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!

On Meditations and Moon Rituals

Feeling a little out of sorts today? Yes, today is a full moon. Not just any full moon, mind you. Today's full moon is in the sign of Scorpio, a very powerful sign to say the least. Scorpio is all about intensity. Death, secrets, and intensity. Today might be a day when every emotion you have been stuffing under the surface comes out to bare its head. It might be the day when those little irritations that normally are just annoyances really grab your attention. It might be the day when things that you have been hiding come out into the realm of reality to be examined and embraced, for good or for bad.

It's not all bad. Full moons are perfect times to really put some intensity into your intentions. Today is a perfect day to reexamine your goals, your path, your career, your relationships, your life. Yes, I know. A full moon comes around monthly. Do we have to reinvent ourselves every month? No, each moon brings with it its own theme. This one just happens to be very intense.

We all know that the moon carries with it an air of mystery. We usually only see the moon at night, and a full moon is the one that shines the most light into the dark places. The full moon has long been associated with bringing in a harvest, manifesting a dream, celebrating victories! The moon is shining its brightest into our dark places and with it comes the power to manifest our deepest desires!

Remember that the light we receive from the moon is really just a reflection of the light of the sun. The sun represents Spirit, it is the Source of our life and the ability for us to exist in the earth realm. The moon, then, represents what we should be, in our life on the earth. Each of us should reflect the light of our Source, and be a light to all those living in darkness. Most of us can attest to the fact that we are not always "full" of light. Sometimes our lights are shining more brightly than other times. The moon's message,then, is that it is okay to not always be "full". We have times when we are shining brightly, and times when we are not so bright. But even the smallest light is light for someone in darkness. Tonight's full moon encourages us to see ourselves in the fullness of the light we are reflecting. What is it that we need to shine the light on?

 What things have been hiding out in the dark, waiting to be revealed?

We all have dreams, aspirations, goals, intentions, and wishes. Sometimes the fantasies within our heart never come out of the closet. Tonight is a perfect night to dust off those dreams and bring them out into the open!! The difference between a person who daydreams and a person who puts feet on their dreams and goes after them is just movement!

Here are a few suggestions for making the best use of the power of the full moon.

1. Fill a bowl with water. Send your intentions through the power of thought into the bowl of water. Then drink the water! As you drink the water, say, "I now receive within myself the power to bring my intentions to pass." You can always request the help of a Higher Power, of course.

2. Write a goal or a dream onto a piece of paper. Put on some happy tunes and dance around, carrying the piece of paper with you as you dance! If you really want to intensify your intention, dance around in a circle clockwise nine times! Nine in Numerology is the number of completion, and is the sum of three times three. Three is the number of manifestation. (Don't be embarrassed!! You have a right to celebrate in any way that makes you happy and feeds your soul!)

3. Do you need more money? Do the aforementioned ritual, only take your wallet or your checkbook and dance around it! Do you need a soul mate? Draw a heart on a piece of paper, or find something that is symbolic to you of love, and dance around it, calling love into your life. Whatever it is that you would like to bring into your life, find something that is symbolic of that, put it in the middle of the floor, or the ground, wherever you are, and dance around it! Say out loud or shout or sing.." I  now welcome...... into my life! It is complete!"

4. Take a symbol of what you would like to manifest, or take the piece of paper with your intention, and plant it in a pot of dirt with a flower or plant of some kind. Every time you water the plant, say, I now send love and Spirit  into my intention and as the plant grows, so grows my dream. Make sure you do not forget to water the plant and make sure it is getting plenty of light. And thank the plant for assisting you in manifesting an intention. If you are familiar with the ancient art of feng shui, put the plant in the section of your home or property which represents the area of your life you want to grow!

There are many ways to ask for the power of Spirit and the full moon to aid you in manifesting your dreams! If you are happy with your life and really can't think of anything you would like more of, then you are truly blessed! Use the time of the full moon to be grateful for all your blessings! (those of us who are still manifesting dreams would do well to do this as well!) Remember that gratitude is the water that nourishes our dreams as they grow! Being grateful for all the blessings in our lives is one of the ways we raise our own personal energy field so that our souls are receptive to even more blessings! What we focus on grows!

Remember to send love and gratitude to everyone and everything that touches your life! Even the challenges come with blessings in their pockets! Look for the reasons to celebrate and you will find more and more of them hiding in your closet, waiting to come out to the fullness of your life!

Thoughts about Valentine's Day, the Full Moon, and Snow

Lately I have been thinking about one of my hubby love's favorite things to say to me.. "not everyone lives in Joy's world."

In Joy's world it would only snow on days I don't have any other plans.

In Joy's world the full moon would always come on a weekend, so I could stay up late and do the ceremony the right way!

In Joy's world every day would be Valentine's Day, because LOVE is the best!

I have discovered that not everyone likes Valentine's Day.

Those whose hearts are going through disappointment in matters of the heart seem to find today particularly difficult.

I have learned that some people actually like the snow. Imagine that.

If only we could realize that despite our ideas that the world truly does revolve around us, really, that is an illusion.

It is going to snow on days I have to go to work.

We can enjoy our days, no matter what day it is, what phase the moon is in, and what the weather happens to be.

I am so excited for this particular full moon. I have been sitting with the moon at each phase, and I have been feeling her growing from dark to light, and She has been telling me that it is so important to embrace all of the phases of our lives, and embrace the darkness we try to hide as well as the light parts we show to the world. She has been telling me that it is time to bring more and more of the side I try to hide out into light. That all of it is good.

So I am thinking that even though I could enjoy the snow better if I didn't have to think about getting out in it to go to work at 6a.m. I can still embrace that part of my life.

I can embrace all the phases of my life, in the same way the moon is fine with Herself whether She is full, or dark, or somewhere in between.

I can embrace every day, whether it is Valentine's Day, or Groundhog Day, or drive your car in a ditch day.. (no that didn't happen, it just came to me... must have happened to someone reading this.)

I personally love Valentine's Day. I have a wonderful hubby love, who, despite his rantings and ravings this morning at the prospect of getting me to work, got up at 4:30, shoveled while I was showering, had the car warm and ready to go, and drove me to work, (begrudgingly, but he did it, nonetheless). I know not everyone has a hubby love to do this for them, and so maybe they see Valentine's Day as a reminder of something that at the current time, they do not have in their lives.

I say, if you are alive and breathing, then Love has come to you! Divine Love is always there, and sometimes if you just change the focus from what you don't have to what you do have, you will realize how many blessings and how much love you really do have in your life!

So try this..

What are you thankful for? You can comment here and tell me what you love about today... about the full moon, Valentine's Day or the snow.. What is good about today?

My gratitude list for today...

I did not have to go out and deliver any mail.. unlike some of my coworkers, bless their hearts.
I do have a wonderful hubby love ... thank you honey for all you do and all that you are..
The things that are in my heart I do have a place to share them (here)
I have a warm home, a fireplace, food in my belly, (probably a little too much)
I have a wonderful family who I love and who I am so proud of
Spring is coming, despite appearances..

Today's Winter Solstice

Many of you know that today is what is known as the winter solstice. Today is the shortest day of the year and starting today, we begin the progression to more and more daylight hours.

Symbolically, today is an excellent day for going within. It is a day of darkness, symbolizing taking time for inner reflection. Winter itself speaks of taking time for letting go of the need for outside stimulation and allowing our roots to grow deep. In the winter the trees shed their leaves, the flowers are dormant, many animals are hibernating. And yet we humans very often don't take the time for rest and reflection. This is a need that is so essential in our busy busy lives.

Instead of finding time for inner reflection, many of us will be hitting the malls, on that last minute shopping frenzy to find that "perfect" gift. What about taking some time and give a gift to yourself? I don't have time!! you might protest. Yes you do!!

I often hear this protest from my daughter, a single mother of two who works nights as a security guard. Everyone has at least a moment or two to breathe in and breathe out, thank the Universe for the blessings you have enjoyed, focus on your heart, and send love to yourself and others. One day last week I was blessed to be in the position of taking all three of my young grandchildren to the grocery store. At one point I was standing in line and two of the three were grabbing everything in sight. After losing it for a moment, I said out loud, "breathe in breathe out breathe in breathe out." and it was all better.

I like to take my ten minute drive to work to send love to every person I will interact with that day, to all my family members and to all that each of them will interact with that day. I send love to my heart and to my unseen Helpers.

Each of us must at some point go to the bathroom or take a shower. These are perfect opportunities to send love to your heart!

If you have more than a couple of moments today, you might create a ritual to thank your soul, your higher powers, and the energies at work in our lives for the past year. Give thanks for the blessings, the hard times, the challenges, and then release it all to the Universe so that you can be ready to take on the new year!

Invite into your heart all the unseen Help that is available and ask that your heart be aligned with its highest purpose and the highest energy available. Imagine that your physical body is lining up with your soul body. Imagine light and love being poured into every cell in your body. Even if you don't believe that there is power in visualization or that the energy of our souls is amazing and powerful, this meditation will make you feel good!! That in itself is the best reason to do this!

You might want to find a soothing picture to look at, or gaze into the flame of a candle. Meditate on your favorite deity, or even a houseplant! I can get to my happy place gazing at a pen! There is god force energy inherent in every object that graces our lives! All we have to do is expect to see the god in it!

Just for today, take a moment for yourself. Give yourself the gift of inner reflection. Find something to be thankful for. Release the old, and welcome in the new!

Remember that everything in our lives is a gift if we can just find the blessing in it!