Blues Jays, Transcendalists + You
When we talk about being in connection with Nature I think that we have forgotten that we too are a part of Nature. Or maybe, more than that we have forgotten how to connect with ourselves, talk to ourselves, or at least listen to the honest answer of it.
"I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of a mad to elevate his life by conscious endeavor." - Henry David Thoreau
I know in the world of the finite we are supposed to label and clarify what we offer, but see perhaps that is where I have always been on the outskirts, questioning and noticing all the space of the overlap and the overlay. Wondering why more people cannot see what to me has always been as plan as day.
An example? Well, for instance the way the wind sometimes blows right before it's time for you to leave a place. Or how the crow caws and flies towards you or away. What does that mean? I'll leave it to Annie Dillard to explain, "We wake, if ever at all, to mystery."
When I started substack it began with an homage to Catbird, my airborne friend that reminded me that Nature is always available and do not dismiss the mystery that lives under the guise of side-walked streets and cul-de-sacs. Catbird showed me she knew me and that it was her choice to be witnessed, and what was I going to do with that?
Pay more attention was my answer. Silence is a very powerful conversation Nature is deeply desiring for us to rekindle that knowing of—"Be still and know I Am."
When I prepared to teach Step into the Spiral last year, a course about aligning with Nature, aligning with your Sef, building your intuition and therefore building your confidence (see how spiraling that is of its own accord, winking at you, reminding you it is all connected), I saw woodpecker. Everywhere I went in Nature, I would hear Woodpeckers. One day, I was sitting outside and meditating (practice what you teach) to learn what good I could do and what was being asked through this course. I resurfaced with a few simple ideas of connection, and an admonishment to not dismiss the simplicity, and next to my knee was a Woodpecker feather. When I slow down and truly make the space the answers come in divine timing.
Why do I not always make the space? Well, I am making the space more and more and I tell you it is worth it, and I can also tell you that sometimes when it comes to the bigger ponderings I still scamper away. At least now I am noticing that I am doing it, and taking up my tools to clear the fear, or the unworthiness that lays in the corners of being, forgotten remnants that are all too willing to leave should I make the time and space to do so.
This morning Ahonui (my best pal) and I set out for a walk across the field and into the wood. Before I left the house, I intended: "Let me know what this evolution of Step Into the Spiral is calling in." We walked to the field but a few feet, when I saw three prominent blue jay feathers triangulated and awaiting us. I saw a few smaller feathers and picked them up too to show my son later, so brilliant in their frailty. How lucky was I to find the feathers? Well, I found what was left of someone's dinner. I found the remnants of a tussle, the last offering of a life ended. Not an uncommon theme currently, of endings and brilliance that beckons us onward.
Blue Jay medicine, as described by Dr. Standly, is said to be about: Royalty, Energy and Enthusiasm. "Embracing life to the fullest wherever you land and pursuing that which you love at all times. Royalty (said of the Royal Blue Jay) always commands the best and brightens up any event, even in the darkness."
Timely. And one more additive of the Blue Jay's appearance is the asking of you to embrace your God-given talents, per Dr. Standly and I would have to agree. I knew as soon as I saw the Blue Jay feathers this would be about using our voices, staying small no more. Did you know that a Blue Jay can impersonate a Hawk to scare off prey? They are not the quietest of birds, so when they make their presence or even more so their sacrifice known, it's time to pay attention.
Look up today. See what friends are calling to you. I know there are times that we want others' advice to lead us, but even the most well intentioned can be confusing because unbeknownst to your advisor they may be seeing your story through their lense, whereas Nature is a pure divine pulse. So if you are looking to remember how to listen to yourself, to unplug from the constant drone of the blue screen and drop into the frequency of life and all her verdant glory, look up. Go outside and smile.
Send out a call and see who comes. Expect nothing and give gratitude before you even hear an answer.
Spiral more soon,
Kate
Have you read When Women Were Bids by Terry Tempest Williams? Swoonworthy and bone-deep writing.