Owls, Offerings and Synchronicity

First off, before I tell this story, two things.

1) on Friday I asked for a place to meet and work with the Blackstone River that was close to my house. I've been shamanically working with this river off and on for years. I drive by her everyday and really want a place to BE with her. I've been offering bits of my meals to help this happen.

2) I've been finishing The Messengers by Mike Clelland. To quickly put you in the know, if you don't already know, this book is about owls, synchronicity and aliens (or, as I'd put it, the Other). People who are shamanically inclined, Reiki people, etc.,...you read this book and owls come into your life. It is WEIRD. And this is coming from someone immersed in weird. So, on with my story. Yesterday I went for a walk. Since my girls are off to college I've been walking and started trail running. I even signed up for a virtual 5K!

Lately I've been exploring the town forest since it's near my house and although it's not a big place, there are loads of trails so lots of interesting discoveries to be had.

I was planning on going to the town forest to check out a trail I had started on Monday. I had wanted to take this smaller trail from one fire road to another. About a quarter of the way in the skies opened and it just poured. I headed back to the car that day. I wanted to finish hiking that trail but no, my guides had other plans. I felt a definite push to check out a paved rail trail. I needed to go there. The push was almost physical. So that is where I went.

I don't like paved trails. They make my feet hurt and there's usually way too many people on them, whizzing my on bikes, roller blades, etc. This was a huge push, however. I changed my plans: I'd walk this paved path for 5K or thereabouts, just to get a handle on the distance. Plus, exploring. I hadn't been on this path in years, so, sure, why not.

About a half mile down the path, there was an official trail off to the side that went down to the Blackstone River. I took that and found a wonderfully secluded spot where I could be with the river, sing, drum if I brought my drum, etc. All the things I had asked the day or two beforehand. What an absolute gift! I did sing to the river. It was just divine and, judging by the amount of birds that came to sing with me, the very right thing to do. Once I felt my time there was finished I went back to my training up on the path.

As I walked along the paved path, I noticed, about a half mile or so on, that the grass next to the path widened enough for me to easily walk there. I immediately popped to my right and onto the grass. Ah - that was so much better! I could also look down into a where a swampy area was...the land sloped quite steeply. That was interesting. Then I saw HER. This gorgeous barred owl. Right there, just off the grass in the woods. Due to the slope of the land, she was almost at my eye level, though about 10 feet or so off the ground directly beneath her. I watched her for a few minutes before she turned her head to greet me with those dark eyes. She was just so spellbinding. She blinked at me then turned her head back around, continuing her nap.

I continued on to a foot path over the river. From the bridge I saw a preening heron perched on a branch overhanging the river. Yet another blessing!

I finished my allotted mileage, turned around and headed back. I stopped to visit with the owl again and got the lovely shot that is at the top of the post.

What should be taken from this experience?

Offerings do help "grease the wheels" so to speak. That was a quick reply to me asking for a special place to work with the river. This place is under a 10 minute drive and a 10 minute walk. If you're doing "serious" spiritual work and not doing offerings, you should.
Listen to your "nudges". Oftentimes when I work with students who want to listen to their guides, they are looking for speech, words, etc. My nudges are almost physical and literally feel like energetic pushes to my mind and body. They are subtle and are felt -not thought!
The synchronicity with the owls and reading The Messengers is real. Every time I'd pick up that book I'd hear owls outside my windows at night, and often loud vocalizations and lots of "trilling". My only guess is that lots of people are in that stream of consciousness about these topics. So interesting, though. Keep that in mind when you put a lot of emotion into thinking about things that are current topics. Thoughts are energy and putting energy into things enlivens them, makes them real or more real. Is that what you really want? To grow that thing, whatever it is?

As always, I hope I've given you all something to think about. ~ Deb