Today’s blog
Lynn Murphy Mark
Hawk medicine
Yesterday morning a hawk appeared on our fence. It sat there quietly gazing at us sitting inside. I got up from the table, walked slowly to the sliding glass door, and took its picture. I was no more than 8 feet away from the bird. As I approached, it didn’t move. I pointed my phone’s camera and grabbed its image. It stayed put for a minute, then spread its wings and took off. All in all, it sat with us for a good 5 minutes.
There was a period of time when I regularly used my animal medicine cards to clarify situations. I would pick a type of spread, shuffle the deck, and choose the cards to make the spread. As I turned each card over to reveal the animal, I would refer to the book that came with the cards. The book spelled out the meaning of each card. This is much like doing a Tarot reading, looking for guidance, inspiration and help from the animal totems in the deck. My “Wild Women” group would do readings when we met. I know this may sound quite unscientific, and even a bit “woo woo”, but it’s amazing how the cards would accurately reflect our circumstances. This led to deep discussions about meanings, options and next steps.
I have carried my medicine cards from Saint Louis to Santa Fe to Naples and now back to Saint Louis. They live quietly on one of my bookshelves. The appearance of the hawk led me straight to the cards to look up the possible meanings of this phenomenon. The title of the Hawk card is “messenger”. Reading about it revealed that “…you are to be aware of signals in your life – so notice and receive them…Hawk may be bringing you the message that you should circle over your life, and examine it from a higher perspective. From this vantage point you may be able to discern the hazards that bar you from freedom of flight.”
Perhaps it’s no accident that a hawk appeared on New Year’s Eve. For me, it’s a day to reflect on the year that is ending. It is a time to look forward to what the new year might bring. Today, the first day of the new year, is a good time to fly high above what I know to be my life. In fact, I will do a card reading and pay attention to the messages. I haven’t done this for years. I forgot how powerful the readings can be and how they can evoke creative thinking about life’s purpose.
In a few days, Jan and I will be flying high over the Western half of the USA as we travel to visit Ted and Sarah. We’ll see Ted, standing at a crossroads as he finishes his dissertation and applies for teaching positions. We’ll see Sarah, who works hard at her chosen career as a curator of art exhibits at the Getty Museum. For them, 2024 is bound to bring a change. I think I’ll take the cards with me this time. Who knows what messages they might reveal?