Blue Heron & Horses

I have been working more regularly with the horses of late. I have taken to walking them down the river. The temperatures are in the mid 30s and it is a great way to exercise in this heat. To tell you the truth, I have little experience with horses and I have been contemplating my relationship with them deeply. I have been in a place of fear so much that my mind actually contemplated finding them a bigger pasture and new homes but when I think of that I know it’s fear. I didn’t want to step into doing something that was unknown and I felt like I didn’t know what to do.

But this morning I was so centered and so able to be slow in my decision making process that I connected with the horses and Chuck showed me that he was ready to go for a walk today. I gave him the love that he so much is and we went on our walk. Yesterday I had taken Bilbo on the very same walk and now Chuck was to take this journey with me.

We got down to the river and there we saw it, 2 Blue Herons. It was magical. I usually see one down at the river and every time I see him/her I hear “patience”. I haven’t cultivated a lot of patience in my life and it is something that I definitely work on. As we both watched with patience the Heron’s left. They are quite recluse and keep a distance but when you see the majesty of their wing span and colouring, there is no mistaking them. They are the epitome of patience, calm, presence, balance, and uniqueness. It was at that point Chuck and I turned around but not before he started pawing the water. He has done this before but I waited patiently to see what it meant having just got a sign from the herons. He then got down and rolled in the water. It was a delight to see and experience. To be that close to Chuck while he rolled in the water and took in the glory of the river, it felt like a new level of trust and relationship. I was so delighted. We haven’t had that experience together….until now.

We then walked down the river and I was working on a boundary issue with him. I feel like he crowds me a bit and I am a little afraid that he will step on me but in his wisdom, he finally understood what I was trying to tell him. I was waiving the reins asking for space and he gave it to me for a moment and then we continued up the river ducking and weaving through the lower branches. We walked over a beaver chewed log and I was so excited that he could do this and in my praise of him…I then heard “Child’s Play”. Chuck is a bit of a show off. I believe he was a roping horse that injured his coffin bone and now he lives with us on the land. The beauty about Chuck is he is a pleaser. He is loved by everyone. He has the personality of a loving friend and confidant. His pleasing gene he overrides at the sake of the health of his own body. Interestingly, he has experienced a shift recently in this area so that he can enjoy the rest of his days without overdoing it to his body by overpleasing. Thank you Divine (which is another story).

Back to the Child’s Play…although I may have interpreted this as his ability to do anything, it was also a cue to play like a child. We are in these years of our life that we are able to play like a child, and why not. We deserve to connect to that inner child and the magic of horses and herons. It was a great lesson in life. With Chuck’s roping injury he was no longer required to work hard, we can make space for “Child’s Play”. And in my journey, I was a really over responsible child parenting everyone and not playing like a child. I think it was the job description of a 1st born to look after the siblings but not anymore.

As we walked up the river we ventured through a neighbor’s property and she is an artist and on a tree was a mobile that she had made. It was beautiful and Chuck stopped to enjoy and sniff it out. He was curious, which made me more observant. To enjoy the art of someone else’s creative journey, it was yet another blessing.

We made our way back to my other neighbour’s property and there is a slight embankment that could be a bit steep so I steered him to take another route, but he stood there and I realized he was urging me to take a step up this hill and I did, so did he. We were working together. Although I was standing in my leadership, managing my thoughts, watching my emotions, I was enjoying his wisdom and guidance as well. It was truly magical and such a blessing that can you imagine that I could have let fear take me in another direction? This is the beauty of awareness, self awareness and the awareness around yourself within others. The wisdom of horses is so simple. We just need to slow down to hear and feel it.

What I would say is that the slow moving empath within me, knows the slow moving empath within horses, blue herons and perhaps all things around me. It is truly a gift to experience this kind of connection that is so respectful, sacred and loving.

Have I always been like this? Heck no. I have had to do a lot of work around learning and understanding the difference between mine and other people/animals feelings. That is the work of the empath, all internal and boundary setting. And as you can see I was still doing it in the physical with Chuck, the work never ends. So as I sat with my shame of not being able to do this very thing when Bilbo came to me 6 years ago, I now have to let it go, and love the shame and know that this is all part of my learning and Bilbo’s, Chuck’s and Dory’s and everyone else. But I can tell you there is no better place to be than to have these magical experiences with animals that are sentient, wise, connected and also have choice.

My question to you would be…How are you experiencing your empathic abilities and are you able to? Can you tell the difference between yours and someone/thing else? Can you read the energy? Do you have enough grace and patience to deepen your connection to yourself and to others that is Divinely part of us? Can you observe your thoughts and emotions and hold them to yourself so you can experience the Divinity of life?

It takes time, practice, and work but it is so worth it. It makes life sweet and all that much more worth living.

Praying for grace for you.

Jackie