I slept deeply again last night with dreams I woke up remembering and with them came some clear awarenesses.
A new energy is present in me and in my life as I expose myself to new arenas, new people, and new experiences.
The energy I am experiencing: Movement. Exploration. Possibility.
Yesterday, instead of following my usual gym schedule, I took the day off and was spontaneous with a friend. We had coffee at Creekside in the mountains (not far from where I live), wandered through a crystal shop, drove around talking about where we might live while exploring different neighborhoods, and ended up having an early dinner at a mountain inn.
I’m still not sure where I’ll land.
I can also perceive something else happening: I’m ready for new circles.
New friends.
New faces.
New possibilities.
A chapter is closing, and I can feel myself becoming more available for what comes next.
I’m starting French classes because my sister recently moved to France and is calling it her new home, which means a visit may be in my future. How fun!
In addition, I feel myself being called back into teaching, as well as I can sense myself moving toward the stage again in some capacity.
We’ll see how it unfolds.
The next morning, I woke up and decided not to do my usual meditation practice and instead:
I tended to my dreams.
I wrote.
I sat in the sun.
I breathed the fresh air.
I let myself simply be here.
As I was writing this, Magpie showed up and graced me with her presence.
I have followed Ted Andrews’ teachings about animal symbolism for many years, and his interpretation of Magpie immediately resonated with what I have been experiencing.
Magpie represents, for me, that beautiful balance between contemplation and action—the feminine and masculine, the anima and animus.
There is a time to stop.
To observe.
To listen.
To contemplate from higher ground.
There is a time to swoop.
To act.
To take the risk.
To go after what is ours to create.
Magpie doesn’t seem particularly concerned with the odds; she gives it a go.
She can be feisty and assertive, willing to take on something much larger than herself, and yet, she also takes time to sing, to observe, and to contemplate.
That felt like exactly the message I needed.
I can trust what I’m sensing. Something new is arriving.
I don’t need to know exactly what it is before I begin moving toward it.
Perhaps that is what living from our inner wisdom looks like.
Not endlessly thinking about what comes next.
Not waiting until we know exactly how everything will unfold.
But listening.
And when the moment arrives, swooping.
Be still enough to hear what is calling you and brave enough to follow it.
I think Magpie was simply confirming what I already knew – new energy is arriving.
I’m in the holding space betweenthe closing of one chapter of my life and the opening of another.
The message that keeps coming is to continue to live in the hope of this divine space.
This time feels like holy ground.
As friendships change, and as so many of us prepare for new living situations, new relationships, new seasons, and new ways of navigating the unknown, perhaps we are also being invited to move more consistently into our hearts.
With new friendships.
With language lessons.
With sharing our knowledge.
With meditation and new spiritual communities.
With whatever comes next.
Life continues, and we are all moving through it at our own pace and in our own way.
Maybe that is one of the great invitations of this season:
To learn to live in the unknown and deepen our trust in ourselves and in each other.
I don’t have to lead everyone.
I don’t have to take care of everyone.
I don’t have to know what is best for someone else; they get to know what is best for them.
I get to know what is best for me.
There is freedom in that.
We are all travelers on a road we don’t know where it is going.
The invitation is not to figure it all out, but to stay connected to ourselves, to each other, and to the mystery of what is unfolding.
Life continues in the sacred ground of the messy middle.
I’m excited to be here!
This is what I mean when I talk about heart-centered leadership.
It isn’t about having all the answers or knowing where everyone else should go. It is about becoming quiet enough to hear your own inner wisdom, trusting what you know, and having the courage to act from that place.
Whether we are navigating a personal transition or leading others through change, the invitation is remarkably similar:
Pause. Listen. Get into alignment. Move.
The more connected we are to ourselves, the more fully we can meet the people and circumstances around us; not from fear or the need to control, but from presence, clarity, and trust.
Where are you finding yourself in the messy middle of life?
What is changing, closing, or opening for you?
What is supporting you in staying heart-connected, hopeful, and trusting your own inner wisdom as you navigate what you don’t yet know?
Perhaps there is a Magpie moment waiting for you, too— a moment to stop, listen, contemplate… and then swoop.