I’ve been on vacation this past week in Mexico. The Mayan Riviera was calling to me…the beach, the sunshine, and, of course, the Mayan ruins.
I booked the trip to start after my last day at my job, and viewed it as a transitional time as I shifted my focus to shamanism and the launch of my book. I figured I was overdue for some R&R.
What I didn’t realize until I got here was that what was really calling to me was Nature. I had been so busy with wrapping up my work that I had neglected my relationship with her. My soul needed to reconnect, in a big way, and hear what Nature had to say to me. And did she have a lot to say!
- My first (and subsequent) night at the resort, I was drawn to my balcony. The balcony has a large lounge chair and sweeping views of the sky. I spent hours on the lounger looking at the stars. The expansiveness of the sky was mesmerizing, and I actually ended up sleeping under the stars one night. I shared the wonder of it with a friend, and he pointed out to me that there was a message in there for me: since I was walking forward into a very expansive future and embracing shamanism, the book, adventure, service and growth, I needed the breadth and width of the stars to allow myself to feel and become that expansion.
Pelicans keep catching my eye. I’ve seen pelicans before – they live in San Francisco as well – but have never been as focused on them as I have been this week. As I’m typing this, I’m watching one fly across the sky in front of me. As spirit animals, pelicans symbolize several things. First, an ability to draw in and “digest” a lot of information. My trips to Mexico usually include significant downloads of information for me, and this trip has been that way. Second, pelicans are associated with taking it easy and focusing inward. They ask that you “float” the winds of life, as they do, and, when opportunities present themselves, take advantage of them. I’ve been working on shifting and balancing my “doing” time with my “being” time. This trip has been all about “being” and rejuvenation for me. I’m taking advantage of the gift of this time to balance myself and focus on the present moment.
Another bird came forward as well: Hawk. I was walking through the resort, and came upon two people holding a hawk. They asked me if I wanted to hold him, and of course I said yes! I held this magnificent creature for several minutes and was able to also stroke his feathers. He watched me intently the entire time. I’ve worked with Hawk energy in the past. Hawks are messenger birds, and bring the gift of vision, being able to see the bigger picture, and higher consciousness. The hawk’s handlers also told me that hawks are aligned with strength and courage.
Trees also had a message for me. Trees are typically associated with wisdom and strength, but on this trip they had an additional message for me. I was exploring the Mayan ruins of Muyil and was struck by the trees growing out of and on top of the buildings at the site. I’ve seen this before at other sites, but this time I was intrigued by them. Many were Ceiba trees, which are sacred to the Mayans. The Mayans felt that the Ceiba tree was a symbol of the universe, with the branches representing the Upper World, the trunk representing the Middle World, and the roots representing the Lower World. These worlds are the places where I go to do my shamanic work. As I meditated on them, I realized that I had a solid foundation (the stones of the ruins) upon which to do my shamanic work. Everything leading up to this point has prepared me for this life.
Overall, I believe that the messages I received confirmed the steps I’m taking, grounded and encouraged me to move forward, and to re-establish my time in Nature.
What messages have you heard from Nature and how have you incorporated them into your life?
