The Wisdom in Animal Whispers

This morning while walking my dog Poppie, I witnessed something I had never seen before. A beautiful, silvery-gray feather was being gently and slowly guided across our path, as if an invisible person were moving it. I find feathers everyday and am very drawn to their messages, so I immediately stopped to take a closer look. Then I saw what was behind this magical movement…a tiny bee was lifting the feather by its quill and carrying it into the grass.

I stood there mesmerized by this incredible animal encounter and then raced home to do some research. Turns out, there is almost no information about this type of bee behavior. So did I see a complete anomaly? Welcome to the world of Spirit Animals.

Have you ever felt a connection to a specific animal, like a dolphin, that doesn’t seem to make any logical sense? Or maybe you have a recurring dream about a bear? Do you see hummingbirds everywhere you go? These seemingly disconnected experiences could hold some very powerful messages.

Based on Shamanic and Native American traditions, the terms Power Animal, Spirit Animal/Animal Spirit Guides and Totem Animals each have the own distinct definition and origin, but are often used interchangeably in popular culture. The commonality, however, is the idea that animals are incredible channels of guidance, inspiration and reassurance. These animals that we are drawn to or are seemingly drawn to us, present opportunities for self-exploration, increased awareness and mindfulness.

I’ve been attracted to butterflies for as long as I can remember. Their gorgeous colors, fluttering flight patterns and beautiful shapes have always captivated me. But more than anything, it’s their story of transformation and exploration that captured my imagination as a young soul-seeker. Fast forward to high school and college and butterflies filled my doodling sheets, adorned my room and my body in the form of jewelry and a self-designed tattoo. I still seem to find butterflies wherever I go...or maybe they find me. And every time, I’m reminded of my own power to be present in the moment, to evolve and to see the beauty in both the simple flower and the great adventures of life.

So the next time you are visited by a bear in your dreams, have a repeated or unusual encounter with an animal, take a few minutes to look up what that animal means. If you open your IG to a photo of a snake, see a news article about snakes, hear a friend’s story about a snake movie and then see a snake on a walk, rather than dismiss these as coincidences, you might want to explore the potential meaning of snakes (major personal change, energy shifts and healing are coming soon). I love Animal Spirit Guides by Steven D. Farmer, but Spiritanimal.info is a good online resource.

Here are some links if you missed one of my other Self Discovery Summer posts on Yoga Nidra, Saging, Meditation or Gratitude. If you want to take your Self Discovery even further, I have 3 Free Connection Calls available each week to chat about any of the topics I’ve covered or any other healing/spiritual modalities you might be curious about.

Oh and that incredible bee I saw this morning, her message was one of the most profound, timely messages I’ve ever received. It’s time for creativity, productivity, collaboration and sweetness beyond your wildest dreams. Stay tuned for my major news next month!