I like to go for a stroll now and again. I enjoy being on the move, feeling a breeze on my face, my feet firmly on the ground, left, right, left, right.... While beginning the 100 Day Reality Challenge I made a conscious decision to be more alert and pay attention to the world around me. And do you know what happened?
When I did, I began to notice little signs in the everyday that encouraged me a lot and filled me with gratitude. I recorded them on my phone camera to remember them and share them with you! Enjoy and be encouraged too!
Today has been about enjoying the simple pleasures in life that make me feel good and grateful to be alive. For example a brisk walk by the Thames on a beautiful, sunny, spring day, great tasting coffee from Deli Boutique up the road and having a hair cut at Goges that makes me feel very glamorous!
Do you like my hair?
I'm gradually getting in to the habit of blogging about my experiences during my season 1 of the 100 day Reality Challenge I mentioned a few posts ago and using video as one of the means of recording them! As you can see by my attempt below, recorded at Battersea Reach, its a work in progress and I hadn't realised the background noise from the helicopters and the sound of the wind. Never mind, it all adds atmosphere.....well that's my story and I'm sticking to it. After this I popped in to Cake Boy (a patisserie) for some English Breakfast tea and a super-indulgent chocolate cupcake.
In the video I mention another video, a recorded interview between Lilou Mace and Mike Dooley, in which they talk about 'showing up' and 'being on the move', meaning that it is important to be alert and open to new opportunities, try new things, notice synchronicities and move towards them instead of being static. I'm reminded of a conversation a few years ago when someone told me "God can't direct a stationary vehicle"and I think this is true! Here's that interview if you are interested.
When you see a crow, what springs to mind? Do you shrink back in Hitchcock-induced fright imagining it is watching you and sending signals to its brethren to come and launch an imminent attack?
Do you view it as a cheeky kleptomaniacwith a fondness for bright and shiny things? Or do you perceive it as a guardian, like the ravens, standing sentry at the Tower of London, as the video below explains?
I had two encounters with crows within 24 hours before I came out to Africa for my present mission. The first one happened when I took a leisurely Sunday afternoon stroll towards Putney and decided to cross Putney Bridge, turning left into Bishops Park. I wended my way through the lovely courtyard rose garden, past the memorial dedicated to the soldiers from Fulham who had died in the Spanish Civil War and on to the path down by the river. I continued walking under the trees until I came to a viewpoint. I stopped for a while to look out over the river and a crow flew down on to the ground a meter or so away from my feet. He stood there, cocked his head to one side and stared. It seemed like he contemplated me for a while. I moved a step, he moved a step, quite tame really. It was nice to have some company! The weather turned colder and it began to drizzle so I said "Goodbye Mr Crow" and walked home. I know what you are thinking....."she's bats, she talks to animals", well hear this, I talk to animals often and, like Prince Charles, I talk to plants too! ha, so there! And I haven't been carted off to the funny farm yet.... Anyway I digress, the very next day, two crows flew down on to my balcony at my little flat in Battersea. I came to the patio door but they were not fazed, they chattered merrily and stared at me for a while and after some minutes flew on their way. I pondered these encounters. Were they just a coincidence or a synchronicity? In shamanism, animals are considered sacred spiritual guides, teachers and protectors. And why not? Why should God or the Universal Life Force only speak to us through human beings why not through other animate created entities? These animal spiritual teachers are called animal totems. Wisdom attributed to crows and rooks include
Guardian of the place before existence
Ability to move in space and time
Honoring ancestors
Ethics and Ethical behavior
Carrier of souls from darkness into light
Working without fear in darkness
Guidance while working in shadow
Moves freely in the void
Understands all things related to ethics
Shapeshifter
I find this fascinating, inspiring and uplifting at the same time. I began to think about animal messengers further and was reminded of several instances in the bible including the white dove of peace carrying the olive branch to Noah after the flood, signalling the appearance of dry land, Balaam's donkey that saw an Angel and was given the power to speak to its master and the ravens who brought food to Elijah by the brook Cherith.
I like to go for a stroll now and again. I enjoy being on the move, feeling a breeze on my face, my feet firmly on the ground, left, right, left, right....
While beginning the 100 Day Reality Challenge I made a conscious decision to be more alert and pay attention to the world around me.
When I did, I began to notice little signs in the everyday that encouraged me a lot and filled me with gratitude.
