Black Squirrel Morning

UPDATE: I glanced outside my window on this hot, almost – summer evening and spotted a black squirrel! It has been  quite some time since I have noticed one and I am delighted! This curious sighting reminded me of how popular this old post has become! Thank you for reading my “communing with creature ” musings as they are sacred to me.

Wishing you a Black Squirrel Evening!

Now that we are in the thick of the liminal season, I know Where the Wild Things Are. They are in my backyard and in my dreams. While I continue to seek the identity of my permanent animals totems and the rest of my ” Team”, I can always rely on the natural world to provide temporary guidance. With Dexter by my side and Jasmine before him, I am more solid, more kind, and more engaged in general. Creatures make me a much better person.

So I present you with a few recent sightings that come to bring me blessings, which I in turn, will share with you :

On a mid October Friday morning the energy was quite vivid, with plenty of animal magic. Every morning one of the first things I do is draw the shades in my dining room. They open to my backyard which is an extension of the Wissahickon woods. This is part of our phenomenal Fairmount park system. Oh how blessed I am to live in such a gorgeous place.

There are always stirrings of some sort each and every morning. I often ponder if these creatures are all standing still until I wake up, ready to scamper about as soon as I give the go ahead! Reminds me of quantum theory that says objects are not in sight until the observer is viewing them. hmm?

So the first creature I notice is a very rich black. Is it a cat? No. What then? It is a dark black squirrel. What??

Voila!!

Isn’t he a beauty? I do not ever remember seeing a black squirrel before, so I researched to see if they even exist outside of my imagination. This is what I found:

Black. The color of mystery and the unknown. The color of trust. Squirrels can be one of the more trusting of wild creatures and will sometimes come and take food from an open hand. Trust. So the black squirrel comes to tell me to trust that I am in the right place, doing the right thing.

This is so comforting to me as I have felt quite lost and disappointed after not being hired for the research program. Black squirrel was waiting to tell me to trust my path.

A few minutes later  a bird ricochets against the window. I walk over to see if the bird survived, when I spotted 2 small deer slowly cross my back yard. I was surprised by their relaxed demeanor. Here is what I discovered :

The deer is linked to the arts, specifically poetry and music in ancient Celtic animal lore due to its graceful form. The Celts also believed that deer were associated with the fairie realm, and would lead troops of fairies – hundreds of them trailing behind them as the stag cut a path through the forest.

I see this as in invitation to allow more fantasy and childlike wonder into my life. Why not fairies? Why not be more open and consider that imagination and creativity can unleash infinite worlds into existence ? Since there were 2 of them, perhaps that could signify embracing the duality inherent in the arts and the natural world. Or it could mean to use creativity in relationship with others.  Here’s to an extra ladle ( or 2) of Neptune soup!

I am including my darling red cardinal because he has been a loyal visitor for years. He even inspired my poem on Grace here.

The cardinal’s bright red plumage also calls you to open yourself to creative energy. Have you been feeling blocked or dull lately? Are you looking for a new way to express yourself? Call on the cardinal to help you open up and get your creativity flowing again. The red feathers link it with fire, the element of activity, vitality, and passion. If you are feeling lethargic, the cardinal may lend you its energy to help you get back on your feet. Likewise, it can be a good bird with whom to work if you are struggling to handle depression. If you are having difficulty dealing with anger, however, seeing a cardinal may remind you to take a step or two back.

Red is the color of the root chakra, the energy center associated with stability, survival, and security, and feeling unsettled in any of these areas may be influencing your anger issue. Examine the areas of your life connected to these subjects for clues to the source of your emotional state, and move to make them better.

I can definitely relate to periods of time where vitality was low and sadness was prominent. I also know that my root chakra is in need of some extra healing and balancing. I think the cardinal could come in handy when faced with writer’s block as well!

This past Monday night I had a dream where a few people were in charge of many animals, They were mainly cats, dogs, and rabbits. I was instructed to  move some of the animals. I went immediately to lift this guy!

Once I got hold of him, he scratched and bit me on the hand. I then woke up shortly thereafter. Since I rarely dream of rabbit and am a definite bunny fan, I wanted to discover any  and all possible messages. Here are some highlights:

To see a rabbit in your dream signifies luck, magical power, and success. You have a positive outlook on life. Alternatively, rabbits symbolize abundance, warmth, fertility and sexual activity.

If the rabbit is hopping in your dream, then it indicates fertility. You will be surrounded by children. Alternatively, the dream may be analogous to your lack of commitment and how you jump from one thing or another. If you dream that the rabbit scratches or bites you,  then it means that you need to pay more attention to your personal relationship or love life.

I am very intrigued and excited by Rabbit medicine. Success, abundance, and romance have not been on the menu lately, or at least not in a form that I would consider consistent. I do feel hopeful about my future as I embark on yet another Solar return. In my experience, the symbolic always trumps logic. This realm has the ability to cut through the crap and fully engage the soul.

Here’s to more Black Squirrel mornings, where the impossible is real and rarity is revered and appreciated.

Namaste

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 first image by “20121110-IMG 6495” by Marc Steensma – Own work.  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en 

second image by wikimedia.org , public domain

References:

http://awakenpastlives.com/2010/02/19/the-black-squirrel/

http://www.whats-your-sign.com/animal-symbolism-deer.html

http://www.beliefnet.com/Wellness/Environment/Galleries/A-Spiritual-Field-Guide-to-Birds.aspx?p=4

http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamdictionary/r.htm