Signs and Wonders Sun, 10th February, 2013
Last week I reflected on the beauty of giving and receiving, and that theme continued to be a very real presence in my life last week as well. In my reading, I'm learning more about the value of being open and observant while spending time in nature, but this is teaching me to be equally open and observant in my encounters with fellow human beings.
As has become my practice of late, I spend time in the Kennedy Forest in Forest Park two or three mornings each week. It so happens that I drive right past it to and from dropping my daughter at school. I finally recognized this was a gift that I should accept, and so now I stop and commune with nature for a brief time before setting about my work day.
Last Wednesday I had an encounter with a hawk. (I've included the picture of it on the right, but it's too small to see very well. The Hawk is in the exact center.) Similar to my experience with the barred owl a few weeks ago, I encountered it sitting still on a branch observing me quietly and intently, almost as if sitting in judgment (likely judging whether I would be good to eat). I'm still reading and processing what this sign might mean, but hawks are associated generally with visionary power because of their ability to soar while simultaneously using their keen eyesight to spot the tiniest detail on the ground below. This is a power that I aspire to myself.
Another sign that spoke to me was a particular tree that had one lower trunk and root system but had split into two nearly equal upper trunks. It was a tree with a dual nature, one growing north, the other growing to the south. The appearance of the owl and then later the hawk also speak of a dual nature, with the owl representing the night, the moon and the feminine insights, while the hawk is its counterpart representing the day, the sun and masculine powers. Of course what makes any of this meaningful—or even noticeable—is that it resonates based on where I am right now in my spiritual journey. And the key to my journey will be the concept of integrity—integrity in the direct sense of having my spiritual and moral values completely integrated with my daily thoughts and actions. Integrating day and night, and valuing both equally, is important for me. I have learned that the barred owl and the red shouldered hawk actually will share the same territory and even the same nests. Yin and yang, hand and glove.
So now I am waking up to the fact that the people who have entered my life have great meaning for me as well. In fact, in my communing with nature in Forest Park, I have encountered a fellow seeker from First Church who also enjoys the Kennedy Forest in the mornings. There's no reason at all why this encounter would have any less meaning than the encounter with the hawk.
Upon reflection, I have come to realize that some new friends in my life have very specific and beautiful meaning for me. Not that I don't see and value each as a whole person in his or her own right. But they each speak to my soul in different ways. One is for me the fire of creativity and new beginnings. Another is the journey of water and adaptation. One is the solidity of earth, groundedness and the importance of being true to your own nature. And a fourth, who comes from the high mountains, represents to me air but also the beauty of art and a deep, spiritual love.
I'm even beginning to see connections between the natural signs and these people. Recently, as I was about to meet up with one of the friends, I saw two hawks circling above. Almost as if they were trying to say, this one is beloved (or perhaps there were some fat squirrels nearby). But it had meaning for me nonetheless.
May signs and wonders never cease.
Last week I reflected on the beauty of giving and receiving, and that theme continued to be a very real presence in my life last week as well. In my reading, I'm learning more about the value of being open and observant while spending time in nature, but this is teaching me to be equally open and observant in my encounters with fellow human beings.
As has become my practice of late, I spend time in the Kennedy Forest in Forest Park two or three mornings each week. It so happens that I drive right past it to and from dropping my daughter at school. I finally recognized this was a gift that I should accept, and so now I stop and commune with nature for a brief time before setting about my work day.
Last Wednesday I had an encounter with a hawk. (I've included the picture of it on the right, but it's too small to see very well. The Hawk is in the exact center.) Similar to my experience with the barred owl a few weeks ago, I encountered it sitting still on a branch observing me quietly and intently, almost as if sitting in judgment (likely judging whether I would be good to eat). I'm still reading and processing what this sign might mean, but hawks are associated generally with visionary power because of their ability to soar while simultaneously using their keen eyesight to spot the tiniest detail on the ground below. This is a power that I aspire to myself.
Another sign that spoke to me was a particular tree that had one lower trunk and root system but had split into two nearly equal upper trunks. It was a tree with a dual nature, one growing north, the other growing to the south. The appearance of the owl and then later the hawk also speak of a dual nature, with the owl representing the night, the moon and the feminine insights, while the hawk is its counterpart representing the day, the sun and masculine powers. Of course what makes any of this meaningful—or even noticeable—is that it resonates based on where I am right now in my spiritual journey. And the key to my journey will be the concept of integrity—integrity in the direct sense of having my spiritual and moral values completely integrated with my daily thoughts and actions. Integrating day and night, and valuing both equally, is important for me. I have learned that the barred owl and the red shouldered hawk actually will share the same territory and even the same nests. Yin and yang, hand and glove.
So now I am waking up to the fact that the people who have entered my life have great meaning for me as well. In fact, in my communing with nature in Forest Park, I have encountered a fellow seeker from First Church who also enjoys the Kennedy Forest in the mornings. There's no reason at all why this encounter would have any less meaning than the encounter with the hawk.
Upon reflection, I have come to realize that some new friends in my life have very specific and beautiful meaning for me. Not that I don't see and value each as a whole person in his or her own right. But they each speak to my soul in different ways. One is for me the fire of creativity and new beginnings. Another is the journey of water and adaptation. One is the solidity of earth, groundedness and the importance of being true to your own nature. And a fourth, who comes from the high mountains, represents to me air but also the beauty of art and a deep, spiritual love.
I'm even beginning to see connections between the natural signs and these people. Recently, as I was about to meet up with one of the friends, I saw two hawks circling above. Almost as if they were trying to say, this one is beloved (or perhaps there were some fat squirrels nearby). But it had meaning for me nonetheless.
May signs and wonders never cease.
