some smudge by Dave’s left lens of his glasses too. It makes me think of an old photo and is interesting, so I included it.

The Magick of Cosmo

Near or far never changes your presence in my heart and the magick you shower my life with. I love you more today and although you were only with us for a short while, your love is etched in my spirit eternally.

Three years ago, today, this sweet boy came home with me, forever stole my heart, and both changed and saved my life forever.

Today, I woke to the most snow we’ve had yet this season here at the Forest Portal.

No coincidence this fell on our anniversary.

It felt like a sprinkling of your magick, sweet Cosmo, coming through the portal here.

Thank you.

I love, adore, and miss you.

Not a day goes by that you aren’t felt or spoken of.

Your love and spirit are as pure as the powdered snow in this Winter Wonderland.

Snow Bunnies

Over the last two nights it seems our late Winter started to take a turn, providing us a Winter Wonderland to explore and immerse in. The last two nights have also amped up magickal dream time and visits through the Forest Portal here. Seems completing Wonderland was the activation for it all. Wonderland inside and out! Interesting, too, that the snow came right after that as well. We’ve had dustings of snow 2-3 times since we moved in, but this is the most we’ve had so far and not just at the higher elevations. It’s a huge contrast to last year’s mega Winter – the biggest in like 40+ years, but any variety Nature wants to throw our way is a gift and gorgeous, nonetheless.

It made for beautiful hiking yesterday and will be fun to explore snow shoeing in up at the higher elevations.

Faery T was able to get her Snow Bunny on yesterday and this morning I thought it would be a perfect introduction for Astrid to see if she, too, is a Snow Bunny and if she likes snow as much as mom.

I’m happy to report that she does.

I’ve always said she reminds me of the Snowshoe Rabbits I fell in love with in Montana and Canada and felt that was in her spirit strongly.

There wasn’t a whole lot on the deck outside of my office because the morning sun hits there warmly first. But it seemed the perfect amount for her to get her feet “wet” before going big.

I took a video of her very first snow day experience, which was adorable to watch.

I’d gone out, barefoot (hence my foot prints alongside hers in the snow) to set up a protective pen barrier so she felt safe and didn’t wander off into the great outdoors. She’d probably be fine, since this area is fenced off, but she may not want to come back in. 😉 She exhibited her curiosity right away in finding the small hole I wasn’t diligent in closing off, sticking her nose through near the end, but luckily I caught that before it turned into Astrid gone wild.

It was fun because I told her what was happening before it did and she was very curious, listening with bright eyes and alert ears. She played coy for a while, exploring her house and licking her gnomes and mushroom next to the open sliding door I left that way for her to go out.

Then she went for it, cautiously, but courageously.

I love the little happy thump she gave at the threshold of the door.

I can tell there’ll be many more snow days for miss Astrid, as she seemed to really like it. I can’t wait for there to be a lot more snow so she can play in it and get in deep. I’ll be sure to capture those sweet memories and share.

Two Snow Bunny peas in a pod we are.

Here’s Astrid experiencing snow for the first time – at least this life!