ANIMAL GUIDE

Pick Your Autumn Animal Guide!

Monday, September 23rd is the Autumn Equinox and I thought you might like to pick your animal guide to be by your side for the rest of this season.

The cards are from my printable oracle card deck that will be a part of the upcoming release my new Free Spirit Guidebook.

  • Look at the image below. Close your eyes and breathe deeply.
  • Open your eyes. Choose the card you feel drawn to the most.
  • Scroll down for the cards and messages.
  • OR you can read the messages below and pick an animal that you think will be the best fit for your fall season.

Have fun with this! Notice when you see your animal represented during this season. You might see it on pillows, in commercials, or even live!

Use the hashtag #autumnanimalguide to join in the fun!

Each morning, ask your animal to guide you through your day and to help you tap into the qualities associated with this animal that will best serve you.

ON THE AUTUMN EQUINOX, ENVISION YOURSELF HANGING OUT WITH YOUR ANIMAL GUIDE. MAKE A CONNECTION AND ASK FOR GUIDANCE DURING THE AUTUMN SEASON.

Messages revealed – clockwise from top!


Owl – This fall season will bring situations that will require your keen eye and sense of intuition. If you do not feel like these are well developed, then consider beginning a practice to increase your connection to your intuition. Call on Owl for wisdom and guidance to help you see what is hidden to most others.

Buffalo – It is important for you to connect with the gratitude theme of this season. The Buffalo is here to tell you that you everything you need. Maybe you are trying to get to another level. Saying that you for what you have, looking around and using what is at hand will both help you get there. When you find yourself complaining, ask Buffalo to guide you back to gratitude and prayer.

Cat – Ah, you are being invited to enjoy both a sense of play and aloofness this season. Really explore doing things that increase your self-confidence. When you do this, it will be easier to act when the time is right. Call in Cat this season when you need luck and a bit of curiosity.

Wolf – Looks like the autumn season will be a social one for you. In certain situations, you will thrive if you learn to protect yourself from sharing too much and picking up everyone else’s negativity. In other situations, you might be called to be the guardian of others. If this seems daunting, be sure to engage in activities that will help you trust your instincts more. Call on Wolf to be by your side and definitely consider howling at the moon a few times this season.

Squirrel – Use the fall season to be working towards future goals. When you have the energy to work on your goals, seize the opportunity and get a lot done. Create a list of the things you need to do to reach your goal/s. Persevere and work hard on checking things off your list this autumn. Call on Squirrel to remind yourself to be a bit selfish when it comes to creating a future you love.

Fox – Life might come at you with sticky situations this fall season. Tap into this Fox energy and remind yourself that you have faced obstacles before and come out on top and you can do it again. Step up your exercise routine so you can feel physically and mentally prepared to master this season with the prowess of the Fox. Any time you feel stuck or scared, ask the Fox for guidance and then see what clues show up to help you more forward.

Crow – Take time this season to delve a bit deeper into an area of study that involves mysticism, magic or shadow work. When you learn the ways of the universe and gain a deeper sense of your self, you can approach your life with the cleverness of the Crow. As these studies create change in your life, imagine the Crow on your shoulder or nearby guiding you on your path to your highest good.

Spider – The spider always asks, “Are you caught in a web or weaving your own destiny?” You might like to start this season by journaling your answer to that question. If you are already weaving, then envision how your destiny looks and keep creating your web. If not, what is going on? How can you untangle yourself and begin to create your own beautiful life? Either way, call on Spider for patience as you work on yourself this season.

Feel free to share your Autumn Animal Guide in the comments!

Pick Your Summer Animal Guide

Happy Summer Solstice! I thought you might like to pick an animal guide to be by your side for the rest of the summer.

The cards are from my printable oracle card deck that will be a part of the upcoming release of my new Guidebook. Woohoo!

  • Look at the image below. Close your eyes and breathe deeply.
  • Open your eyes. Choose the card you feel drawn to the most. 
  • Scroll down for the cards and messages. 
  • OR you can read the messages below and pick an animal that you think will be the best fit for your summer.

Have fun with this! Notice when you see your animal represented during the summer season. You might see it on pillows, in commercials, or even live!

Use the hashtag #summeranimalguide to join in the fun!

Working with Animal Guides is a fun way to feel supported!

See below for your guide!

(more…)

Pick Your Holiday Animal Guide!

Okay, so as we head into the thick of the holiday season I thought you might like to pick an animal guide to be by your side over the next month or so.

I specifically chose animals from my upcoming printable oracle card deck (Hop on my list to get yours when they launch!) that are associated with this time of year.

Look at the image above. Close your eyes and breathe deeply.

Open your eyes. Choose the card you feel drawn to the most. 

Scroll down for the cards and messages. 

Have fun with this! Notice when you see your animal represented during the holiday season. You might see it on pillows, in commercials, or even live!

Use the hashtag #holidayanimalguide so I can join in the fun!

Each morning, ask your animal to guide you through your day and to help you tap into the qualities associated with this animal that will best serve you.

You can imagine your guide with you throughout the day. I imagine my bear animal guide helping me during the Yoga with Weights class I go to, FOR REAL! Lol! 

Working with Animal Guides is such a great way to feel supported while having fun.

See below for your guide!

(more…)

How Working With a Bear Animal Guide Helped Me Heal

About 5 years ago, during a guided meditation, a bear showed up. I didn’t think too much of it until the bear showed up again in another meditation a few months later.

Before this, if you had asked me what my “spirit animal” was I would have definitely said, tiger.

So I was unsure about this bear. I did a little research to discover the energy associated with bears.

Bear Animal Guide Characteristics

  • Hibernation.
  • Solitude.
  • Alone time.
  • Protection.
  • Mama bear.
  • Grounded.
  • Earth energy.
  • Strength.
  • Confidence

At this time in my life a lot of change had been going on and I had been struggling a bit. Just reading the words associated with bears soothed me. I knew I needed this energy in my life.

I began taking more alone time and focused on getting grounded on a regular basis. In the beginning, I would imagine myself in a field and bear coming and putting its arms around me. Protecting me.

It felt good to have this strength and confidence surrounding me.

I decided I was going to call it “Bear” instead of a name. I don’t always associate Bear with being male or female. None of that seemed to matter in this instance.

As time went on, I started to bring “Bear” into my daily life. During my life coaching training when we were doing our first sessions with each other I would imagine Bear right behind me putting its large paw on my back.

This gesture reminding me that I was supported. Sometimes I would even lean back into a bit to connect to this energy even more.

Now I imagine Bear supporting me like this on a regular basis.

When I started wearing flower crowns for videos and events, I started to imagine Bear wearing a flower crown too.

When I start worrying, I ask Bear to take my worries away. I again imagine and almost feel the paw on my back. I visualize worries going from me to Bear. I feel lighter and also cared for.

My phone screensaver is a painting of a bear hugging a woman that reminds me of me. I love and appreciate our connection.

Sharing With Others

Everything I just wrote, I used to be nervous to share with others.

Would people think I was crazy?

  • I have learned who to share more with and who to keep my mouth shut around. I have also learned that I don’t care too much about what others think so that helps a ton. It took me about 40 years to get to this point and honestly I feel like I have Bear to thank a bit for this too.
  • Doing this work has benefited me tremendously without hurting anyone. I have always enjoyed taking the path less traveled and here I am.

Would my parents worry that I was replacing God with a bear?

  • I was raised Irish Catholic so the idea of working with an animal guide was more something I had heard about but not experienced. My Bachelor’s Degree is in Religious Studies and I have spent a lot of time studying religion and spirituality. However, I did not feel religious or spiritual for most of my younger life. I felt disconnected. Teaching yoga led me to more spiritual pursuits are not necessarily Catholic and they actually brought me back to using the word God and believing in a higher power. I am grateful for it. I also say Universe and Spirit.
  • We are all on a journey. I believe animal guides are simply a way for God/Universe/Spirit to connect with us and lend us support. My parents support me as I explore my own spirituality and are happy that over the years I have become closer to the divine instead of further away.

Is any of this real?

  • This has been a HUGE sticking point for me when it comes to sharing about working with animal guides. I have ultimately learned that what I have experienced is real. I have felt comforted, healed, and connected. I believe it is a combination of my imagination, intention, and energy. The universe is mysterious. I could spend all of my time worrying instead of allowing these experiences to help heal me. I could worry about what others think or help those who feel drawn to me and this work.

Where I am Now

I now insist on taking alone time daily. I even hibernate sometimes from social media and the world. I have a few solid grounding practices that I used daily too. I know how to connect with Earth energy and how to protect my own energy.

I embrace being a mama bear to my family and have increased my strength and confidence a ton over the years.

When Bear first came into my life, I NEEDED the energy. Now I embody the energy.

Bear Painting by my super talented herbalist friend, Kimberly Kling of Joyful Roots!

Animal Guide Meditation & Painting Workshop Photos

Kristen Fagan and I had THE BEST time helping others connect with and paint their animal guides at this workshop. It was so inspirational and I just love how gorgeous all the paintings turned out.

EVERYONE LEARNED HOW TO:

  • Connect with their current animal guide
  • Receive wisdom and guidance from their animal guide
  • Paint a picture of their animal guide
  • Use their artwork as a way to connect with and work with their animal guide
  • Begin to use animal medicine and energy in their life

So beautiful!

Get 4 free lessons from Tend To Your Vibration delivered to your inbox!!