self-awareness
The Spiritual Symbolism Of The Pelican
When a bird flies directly onto your path, or you see images or photos of the same bird repeatedly, within a relatively short space of time, this is often a spiritual sign that the energy of this bird is calling or guiding you.
I live on the coast and I am lucky to be able to watch various seabirds, and encounter other birds drawn to the local water ways. The pelican is one bird that has specifically caught my attention. The day I was inspired to paint this amazing bird, he literally strutted down the hallway of my home!
Even to this day, pelican continues to literally soar into my experience whenever I need to draw on his wisdom. Even though they seem large and clumsy, there is something gentle and caring about their nature. If pelican has waddled or soared onto your path, let his wisdom and symbolism guide your way.
I started building my connection with the pelican’s energy by observing and sketching the local birds. Through the process I found a sense of awe for the pelican’s beauty, which was a shift in my perception, as I had never before considered them to be very attractive birds.
I also noticed they followed a set routine, and similar flight paths, depending on the weather. It inspired me to become more aware of my own patterns and habits. At this time my work schedule had become somewhat unbalanced and dysfunctional, without me being aware of the impact. Pelican taught me that it is vital for my self-care to ensure that I work within a routine and structure that better supports my creative outlets and energy levels.
Moving Forward With Your Angels
Recent world events has left us re-evaluating our lives and relationships, as if under a microscope, and contemplating whether we actually like what we see. The world we live in is changing, and anger and fear have made their presence known in powerful ways. Now is the time to choose to be part of the chaos, or part of the healing.
Angels exists to serve us individually, and collectively, in facilitating inner peace, compassion, forgiveness and self-awareness. The word angel means ‘messenger.’ They offer comfort, guidance and protection as we journey through life. They remind us of our possibilities, and inspire hope, peace, love and joy.
The angels also inspire respect and concern for the well-being of others, as well as ourselves. Our angels hold up a mirror for us, to see clearly what we are reflecting and sharing with our loved ones, and the world. What does not serve us, or is harmful to others, can and should be changed.
At the beginning of your day take a few minutes to be open to the guidance of the angels, and ask to be shown what needs to be changes, healed or improved within you. Instead of grabbing your phone to check your social media, or turning on the TV to witness the latest chaos, take just a few minutes to consciously state your willingness and intention to be in partnership with your angels that day.
Then, as you go about your day, remain aware and pay attention to what you observe about others and yourself that you did not notice before. Once something is seen and acknowledged it cannot be unseen. In the evening, or at the end of your day, notice what those observations or encounters have triggered in you. That is all it takes to allow the process to begin.
Your Soul Contract For Spiritual Evolution
Your soul is quietly pushing you to experience and achieve certain things in this lifetime, because before we came here we designed a soul contract. There are certain challenges and traumas we put into this contract, to elevate our consciousness. Through our tears we conquer our fears.
We don’t elevate all at the same rate. Our purpose here is to elevate spiritually as speedily as we can, without harming or hurting others. The purpose of our evolution process is to complete the contract, or fulfill the mission.
Each person’s journey is unique and very personal. Sometimes our families do not support us in our soul evolution, and friends may not understand what is going on in your life, but this is not about anyone else except you!
When we evolve spiritually, we develop a higher consciousness and become a better version of ourselves. But in order to elevate, we have to want to learn, grow and expand. In order to evolve, you have to let go of anything that is holding you back. People often struggle with this, but no matter what, we have to be willing to change and grow. To become our better self, we have to learn our lessons in this lifetime.
We all have our own path and our spiritual journey, because we have our own specific blueprint when we arrive on the planet. It pretty much outlines what we are intending to accomplish in this lifetime, and why we chose to come here at this time.
Transcending Turbulence And Restoring Peace Within
One of the most moving metaphors I have ever heard, describes the calm that rests beneath the surface of the ocean. While there may be waves and turbulence on the top, if you dive down deeper, you will come to waters that are more still.
Similarly, the troubles of life that bring disturbance to the body, mind, and relationship dynamics of the world, occur at levels which are external to the eternal self. By going deeper, peace within can be found.
Spiritual traditions of the world define the self and the soul in varying ways. The ancient Vedic texts, for example, identifies the individual soul as measuring one ten-thousandth the size of the tip of a hair, and states that it is located in the region of the heart, seated beside the Paramatma, or Supreme Soul (God).
In the Vedic tradition, consciousness is recognized as the symptom of the soul, which is carried throughout the body by the blood, as it is circulated by the beating heart. When the heart stops and consciousness leaves the body, it is because the soul has departed.
Lord Krishna further describes in Bhagavad-gita that this atomic soul is never born, and never dies. It is immutable, unchangeable, indestructible, and always aloof from matter and its influences.
These spiritual teachings go on to highlight that the pure eternal soul is one’s real identity – the ‘I’ or ‘me’ felt by each and every living being. In this world, it has become temporarily covered by a subtle body made up of mind, intelligence, and false ego, as well as by the physical body comprised of earth, water, fire, air, and ether. In this state, the modes of material nature act upon it, and one acts out various behaviors compelled by the energies of those coverings. But the soul itself remains untouched and unaffected.
Spiritual Attachment And Detachment
The physical world is not the only realm in which some of us struggle with issues of detachment (alienation), or attachment (codependency). The same holds true in the spirit realms.
If we experience spiritual attachment, this usually happens as a result of an addictive personality. In life, one could be addicted to unhealthy relationships, various substances, shopping, food, and so on. The driving force behind all of these is basically the same – the attempt to fill a perceived void with a substitute.
This inclination can then lead to the presence of negative spirit attachments with addictive energies. Perhaps the spirit entity had the same kind of addiction when it was in physical form, and still needs to experience that ‘high.’
When this happens, the victim in the physical world, to whom the spirit entity has attached itself, may become more stubborn and in denial over the need to change their habits. Many friends and family members who have had to deal with addicts, will tell you that addiction changed their loved one’s personality. From a spiritual perspective this is very true.
Spiritual detachment, on the other hand, happens when someone is the victim of abuse or trauma. A part of themselves ‘detaches’ or becomes distant from their core self, which may unintentionally invite a more powerful spirit presence to enter, to ‘protect’ or ‘guide’ the victim. Aristotle’s phrase ‘nature abhors a vacuum’ comes to mind. It means every space or void in nature always needs to be filled with something. The same holds true in the spirit realm.
How To Be Patient In Times Of Crisis
Just about every day, we face some sort of obstacle, delay in communication, or a situation that doesn’t go our way. And in times of an unexpected crisis, our first response is too assume the worst, or panic.
Negative feelings can creep up and overtake the mind, sending us into fits of rage, sadness or disillusionment, due to the lack of patience in surrendering our control and allowing those emotions to pass with total acceptance.
When we become impatient, our entire being is out of balance and the auric energy field becomes muddy and chaotic. Agitation and strain then become the primary motivator, and there is a loss of self-awareness within.
Impatience never makes things happen faster, or better, and the worst way this can manifest is when we try to force an issue, or get a person to instantly say yes, or go along with our vision.
Whenever impatience or uncomfortable feelings arise, it’s vital to make a conscious effort to redirect that negativity and nip it in the bud, so you can stay calm during the toughest times. Here are some strategies to help alleviate impatience when your feeling triggered.
Breathing
Take several deep breaths from your stomach and exhale out the stress, focusing on your third eye as you release your breath. Think of something funny or inspirational so you don’t unleash unnecessary aggression.
Take This Time To Find The Future Inside
The last couple of months have brought out a variety of emotions for all of us. They reach from anger, fear, frustration and anxiety, to kindness, compassion and love. People never see things in the same way, and differing views and opinions about the Covid-19 pandemic are causing confusion, noise and heated arguments on social media, in the news, in politics and in our streets.
One cannot help but be left to wonder, who is actually telling the truth? Whose facts are the most reliable? Is certain news fake? Are some of the things we hear or see just rumors, or weird conspiracy theories? Are some purposely spreading misinformation, or exaggerating what is going on? Is the situation possibly more serious than most of us realize, or less severe than we may believe? There are so many questions right now, not many clear answers, and a lot of uncertainty.
But instead of focusing on all the chaos and drama around you, it may be wise to instead shift your attention to something more important. Especially if you are currently still quarantined at home, this is the perfect time to evaluate what is going on deep inside your soul. It is the perfect time to spend in solitude and silence, go within, and allow your soul, your inner guidance, to speak to you. And if you are sheltering with family or friends, try to find a quiet place or secret corner where you can hide away for a while every day.
Maybe there are many voices out in the world today that we cannot trust. But there is one voice we can always trust – the voice within. Each one of us has a deep consciousness that holds the answers to our fears and life questions. Each one of us has a direct connection with spirit, and this is the best time to truly allow spirit to talk to us. Are you truly listening? Or are you merely flapping your mouth, and creating more fear or anger for yourself and others?