I have been out of sync with my blogging lately. Our son came from Arizona and paid us a visit for a week and so we got out and enjoyed our time together playing on the river and visiting the coast. He was so glad to be “home”, he found a job and arrives next week with his moving truck!
For the past month, I have been busy getting the winter stores put up. We live in a wonderful area for growing and have luscious fruit and veggie harvests during the late summer and fall. I have always canned food during the summer. I remember it as a child, helping Mom and Grandma, and the taste of the yummy sweet fruit mid winter. So, I have been canning up a storm.
As I sit at my computer every day, looking out into the forest, I can’t help noticing the squirrels gathering acorns and other seeds, putting away their winter stores. And as many of us begin to prepare for winter and the slowing of our energies, I thought squirrel would be a good topic for today’s blog.
Squirrel medicine comes in a couple of different forms. Usually, when we think of squirrel, we thinks of the furry little creatures gathering nuts and storing away for a time of need. (Is this where the Boy Scouts got their motto- Always be prepared? ) Squirrel medicine can teach us balance within our cycle of gathering and giving. Squirrel shows us how to gather and store, whether it be time, money, food, candles or an opinion or our energy. But to keep our gathering cycle in balance, we must also release some of our excess stores back into the circle. Is it possible you may have gathered too much, either in the material world or simply too many stresses, worries and responsibilities? Do you need to clean out your closets to make room for new treasures?
The squirrel is also known for it’s erratic, nervous movements and ability to move quickly and suddenly disappear and reappear, much to the dismay of the local dog or cat. If squirrel shows up in your life, you may need to take a moment and look at your activity level. Are you too busy or not active enough? Are you too erratic, running in circles and not accomplishing anything?
With all their flurry of gathering activity, squirrels find time to be social, gregarious and playful. They wrestle and play and learn by observing. People with squirrel medicine often learn best by a hands-on approach rather than “studying”. Squirrel can also remind us to pursue our goals, but to make time for play and socializing.
Squirrel is also well know for their chattering. In fact, I had one on the deck outside the bedroom this morning. I called him my “squirrel alarm”. But it was barely daylight and I wasn’t ready to get up yet. This chattering is often part of their play, but used as an alarm as well. They love to “scold” from high on their perch. If squirrel has appeared, it may be as a spiritual watch-dog to warn you of something or bring your attention to a situation.
There is a Scandinavian legend that the squirrel is a messenger of the gods and carries news of what is going on in the world to the animals in distant lands. The squirrel, Ratatosk is said to live in the Scandinavian-Norse World Tree. He is a mischief-maker and carries gossip from one place to the next.
Again, we invite you to gather up all this info and experience squirrel medicine for yourself through shamanic journey, meditation or however you connect with Spirit. Connect with the squirrel spirit and see what messages it has to offer you. Be prepared, but don’t forget to play.
Until next time,
Mitakuye Oyasin (A Lakota prayer reminding us we are all related),
Debbie