Something is going on with me and the animal kingdom lately.  In the past week, I’ve crossed a stray cat that looked like a little fluffy lion, a wild tom turkey pursuing two females with his body puffed up and tail feathers completely spread, a large black snake which played dead despite my efforts to make it move from my path, rescued not one but TWO frogs from certain death in a parking lot and a neighborhood street, and encountered a huge snapping turtle right on the sidewalk in my neighborhood.  Then a wolf appeared to me during meditation.

Nature is literally coming at me from EVERY angle!

Now, everyone around me is asking, “What’s up?!  Are you an animal whisperer?”   It’s true that I’ve always had a strong connection with animals. This is nothing new.  And that hasn’t dimmed with age. In fact, it’s only become magnified, especially with having children who also have a fierce heart for animals and their welfare (just last night my daughter sent me a link from the Humane Society to donate in support of stopping puppy mills).

I’ve also recently taken two animal communication classes and belong to an AC group online. I’ve even had some success giving messages in the online community.   But I haven’t done much with it since before Christmas, at least in part because I’ve been energetically overwhelmed (I’m a chronic over-scheduler), and I’ve been trying to give myself a rest.  I’ve also been putting more focus into the future of A Spirit Led Life, especially around my goals of writing more, publishing more, launching the Awakening Angels Circle, and reaching more people. It doesn’t leave much time for work with animals, virtually or in person.

Yet, in my experience, when it’s time to put more focus on another area, Spirit lets me know.  Like running across a cat, a snake, three wild turkeys, two frogs, a turtle, and a meditation wolf, all in a matter of days!

But still, what does it all MEAN?

While I do generally look for subtle messages and meaning in most everything around me, I also realize that not everything means something.  Some events are just events.  However, when I get this much coming at me at once, and all around the same basic theme, I can’t help but wonder what significance it might hold for me.

My question is a familiar struggle for many who are making their way through the spiritual jungle, so to speak.  We’re often given the impression that if we’re really in touch with our inner guidance that it will be clear and obvious to us when messages come and what they mean.  For some people this might be true some of the time, but I feel safe saying that even the most skilled and connected person feels unclear from time to time.  And a lot of us feel unclear most of the time, which can be frustrating.

If you’re like me and are terribly impatient with the process and easily distracted by not knowing the answers RIGHT NOW, it’s especially frustrating.

Clearly, this is an area where I STILL struggle.  As a result, I usually follow a predictable pattern:

1. I get totally overwhelmed because I don’t know what anything means.I switch directions, spend all my time thinking about what it might mean, and end up in a funk when I can’t figure it out.If you’re one who tries to tackle everything with your head instead of your heart (like me), then it’s a strong wake-up call to slow down, because too much of this can seriously cloud our intuition.

   WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:  Do some mediation, stat.  We have to make ourselves take some down time.  The more we feel resistance (you know that voice that says, “You’ll never get this done if you don’t stay up until midnight every night slaving away until it’s perfect.”), the more we need a break.  Recognize that thinking all the time only wears out our minds and, in the end, we’re still not sure our answers are correct because our hearts haven’t had a chance to give their stamp of approval.  We have to trust that what needs to get done will be and allow ourselves to let something go.  We can always come back to it later if necessary.   The reward is more calm, which leads to greater clarity.

   2. I look for someone to talk me down from the ledge. I reach out to my energy worker and intuitive friends and my husband and anyone else who I think might be helpful, asking them to clear my energy, give me insights, or just plain tell me what to do.

   WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:  Trust our inner guidance.  It takes more strength to be honest with ourselves and be willing to slow down and support our own needs than it does to frantically ask someone else to do for us what we already have the power to do for ourselves.  And once we’ve taken a break, if we still feel like we need help, then we can seek it out from a place of more authenticity and awareness.

   3. I flip all the way to the other side, wipe my slate clean, and do nothing I don’t absolutely have to do until I feel better.True, I get more time with my family and I’m rested because I’m in bed early every night.But my writing and other passions take a hit.

   WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:  Find some balance!  We’re not meant to be teeter-totters!  When we swing from one extreme to the other, we’re really not solving the true problem, which goes back to slowing down and trusting our inner guidance.  And all our energy is used up on the swinging.   We can slow down, but we don’t have to stop completely (because it takes a lot more energy to start up again).  We can sit right smack in the middle of that teeter totter, open up, and let our inner guidance lead us in the right direction (and then have the courage to follow it, because it otherwise, what’s the point?).

Long story short, I don’t know yet what all these animals mean for me. Maybe it’s just springtime and I’m really observant. Or maybe it’s the next step on my personal journey. It’s not clear to me yet. And that’s okay. What I DO know is that doing nothing or overthinking is not going to bring me the answers I seek.

And maybe that’s really the lesson anyway.

XOXO
Ashley

P.S. If this resonated with you, let me know!  Leave a comment below or on my Facebook page.  And please share with your friends!