At the beginning of each year, I do a yearly reading for myself which involves an animal for each month.  That means that each month I am working with the energies of a different animal, a really fun and educational thing to do.

This year I decided to let you in on the fun and to share the animal of the month with you.  This month the animal is Dragonfly.  Past animals of the month are:

• January Lion
• February Grasshopper
• March Peacock

What does a little dragonfly have to teach me?  Lots.  Dragonfly is about illusions, shifts, trusting in the Light.  Dragonfly tells me to be aware of illusions.  Am I not seeing what I need to see?  Am I refusing to pay attention to signs that surround me?  Am I weaving illusions around a subject?

Dragonfly is a shapeshifter, going through different stages to reach adulthood.  Am I going through any major transformations?  If so, what do I need to nurture myself during that transforming time?  What new perspectives will this transformation bring?  Conversely, am I resisting changes that would be beneficial to me?  Does my life feel stagnant, indicating a change is needed?

By reminding me to honor, care for and develop my own intuitive abilities, Dragonfly brings me closer to the Light, inviting me be be who I truly am.

That’s a lot from Dragonfly.  Those questions will be with me this month as Dragonfly works with me, teaching me life from his perspective.

Have you had any experiences with Dragonfly?  If so, comment and share them with us!

Harmony,

Janet Roper

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My animal for the month of February is Grasshopper.  It’s rather fun to work with an animal of the month, a good way to learn about them and to learn what lessons they have to teach. It can also be quite humbling. Like when I’m sitting in meditation and Grasshopper tells me he got a bum rap in the Grasshopper and the Ant tale and I have to set the story straight.

Do you remember the Aesop’s Fable about the Grasshopper and the Ant?  It is from the 6th Century BC.  Here it is in its entirety, in case you’ve forgotten:

In a field one summer’s day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil and ear of corn he was taking to the nest.

“Why not come and chat with me,” said the Grasshopper, “instead of toiling and moiling in that way?”

“I am helping to lay up food for the winter,” said the Ant, “and recommend you to do the same.”

“Why bother about winter?” said the Grasshopper; “we have got plenty of food at present.” But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food, and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and gram from the stores they had collected in the summer.

Then the Grasshopper knew: “It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.”

Original story from Bartleby.Com.

Here’s what Grasshopper had to say:

“You know what, the Ant and I have had to take a bum rap for too long.  We’ve had it up to here.  When people hear this story they think I’m the bad guy, and the ant is the good guy.  Nope, that’s not true.  We don’t know why you humans made up this story, probably to prove some far-fetched idea someone had, but it ain’t true, it never was true, and it’s time to set the record straight.  I’m tired of people thinking I’m lazy and Ant is tired, tired, like REALLY tired, you know, of people thinking he’s always industrious.  I know.  Ant told me so.

“You folks need to know your picture of us is not only false, it ain’t good PR for us.  So what if I like to sing?  Does that mean I’m lazy?  I gather my food differently than Ant, so what?  Big deal.

“And did you ever stop to think that maybe Ant likes to dance to my singing?  You people pick and choose what you want to hear.  You swallow this tall tale hook, line and sinker, and you turn blind eyes and ears to an adage you have:  “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

“Why is toil without joy celebrated by you humans?  I’m glad I’m not a human, because we grasshoppers think you are confused and scared.  We accept life as it is.  We don’t make up stories and lies about how we THINK life SHOULD be.  We take life for what it is, no more, no less.

“You folks can learn from us.  A little singing goes a long way in making you happy.”

What do you think of Grasshopper’s assessment?  Let’s hear what you have to say – leave your comments!

Harmony,

Janet Roper

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For years my practice has been to ask a different animal each month to work with me.  This is a fun thing to do, I learn more about the animal and I get to see life through that animal’s eyes.  Doing this I sometimes feel like Wart (the young King Arthur) in The Sword in the Stone when Merlyn changed him into the different animals.

Last month Lion and I worked together, this month it’s Grasshopper.

So, what are the gems of wisdom I hope to glean from Grasshopper this month? Here’s a brief message Grasshopper shared with me the other day:

“Come leap with me.  I show you fields of happiness, fields of abundance.  See?  We all hop up and down because of our joy in who we are.  See?  We are provided for.  See?  Life is good.  See?  See all that you can see?

“Don’t be stuck in one place, leap forward into the next field of happiness life has in store for you.  See?  You can only move forward, not back.  See?  See?  You can stay stuck if you want, but you can’t move back.  See?  See?

“Leap into faith, leap into happiness, leap into bounds of glory.  Leap away.  See?  See?”

Even with all his enthusiasm, Grasshopper is not asking that I leap forward blindly, but that I use discernment.  It has not been my experience that the animals expect us to use their words of wisdom indiscriminately, but judiciously.  If I leap without discernment,  I might find:

• I’m leaping into the wrong field.
• I’m expending energy leaping in the same field, leaving me no energy to leap into the next field.
• I may not be leaping in my own rhythm, but in someone else’s rhythm.
• I may leap away from a field where I still need to remain.

Would you like to join me working with an animal a month?  I hope so!  Leave your comments on what your animal of the month has to say to you.

Harmony,

Janet Roper

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Today Emmie and Teddy and I spent some time at our dog park.  As I got out of the car, a dragonfly dive-bombed me and landed on my sweatshirt. I tried to gently send him on his way, but he would have none of that.  He looked me straight in the eyes and proceeded to send me a mental memorandum.

Dragonfly asks we remember:

• To trust everything is as it needs to be
• To be courageous in being your true self
• Let your light shine
• Express your creativity
• The illusion of life changes with your perception of life.

Harmony,

Janet Roper

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Today at the deli counter I was pondering what new taste sensation to explore this week. I saw the florentine burgers, and asked the young man behind the counter if he had tasted them before, and if so, what were they like, and what would he suggest serving with them.

He gave a big smile, and said they were especially good when warmed and served over a bed of rice.

As he said ‘rice’, I experienced a panic attack. The image of maggots jumped in my brain, and I thought, I can’t eat that.

Earlier this week I had written a post on maggots, saying how they gave me the heebie jeebies. The intellectual part of me doesn’t understand this as they are very helpful creatures, cleaning up carcasses, used as food in some cultures and even used in healing. I asked for their guidance in overcoming my revulsion of them.

Obviously, I’ve made no progress in overcoming this revulsion. I need to start with the basics, perhaps just looking at pictures of maggots, until I start to feel the revulsion lessen.

We all do better when all creatures do better. It may be that as I learn to lessen my revulsion of maggots, an energetic shift will be made and they may get a better reputation in the world, which they deserve. If you are like me, and can’t eat rice because it reminds you of maggots, I invite you to join me in learning how to become a friend of the maggot.

Harmony,

Janet Roper

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I recently had installed a wonderful dog fence in the back yard for Emmie and Teddy. I can now turn them out from the deck or the studio and not worry that Emmie will run through the neighbors’ yard chasing the-ever-ubiquitous-squirrels, with Trusty Teddy as close to her heels as his short legs will allow.

However, Teddy decided he needed to check out the front yard the other day, and scooted out when the door opened. I can only assume that he decided since he hadn’t been in the front yard for awhile, it was time to scope it out.

Teddy made his usual rounds, and then darted into the bushes. I called him, but he seriously ignored me. He had discovered a treasure.

I went over to see what it was, and Teddy was happily chewing a carcass of some sort, covered with maggots. I’m getting the heebie-jeebies even as I’m writing this.

I lost it – began screaming at him to ‘drop it’. He knew I meant business, because he immediately dropped it and came to me – licking his lips and smiling.

I was repulsed, so grossed out I couldn’t even dispose of the carcass. I hightailed it to the safety of my house.

I’ve written before that I find it difficult to be in the presence of worms. Same with maggots. Actually, it’s the same with most creepy-crawlies for me. (Snakes excepted.) So why am I creeped out by these creepy-crawlies?

Maggot Background

Maggot is the ordinary name of fly larval. Eggs are laid in decaying, moist material and the larval appear within 8 to 20 hours, and they use the material where the eggs were laid to feed upon and grow.

Many people have a prejudice to how maggots look and act: they have no legs and eat decaying matter. We often refer to them as ‘disgusting sights’. As I’ve been writing this, I’ve had to adjust the pictures on my computer screen so I don’t see the pictures of maggots.

Should you be interested, there is a site of maggot art.

Everyday Help from Maggots

In her book ‘The Voice of the Infinite in the Small’, Joanne Elizabeth Lauck writes about maggots:

• In some cultures, maggots are used as food
• Maggots break down and recycle carrion
• If not for maggots, our world would reek of the decaying, and we would not be able to enjoy such fragrant smells as flowers
• Forensic science uses maggots to pinpoint the time of death
• Historically, maggots have been used as healing tools, feeding on the dead and decaying tissues of people, including soldiers
• The substances they excrete has been found to accelerate healing, and even prevent the need for amputation
• They enrich the soil of a compost pile

Maggots are helpful creatures, doing their part to make our world cleaner and a better place for all. Why am I so repulsed by them? It’s time for me to see what repelling things these creatures are reflecting back to me that I am afraid to consider.

One of the messages maggots (insects) send is that of metamorphosis. Since I’m currently experiencing an abundance of changes, that is the place where I am going to start my self exploration.

• What in my life do I find repellent?
• Am I afraid of any of the occurring changes?
• Is it beneficial to clean up anything that is left of the ‘old’ me?
• Is there anything in my life that needs enriching?
• Am I eating correctly?
• What prejudices to I need to confront?

With these questions I will begin my self exploration journey. Maggot, I thank you for starting me on this journey, I ask for your patience while I learn to lessen the revulsion I feel for you, and I am grateful for any guidance you have for me.

Harmony,

Janet Roper

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Flea and tick season is here, or at least right around the corner. The last two postings covered flea and tick prevention with chemical products and natural alternatives.

How does animal communication fit into flea and tick prevention? In the book The Voice of the Infinite in the Small: Re-Visioning the Insect-Human Connection, Joanne Elizabeth Lauck tells the story of a performance artist who worked with a flea circus.

Have you wondered how she trains the fleas to perform? First of all, she glues costumes to their tiny bodies. Then the fleas are attached, with ropes, to a toy train, many times over their weight. Next they are subjected to light. Fleas don’t like light, so in their frantic attempt to get away from the light, they pull the train.

There is also a flea orchestra. The fleas are glued to their chairs, and the instruments are glued to their legs. Again, as the fleas struggle to escape, the impression is given that they are playing the instruments.

Lauck says “Our dislike for these creatures and our vague anxiety about their disease-carrying potential (although the flea that likes to feed on people rarely carries the plague bacteria) suppress what might under other circumstances invoke a response of outrage to such acts of cruelty to living things.” (p37).

According to Lauck, ticks thrive the best in disturbed environments. As we disturb the environment and the ecosystems, we are creating environments that are favorable for ticks. When there is a greater diversity of small mammals, the tick population drops naturally.

As I read these stories, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the fleas and ticks. Is it possible that we humans have played a role in the way they attack us? Just a thought.

In an earlier posting, we discussed seeing life from the animal’s point of view. I invite you to go one step farther in seeing life from the animal’s perspective. Connect with either a flea or tick and look at life through their eyes. By doing this, are you able to speak on their behalf? Do you find yourself feeling empathy towards them? This may not keep the ticks and fleas off you and your pet(s), but it will go a long way in healing the gap that lies between the mammals and the parasites.

Here’s a tip that can help keep the fleas and ticks from attaching themselves to you and your pet(s): Before you go out, place an imaginary permeable shield around you and another around each of your pet partners. Set the intent that air can come through, but fleas and ticks aren’t able to come thorough. When you have finished with your outing, remember to remove the invisible shields. See how that works for you!

Harmony,

Janet Roper

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In the last posting we discussed the chemical application of flea and tick products on your pet. Today’s post covers natural methods to control the parasites.

Natural Ways to Control Fleas and Ticks

In your search to discover ways to help your pets through the flea and tick season, there are natural remedies that are worth investigating.

Natural pet stores, such as Only Natural Pet Store offer many natural products for your consideration. Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats lists several tips to help control both fleas and ticks.

Flea Control

The secret to flea control is cleanliness for your pet, her sleeping area and your home. Thorough cleaning interrupts the fleas’ life cycles.

• At the beginning of flea season have your carpets steam cleaned
• Weekly vacuuming the floors and furniture picks up flea eggs, larvae and pupae
• Weekly launder your pet’s bedding in hot, soapy water
• Regular baths with a natural flea control shampoo
• Comb your pet using a flea comb
• Use an herbal flea powder and/or flea collar
• Add 1-2 Tbsp (depending on size) of nutritional or brewer’s yeast to your pet’s diet
• Add 1/4 to 1 minced or grated raw garlic clove to your pet’s diet

Tick Control

• Groom your pet regularly and dust her coat with an herbal flea/tick repellent, working it into the hair and skin
• Should you find a tick, grasp the tick close to the skin, pull slowly then twist and pull. Make sure you remove the head also

If your pet has dozens or hundreds of ticks, you will need to consider using a chemical product to control them.

Come back tomorrow and hear about flea and tick prevention from their point of view.

Harmony,

Janet Roper

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