S10EP7: It Was the Best of Tmes, It Was the End of Times

Hey, gang! Welcome to my life – where anything is possible and nothing is as it seems. I’m Freedom and I’ll be your host, coming at you from within the depths of Geistopia.

DOC: Velcum To My Life ees a prochect, un experiment in Life unt ART. A living storyboard, if you will. Its premise ees zat life ees experiential, unt zat you can, unt do, experience ze life you choose. It ees based on Ze Veel of Life unt Ze ARTs for Ze New Millennium as life building tools. Ja, it’s true!

WALT: Welcome to my Life is a Geist…House Players Production, in association with the Center for Creative Inspirationalism. JustUs Productions, the parent company, would like to give a ‘Shout-Out’ to the following for their ongoing, and oft-times unknowing, inspiration and support:

Princess Cuddlebug

Princess Sunshine

Company

The Shaman

The Pillar

F’n Bob

The Entire Putt-Putt-Putter Clan

The Warden

FaeriePrincess

Professor Siggy Chong

Sparky Wentz-eclaus

The VanMan and General Ralph Glossop, and Craze (may they R.I.P.)

The Messengers of The Galactic Federation

Looch

Bert-On

The Baker of the Cornbread

Andy Pandy

Wilson

BJ & The Bull

The Mudder

Zason

St. Diane & You (4)

Brother John & Sister Jen

Spooky Queen

Boom-Boom Snuffbox

The Nameless One

Tim-Bo

The Cousins

The Rox

PDT

Sir Richard Slouch

The Wix-ians

The Socialite

The Village of Idiots

Piz-Niffer

Dancing Queen

Downtown Encyclopedia Brown

Chicken Witch

Dick Pointer

Soup, the Son

The Legendary Pink Elephants

Baby-Mama Rabbit

Wisconsin Belle

The Babes

Aaaand, of course, a very generous sponsor who (not-so-much) wishes to remain anonymous.

It is…Sunday, July 2, Two-Thousand and Twenty-Free. Time...Exalting

Theme – Adapt, Improvise, Overcome

This came up in many areas of my life this week. It was just one of those kinds of weeks when nothing really clicked the way it was planned. However, I think the most evident area was in ‘Projects.’ I have so many projects on the table [literally.] But I am not getting any one done. I have all sorts of reasons [excuses] for this. Time obviously is my biggest one. Tools and supplies runs a close second. I keep putting off this project or that. “I’ll get to it when things settle down or straighten out.” [Eventuallys.] I can’t keep putting things off or delaying. Not the way things have been going. If I do that, then nothing will ever get done. So, I need to Adapt, Improvise, and Overcome. Where there is a will there is a way. I need to adjust. Plan different. Work in stages like I do with everything.

Lesson – Play Dead

This was an interesting Lesson. Or, at least, the way in which I learned it. It was during my battle with Ricky Recluse. My ‘killing’ technique was not working. We battled for quite some time. Finally, when he accepted that he was under attack he curled himself up as if he was dead. I didn’t fall for it. I waited and watched. Sure enough, after a few minutes he popped right back to his normal appearance. I attacked again, relentlessly. Again, he curled himself up to appear dead. Again, it was but a ruse for which I did not fall. Finally, we went for round three. He would fake his demise once more. That’s when it dawned on me. When they attack you – Play Dead. [They will either leave you alone, or…it will poise you for an attack of your own.]

Observation – Sometimes We are Given What We Need to Ask for Help

We’ve all heard the phrase, “G-d never gives you more than you can handle,” but is that really true? Sometimes, it sure seems like he can throw so much at you that you’re going to break. But…what if that’s the point? What if sometimes G-d gives us so much that we have no choice but to ask [pray] for help? What if it is a reminder that we should ask for help? That we should lean on G-d and put our trust and faith in his process?

The Post

It’s hard to believe that I have been in The Homestead for six full months. It has certainly been challenging. Things did not go at all as I would have projected and hoped. I truly thought that I would have had myself settled in quicker than I was. I truly believed that there would be a brief financial struggle and that I would find ways to balance it out.

Well, it took me six months to settle in, which was twice as long as I had planned. And the financial struggles have just been endless. Every time I think I have it all licked and figured out I am thrown some sort of a new curve ball.

It’s really quite frustrating.

This week was no different. I started the week negative, which has been the case for several weeks now. I was certain I could get caught up and balanced out. The week started out, looking like I was correct. Then it took a bunch of weird turns.

MOnday I started late in the day. But, I knew this going in. This was the morning after Cuddlebug’s party and I had planned to stay home and make pancakes for the overnight guests. [Of which there was, fortunately, only besides The Princesses and The Boy.] I only had a little bit to make [split between two days] to cover my deficit. Anything over that each of the days would be extra. My first gig that day paid almost $80.

Then I got a message that they were coming to do some maintenance on the water softener. I knew the girls were home but still I wanted to at least make an appearance. Once I was home, I did not go back out. Till I settled back in and we made dinner and ate it was time to take them home.

Tuesday was an OK day, but it started a cycle that just did not seem to want to end. My inspection was due on Friday. This is something we have been ‘working’ at since the end of May. I had taken it in for a sort of pre-inspection to see what I was going to have to do.

Well, I had good news and I had bad news. The good news was that almost everything passed – brakes, tires, lights, etc. However, The Rocket was getting emissions codes. This could be nothing or it could lead to a new catalytic converter.

Nonetheless, we put it off until after Cuddlebug’s party. Tuesday I went in so we could start this game of Let’s Beat the Codes. The premise is simple – reset the codes. Drive the car for a bit. See if the light comes back on. If the light doesn’t come back on then re-run the tests. The light came back on every single time. However, it was not consistent.

At one point in time, prior to this week I think, it was reading a Cat code. However, at the beginning of this week, the Cat code wasn’t coming on. However, the Evap code was lit. Now, we knew there was a problem in this area some months ago. But, it wasn’t causing problems to the car or driving. So, it wasn’t critical. I figured I would fix it after inspection. You know…eventually.

On Wednesday I went in the morning and the light came on while I was driving to The Mechanic. We reset it and I was to come back in the afternoon. By the time I had returned the light had come back on once more. [Actually, that may not be true. This may have been the time that the codes didn’t have time to set because the engine didn’t have time to cool off to a proper temp.] We reset it one more time and it was suggested that maybe I drive home and let it sit. Overall, this was a fine plan. I had heard it was going to rain this weekend so I thought maybe I should get my yard mowed before I didn’t have time and more rain made it grow even longer.

Thursday morning, with the light on once more, we decided to change the Evap and hope that made the difference. We replaced the Evap, I went out and drove and then came back. This time, the Cat code was back on. We reset it and decided to try one more time Friday morning. I came back to The Homestead and rested because I was having a great deal of tooth pain, which had turned into a headache. I got up and hit the road once more.

The code was on again on Friday morning and so we have to change the Catalytic Converter. However, they were unable to get one before the end of the day on Friday. [And probably won’t until later next week.] So, currently I have a temp sticker on the back of my inspection sticker indicating that it has passed inspection but not emissions. This should by me a bit of leniency should I get pulled over for the inspection sticker before we get it taken care of.

So, all of that and it still isn’t finished and I am still going to have to pay a lot more than I can think about, even with weekly payments. Of course, going to The Mechanic every morning, first thing, threw my whole routine off. I learned/decided some time ago that it is kind of pointless to try to work before going to The Mechanic. Things are just starting to pick up right at the time I have to stop to make it to The Mechanic on time.

So that screwed me up terribly. Oh…right. Wednesday I also had an oil change scheduled. [That’s like an every 6-8 week thing.] So, all in all, my week’s interruptions were: Late Monday for Breakfast; Stop early on Monday for technician, dinner and taking kids home; Trip to Mechanic Tuesday morning, to the bank late Tuesday morning, an hour for a Safety Meeting just at the top of lunch; Oil Change and return trip in the afternoon on Wednesday, as well as stopping to mow the lawn; Thursday was another two trips to The Mechanic – one taking me off the road for some actual work to be done; And Friday to more stops at the Mechanic.

For the most part, the times I was on the road seemed very slow.

I came into the week behind and I have not been able to balance myself out with all the chaos. Meanwhile, bills and expenses kept coming. Needless to say, I will be starting this next week negative as well. By how much I cannot say. Currently, I refuse to look at the situation. This may sound awkward or irresponsible, but, at times like this, I find it to be practical and almost soothing. [Ignorance is bliss.] The simple fact of the matter is that there is nothing more that I can do than what I am already doing. All I can do is go out on the road or make myself available when I can and make the best money that I can. I can keep my expenses to a minimum. [Which, at the moment, they already are.]

So, why look? Why stress and worry? It is going to be what it is going to be. And, this coming week will be odd. Things will not process through my bank on Tuesday because of the holiday. I figure I am either going to make it through tomorrow without incurring any fees or I am not. Either way, I will technically have until the end of Wednesday to straighten things out and not incur anymore fees.

Some days I feel like I am beating myself against a brick wall. I’m caught in the same cycle. Even trying to break the cycle has become part of the cycle. I get proactive – filling out applications, making posts for Tarot and Reiki, returning every so often to retail merchandising to see if I can make anything of the work available there. So far everything has yielded nothing. I try to go the other way and become a little more loose – following the flow. There has been plenty of random stuff along the way – The Sisters, The Theatre, Odd jobbing. But as a whole these things have not boosted my income. At best it has all become replacement income for time lost to do these things. At worst, they set me back a little bit. I go out and try to make the most of ta day on the road but lately there have been more and more very slow times.

I literally do not know what to do anymore. I can feel myself being ready to just shut down and that scares me. If I reach that point [in full force] there will be no turning back and I will lose everything. So, what do I do?

Enter the conversation about being given enough to have to ask for help. In fact within 24 hours of that conversation I had received an email with that very message. “Today Matthew, We believe G-d wants you to know that he is waiting for you to ask.”

I feel like I’ve been asking. I feel like that is all I have been doing. Maybe it’s how I’m asking. Or, maybe I am asking for too much. Or…maybe I am not asking for enough. Maybe I don’t believe it can be, or that I deserve better.

Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. That’s all I have anymore is a bunch of ‘Maybes.’ I really don’t know how I feel or what I am thinking lately.

There seems to be a reassuring force around me. Whenever I reach my lowest points it always gives me a nudge or a whisper. “Things will be OK.”

But when?

Nonetheless, financially, things are as they have been. All I can do, as I keep saying, is fake it till I make it or it breaks me. I have my plans for the week. It’s still a near impossible week. I may be able to fudge my way through it and end with a much smaller deficit for starting next week. Or, with the right turn of events, I might find myself just barely balanced.

On this front all I can do is keep trying. Every day I come home, brush myself off, go to bed, and wake again fully believing it is going to be a good day ahead.

So, I have these notes here of things I would like to touch on this week. The above was a lot more than I had intended but I suppose it sets some sort of foundation. Let me see what else there is.

OK. So, all of this chaos from this past week served little bits of purpose. It hurt me financially, but it didn’t kill me. Along the way I was able to balance some other things. For instance, I took advantage of my later mornings to work at putting the house back in order from the party. It took me a few days, but I got it done. I used the same time to tweak some things in The Workshop. I currently have a collection of projects – in various stages of completion – strewn about. I want it this way. Then whenever I go out there or have a moment I can piddle with this or that until things start to find completion.

Of course, on Wednesday I mowed and trimmed the lawn. But that was not the whole purpose to coming home for the day. First of all, the neighbor [who herein will be donned Wilson] had started the lawn. He will come over and do most of it with his riding mower. I appreciate this but I don’t want him to feel like I am taking advantage of his kindness either. I can mow the front yard with the push mower and there is a section of the backyard that goes just as easy. I like to get those two sections done. The rest of the backyard is a different story. This he will gladly do because as he put it, “That’s a lot of yard to mow with a push mower.” It certainly is.

Anyway, by the time I got home he had done the front yard. So, I trimmed that out and then did my portion of the back yard. Still not the only reason I came home. In my travels around The Homestead I discovered a water leak in the basement. I’ve learned that it is only with the heavier rains – which we’ve had recently. I have not discerned where exactly the source of the leak is nor have I figured out what, if anything, I can do to correct it. However, add to the list, a need to build a lift for the things I store in the basement. I don’t think I lost anything important – Mostly cardboard boxes and newspaper.

Still not the only reason I came home.

The Fox was in the yard. Wilson had said he had been watching her for a bit in my yard. [He showed me videos a few days later.] Then I spotted her playing in his yard. She is a mangy looking thing but so beautiful to watch. She is so casual and relaxed. Honestly, I think she might be the most chill critter I have ever encountered. I watched her roll around in the yard like a puppy. Then she curled up on a tarped pile and just chilled. Every so often she would pop her head up, occasionally even looking right at me. There is something to be learned from her presence.

Speaking of things we learn from critters – earlier I mentioned Ricky Recluse. Let me tell ya a lil more about my encounter with Ricky, Fellow Travelers. On Thursday morning I got in the shower. I was under the water, making my body wet and turned to grab the body wash. On the bottom of the back corner of the tub there sat a spider – a big ugly looking thing. It gave me the shivers.

I kept my eye on him as I finished my shower. I got out and as I dried off I explained to him that we made it through this moment but it was best for both of us if we didn’t meet like that again. The first thing I did while I was out and about that day was research and verify that I did in fact see a brown recluse. I did. So, the next thing I did was look at ways of eliminating them. Now, the Recluse is poisonous, but it is not deadly. It will hurt like hell and it could do some serious skin and tissue damage. But it won’t kill ya. Still it is not me for whom I held concern, but The Princesses. Being a threat to my children is about the only thing that will get me to reconsider my killing policies. If you know me, you know I don’t like to kill anything. This is why I didn’t just squish Ricky in the first place. Though, as a whole, squishing is generally out anyway. I just can’t do it.

Anyway, my research led me to equal parts vinegar and water. Now the vinegar I have is a multi-purpose vinegar that Heinz puts out. I have it because I figure it’s good for making my cleaners and I don’t really use vinegar for much else. I think I am going to have to invest in straight up old fashioned vinegar. Let me tell ya why.

So, Friday morning I am getting ready to get ready for the day. I frequently popped my head in the shower to see if Ricky was back. I didn’t see him. So, I get in the shower and as I look down at the front of the tub, there he sits, staring at me. I simply said, “I told you what would happen,” got out and retrieved my spray bottle.

I sprayed the hell outs that mofo and he just wouldn’t die. So, I’m thinking that the potency of the vinegar must be diluted somehow. Anyway, this is where the first Lesson comes in. I explained this in The Trinity at the beginning of the post. But, there was a second minor Lesson, or, at least, a thought.

The whole thing got me to thinking about my reluctance to killing even pests. I feel that shit in my soul and it never feels right. Thou shalt not kill, right? This got me to thinking about King David. Perhaps this is the Lesson that he offers us.

David was one of G-d’s mightiest warriors. He fought many a battle on behalf of G-d. Yet, when the time came to build a new temple G-d passed the task on to David’s son Solomon. Why? Because David had bloodshed on his hands. He was tainted and not pure enough to take on such a Divine task. What if, even the slightest act of killing – even such as pests in the home – blemishes and darkens the soul?

Anyway, the Ricky Saga did continue. After his third feigned death I scooped him up in a bucket with a lid and let him sit at the window as I showered. My plan was to just let him rot in that container. As I showered, I heard The Voice, “You could just let him go outside.”

This is what I decided on and I swear Ricky thanked me for it. When I grabbed the clear container to take it outside he came around to my side and looked directly at me and I’m certain I heard the words, “Thank you.”

Moving right along – I feel very lonely and alone these days. I never thought I would say that but lately I can really feel it. It’s just one of those things I just sigh about, shrug off, and move on. It’s not really a circumstance I can change, but I thought maybe it was important to admit it.

I’ve had quite a few things come to surface over the past few weeks. There has been a resurgence of the Christ Energy. I still don’t get it. But I am doing my best to work with it as I can. It’s just all so very fascinating – this man we called Jesus and his life.

Another Biblical character that has come back around is Enoch. I have read the Book of Enoch once before and failed to see in it everything I am told is there. Recently, one of my books popped off the shelf at me. I have had the book for several years and never even opened it. It is a book about Enoch and the Fallen Angels.

I have been taking it with me on the road and reading it in bits and pieces as I sit waiting for work. I haven’t gotten to the actual Book of Enoch yet but so far, in this writing, I am finding differences from what I have read previously. I find this a lot with this sort of thing. I have looked up the same things time and again over the years and each time I learn some new bit of information that I didn’t get before or I find some completely contradictory idea.

I think that is the case with all of life. The information you receive depends on the person delivering it. It will always be tainted, slanted, by their understanding or experience. The information you receive will tell you exactly what they want you to know. [Or think.]

So, anyway, I am trying to work with these two archetypes and understand why they have come now.

One more thing before I try to summarize where I am at in life at the moment.

Last Saturday I filled in for The Theatre. Their dishwasher was unable to make it and they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Now, this was the second time they asked me about this day. Lil Boss had texted me the week prior and asked if I could fill in and I said I really wasn’t sure that I could. We had already moved Cuddlebug’s party to Saturday but I wasn’t sure I could manage the time with all the errands I thought I would have.

Anyway, I managed to get everything done by Friday, except the things that needed to wait until Sunday. So, when they called me Saturday morning and offered me more money than I would make driving all day, I knew I had to do it.

At one point in the night I went up to the kitchen to tell Lil Boss something and I stopped dead in my tracks. There stood She Who Shall Not Be Named. I will never understand this. Our lives have gone in different directions and could never mesh again – not even to a fraction of the small amount they had before. Still, every time I think about her less or somewhat move on from the intensity of that experience…BAM! There she is. Each and every time it is a set-up by The Universe.

WHY????

So that’s all the news that is the news. As I continue on, trying to make this new life work, here are the current things on the table:

I am going to continue to drive until I find something else or it makes itself available to me.

In the meantime, I will continue to take on gigs through The Sisters or fill in at The Theatre, or taking odd jobs. All to try to generate more and better for my life.

A lil side note. I am frequently commenting that if I could manifest money the way I manifest food, I would be a very wealthy man. Tonight is the perfect example. I have plenty of food but still managed to come home from Wilson’s with a box full of more food. This experience has gotten me to question what it is that marks the difference. So far, the one thing I have come up with is that I think about money all the time. I am constantly trying to manage, juggle, balance, master my finances. Food? I don’t give it a thought. I just go about my life and think about it when I need to but only as much as is necessary in the moment.

What if I approached money the same way?

I have a list of projects in The Workshop, as I said. But, I also have a host of video projects that I am finally starting to edit together.

I have another project I am taking on. It is more of a very long term [and long shot] kind of thing. But I have had the inspiration for some time and I see some of the pieces in place.

There is something about Wilson. There is a reason we are bonding. He isn’t always around. He doesn’t live next door. He just owns the house and is doing reconstruction. So, he comes and goes at his whim. Usually, if we see each other at all, it is in passing. I have hung out with him three times in this past week – chatting, sharing beers, etc.

I’m still adjusting to life in New Geistopia. Sometimes, I think it still doesn’t seem real to me. Many times I am very grateful for the experience. But, I think with all of my struggles [plus the course of my life thus far] it seems so surreal. Still, as things continue to settle into place, I find that I am seeing myself more clearly. I am seeing the life, the person, I always dreamed and played.

What is happening though is I am also seeing that I still have a lot of personal work to do. I have many things to address – mindsets, habits, distractions, etc. Basically, the question is, “Now that I have the life I have wanted to live, is everything I do geared towards living it?” [Who will I be now that I can be all that I have wanted?]

For now, tonight is the Night Before the Full Moon. Even though it is getting late, I have every intention of taking a soak. Once again, I have been trying to get to one for a week or so. But, as usual, it is always, “Eventually I will get there.” Tonight I am getting there. It is the perfect time [and way] for this next phase of the adventure that is my life to begin. [I really do need to get back to a more full time spirituality.]

If you’re not already there, go to the Welcome to my Life Facebook page – WTML. Or the YouTube channel – WelcomeToMyLife08. You can also find me on Facebook under Rev. Matt.

Wherever you are and whenever you are – Like, Comment, and Share – we’re on a Journey and it takes you to get there.

So, without hesitation, for now and for always, from here in Geistopia, this is your beloved Rev…

WALT: And Walt…

DOC: Unt Doc…

JOHNNY: Aaaaand Johnny…

And those guys, saying, “Stay Tuned-In, Fellow Travelers,” and wishing you Peace, Love, Light…

WALT: And Freakishness, Baby.

The Totems & Archetypes

**from Ted Andrews’ Animal Speak**

Ant - Industriousness, Order, and Discipline

Symbol of work and industry. Wisdom and intellect in their endeavors is often acclaimed. Social. Community activity. Gathering, hunting, growing. May find that the cycle of industriousness and building of goals may increase over a period of twelve years. Cycle of twelve - days, months, years - will be of significance. Teacher of how to build, how to be the architect of your own life. Show you how to construct our dreams into a reality. Greatest success occurs with persistence. Examine your own industriousness. Are you disciplining yourself enough to accomplish the tasks at hand? Are you or those around you looking for the quick and easy way? Are you neglecting important activities? Are you laying a good foundation? Are you adding new structures to your life with each passing year in some fashion - education, jobs, hobbies, etc? Are you being patient with your efforts? Are you being patient with yourself? With others? Are you making things greater and more difficult than they need to be? Are you missing the opportunity to initiate new creativity and endeavors? Can teach how to harness your own power to design and recreate your life. Can show you how best to work with others for the good of everyone. Regardless of circumstances, if the effort is true, the rewards will follow - in the most beneficial time and manner. The promise of success through effort.

Cardinal - Renewed Vitality through Recognizing Self-Importance

They remind us that, regardless of the time of day or year, we always have the opportunity to renew our own vitality and recognize our own life roles. Whistles are often reminders to listen closely - to pay attention to what is blowing on the winds. Reflects that we should be listening to the inner voice (the feminine) more closely for our own health and well-being. Almost always reflects a need to assert the feminine aspects of creativity and intuition more strongly. Can reflect a need to b more careful about your diet, that what you are eating may be injurious to yourself and affecting your overall vitality. Reflects the rhythm of 12 that is going to become more predominant within your own life. Reflects lessons associated with responsibility and the recognition of the task at hand. May reflect past-life connections with the church, or even a reviving of more traditional religious beliefs, regardless of denomination. Remind us to add color to our lives, and remember that everything is of importance.

Chipmunk – (from whatismyspiritanimal.com)

Chipmunks don’t really have a lot of enemies mostly because they’re clever enough to avoid troublesome situations; this creature is very adaptable and will live nearly anywhere that suits them, including under your patio. Being picky isn’t really in Chipmunk’s character makeup.

Similar to Squirrels, Chipmunk always prepares for seasonal shifts in food supplies by stashing some neatly away. They are diligent about preparing for the future and have more than one entrance and exit to their favorite hiding spots. Young Chipmunks depend on their mother for about six weeks. Even then, the energy level for Chipmunk is pretty perky. As Chipmunks eat nuts and acorns, they also have an important role to play in spreading seeds and spores.

Norse myths tell us that either a Chipmunk or Squirrel runs up and down the World Tree delivering messages to and from the Gods (Odin in particular). The symbolism here combines with the Chipmunk’s habit of chattering as if there is always something new about which to talk. Saga, a Goddess of history and bardic arts, also has a Chipmunk companion.

An Irish Goddess by the name of Medb is said to have this little guy as a sacred animal. Medb oversees matters of health, prosperity, sexuality, and fertility; this last attribute is one that fits Chipmunk very well. Females can have up to three litters a year with five pups in each.

Chipmunk is prolific as a way of offsetting a rather short lifespan of only about three years. As we observe Chipmunk Spirit in nature, it becomes evident that they are very curious. There is little that goes undetected by our forest friend. They also seem fairly determined to do things in their own manner and time. When courting or feeling threatened, they may let out a little chirp that sounds bird-like.

For the most part, Chipmunk is not aggressive. The only time they really seem to fight among themselves if there’s the perception that food lacks. As long as edibles are in ample supply, they get along with each other very well. Greed is a term that seems to have been left out of Chipmunk’s vocabulary.

Chipmunk Spirit Animal comes into our lives for various reasons. One might have to do with the way you communicate. Chipmunk is a chatterbox, but as a Divine emissary, his words are chosen carefully. It may be time to assess how much of your discussions with others are filled with “fluff” rather than meaningful meat.

Another lesson from Chipmunk Spirit Animal deals with the element of surprise and an awareness of our environment. If you watch, Chipmunks seem to be able to appear as if from thin air, then duck away again into another realm. He knows his pathways intimately and rarely gets lost. It may be that Chipmunk advises laying low and not showing your hand too soon. He also reminds you to have sound exit strategies.

If your life has become rather dull, Chipmunk Medicine will definitely pick things up. Chipmunk is always ready for an adventure and loves exploring. When he is part of your life, it’s most definitely time to come out of your shell and find new ventures or discoveries; this need not be a huge thing. Sometimes the simple wonders are the most exciting! Chipmunk’s excitement is very contagious. And if you haven’t been very social lately, prepare for a BIG change.

Chipmunk also represents energy and activity. You will never get anywhere in life by just standing still. It’s time to get up and engage life fully. Use this season as an opportunity for changing things up so that your personal spaces are light-hearted and comfortable in every way possible. Living joyfully is one of Chipmunk’s core virtues as is playing and having fun.

When it comes to your resources, Chipmunk sometimes appears as a sign that you need to better prepare for a period ahead when finances become tight. Set up a rainy-day fund. Make sure it’s safe and secure so you can use it come proverbial bad weather.

Finally, if you are starting on a particular magical study, Chipmunk may have been attracted to you because of that emerging energy. Chipmunk is a Spirit of wish fulfillment and will power; this Guide can help you move toward greater knowledge in your arts.

Dragonfly – The Power of Light

Inhabit two realms – water and air. The significance of these should be studied. There must be expressions of the emotional and the mental together. You may need some fresh air in regards to something emotional. You may need to gain new perspective or make a change. May even indicate that you are neglecting your emotions. Are you being too rational about everything? Are you not keeping the colors of emotion alive?

Fox - Feminine Magic of Camouflage, Shapeshifting and Invisibility.

New world opening up. The process of creation is beginning. Guide to enter the Faerie Realm. Unless a male can recognize the magic of the feminine - in himself or others - and learn to use it to Shapeshifting his own life, it will ultimately lead to destruction. The Kundalini, and the freeing of the creative life force. Practicing and using camouflage. Working to blend in with surroundings, to come and go unnoticed, moving silently about without revealing your intentions. Learning to control the aura. Adjust its frequency and intensity so that you harmonize more with others. Levels of energy and fertility. If the focus stays on the creative energies, any sharp turn in the individual’s life will be handled with ease. Fox people have the ability to insulate themselves from anything that may seem cold, especially in relationships. Can appear larger than they are - for personal protection or for making greater impressions. Establish a trotting pace. Ability to move into new directions. Call upon new resources instinctively. Excellent ability to hear what is not being said. The ability to hear spirit. Size people up accurately. Develop the ability to see spirit. Aromatherapy. Awakening of the Kundalini. Higher forms of discrimination and discernment. Capture any prize.

Goldfinch – Awakening to the Nature Spirits

Black and yellow are the colors of the archangel Auriel. Used to invoke that aspect of this being that oversees the activity of nature spirits – the faeries, elves, and devas. Usually indicates the awakening to the activities of those beings that are normally relegated to the realm of fiction. Can help you to deepen your perceptions so that you can begin to see and experience the activities of the nature spirits yourself. Awakening to that which is normally hidden from view. In those areas where they are found, you can also find the faeries and elves. Can help us connect with those nature spirits that can show us how to heal animals – wild and domestic. A reminder that nature is speaking to us constantly and that we should learn to listen and communicate with it from all levels.

Hawk - Visionary Power and Guardianship.

Messengers, protectors and visionaries. Visionary power and leading you to your life purpose. There is a message coming. What you eat, you become. Kundalini. Childhood visions are becoming empowered and fulfilled. The ability to soar and glide upon the currents. Great Heights while still keeping your feet on the ground. Attacks by people who won’t understand you - attack your ability to soar. Teaching of higher expression of psychosis and vision. Beauty and harmony in moderation. Lead you to using your creative energy in manifesting your soul purpose. Hope and new ideas. A need to be open to the new or shows ways that you may help teach others to be open to the new. Be observant. Life is sending signals. Careful in expression. Comments and actions will be strong and powerful with the ability to tear and/or kill.

Heron - The Call of The Quest and Travels to Legendary Places.

Reflects a stimulation of the childhood thrill and belief in legendary places. [The story(s) we most loved in childhood often reflect the life quest we have come to take upon us in this lifetime.] Can also aid in communication especially through the use of stories. Individuals wishing to write can facilitate the process by working with a goose totem. It will stimulate the creative process and help to move through creative blocks. Also a symbol of fertility and marital fidelity. May reflect a need for more vegetables in the diet. An ability to move forward or backward. Reflects movement. A call to the spiritual quest. It reminds us that as any one individual makes his or her quest, it becomes easier for others to do so as well. We should not undertake any quest in life without having a full view of what it entails. Opening to new possibilities. Affix ourselves to a new path. Great fertility that should be acted upon if growth is desired. Greater vision, physical and spiritual, will occur. Can reflect that you are about to break free from old childhood restraints and begin to come into your own. You can expect to have the imagination stirred toward new travels and distant places - whether in the body or in the mind.

Rabbit - Fertility and New Life

Often seen as an animal that can lead one unknowingly into the Faerie realm. A symbol for sexuality and fertility. Usually, you will begin to see a cycle of 28 days beginning to manifest in your life. Those with rabbit totems will see movement occur in their life in varying degrees of hops and leaps. It won’t be steady step-by-step movement. The leaps and hops do not usually take more than the cycle of The Moon (28 days) to occur. Plan for possibilities. May indicate the need to do some more planning or review those you have already set in motion. You do not want to box yourself into a corner. Important not to foreshadow your moves. Learning to shift from freezing to great speeds will aid in your success and enables you to take advantage of opportunities that may present themselves for brief moments. May need to examine the kinds of food being consumed. For the greatest health and well-being, a vegetarian diet, even if only temporary, will strengthen and heal. How to recognize the tides of movement within your life. This in turn will enable you to become even more fertile in your life.

Snake – Rebirth, Resurrection, Initiation, and Wisdom

Symbol of transformation and healing. Also alchemy and healing. Sexual/creative life force. Kundalini. Compassion, clairvoyance and charm. Lessons of forgiveness, superstitiousness, and possessiveness. Wisdom and understanding. Birth and death. Transmutation. Are you needing to make changes, but aren’t for some reason? Are you trying to force change too quickly. Are you striking out at people and shouldn’t? Are you not striking and should? What is needing to be healed? What opportunities are surfacing that you need to strike out for and take advantage of?

Spider – Creativity and the Weaving of Fate

Maya, the weaver of illusion. Grandmother, link to the past and the future. Mysticism of the geometric form of the figure 8. Symbol of infinity. The Wheel of Life. Teaches you to maintain a balance – between past and future, physical and spiritual, male and female. Everything that you do now is weaving what you will encounter in the future. Rhythms. Creative sensibilities. The past always subtly influences the present and future. Spiral shape, the traditional form of creativity and development. We are the center of our own world. “Know thyself and you shall know the Universe.” Keepers and writers of our own destiny, weaving by our thoughts, feelings, and actions. The magic and energy of creation. Assertiveness of that creative force. , keeping the feminine energies of creation alive and strong. Links with the past and future. Are you moving toward a central goal or are you scattered and going in multiple directions? Is everything staying focused? Are you becoming too involved and/or self-absorbed? Are you focusing on others’ accomplishments and not your own? Are you developing resentment because of it – towards yourself or them? The teacher of language and the magic of writing. Death and rebirth. A lunar symbol. Maintain balance and polarity in all aspects of life. Through polarity and balance creativity is stimulated. A combination of gentleness and strength. Walk the threads between life and death – waking and sleeping – between the physical and the spiritual. How to express the creative energies. Don’t be afraid to employ it in seemingly inaccessible corners. Weave your creative threads in the dark and then, when the sun hits them, they will glisten with intricate beauty. Are you not weaving your dreams and imaginings into reality? Are you not using your creative opportunities? Are you feeling closed in or stuck as if in a web? Do you need to pay attention to your balance and where you are walking in life? Are others out of balance around you? Do you need to write? Are you inspired to write or draw and not following through? Remember that Spider is the keeper of the primordial alphabet. Teach how to use the written language with power and creativity so that your words weave a web around those who would read them.

Deer – Gentleness and Innocence – Gentle Luring to New Adventures

They have been able to adapt to every sort of habitat. Buddha is often pictured with a deer. Antlers are symbols of antennae, connections to higher forms of attunement. Look for new perceptions and degrees of perceptions to expand for as much as the next five years. Can indicate that there will be opportunities to stimulate gentle new growth increasingly over the next few years. Leads us back to the primal wisdom. A deer’s senses are very acute. Find increasing ability to detect subtle movements and appearances. Begin to hear what may not be said directly. Time to be gentle with yourself and others. A new innocence and freshness is about to be awakened or born. There is going to be a gentle, enticing lure of new adventures. Are you trying to force things? Are others? Are you being too critical and uncaring of yourself? An opportunity to express gentle love that will open new doors to adventure for you.

Woodpecker – The Power of Rhythm and Discrimination

{I’ve actually been expecting this Totem for a couple of weeks now and finally saw it today.]

Drumming. New Life Rhythms. Applications of shapeshifting. Are you looking at aspects of your life rationally? Are others around you not discriminating in their activities? Are you or others in your life jumping into situations with little or no analysis? It will become increasingly important for you to follow your own unique rhythms and flight. Do what works for you in the manner best for you. The foundation is there.