I was sitting at the desk, late morning, door open, so the cats could come and go and I was immersed in some intense computer work, for at least the last couple hours.
The outside noises were pretty routine, I guess, because nothing was breaking my PC trance until it dawned on me that some very unusual sounds had penetrated my brain and snapped me back into the present.
I am not sure how to explain the sounds other that they were not the normal collection of bird sounds that I hear throughout my day. Nor were they the raucous squirrels that be moderately irritating. Cat fight noises will always get through whatever brain-cloud is working on me; mainly because I fear that someone will hurt someone and all of a sudden, it will be back to the vets again. But no, it wasn’t cats.
So I walked outside and looked around. It almost sounded like a few kids might be on the street, so I got my assault rifle ready just in case. But no, it wasn’t kids.
It honestly took a minute before I could even localize the sound as to where it was coming from. It was high up in the trees and it was actually a trio of Pileated Woodpeckers at play about forty or fifty feet up.
I love these little guys and rarely see them. I certainly have never seen more than one on a tree, so to see three working each tree as a team, was really intriguing. They hung around long enough for me to get a number of shots and I have included them at the end of the blog.
They were quite distant from me, and continuously moving in among branches, so I was pleased to get the level of focus that I did. I hope you enjoy! My favorites are 7, 12, and 16, by the way.
It was only when I got back to my desk and typed in “pileated woodpecker” (because I was trying to figure out why three might be together) that I stumbled 0nto the fact that they are actually one of the twelve Native American Spirit Animals. I never knew that.
And their sudden arrival at this particular juncture in my life was startling to me in terms of the spiritual significance. I won’t get into the whole “what’s going on, Neville” description but these weeks have been very much a crossroads that brought a lot of self-examination to the surface.
Sometimes having spirit guidance can have a very cleansing and clear effect on your path. Not because it is intrinsically wise or anything, but because its significance is extremely appropriate at that moment in time.
We can often find ourselves lost in a moment and looking for clarity and despite our own processing power and friend advice, we still pause unresolved or confused.
Then we experience something like a visit from a spirit animal, read its significance, and go “wow. That is exactly where I am.”
Such instances should not be off-the-cuff-dismissed, and not just because we don’t know their origin that led them to cross our path at that moment in time. But also because they have brought a thought or consideration into very clear focus at a time when we are looking for one.
No matter where a resolution comes from, we should always be open to it. That is how we broaden our mind and develop a path outside our box and beyond our influence.
Peace and success can often come from such directional changes. It would be reassuring to think that every success is our own, but actually most success comes despite us.
So, I guess what I am trying to say is when the little red-headed guy comes into your yard, stop what you are doing and listen. He may well be that one voice that breaks you out of your trance and allows you to listen more clearly to the world around you.
… just a thought.
