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I was lying there on the floor and the message was loud and clear: “Go to the Cottage.”
I was on the floor because I was in savasana, wrapping up the yoga class I went to in hopes of feeling better. I was spicy and agitated when I arrived. I wasn’t completely sure of the source of my disdain, but I knew yoga might help me work it out.
We did hard things in that class including sitting in frog pose for what seemed like 5 minutes. In reality it was probably 1 minute but that’s how hard things are: long as hell when you are in the midst of it.
Walking out of class, I realized I was still a sauce pot. The only bread crumb I had to follow was the message I received during savasana: “Go to the Cottage.”
My left brain was going over the to do list I made that morning. Go buy fruit, sort out my closet, finish part 2 of the financial astrology class I had signed up for months ago. And yet, I knew I would regret not listening to this message.
Eventually I did go to the cottage. It was a beautiful day and the dogs were into it. They love rides in the car and walking on the beach.
We explored the yard when we arrived. They are always looking for Guggi the woodchuck and I wanted to make sure no trees fell on anything of consequence in the yard. For the curious, Guggi is a year-round resident of our shed and the dogs are constantly on the prowl. Fortunately, nothing was damaged that I could see, except for the memorial rock we had for my mom in the garden. It appeared to get decimated by the cold and was crushed.
We went to the beach for our walk. As we made our way down the road, I thought about the Neptune Sun conjunction and how I was following my own medicine to go spend time by water. Look at me, I thought! Progress.
I found some good beach glass, a few hag stones and a cool piece of old pink pottery. I kept thinking I was going to find something notable, since I had been beckoned to the beach by my meditation. Even as I walked, looking for ‘the notable thing’, I heard my own words in my head: “As with most things from spirit, it’s best not to look for them. It will show up when it’s meant to.” With this in mind, I was pleased with the simple things I found, and the dogs and I headed back up to the cottage.
As we made our way up the road, I heard it. The pileated woodpecker was nearby and doing his wooker wooker thing. My older dog did not want to walk anymore, so I dropped him off at the cottage and followed the bird call with the other dog. I barely went 50 yards down the road when I saw it. The black and white of his wings in flight, the sheer size of him, the red pointy head, it was all unmistakable. This bird was my notable thing! I am so glad I went to the cottage and listened to the whispers of my mediation. (If you are unaware, the pileated woodpecker is one of my magic animals. I will link to the other posts about him below.)
It all became clear to me in that moment, as I stood there watching this regal bird fly from tree to tree. I knew why I was summoned.
The thing that I did not share earlier is that I had closed my calendar for the week. I hadn’t seen any clients since Sunday. I am exhausted from working a job that doesn’t feed my soul. As it turns out, I need the magic and wonder that comes from working with Spirt, from walks in nature, from the observations of cycles that comes with astrology. It keeps my fire burning. Even at my most exhausted, after the longest day at work, I can see clients and they fill my cup. Working with clients balances me out. I can’t chose the old road because it doesn’t fit me anymore.
Do you ever need a rock to fall on your head to get your attention? I certainly do.
I got in the car to go home and the first song that came on was “Fear” by Ben Rector.
“I've been scared to death of failing,
Scared that I'd look like a fool,
And I'd rather quit than risk that I could lose,
Now I'm not proud of that position
But it's the hand that I've been dealt,
And as far as I'm concerned that hand can go to hell.”
Yep, this bird, this message, the song, the day itself, all arrived in perfect timing to validate that which I already know down deep. I can run, but I can’t hide. For me to be whole, I need the magic and the wonder, the space and time to flow or I will shrivel up. I am here to tell you my wild stories and observations, to connect people, both here and there and to hopefully help a few people believe in magic, heal and find their flow.
The astrologer in me knows there is a time for everything. Nothing lasts forever, and cycles start and end all the time. The wisdom comes in knowing what that timing looks like for you. As it turns out, staying too long in spaces that you have outgrown can feel dreadful. The comfort zone gets deeply uncomfortable when it’s time to leap and you refuse to move.
We start eclipse season this week and I say all this for you to be aware that change is underfoot. Eclipses usher in swift changes, we level up, like skipping a grade in high school when you have mastered the content and don’t need the tests to prove it. It can feel fast and furious at times, so my message to you is to go with the flow. Find quiet where you can. Hear the messages that are coming. Open the new doors that are opening and close the ones that are heavy and begging to be shut.
“Don’t move the way fear makes you move. Move the way love makes you move.” -Osho
I wish you all a happy and exciting Eclipse season! Follow your bliss, not your darkness.
Love, Christy xoxo
PS If you want help navigating your timelines or eclipse season, let's connect!
PPS If you are wondering about the significance of hagstones (aka witch stones or rocks with holes in them) Celtic legend says these are powerful talismans (magic stones) that are said to protect those who find them. They can ward off negative energy and are often found near bodies of water. Legend has it if you peer through the hole you can see other realms. I just think they are cool. :)