Your voice is so beautiful, and it's magical just listening to it. Like a lullaby, in the very best way, because it keeps me from sleeping so I can listen to it. ^_^
Thank you for this! I will contact you soon, as I will have a little bit of spending money, and I want some of that oil! If I may put dibbs on a bottle? Your oil has been a secret wish of mine for a loooong time. So, soon. And I hope your back is altogether back to normal, and as happy and contented as I am after listening to your lovely magic. xo xo ^_^
This post landed so deeply—thank you. I’ve been visited by a Jackdaw family recently and felt such recognition reading your Raven reflections. There’s something ancient and uncanny about these dark-feathered ones… clever, watching, quietly weaving messages from beyond. Your story helped give shape to the odd sense I’ve been carrying.
Also… I’ve had this weird left-side lower back pain all week. Bloody Nora Barbara, I’m off to investigate. Thank you again for your medicine.
Ha! Bloody Nora—now where does that come from? I’ll have to do some digging… I think it might be from an Irish twang, like a jovial “Would you believe it?” 🤣
I'm so glad it resonated, Lissa! Thanks for sharing your own experiences. Isn't life grand?? 😳
I don't think I've ever seen a Jackdaw, but lordy, the blackbirds (Red-Winged, Grackle, etc.) have been taking over the feeder and coming in droves. They're not very well-mannered and scare off the smaller, gentler birds, but I think I need to pay more attention to them. The Crows mostly munch on the compost heap. But those Ravens! 😳
LMK how your investigation turns out. I laughed out loud at "Bloody Nora Barbara" - not sure what that means, but I get the gist!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! XOXO
What a beautiful post Barbara. I am sorry to hear of your pain, obviously, but, as you show, when we can truly listen to it, then it can truly teach us something so valuable.
Thank you for all the words of wisdom that you shared from the heart.
I can't imagine what it's like having to deal with those horse flies - No wonder you love winter so much! Thanks for the little movement video too, nice reminder
[Last year I hurt my lower back and was in excruciating agony for months, partly because I felt so traumatised by it. I am still working my way through this journey, though things have improved as well (thank goodness!) I was dealing with a lot of armouring, I think, because of several similar injuries before (which healed so much more rapidly) and emotional/spiritual pain needing to be seen and addressed, similar to what you spoke of too. I never experienced anything as brutal as this before, but it has been replete with inner teachings and has been quite transformative on many levels. I can't express anything like the fullness of it all here, but your post is in such resonance, which is so heartening too].
Much love to you sister! 💕 May magic reign forever upon this incredible Earth!
Thank you, dear Clair! Back pain like that is no joke - especially when it lingers. Talk about forcing one to just STOP and be present. I hope yours has resolved, and that your body will give you a more gentle reminder the next time if something needs addressing.
Have I ever told you that Clair is one of my favorite names, and I almost named my daughter Clair? I also had a past life session once and was told my name was Marie Clair Eliane in the 14th century! That's a story for another day!
Yes to Magic 4-Ever! Big hugs to you, Clair, and much love! XO
Wow! Barbara! what a 'trip' you were on! Thank you for sharing it with us. You gave us all a lesson on how it's done, delving into the mystery and solving it through your incredible nature experiences.
Of course, I related to your terrible back pain after last summer when I suffered with something similar. I appreciated your recommendation to go with acupuncture at that time. It really helped me. But as you showed us here, there's more than one way to dispatch pain. Getting to the root of it, literally.
It's funny I have that Rumi poem on my desk and had just read it again yesterday. I love it. And I had also recently come across willow bark as an alternative to aspirin. And not to mention that squawking raven... They have a lot to say around here, too. In the future I will try to pay closer attention to them. I'm reminded of : "Quoth the raven, nevermore."
Thanks again, Barbara. I needed to read this today. XOXO
I was wishing I had an acupuncturist nearby, but this time, I guess I needed another story to unfold. I wonder what's up with summer and back pain? I think every time it's happened to me, it's in the summer... I'll ask Raven and Willow! :)
I love Rumi, and I loved what Jane shared. I thought I should edit it down, but in the end, I wanted to share it all.
Oh my goodness, the Ravens! I have not heard them since my back healed. I've seen them before, but never heard them talking like that!!
Thanks for reading, Ronnie, and taking the time to comment! XOXO
Thank you for a very wholesome journey — and a very Jupiterian journey, don’t let that very triggering Astro meme let you think otherwise!
Conjunctions with the Sun are not “good” for a Planet in traditional astrology: they become invisible and occulted, are temporarily harder to find in the world— and in doing so, require and underworld journey, in the case of Jupiter to Meaning and Truth. And I think we can classify that as an underworld journey!
Plus the Conjunction was exactly Square Saturn, so it presents as an examination. And Neptune… which means magic and unseen forces are pulling the strings 👏🏻
Thank you, Isaac! I think I understand... :) It's so interesting - I can feel things happening, and it's usually in retrospect that I get confirmation via astrology. This month is turning out to be a doozy, as you wise astrologers have all predicted.
Appreciate you reading and weighing in with your knowledge! XO
Oh Barbara, I have SO many things to tell you about in response to this post. I'm so grateful to Mary for introducing me to you. And I think this post on the Medicine Cards was the first to draw you to me, so I'll leave you with it as a teaser until after my dance class: https://thirdparadigm.substack.com/p/grouse-and-dragonfly
Firstly, I want to reflect to you Barbara, that you are a magical presence. 🧚♀️
A gentle embodiment of wisdom and humility combined with curiosity and creativity. It's no wonder these beautiful messages you share with your readers will only expand perception, deepen understanding and open us to the loving mystery of life. Where deer flies and pain have their part in the larger orchestration. (Not to mention brutal heat-waves (ugh).)
So much is coming up to be released now. Trusting that - especially when it comes with pain - is so essential.
Extraordinary time of healing and moving beyond previous versions of ourselves. The pace is only quickening. I'm sure you notice. Resistance is futile - we will grow or suffer.
It occurred to me reading this that the power of re-contextualizing experience in a way that moves us from victim to the receiver of a gift is, alchemy.
(You won't be shocked to know the latest piece I'm writing is called 'I Don't Know.' Which of course opens us to new ways of knowing. Will I publish it? I really don't know, but so often the writing is not about that.)
I'm glad you turned the corner, found your allies to assist, and grew your magic. Mostly I'm grateful (selfishly) that you shared this. May you be delighted by the greater-magic surely headed your way. 🪄XOX
So well said, Kathleen! I was just about to come in here and say how Barbara attracts magical things because she is magical herself. But youve said all so eloquently here. And I second every word of it. Witchy women in their crone years have more wisdom and magic than centuries of philosophers combined. It’s the knowing through the heart that taps into the remembering of all existence instead of just a simple understanding in the mind. Love love love.
Tonika, Little Crone is blushing from all of your kind words. I feel like a weird combination of still a child at heart and finally letting my Crone blossom.
Thank you ALL for your generous, kind, and loving comments. I am so honored to have all of you here in this space. Truly. XOXO
Kathleen, you are in a class by yourself with your beautiful, incredible comments. You inspire all of us. I can't wait to read "I don't Know."
"So much is coming up to be released now." That is definitely true. Sometimes it revisits us a few times before we can finally clear it. Have you noticed that?
Wow. Just wow. Thank you for this kind and loving comment, Kathleen. I'm not sure if you know who Asia Suler is, but you would love her writing. Anyway, she once said that she saves special comments and emails from readers that remind her why she writes and shares so much of herself out there in the sometimes scary world (my words, not hers). She calls them Love Notes and keeps them on her computer. Well, I started doing that, and the first thing I did was copy and paste your comment to go into my Love Notes folder. So, thank you for the Love.
I'm seriously beginning to think that we were sitting around the proverbial reincarnation table (I like to picture it like Arthur's table) together, maybe rolling our eyes, maybe laughing, maybe crying at what was to come to pass in this lifetime. In the past five years or so, I have started meeting friends who I have no doubt are soul sisters (and one brother) who were sitting at that table too. Even though we've never met "in person" feels like we might be soul family.
I hope you do publish "I Don't Know." I find that the ones I think I should maybe hold back turn out to be the ones that resonate deeply with readers. And, isn't that the point?
Much Love to you, dear Kathleen. Thank you for your beautiful comment. XOXO
I don't know who Asia Suler is - love her name! - but I will look into her writings and I love the Love Notes idea. And, I'm honored. (Margaret Anna Alice is also very good at keeping comments.)
That image of a roundtable (of course Arthur's given Merlin connection :-) ) feels right to me. I've had similar thoughts and it's a comforting perspective isn't it? There is a place we reside where all of this is No Big Deal. We're in on it! Which happens to be the sub-title to I Don't Know. (Letting Ourselves In On It.)
It's raining and thundering here this morning. A full moon today. So many elements - earthly to celestial - all part of the conspiracy to grow us. (Or provide the stage in which we act that out.)
It's a true gift to meet soul-family members on the adventure. ❤️
I am so glad you're better 💗 I am so glad you found what you found during the process. The Raven card is unreal!!!! 🤣 seriously. Thank you for sharing with us. Magic! All around 💖 I love you. It's 10pm as I am typing 😭 come on September 🤭🤭 xo!!
While I’m sorry you’ve had to process long buried things, I’m so glad for the way you take all these things in as grist for the mill and turn them into wise words. Thank you for awakening to the healer within and for sharing with us.🧚🏻♂️💞
Your voice is so beautiful, and it's magical just listening to it. Like a lullaby, in the very best way, because it keeps me from sleeping so I can listen to it. ^_^
Thank you for this! I will contact you soon, as I will have a little bit of spending money, and I want some of that oil! If I may put dibbs on a bottle? Your oil has been a secret wish of mine for a loooong time. So, soon. And I hope your back is altogether back to normal, and as happy and contented as I am after listening to your lovely magic. xo xo ^_^
And PS, I've been noticing ravens lately, too... Ohhh, how mysterious are the Ways of Magic... Yippeeee!
This post landed so deeply—thank you. I’ve been visited by a Jackdaw family recently and felt such recognition reading your Raven reflections. There’s something ancient and uncanny about these dark-feathered ones… clever, watching, quietly weaving messages from beyond. Your story helped give shape to the odd sense I’ve been carrying.
Also… I’ve had this weird left-side lower back pain all week. Bloody Nora Barbara, I’m off to investigate. Thank you again for your medicine.
Ha! Bloody Nora—now where does that come from? I’ll have to do some digging… I think it might be from an Irish twang, like a jovial “Would you believe it?” 🤣
I love it, too! ^_^
LOL! I love it!
I'm so glad it resonated, Lissa! Thanks for sharing your own experiences. Isn't life grand?? 😳
I don't think I've ever seen a Jackdaw, but lordy, the blackbirds (Red-Winged, Grackle, etc.) have been taking over the feeder and coming in droves. They're not very well-mannered and scare off the smaller, gentler birds, but I think I need to pay more attention to them. The Crows mostly munch on the compost heap. But those Ravens! 😳
LMK how your investigation turns out. I laughed out loud at "Bloody Nora Barbara" - not sure what that means, but I get the gist!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! XOXO
What a beautiful post Barbara. I am sorry to hear of your pain, obviously, but, as you show, when we can truly listen to it, then it can truly teach us something so valuable.
Thank you for all the words of wisdom that you shared from the heart.
I can't imagine what it's like having to deal with those horse flies - No wonder you love winter so much! Thanks for the little movement video too, nice reminder
[Last year I hurt my lower back and was in excruciating agony for months, partly because I felt so traumatised by it. I am still working my way through this journey, though things have improved as well (thank goodness!) I was dealing with a lot of armouring, I think, because of several similar injuries before (which healed so much more rapidly) and emotional/spiritual pain needing to be seen and addressed, similar to what you spoke of too. I never experienced anything as brutal as this before, but it has been replete with inner teachings and has been quite transformative on many levels. I can't express anything like the fullness of it all here, but your post is in such resonance, which is so heartening too].
Much love to you sister! 💕 May magic reign forever upon this incredible Earth!
Thank you Raven!
Thank you, dear Clair! Back pain like that is no joke - especially when it lingers. Talk about forcing one to just STOP and be present. I hope yours has resolved, and that your body will give you a more gentle reminder the next time if something needs addressing.
Have I ever told you that Clair is one of my favorite names, and I almost named my daughter Clair? I also had a past life session once and was told my name was Marie Clair Eliane in the 14th century! That's a story for another day!
Yes to Magic 4-Ever! Big hugs to you, Clair, and much love! XO
Wow! Barbara! what a 'trip' you were on! Thank you for sharing it with us. You gave us all a lesson on how it's done, delving into the mystery and solving it through your incredible nature experiences.
Of course, I related to your terrible back pain after last summer when I suffered with something similar. I appreciated your recommendation to go with acupuncture at that time. It really helped me. But as you showed us here, there's more than one way to dispatch pain. Getting to the root of it, literally.
It's funny I have that Rumi poem on my desk and had just read it again yesterday. I love it. And I had also recently come across willow bark as an alternative to aspirin. And not to mention that squawking raven... They have a lot to say around here, too. In the future I will try to pay closer attention to them. I'm reminded of : "Quoth the raven, nevermore."
Thanks again, Barbara. I needed to read this today. XOXO
Hi, and Hugs, Ronnie. ^_^
I was wishing I had an acupuncturist nearby, but this time, I guess I needed another story to unfold. I wonder what's up with summer and back pain? I think every time it's happened to me, it's in the summer... I'll ask Raven and Willow! :)
I love Rumi, and I loved what Jane shared. I thought I should edit it down, but in the end, I wanted to share it all.
Oh my goodness, the Ravens! I have not heard them since my back healed. I've seen them before, but never heard them talking like that!!
Thanks for reading, Ronnie, and taking the time to comment! XOXO
Thank you for a very wholesome journey — and a very Jupiterian journey, don’t let that very triggering Astro meme let you think otherwise!
Conjunctions with the Sun are not “good” for a Planet in traditional astrology: they become invisible and occulted, are temporarily harder to find in the world— and in doing so, require and underworld journey, in the case of Jupiter to Meaning and Truth. And I think we can classify that as an underworld journey!
Plus the Conjunction was exactly Square Saturn, so it presents as an examination. And Neptune… which means magic and unseen forces are pulling the strings 👏🏻
Thank you, Isaac! I think I understand... :) It's so interesting - I can feel things happening, and it's usually in retrospect that I get confirmation via astrology. This month is turning out to be a doozy, as you wise astrologers have all predicted.
Appreciate you reading and weighing in with your knowledge! XO
Love this added astro perspective even though as usual it goes over my head - pun intended.
LOL
I'm a space cadet... ;)
Same!! :)
Oh Barbara, I have SO many things to tell you about in response to this post. I'm so grateful to Mary for introducing me to you. And I think this post on the Medicine Cards was the first to draw you to me, so I'll leave you with it as a teaser until after my dance class: https://thirdparadigm.substack.com/p/grouse-and-dragonfly
Just left a comment on your post! Thanks for sharing. XO
Firstly, I want to reflect to you Barbara, that you are a magical presence. 🧚♀️
A gentle embodiment of wisdom and humility combined with curiosity and creativity. It's no wonder these beautiful messages you share with your readers will only expand perception, deepen understanding and open us to the loving mystery of life. Where deer flies and pain have their part in the larger orchestration. (Not to mention brutal heat-waves (ugh).)
So much is coming up to be released now. Trusting that - especially when it comes with pain - is so essential.
Extraordinary time of healing and moving beyond previous versions of ourselves. The pace is only quickening. I'm sure you notice. Resistance is futile - we will grow or suffer.
It occurred to me reading this that the power of re-contextualizing experience in a way that moves us from victim to the receiver of a gift is, alchemy.
(You won't be shocked to know the latest piece I'm writing is called 'I Don't Know.' Which of course opens us to new ways of knowing. Will I publish it? I really don't know, but so often the writing is not about that.)
I'm glad you turned the corner, found your allies to assist, and grew your magic. Mostly I'm grateful (selfishly) that you shared this. May you be delighted by the greater-magic surely headed your way. 🪄XOX
So well said, Kathleen! I was just about to come in here and say how Barbara attracts magical things because she is magical herself. But youve said all so eloquently here. And I second every word of it. Witchy women in their crone years have more wisdom and magic than centuries of philosophers combined. It’s the knowing through the heart that taps into the remembering of all existence instead of just a simple understanding in the mind. Love love love.
What a lovely bunch, in this room, like a bouquet...
Tonika, Little Crone is blushing from all of your kind words. I feel like a weird combination of still a child at heart and finally letting my Crone blossom.
Thank you ALL for your generous, kind, and loving comments. I am so honored to have all of you here in this space. Truly. XOXO
I think all my chakras LIT UP just being here today... bit late, but what a cake! ;)
Kathleen, you are in a class by yourself with your beautiful, incredible comments. You inspire all of us. I can't wait to read "I don't Know."
"So much is coming up to be released now." That is definitely true. Sometimes it revisits us a few times before we can finally clear it. Have you noticed that?
Amen to all of this, Ronnie! XOXO
I concur!
Wow. Just wow. Thank you for this kind and loving comment, Kathleen. I'm not sure if you know who Asia Suler is, but you would love her writing. Anyway, she once said that she saves special comments and emails from readers that remind her why she writes and shares so much of herself out there in the sometimes scary world (my words, not hers). She calls them Love Notes and keeps them on her computer. Well, I started doing that, and the first thing I did was copy and paste your comment to go into my Love Notes folder. So, thank you for the Love.
I'm seriously beginning to think that we were sitting around the proverbial reincarnation table (I like to picture it like Arthur's table) together, maybe rolling our eyes, maybe laughing, maybe crying at what was to come to pass in this lifetime. In the past five years or so, I have started meeting friends who I have no doubt are soul sisters (and one brother) who were sitting at that table too. Even though we've never met "in person" feels like we might be soul family.
I hope you do publish "I Don't Know." I find that the ones I think I should maybe hold back turn out to be the ones that resonate deeply with readers. And, isn't that the point?
Much Love to you, dear Kathleen. Thank you for your beautiful comment. XOXO
And yes...holy WOW about the quickening...
I don't know who Asia Suler is - love her name! - but I will look into her writings and I love the Love Notes idea. And, I'm honored. (Margaret Anna Alice is also very good at keeping comments.)
That image of a roundtable (of course Arthur's given Merlin connection :-) ) feels right to me. I've had similar thoughts and it's a comforting perspective isn't it? There is a place we reside where all of this is No Big Deal. We're in on it! Which happens to be the sub-title to I Don't Know. (Letting Ourselves In On It.)
It's raining and thundering here this morning. A full moon today. So many elements - earthly to celestial - all part of the conspiracy to grow us. (Or provide the stage in which we act that out.)
It's a true gift to meet soul-family members on the adventure. ❤️
Love back to you, Barbara. XOXO
I can't wait to read "No Big Deal: I Don't Know!"
Here is dear Asia: https://asiasuler.com/
She also has a Substack on Motherhood: https://asiasuler.substack.com/
XOXO
I am so glad you're better 💗 I am so glad you found what you found during the process. The Raven card is unreal!!!! 🤣 seriously. Thank you for sharing with us. Magic! All around 💖 I love you. It's 10pm as I am typing 😭 come on September 🤭🤭 xo!!
Thanks for reading, Jamie! Always. You are such a dear heart. And no kidding..September, we await you with open arms!!! 🍂🍂🍂 XO
While I’m sorry you’ve had to process long buried things, I’m so glad for the way you take all these things in as grist for the mill and turn them into wise words. Thank you for awakening to the healer within and for sharing with us.🧚🏻♂️💞
Thank you, Amanda, for always receiving my words with such Grace. I know that was a long one! Yikes. I love you, dear friend. XOXO