animals

On my way down the driveway, I was compelled to slow down and look behind the large pine at the north edge of the property, to see a ringneck watching me as he calmly strolled around.  By calm, I mean Hindu cow calm and not the least bit bothered by my appearance.  As I reached for my camera, I got the impression this wasn't a chance encounter but an encounter by design.  The pheasant was there to see me and to be seen by me.

This wasn't the first time a wild animal wandered into my space displaying a complete absence of fear.  It happens quite a bit, in fact.  Six years ago, a similar pheasant spent a few weeks wandering the property and every dawn we'd hear him yelling from his perch on the rock wall behind the house.  Later that year, a coyote shacked up in the hay barn for a week with a single deer outside the entrance acting as a sentry/companion until they both left.  Last year we ran into a turkey hen in the woods who followed us through the meadow, chatting in loud turkey talk, as if she had something important to tell us.  She'd visit the back yard from time to time that summer, always alone, always making eye contact, and always trying to say something.  Then, wander off to take a dirt bath in the field or disappear in the woods.  The deer twins show up quite often and last year we watched them stroll past the front porch, munching on winter wheat and not a bit bothered that there were two humans, a dog and a cat watching them less than ten yards away.  They had whole fields to roam and munch on but chose to linger close to their ancestral predators in a complete state of ease and contentment.  The other day I saw a red tail hawk sitting along side the driveway, watching me drive past.  Eight hours later, I came back to see the same hawk in the same place along the road.  As soon as it saw me it turned and took flight in a leisurely glide as if to show me it was perfectly capable of flight and grounding itself was a matter of choice.  Most recently, a single Canada goose calmly watched me through the kitchen window as I did the dishes.  Canada geese mate for life and are constantly together but this one chose to leave her mate at the pond while she came for a visit.

Now, if it was a flock of turkeys, soaring hawks, skittish deer, or the goose family going for a stroll it wouldn't be out of the ordinary but every now and then I notice one of these creatures display behaviors that are unusual, to say the least.

Native Americans took note of animal behavior and believed various animals would appear as spirit guides to help you along your life path.  Each animal represents characteristics specific to what you need to know at that point in time, and understanding what they're trying to say is like taking an open book test.  Imagine Saint Jude appearing before you, frantically speaking in Aramaic.

Theoretically, these Earth animals that show up could quite possibly be messengers from a parallel universe, showing themselves to you in archetypes relative to the information you're looking for.
A pheasant is a hardy bird that symbolizes warning and concealment and teaches about fertility and sexuality.  It feeds on grasses and grains.  A turkey is a symbol of sacrifice and giver of life.  The hawk, primal life force, fulfilling your souls purpose, the teaching of higher expression of psychic ability and vision, the big picture.  I won't get into every archetype but you get the picture.  It's like learning math from a math teacher instead of someone skilled in history. 


So, what did I learn from all this?  Maybe the hawk implied I don't have to stay in the clouds and I should ground myself from time to time.  The turkey might be saying I should give a little more of myself.  The pheasant might be suggesting I focus more on my love life and eat more grains.  As for the deer and coyote... It seems the barnyard theater of predator/prey non-compliance they performed pointed out how even natural enemies could not only coexist but trust each other to the point where the deer protected the coyote, keeping it safe until it was able to leave. 

I'm aware many people don't get any of this and think I might be stretching the bounds of reality by implying various woodland creatures are delivering personal messages from a parallel universe.  If that's the way you really feel, let me remind you 2012 is right around the corner, accompanied by some heavy changes, and if ya don't wake up and get with the program, you'll be ill equipped coping with the new reality you were born to be part of.

Like it or not, we're all in this together.  Only stupid people fight in a burning house.


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