My New Power Animal the Vulture

A few weeks ago I was out in my driveway getting something out of the back of my car. Suddenly I felt a "whoosh" above my head. I felt a breeze and looked up to see what had just barely missed me. There was a huge expanse of wings and all I saw was black. It was so fast but I knew it was a vulture. A huge magnificent bird, she soon began to circle above my house. Then I looked and saw two of her friends, one circling with her and one sitting on the roof of a neighboring house.

They circled above my house and then above my neighbor's house. When you see one of them circling, you automatically assume there is something dead nearby. Sometimes it is easy to forget how large these birds are! I rarely see one up close and certainly not in my own driveway!

I am one of those people who believes that almost everything is a "sign." My hubby love jokingly said that it was a sign that something was dead nearby. However, I was not convinced. Obviously, vultures represent death and rebirth, but could they have some other meanings as well?

When an animal presents itself to me, either in a dream or in an actual encounter, I like to consult my animal meanings Bible, Animal Speak, by Ted Andrews.

You can find it on Amazon Here

I love this book and refer to it often when I am introduced to a new animal spirit.

Usually, an animal is not your Power Animal just because you have an encounter with one. Sometimes there is a message relating to the qualities of that particular animal. If you have an encounter, which could be a dream, an actual encounter in real life, seeing multiple pictures or syncronistic sightings of the animal, or a combination of the above, then perhaps it is coming into your life as a Power Animal.

A couple of months ago I was in Florida, while my dad transitioned to the other side, and I was in a park when I was able to capture this photo of one really trying to get my attention.

At the time I was not sure what it was, but after my encounter in my driveway, I was sure that it was the same bird. Yes, I was in Florida to be with my dad as he transitioned to the other side, so the sighting of the bird was understandable.

Since the two sightings, I have seen another one relatively close up recently. It looks like she is here in my life for awhile.

A lot of folks find vultures distasteful, as I used to. I didn't really like to think that this bird might be coming in to my life as a Power Animal. One of the meanings of this bird is that of being misunderstood. I can relate to that. 

For now, I welcome this new bird into my life. I welcome any messages.

Have you had an unusual interaction with an animal lately? Or perhaps you have had a dream that you can't get out of your head? Perhaps a Spirit Animal is contacting you!

The most important thing to realize is that your interaction with a Spirit Animal is personal to you. Just because you read a passage in a book or on the internet that says that such and such animal means this or that, does not mean that it means the same thing for you! Yes, I do believe that there are general messages or meanings for animals and if nothing comes to you immediately, I would consult a book or the internet. But the most important meaning is the one that comes to you when you see or experience the animal for yourself. What stands out to you about the interaction or the dream? What was the animal doing? Did you notice anything unusual?

One thing you can do is to contact the animal telepathically. This is easier than it sounds! Get quiet, think about your breathing, then turn your attention to your heart. Think about all the love in your heart. Feel love welling up inside of you! Then imagine a cord of energy carrying this love to the heart of the animal you want to connect with. After sending the animal love, ask if there are any messages for you. If you don't hear anything at first, keep trying! Even if you only feel love coming back from the animal, that is a wonderful thing!

When I tried this method with the aforementioned vulture, the vulture told me her name was Phyllis! I felt female energy and love coming back to me. I don't know why she picked Phyllis for a name, but I am okay with that. Spirit guides don't have to have fancy names. Actually, I have requested of my guides that they choose names I can remember. 

Remember that Spirit Guides come in many different forms. They may look like Angels, people, animals, or even magical creatures! They may just look like columns of light or colors.

Guides will never do things for you that you can do for yourself. But they are happy to help add some "umph" to your prayers and get them going quickly! I always send them along with my letters and packages that I mail and ask for speed and protection! 

Remember to send love and gratitude to any guides that you connect with and maybe even a gift! What can you give a guide? Oh there are lots of ideas! Ask them what they want! I like to give fruit and occasional honey to the critters who live in my yard. Or maybe a donation to the Salvation Army bell ringer.

You could give a gift that the animal you have connected with might enjoy. I think my vulture might enjoy an after Thanksgiving turkey carcass. I just have to figure out where to put it where one might come across it without coming too close to humanity. 

As you can see, there are many creative ways to connect with your Spirit Animal.

Be open to suggestions from your Guides and Spirit Animals. Be thankful. Connect to them with love.

Think outside of the box. Just because you have never thought about animals being messengers from the Spirit world, does not mean that it is not possible. Be open to new ideas.

Anything that comes from a place of love and light is good! 

I would love to hear about your interaction with Spirit Animals! If you need help contacting your Spirit Animal, you can contact me through my website, www.whispersofjoy.net. I look forward to hearing about your encounters!

Reversing the Effects of Karma

Today I was giving a reading to a client and Spirit gave me this message about karma. I thought that we could all benefit from this suggestion from Spirit so I am sharing it here.

Most of us are aware that there is a balancing of the scales in the spirit world. We know it as "what goes around comes around" or in Biblical terms, the law of sowing and reaping, or in scientific terms, the law of reciprocity. I think it was Einstein who said, " every action is met with an equal and opposite reaction" or something like that. This is known as karma. Anything we do, think, say or feel is a message that we send out into the Universe that at some point comes back to us.

If only those who are looking for justice on behalf of murdered or violated loved ones understood this!

My husband loves to watch those shows that describe how murderers and other violent criminals are brought to judgement, or in some cases, not. The family members and loved ones sometimes spend years and millions of dollars bringing criminals to justice. The law of karma states that this is an inevitable fact: every one will eventually have the payback they deserve. We may not see it happen, but it will occur.

Some people spend a large time of their lives trying to escape justice. Others always feel like they are a victim of circumstances, that justice is never on their side. There is also the field of thought that according to the law of attraction, our beliefs and thoughts bring to us what we think about most.

So what should you do if you seem to always be getting a "raw deal?" Do you sometimes feel like the scales of justice never tilt in  your favor, that as soon as one tragedy is dealt with, there is another one coming right along behind?

Today Spirit suggested to my client that she start a "karma" savings account. She should mark down every time she did something kind for someone else, gave to a charity, or blessed someone or something else in any way. This would be a "deposit" into her karma savings account. Every time she received something from someone else, or was the recipient of charity, she was to make a mark in the "withdrawal" section.

We all know people who are addicted to charity. They cannot function without it, and even come to expect it, and get angry when it is denied to them. What if each time someone was offered charity, they had to do something nice in return? It did not have to cost them money, but perhaps a little of their time, or require some effort on their part? It could be as simple as picking up litter, or helping someone across the street.

If we find ourselves always in the predicament of experiencing lack in some form, Spirit suggests that we open up a "karma" savings account and begin to make regular deposits. This does not have to cost you money! It could be something simple, like letting someone in front of you at the grocery store, or allowing someone to get in front of you in traffic. It could be sending out a prayer of blessing to someone you don't really like. It could be putting extra money in the parking meter, or giving that dollar to the charity of the day at the local grocery store.

Spirit says the amount of the deposit or withdrawal is not a factor, only the amount of entries. If you find yourself a regular recipient of the charity of others or the charity of the state, then you are running on a depleted "karma" account. It is time to balance the scales!

Just for today, do something nice for someone you don't know. It is really good if no one notices what you have done. When you get noticed or congratulated on your acts of charity, they don't count!

Be creative!

Spirit says that as you build up your entries into your karma savings account, Spirit will regularly "pay you back!" It is much better to be paid back by Spirit than whatever it cost you to perform the act of charity in the first place. I believe the Bible states that God pays back a hundredfold!

Contrary to what I was taught in church, I don't believe that God curses you if you don't give a specific amount of money to "Him" or his earthly representatives. I do believe that if your karma account begins to show a deficiency, you will begin to experience challenges in your life. This explains why some people seem to have all the bad luck! Their karma account is operating in the negative! You can reverse this trend!

Okay, it is time to go make a deposit into your karma account!

If you need direction from Spirit, I am always available to help! Check out my website, www.WhispersofJoy.net for information on the various ways I can connect to Spirit for you, or find the dates and times where you can meet with me in person!

Blessings to you as you navigate your path through this lifetime!

Message from the Moon

Last evening I was so blessed to view the beautiful, almost still full moon (it still appears to be full, but the actual full moon was on the 7th this month).  I was driving home from a wedding rehearsal, a two hour drive. When I first saw the moon, it was just beginning to rise over the horizon. It's light seemed almost orange and glowed brightly through the autumn trees far off to my right.

(no, this is not what I saw, but close. I was driving and didn't have my good camera with me. This photo I found here.)

It used to be my custom to sit with the moon at every phase, and the moon would impart to me wisdom and messages from the Spirit world. Lately life has gotten busy, with weddings, readings, events, grandchildren, and, oh, yes, I still work at the Post Office.

But I was blessed with a two hour drive home last evening, and even though it is not recommended to connect with Spirit while you are driving, I am pretty good at it. I will admit that sometimes I miss my turns, but my GPS brings me back to reality when I am busy receiving messages.

I sent a beam of love to the moon, and thanked it for accompanying me on my ride home. I began to contemplate the moon and ask her if there were any messages from the Spirit world for me.

The first word I heard was, "don't be afraid to shine."

Sometimes we humans, especially those of us in the service to Spirit, feel a bit uncomfortable with shining. The moon encouraged me that she was not afraid to shine. She reminded me that her glow was not something that emanated from within herself, but was only a reflection of the light of the sun. She reminded me that any glow that might emanate from me was the same. It was only as I reflected the light of the true source of light, Spirit, that my glow would be genuine and I would appear to shine.

I want to encourage you to shine! 

Anytime we try to shine on our own, without the light of Spirit shining upon us, our efforts will be dim in comparison to the light that comes from within us when Spirit shines through our pores from our time spent in the presence of the Divine.

I am not suggesting to you the way in which you connect with your understanding of the Divine.  It is only through your own personal relationship with that Divine Presence that gives you joy and gives your life spark and meaning that will eventually shine through you to light the world. I am not a proponent of suggesting that there is only one way to connect with that Divine Presence. I have spent the past fifteen to twenty years studying and learning to connect with that Divine Presence in many different ways and with many different faces that reflect that Divine Presence.  I am suggesting that you just simply spend time with the Divine. Your way. Your understanding. 

During those two hours last evening I spent driving, the moon imparted much wisdom to me.  I realized that my own human efforts were pale in the shadow of the light of Spirit. I realized that my job was to spend time in the presence of the Divine. In doing that I would shine without really much effort on my part. Sometimes we get so busy trying to shine we forget that the shining comes from within us. As we are really only a reflection of the light of Spirit, spending time with the Light is the real way to shine.

Just for today, take some time out to connect with Spirit however you enjoy doing that.  You can do that while you are doing laundry, washing dishes, or showering. All you have to do is connect with your heart, and send love to yourself and your understanding of the Divine. Simple. Yet profound.

As you do this, expect miracles!

Shine!