The Raven and the Dragonfly

Today as I ran on the familiar creek trail, I spied them below, at the edge of the canal in the dusty brightness of the sun. I slowed my pace. My running shoes, with the bright green laces, brought me to a complete stop at the edge of the ridge where I could look down at them.

The Raven gleamed his shiny black feathers, and I caught an iridescent whisper as he turned his head this way and that. The Dragonfly, a large burnt-orange flame skimmer, flew in starts and stops over the canal’s lazy water.

As the Raven and the Dragonfly came closer to one another, they paused. The Raven paused mid-preening. The Dragonfly hummed in mid-air. Each regarded the other. Their regard was not in fear; one was not eyeing the other as a possible snack or dinner. They did, however, regard each other intently–with a mutual curiosity. And then as I stood there, in the light breeze, their wisdoms came floating up to me.

I n v o k e
It can be hard when we are surrounded by glass high-rises or concrete tilt- ups, or even by the entrancing hum of our computer screens, to be attuned to animal wisdom in our daily lives. However, when we open ourselves up to wisdom that the Earth’s animals have to offer, we may be surprised at the gifts they may bring us.

We can start by noticing the animals who show up frequently either in our physical experiences or our psyche. Do you have an animal that you have a strong affinity for? Perhaps he is an animal that is a frequent visitor in your dreams; or he may even be an animal that you fear.

Think about this creature of the Earth and what she means to you or represents for you. You may even choose to sit in the quiet and invite her wisdom and receive her messages for you.

I like to know that we do not necessarily need to be in the middle of nature to appreciate the wisdom of the animals. As we too are creatures of the Earth, merely focusing our attention on them causes us to connect to our animal kin.

I n t e g r a t e
As a young child, Lion appeared to me often in my suburban environment. Lion brought safety, comfort and strength to my introverted world. Later as an adult, the Lion morphed into emerging Lioness, roaring as she finds her voice.

I even call on the Great Cats sometimes as I run the steep and rocky trails down the mountain. “Give me the stability and precision of your soft paws,” I whisper. My feet shape shift first into the padded paws; then metamorphosis is complete. Lioness makes her way easily down the rocky terrain.

Today as I looked down, past the relaxed flow of the green water at the Raven and the Dragonfly, dust motes catching the sunlight, it became clear that in that moment I was seeing parts of myself played out like a movie on a screen. In a flash, their wisdoms floated up to me: renewal, reflection, synchronicity, transformation, and moving beyond illusions.

As I continued my run, buoyed by their insights, I felt as if transported through a mystical portal. As I ran, I became the breeze. As I looked up at the sweeping silky clouds, I expanded and became the sky.  I was like the Dragonfly floating among the trees and like the Raven soaring on outstretched wings. The hanging branches of the trees, cascaded around me, and I became one with the Earth—Whew!!  All from gleaning a little wisdom from a Raven and a Dragonfly.

Animal Wisdom. I highly recommend it.