We are all
intuitive. We each have ways of accessing some deep inner knowing. It can be a
feeling in the pit of your stomach or a chill that sends shivers up your spine.
It can be something that makes you feel like you are so in the flow or
something that makes you stop dead in your tracks as you see proverbial red
lights flashing and hear big warning bells sounding.
Spirit and
your Higher Self, often serving as the messengers of these signs and signals,
interact with each of us all the time. Sometimes we are distracted or have
lessons to learn and we don’t get an important message quickly enough.
Those
missed messages and warning signs that go unheeded can result in frustration,
heartache and pain. First the Universe sends whispers about something. Then the
message gets louder. If you still haven’t gotten the message, then you risk
getting slammed in some not so subtle ways.
How Does Spirit Speak To You?
With
practice, we all can open even more deeply to important messages. How does
Spirit speak to you? Is it through nature in the beautiful sky, clouds and
colorful sunsets you see?
A beautiful lake in Spring Lake, NJ. Does nature speak to your soul? Photo by Donna Poler
Is it in viewing
the vast ocean or walking in gorgeous woods and forests or hiking on mountain
trails?
Does the beautiful ocean, like the one here at Spring Lake, NJ, speak to your soul? Photo by Donna Poler
Is it through deep and consistent prayer and meditation? Is it through your religion or your special interactions with family, friends and community? Or is it through art, literature, poetry, books and articles you read? Or is it through certain signs, symbols, visions and dreams that keep speaking to you?
Pennies from Heaven for
Harriet
I have a
friend who knows that Spirit is around and helping her whenever she finds pennies
on the ground, like pennies from heaven. Harriet’s angels never fail to leave
her special signs that they are around. My angels sometimes leave coins for me
and I often keep the ones I find in a special place and also keep some in my
car for luck.
I communicate
regularly with God, my angels and spirit guides through prayer and also through
the use of oracle cards. These kinds of card readings give me a sense of deep
reassurance as I often use several decks in a single reading. The messages pulled
from each deck are almost always similar to one another or else they offer
variations on a theme I should be paying attention to. They never fail to
illuminate some issue or to lighten my heart with love and encouragement.
Another way Spirit communicates with me is by sending me information at least three times. I’ve become so attuned that usually by the second notice, I’m listening carefully.
A Message about Noah and
His
Recently,
the subject of Noah and his
It
was quite an interesting e-mail that had pictures of the Ark being built along with the final version that contains life-size replicas of animals like
elephants and giraffes. For more information on this story, you can Google
“Dutch creationist Johan Huibers” and many wesites will appear or you can go to http://www.lifeinthefastlane.ca/modern-day-noahs-arc-sets-sail/offbeat-news.
Dutch creationist Johan Huibers, from Schagen — about 23 miles (45 kilometers) north of Amsterdam — built a colossal Ark that’s two-thirds the length of a football field and as high as a 3-story house, at 230 feet (70 meters) long, 31 feet (9.5 meters) wide and nearly 43 feet (13 meters) high. Huibers’s Ark is one-fifth the size of Noah’s, based on the book of Genesis, carrying farmyard animals and life-size replicas of numerous animals. Photo by Jackey Backen
Here is creationist Johan Huibers in his Ark complete with two life-size elephants. Photo by Jackey Baken
Then the
next day I found myself flipping through television channels on a Saturday
morning while making breakfast. I happened upon a movie I had never seen before,
and what caught my attention were all the animals I saw in the movie. Animals,
of course, always capture my attention. It turns out that the movie was “Evan
Almighty,” a modern day fable about Noah and his
Steve Carrell plays Evan Baxter in the movie, "Evan Almighty," a modern-day fable about Noah and his Ark. Picture from http://www.rottentomatoes.com.
The Archangel Jophiel and
the Golden Finch
Then I had
a healing session in which I saw an angel who had a distinct yellow aura. With
that yellow aura, it may have been the Archangel Jophiel who appeared. It makes
sense for it to have been Jophiel not only because of the particular message
that Archangel Jophiel offers, but also because Jophiel is the Archangel, who,
it turns out, protected Noah’s sons.
A few hours after that healing session, I saw a beautiful yellow finch high atop an Evergreen tree in my neighbor's back yard. The finch sang and sang and stayed there singing atop that tree for almost an hour. I was able to take a picture of it. I knew it was a sign.
The beautiful yellow finch who came to sing to me. Photo by Donna Poler
Was it just
a random coincidence? Perhaps. But as someone who has been traveling a very
spiritual path for quite some time, I don’t think so. Indeed, I felt deeply
that it was a way of reconfirming in physical form what had happened in a
vision while I was in deep meditation during the healing that very same day.
The message
about Noah seemed to tell me to continue on my path of working with and helping
animals. And it also was about moving forward despite what some detractors or
non-believers may say. In both the Bible and in the movie “Evan Almighty,” Noah
had great trouble convincing others about the God-given message he was so
sure of.
It was also
about being in absolute faith about messages received and staying open to
surrendering and trusting. And it was about remaining faithful to Spirit and to
my higher calling even in the face of challenging times.
The final message that came about Noah was a relatively recent story on the news about archaeologists uncovering on Mount Ararat what they think are some remnants of the actual and historical Noah’s Ark. Of course that unearthing is subject to discussion and skepticism. For me, though, it was just another rather remarkable and timely personal message for me from Spirit.
Encounters with Animals - A Way for Spirit to Communicate
Another way that Spirit, my angels and guides speak to me is through encounters with animals. I pay close attention to the outdoor animals that cross my path. Often they are messengers, as was the little red fox that kept following the poet Lucille Clifton (see my discussion of the fox in a previous blog post about Lucille Clifton and her untimely death).
Cardinals for
me are often a sign of a departed loved one letting me know he is around. They
can also be a sign of Spirit’s presence. A small black and white bird that
often appears when I am in challenging times is another reminder to me that
Spirit is near and watching over me. I call it my Spirit Bird.
A cardinal -- another spiritual messenger -- visits my back yard. Photo by Donna Poler
Message from an Acrobatic Dragonfly
A few weeks
ago, when I walked out onto my back patio one morning, I was astounded to see a
very big dragonfly darting swiftly around my back yard, zooming around like one
of those small jets doing some fancy tricks, as it navigated around my
shoulders and the head of my dog. It stayed for what seemed like quite a long
while and I was wondering if it was planning on staying indefinitely.
I wasn’t afraid of it, despite what looked like a very big stinger, because I knew it was a messenger. I enjoyed seeing it, but was glad that it wasn’t going to stay around for any great length of time. It was the first dragonfly I had ever seen in my back yard and it hasn’t returned since.
Beautiful acrobatic dragonfly
When I got back to my computer, I knew I had to look up what the metaphysical meaning of a dragonfly is. For those who may be interested in the deeper meaning, here is what Avia Venefica of www.what’s-your-sign.com says about the dragonfly totem:
“Dragonflies carry messages that
deal with deeper thought - and they ask that we pay attention to our deeper
thoughts and desires. Further symbolic insect meaning of dragonfly comes into
play when we observe the dragonfly's mode of transportation as it skitters
across the top of water surfaces.
“This implies that our deeper thoughts
are surfacing and we must be mindful of the outcome we wish to have. The dragonfly is a reminder that
when our deeper thoughts rise to the surface we must pay attention - there are
lessons to be learned, and we are also reminded that what we think is directly
proportionate to what we 'see on the surface.' ...In short, our
thoughts (even the deeper ones that we might not be as in-touch with as we are
with our conscious thoughts) are responsible for what we see in our lives - in
our physical surroundings. …
“It should be noted that the
Dragonfly lives a short life, and it knows it must live to the fullest
with what it has. This lesson is huge for each of us. When you see a dragonfly,
be aware of the gifts it has to offer by keeping its animal totem meanings in
mind.”
I view animals
that appear to me unexpectedly as totem animals. That is, they show up to
remind me of something important or to bring me a special message or sometimes
a warning from Spirit.
Big Message from a Little
Duck
The latest
message for me was from a beautiful little duck. A few weeks ago, I noticed that
there seemed to be something I had never seen before under a rose bush at the
rear center of my front yard, right near the decorative stone of my house. When
I approached, I could see it was a little brown duck that was discreetly
camouflaged against the stone and brown mulch. I didn’t think any more about
it. That was on Friday evening.
On Saturday
morning, I dashed out for a seminar and didn’t notice whether she was still there
or not. When I returned Saturday evening and pulled up onto my driveway, there
she was in the exact same location, as though she had never moved.
At that time I wasn’t sure if the duck was a he or a she. I then took a picture of the duck and didn’t get too close because I didn’t want to scare it in any way. The duck seemed perfectly okay with me taking the picture and never moved a feather.
The precious little duck who came to "rest" or "nest" behind the rose bush in my front yard. Photo by Donna Poler
Then when I
left on Sunday morning for the second day of my seminar, I noticed that the
little duck was still there. And then I became worried. What if it was sick?
Who should I call?
I showed the picture to a woman at the seminar and she said that if the duck is alone, it’s probably a baby who was abandoned by its mother. I felt my stomach drop. It was incredibly hot that day. Indeed it was swelteringly hot. And what if the duck hadn’t eaten or drank any water? What if it was sick and I had neglected to get help for it? The night before, I had put out a bowl of water, but noticed it hadn’t been touched.
Emergency Call to Help the Little Duck
Since my
township’s animal control officer was not around on Sunday, I decided to call
my township’s local police dispatcher. I told her about the little duck that
might be hurt, sick or hungry. She said she would dispatch two officers to
check on it and that I should call her later in the afternoon. I felt better.
At least I had tried to do something to help the duck.
When I
called her later in the afternoon, she said that the officers saw the duck and
reported back to her that it was fine. They said it was a mother duck that was
nesting and that it was a common occurrence this time of year. Maybe it was a
common occurrence for other people, but this was the first time it had ever
happened on my property.
When I
returned Sunday evening, she was still there, sitting stoically on what I was
hoping would be her future ducklings. I shared the news with some friends about
the little brown duck who came to visit my front yard and give birth to her
future family.
I read on
the internet that the male duck will wait at a watering site for her and that
she will leave the nest once or twice a day, flying to him to get her food and
water, and then quickly returning to the nest. I wonder why Mother Nature
didn’t figure out a better plan for both the male and female ducks to be able
to spend more time together when she’s nesting and find a nesting space closer
to water so she doesn’t have to fly away twice a day and abandon her nest.
I also read
that after a mother duck’s eggs hatched, which would take about 28 days from
the time she first started sitting on her nest, she would have to find a safe
way to lead them to the water and to the father. I was so looking forward to
seeing her baby ducklings.
It seems,
alas, that I did count my eggs before they hatched, so to speak, because by
Monday, the adorable duck that I had named Daisy had flown her
My gardener
arrived early on Monday with his big, noisy lawn mower and it may have scared
her. I think she really needed a better location anyway, one more secluded and
cooler than the one she had chosen in my front yard.
Perhaps she
had mostly come to deliver a message to me. She was my duck totem. Spirit may
have sent her to deliver a message to me.
Meaning of a Duck Totem
Animal
When I
looked up Duck totems, one site said this: “The Duck is symbolic of water
energy (emotions) and the ability to deal powerfully with them. The Duck
is also known as a helper of clairvoyance and seers. His message is to listen
to emotions and feelings as the bringers of truths, as opposed to side-stepping
or ignoring them as intolerable or shameful. Water energy is the carrier of
intuitive messages that can be missed due to intellectual stifling.”
Those
messages all seemed most appropriate for me. Here is what another site said: “Ducks are the largest and most diverse group
of waterfowl. Frequently males and females are colored differently (the males
having brighter plumes) and have different vocal sounds.
“They prefer
being in places where they are comfortable and will return to those places. (That certainly seemed the case for awhile
as the little duck kept returning to my front yard.) They have a strong
sense of community and are social. Ducks remind us that we sometimes need to
return to the parts of ourselves that need to feel safe and comfortable. Ducks
also teach us to be graceful when handling our emotions and to drink sustenance
from the waters of life.”
And
finally, here is what a third site said: “Ducks are connected to feminine
energies, the astral plane and emotions through their connection with water. Ducks remind us to drink
deeply from the waters of life. Find comfort in your element and with those of
like mind and spirit. Ducks teach you how to maneuver through the waters of
life with grace and comfort. Psychologist and therapists often have Ducks as a
totem, assisting them to help others move through emotional tangles.” As a
healer and alternative health consultant for people and pets, it is part of my
job to assist others to move through all kinds of “tangles.”
Seeking a Deeper Meaning
Caroline
Myss and many other spiritual teachers often talk about seeing the bigger
picture and deeper meaning of events and circumstances in our lives from a more
Divine perspective. She asks us to take a step back to see some of the archetypes
and sacred contracts at work in our lives and to view events that happen to us
from a metaphysical point of view so we can learn lessons and gain deeper
wisdom rather than taking life’s events so personally.
So here was
this little brown duck who wandered onto my front yard and under my rose bush.
It was a duck who became part of my family for a very short while. I was
thinking about her, wondering if she was okay and whether there was anything I
could do to make her more comfortable during her stay at my
I’m not
sure if she was resting or nesting because she left so suddenly. On the one
hand, my heart sank when I didn’t see her. And when I looked again some hours
later to check on her spot, when she still hadn’t returned, I was a bit
disappointed. There also was a tinge of relief because then I would no longer
have to worry about how she was doing out there anymore in the heat with little
protection from any potential invaders.
Even when she first began hanging out in the window boxes, we quickly got used to her being around and looked forward to seeing her. An animal communicator later told me that when she was hanging out in those window boxes, she was scouting around for a house that had no children and no other pets. At the time, she had certainly found the right place.
What Treasures the Little
Duck Left Behind
So sweet
little Daisy Duck left no eggs behind. Some grey down feathers mark the spot
where she sat so earnestly, a happy gift to assure me that indeed she was not a
figment of my imagination. The officers who saw her and the man I stopped on
the street to show him the precious little duck who came to visit would all
attest that she was indeed there.
In addition to the little feathers she left,
she also touched some hearts and left behind a message from Spirit for us all:
To maneuver through the waters of life with grace and comfort, kind of like the
grace and comfort that Noah provided for all his animals.
And she
reminded us all to nurture the parts of ourselves that need to feel safe and
comfortable – as comfortable as she made herself in her little nest under my
rose bush. She also reminded us to be graceful when handling our emotions, as
graceful as she was in handling whatever issues she was faced with, whether
nesting to bring new life into the world or resting to heal her body.
She reminded
us all to drink deeply from the waters of life. And she also reminded me how
quickly, suddenly and unexpectedly something new and special can enter your
life, offering rich surprises.
And of
course, she also reminded me just how fleeting everything is and how quickly it
can all just vanish into some hot, steamy summer air. And yet the memory of
that very patient and determined duck will linger on in my heart and memory.
And now I hope she will live on in your heart and memory too.
I also hope
wherever she is that she is doing well and that she continues to be peaceful
and patient, determined and strong. I so admired her strength and patience,
sitting for endless hours in her solitude, never complaining, and not even
uttering a single sound.
May she be
blessed with love and light. May she find the nest of her fondest dreams. And
may she and her family always sail on very smooth waters. May she only find
kindness from those who cross her path.
Perhaps one
of my favorite poems by Lucille Clifton, “blessing the boats (at St. Mary’s),"
says best what I wish for this little duck that touched my heart:
may the tide
that is entering even now
the lip of our understanding
carry you out
beyond the face of fear
may you kiss
the wind then turn from it
certain that it will
love your back may you
open your eyes to water
water waving forever
and may you in your innocence
sail through this to that
The Beautiful Ducks at
You will
know a message is especially important when you feel it not only in your gut,
but very deep within your heart and soul. I got that very kind of message the
other night when I was visiting one of my very favorite places, a beautiful NJ
shore town called
I love photography and had my camera with me that day. Late in the afternoon, I made a point to stop by one of the lakes to take some photos. The sun was shimmering in the water and swimming in the lake was a beautiful sea of swans.
Sea of gorgeous swans in Spring Lake, NJ. Photo by Donna Poler
I began taking pictures of the swans that were swimming in a line way across from the spot where I was standing. And as I was taking some shots, I noticed that a group of ducks, seemingly coming out of nowhere, suddenly appeared out in the middle of the lake.
Five ducks appear suddenly on the lake. Photo by Donna Poler
And unlike the swans that never drew near to where I was, the ducks seemed to be heading right to where I was standing. I could literally feel them wanting to come toward me as though they were bringing yet another message from Spirit and one from themselves as well.
The ducks come right toward me in silence and serenity. Photo by Donna Poler
I had no
food and they did not seem interested at all in being fed. When they got very
close to where I was standing, this family of five, they just looked at me and
seemed to be offering me their silent and very quiet gratitude, as though they
knew of my encounter with and concern for the well-being of their feathered
friend.
And then they felt so comfortable that they just began grooming themselves. I was very moved by this beautiful family of ducks and ducklings. Was it another coincidence that in this lake of elegant swans, a single family of ducks came gliding along to be by my side? Again, I don’t think so. It was another beautiful message of thanks from Spirit. I also took it as a message that wherever my little duck was, she was okay.
Two of the very relaxed ducks begin grooming themselves. Photo by Donna Poler
So I ask you
again, “How does Spirit talk to you”? And I also ask, “Do you allow your
imagination and heart and your intuition to let Spirit’s messages through”? And
if you do let them through, how well are you listening and paying attention to
those extraordinary messages?
May we all
stay open and attuned to the messages that Spirit is always bringing us,
however large or small or fast and fleeting those messages may be.
Blessings
and love,
Donna
Donna Poler, M.A.
Alternative Health Consultant for
People and their Pets
Certified Tellington TTouch®
Practitioner
Certified Reiki Master
Animal Communicator
Angel Energy Lightworker
Intuitive Oracle Card Reader
Writer and Author of forthcoming
E-book, “100 Plus Tips for Maintaining a Happy and Healthy Dog”
E-mail - [email protected]
Website - http://www.DonnaPoler.com
Blog - http://www.donnapoler.typepad.com
To arrange a Tellington TTouch® or animal communication session for your pet, a
Reiki session for either you or your pet, a health consult for your pet, or an
angel, crystal or animal oracle card reading for you, please contact me at [email protected].
Recent Comments