This past weekend, I attended a retreat on Love and Death. We opened with a beautiful quote from Rainer Maria Rilke: “Love and death are the great gifts that are given to us; mostly they are passed on unopened.” I thought about my beloved animal companions who have passed on. As the tears rolled down my face, I felt incredibly raw and open.
So much on our planet is in a state of breakdown. Everywhere we look, we see facets of dark energy revealing themselves. If we do not stay conscious, we can move to a place of despair.
Current conditions present us with opportunities for breakthroughs. If we stay grounded in love and possibility, we can bring darkness and fear into the light. While not difficult, it requires awareness, commitment, and deep listening.
love
Thoughts, feelings, and actions all impact what we create in our world. The energy we hold in our bodies also affects what we manifest in our physical surroundings. I often write about the healing power of love. While love is a powerful healing force, I did not realize until recently that love has a companion that can propel it forward and bring about transformation – respect.
Last week I attended a memorial service honoring Thich Nhat Hanh, who has left his physical body. While I never met him personally, I came to know him through stories related to me. In addition to his love and compassion, what stood out for me was his understanding of human frailty. It was a beautiful service, and I was engulfed in love.
We all face moments or periods when we feel lost or question our purpose. It often hits me during transitions when the universe is stringing together opportunities that are not yet visible. The experience is that of being in a void. It can feel challenging to withstand without moving to a place of frustration or despair. During a recent shift in my life, a feathered friend reminded me to have trust and faith.
Animals love us unconditionally. This love has no limits. Since there is often fear, confusion, and sadness surrounding our pets’ passing, I recently asked the Animal Kingdom about death and dying. Below is the message that the animals shared with me.
I spent Earth Day talking with the animals. Usually, when I communicate about a particular topic, there are noticeable differences in the responses I receive from individual beings. When it comes to our current world experience, all of nature is on the same leaf and relaying a consistent message. Healing Corona is about more than just curing a virus and it can only be healed with love.
Over the past few days, my anxiety had started to mount, so I decided I would immerse myself in nature. Quiet alone time has always been my way of calming and centering myself. Since embracing my ability to communicate with animals and nature, I find strength, perspective, and wisdom in connecting with these beings. Unencumbered by human fear, they get to the heart of the matter and access the highest truth.
Last Sunday was a perfect day to kayak on Jamaica Bay. The sky was clear, the water was calm and the birds were celebrating life. When we went ashore across the bay, I felt myself drawn to a flock of white birds out on the water. In that moment, I remembered what one of my spiritual teachers had once told me. While I cannot recall the actual quote, the idea was that when you are at a place of peace within, animals sense this and feel completely safe in your presence.
