I looove theee animals. This is a snap of Rango and I, he being a very special dog who arrived with his family at a time when his sister, Dango, was old and not feeling very well. Rango fell in love with Dango and he helped his mama and daddy transition into life without her. He spins in circles when he gets excited and perks up for the camera when he's asked if he wants to go for a ride. I'm always happy to see him dancing about and bringing happiness to his family. Animals seem to come to us when we need them most, though the reasons for their appearances may only become clear later.
I've been loaded up in the last few weeks with animal dreams. A couple of nights ago it was Kestrel who came down hard on the windshield of my car, one wing spread and looked me in the eye very intensely. He came flapping at me again a short time later, just after Great Horned Owl flew in front of my frame of vision. Both of these birds are the most widely distributed here in the states, not anywhere near endangered, they thrive even in unlikely environs. A pair of Kestrels have nested in a big pipe gate across the street since before we built our home here. They sit, one at a time, far up on the highest pipe or on a wire, watchfully. I believe that like them, I am broadening my vision, and unlike sitting sheltered on a branch under the cover of leaves, I need to be able to see clearly and distantly. They are a small, fierce falcon with many abilities, a beautiful metallic song, they hunt both night and day as they require it, and are quite adaptable. I will need the medicine of Kestrel as my days change shape and my family makes the transition to Ojai (which means "moon", by the way).
I was given a Kestrel feather in 2001, during a trip to Oklahoma to visit family. I've held onto it and marvelled at it's beautiful markings, tucking it up front in bouquets of feathers in skinny pots and laying it on altars.
In the weeks leading up to this one, I'd slowed my work with the creatures. And now they're visiting my dreams each night to remind me that they are my council, that nature and the ancestors are my guides in all matters.
Now is a really good time to tell you that I'm teaching a 2 day Totems and Guides in Mixed-Media workshop in Malibu on October 8th & 9th. During our intimate gathering, we'll be overlooking the Pacific Ocean, taking journeys by drumbeat to find the totems that want to work with us, and working in Gina Armfield's beautiful clubhouse. I hope to see you soon.
Rawrrrrr and awrooo!
