Impeccability and Eagle

As I drifted off to sleep on Friday night, I asked my guides to help me make this long holiday weekend a joyous, peaceful one. Life has been unsettled here lately; it was time to do some pro-active work towards changing my outlook. It was time to do some more practice towards living in the present moment.

I awoke feeling happy...right off the bat. That's a change in itself; usually I wander around for awhile, coffee mug in hand, before I become aware of what mood I'm facing the new day with. But on Saturday morning, I felt buoyant and full of energy. The sun was out, and garden work was calling...but before I ventured outside, we received a call from Jerr (Power Places) and Melissa, who are tying the knot in September. If my spirits hadn't already been high, this call would have made it so...it is one wedding celebration I can't wait to see and experience.

After the call, it was time to work...the petunias, the impatiens and the begonias, all in seedling form, had been waiting patiently for a week in their little pots. It was time to plant. And then the lawn needed to be mowed...the recent warm weather had enabled the grass to grow with great speed, it seemed. And I wanted to use the weed-eater, build the flagstone path, weed behind Lilac...

Wow!

It took awhile before I realized I was moving at terrific speed, not noticing or remembering a thing I did. I forgot to smell the roses. I forgot to just be.

But my body reminded me. When I work, I forget I'm fifty-five...I forget I now have limitations placed on me by hip and leg problems...and I go right back to when I worked in the garden in my fit and young twenties. For a long while, I am not aware of my screaming body; and then I am.

I sat down and watched the sky. It was clear blue with not a cloud or even a wisp in sight. Eagle appeared, lazily circling above me. He drifted lower and lower. I watched, and spoke with him. Not a sound penetrated from the outside world, as I concentrated on Eagle.

And suddenly, very suddenly...a circle of purple light surrounded Eagle. I watched with total awe and gratitude at the beauty inherent in that perfect purple ring that flew with him, staying steady and strong. Eagle flew out of my sight. As I marvelled at what I had seen, still not quite comprehending...he flew back, still circling lazily. And then...there! The purple once again...larger this time, fading off into the blue, blue sky. The bird in the luminous ring of colour circled once again, and then flew from my view.

What an awesome gift!

The next day, Sunday, as I once more gave relief to my aching body by resting on my stoop, I glanced at the sky again. I caught Eagle flying with great speed across the sky...he seemed in an enormous hurry. I wondered why, and then as I watched, another Eagle, flying even faster, flew into my sight, chasing the first. Uh, oh, I thought, the first was never going to outfly the second...I could feel huge intent on the part of the second Eagle. They flew behind Grandfather Tree, continuing the chase far off into the distance, and then the first suddenly turned, back towards me.

It didn't take long before I realized that they were headed, flying very fast, straight towards where I was sitting. The first Eagle, evidently using some dodging motions, ended up very low off the ground, with the second Eagle right upon his tailfeathers. All of it happened very quickly, at enormous speed.

They veered off, in perfect flying formation, not ten feet off the ground, around Grandfather Tree, back to the wide open area. As they passed between the branches, it was as if a pair of jets had whooshed through my backyard. I watched, gaping, as the chase continued until they disappeared behind Grandfather Tree. But I saw the beginnings of a tangle, and as they moved away, I heard a crack...and I am left to wonder what happened, or what dropped from Eagle's talons. It was something the second Eagle felt was his, at any rate.

It was superb show of the strength and power of these two birds. Because Eagle has shown himself to me in so many ways over the last few weeks (my mother even gave me a picture she'd made...Eagle in needlepoint...one I didn't even know she had until she pointed it out), I feel Eagle is sending me messages. He is the spirit messenger, after all, and with all those close encounters and out-of-the-ordinary occurrences...I think I'd better listen.

But listen to what?

According to the website Lin's Domain the Eagle spirit tells me that I must become more than I ever dreamed possible. To not be the best I can be, to spurn impeccability and not use my creative gifts would bring swift repercussions; I have experienced those when I have ignored spirituality...when I have ignored myself.

Shaman Maggie writes on impeccability and what it means. She states..."The hunter chooses to bring sustenance to himself and his people by being the very best hunter he can be. He is willing to accept any challenge he may encounter in that forest with skill, awareness and a sense of anticipation in success ."

The two eagles demon- strated this principle to me in spades. The second Eagle demon- strated authority, impeccability, clear intent and absolutely no fear. He was so intent on retrieving the object the first Eagle had that any danger he faced in doing so became a challenge to be overcome with success.

There are events happening in my life right now that will take skill, awareness and authority to carry through to their completion. My friend Jerr always asks me to consider what I will do with these opportunities or challenges that have presented themselves to me. We all have free will; I can just cover my head and let the world carry on without me, if I want.

Or, as the Eagle has demonstrated, I can move to swift action. I can stand and face the fear...use it to give me strength and awareness and power to complete the tasks that have been given to me.

And in so doing, I will learn more about the Shaman's path, more about impeccability and what it means to me.