Restoring Equilibrium

After returning from my recent trip to South Africa and time with the sangomas, I have been in a deeply reflective space. Although I have been able to navigate my daily life of seeing clients and taking care of business, I am still searching for understanding of the inner shift that has occurred. My dreams are filled with activity but details elude me upon waking. I have a knowing that "work" is being done during sleep but I lack clarity. I find myself a bit impatient with the waiting and yet I know that this is essential.  Things are shifting but it is still in progress.

In the last month there have been three eclipses. At a spiritual level, eclipses are significant events. It is useful to note that we are still in the middle of a galactic alignment called "The Great Shift," witnessing the closing of a great cycle of time and the beginning of another, as the foundations of a new creation are being laid down for humanity. These events are of major spiritual significance because they are helping to birth a new consciousness. Those who are sensitive to psychic energies will feel it most but everyone is being affected, whether they recognize it or not. Eclipses signal what we need to change; they are a rebirth.

As I continue to process and reflect, I read through some old postings on my blog and found one that rang true for me again. I am reposting it here, hoping that you will also find encouragement in the messages that come from Nature. 

Reposting of my blog entry from March 15, 2010:

When I was walking at the beach the other day I spotted a pelican "frozen" in place by the wind currents. He seemed relaxed, waiting for a shift. He had the ability to to maintain his equilibrium. He hovered for some time and then suddenly the wind changed, allowing him to move forward quickly. With this shift he soared ahead, enjoying the ride.

Stability is defined as the capacity of an object to return to equilibrium or to its original position after having been displaced. This is exactly what the pelican was able to do. He didn't fight the unseen. He understood that relaxing into the air gave him a period of rest that would give him more energy to fly when the situation shifted. He was completely free. I've been thinking of this omen all week, wondering how I can apply this insight in my own life.

In alchemical writings and shamanic traditions, animal symbols give insight into spiritual wisdom. These animals may appear in dreams or in real life. The important point is to consider the deeper meaning. When I walked on the beach that day, I was looking for answers, looking for an omen to appear and that pelican was the first creature I saw. I knew that the pelican's message was important.

One esoteric perspective on the pelican is that it teaches us that we can consciously use the forces of the etheric body to maintain our equilibrium and stability in the world.

The pelican is at home in the air and in the water. Groups of pelicans can be spotted flying effortlessly in formation high in the air or skimming the ocean's surface. It's magical to watch. Despite their size they are light and buoyant and can float like a schooner. Pelicans can suddenly plummet into the water and then pop up to the surface. They have this ability because of a system of air sacs under the skin that make the pelican unsinkable.

According to Ted Andrew's book, Animal Speaks, this hints at being able to be buoyant and to rest on top in spite of the heaviness of life's circumstances. The pelican can teach us that we can plunge into life's challenges, trusting that we will be able to pop up to the surface again and again.

The shifts that so many of us are experiencing currently are taking us to the core of our fears and even asking us to reevaluate where and how we live. When we find ourselves caught up in the instability around us, we must find our inner equilibrium. It is during the challenging situations that the invitation to apply the lessons learned appears. When we can trust Divine Love and willingly plunge into the inner realms, we will find ourselves popping up to the surface with new insights and "nourishment." It is through this ability to shift our perspective and maintain our equilibrium that we create stability.

I don't always recognize this opportunity but am ever grateful when Spirit is finally able to get my attention and I call upon Divine Love. Then I am able to regroup, find my equilibrium, and wait for the current to shift and a resolution to present itself. God's plan is always better than any of the ones I come up with!

Blessings of peace, love and light,

Gretchen