Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Thickets

In my last home, there were many hedge- rows and thickets, home to all manner of wildlife. It seems these copses of vegetation have followed me here, to intrude upon my well-ordered garden of peace. It seems I have grown an impenetrable thicket in my mind.

A thicket is defined as a number of trees and shrubs growing close together. Sharp twigs , branches, berry vines with darting, ripping thorns, entangling bindweed vines often reside along with the trees and Shrubs. If a thicket is impenetrable, if I try and try over and over again, to find my way through it...being ripped to shreds, each and every time...

Maybe it would be wiser for me to go around it.

Or, I could cut my way through that thicket. This would be drastic...years and years of growth have gone into these Shrubs, Vines and Trees...making it impossible to see the ground, a home, still, to many creatures.

But in order to rejuvenate this dense pocket of plant matter, the one I cannot barrel my way through, the one where I have run out of strength to try...it is not a bad idea to take the pruning shears, and do some gentle pruning. The trouble is, I cannot see where one Tree begins and another Shrub ends...

The pruning may turn out to be drastic, turning this wooded area into a neatly trimmed park- like setting, a delight to my eye and soul, with merciful, benign order to the intertwining plants.

Last week, I was involved in an insanely trying time, finding myself constantly in the middle of that untrimmed thicket. I do not like to disturb the order of things; if I had my way, I would be in the middle of a well-defined path, the way forward clear. As would most of us.

But Creator has other ideas. Here, in this unbelievable place, I was being stabbed by unsuspecting Vines that suddenly appeared, by branches without leaves that jabbed at my eyes..

So, lately, I have been the recipient of messages from Spirit; I think the belief is that I have better skills than I do at deciphering them, or perhaps I require the practice. The messages do heighten my awareness.

I was visited by Hawk and Snake, last week. Both were involved in a dangerous struggle. Traveling along a mountain- ous stretch of road to visit my family, we were held up by a vehicle that had caught fire. And so, when the traffic resumed, we were part of a long line of cars, going both ways on the narrow highway.

One of the largest Red-tailed Hawks I have ever seen suddenly rose up from the side of the road against the car directly in front of us. He had a very long Snake grasped in his claws...a Snake that was fighting with every bit of his being. The car slowed, its inhabitants shocked, but did not stop. The Bird slid and flapped away from this car; he and the Snake ended up on the road in front of our car. We did stop; and the Hawk, still grasping the struggling Snake, flew directly to my window. I looked deeply into his eyes...and then Snake impaled me with his gaze, as well.

I was awestruck. I felt the World stop and for a small moment I was in a different place. In an instant, I realized this was no ordinary occurrence...and I sent a silent Thank you to the two who were putting their lives at risk to show me their presence, with their kinds' resultant messages.

The Hawk and Snake veered off, into the thickly treed forest, and we continued, the whole episode soon out of sight.

But definitely not out of mind.

Hawk is the visionary of the Air, he holds the key to higher levels of consciousness. He sees the overall view. He reminded me to be very aware of omens and spirit messages. He shows me there is a greater intensity, than before, in the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual forces within me.

Snake...the symbol of transformation and healing...the symbol of Eternity. He is Fire medicine...ever changing, ever moving. Snake tells me my creative forces are awakening; my intuition will sharpen. He tells me I have the ability to experience life willingly...without resistance. He tells me all things are one and all things are created equally.

Both are Protectors, in the meaning of their forms. Both were involved in a life/death struggle. Air and Fire, with the element Air fueling Fire. This struggle the two were involved in puts me right back into my thicket, feeling the awful awareness of it all. And the futility, compared to Life/Death.

Fire in the car accident previous to Hawk and Snake's messages relayed enough inform- ation, put all together, for me to decide how to tackle the present thicket in my life.

I think it needs rejuvenation, I think some of those vines and dead vegetation have to be trimmed completely back, to start again, to transform this area into a place where peace and serenity are once more prevalent.

It is time to cut my losses. It is time to realize there are some parts of this tangled, twisted thicket in my mind that no longer serve...and it is time to do something about it.

In AA, there is a saying...Guard the entrance to your mind.

Some of the overgrown parts of this wooded, dark area will have to be cut...going around this particular mess of vegetation will keep it too close to the forefront. And I no longer want to be involved in this confused snarl of coiled, mixed-up vines and branches.

It is time to sharpen the shears.

16 comments:

  1. Marion, thanks for sharing.

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  2. Anonymous7:02 a.m.

    All too often, the potentially symbolic significance of events in our lives can be dismissed if we chose to, but just in a while something comes along that is so unusual and outlandish that it just can't be ignored! This astonishing experience of yours with the hawk and the snake is surely one such event. I can tell from your writing that you are more open to such messages than most of us are in any case, but here the message itself is saying "don't ignore the message!" Wow. I am sure you are right to give it the significance that you do and that it will help you to find your way out of your mental thicket. I wish you all the very best in your task of pruning.

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  3. Marion,
    I enjoy the grounded and wise metaphors in this post.

    BTW Would you be interested in writing about how and why you became a blogger? There is info about how to participate if you might want to on my space and a link to an article that I wrote.

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  4. What a fantastic privledge to experience all this.

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  5. Sheila, thanks for visiting! I hope you see a tiny light at the end of your move...and that your family has settled as well.

    Simon, thanks for such an inspiring comment.

    Sometimes I wish Creator would just send me a very explicit e-mail!

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  6. Princess, I read your article on your link...it was a wonderful piece of writing! I enjoyed it thoroughly;how accomplished you are! What an insight into your blog you gave me.Thank you!

    Davem, it still makes me swallow hard, as I remember the incident. There were further messages that same day; less startling ones, but upon reflection and research, all fit the equation.

    I find this study of symbols and their significance absolutely amazing the more aware I become.

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  7. Very interesting post,and as always the most inspiring photographs for your posts! :)

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  8. Don't Cut the thicket, don't go around it. Become the thicket. Know what makes it grow like it does. Know how to manage inside of it and then when you are the thicket you let it go. Like the hawk and the snake

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  9. Great post Marion. Thanks for sharing your innermost thoughts and feelings with us. You're a strong woman, I'm sure you'll find your way out of the thicket. It was definitely a sign you seeing the hawk and the snake. The snake was trapped by the hawk in the same way that we sometimes feel trapped by some of the things going on in our lives. The hawk could release the snake if it chose to, just as you have the power to release any negative emotions, feelings or problems and "prune the thicket". Good luck with your pruning Marion.

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  10. Matt,I think choosing the pictures to illustrate my posts is the most exhilarating part, bumping up my creativity and starting the muse...

    Dave,Your comment had me thinking all weekend, lol!I agree in a certain sense;in another, I see rejuvenation that can occur when a dark and dank piece of earth is allowed to breathe and see Sun.

    Kind of like cutting the BS, as a friend of mine would say...

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  11. Naomi, thank you for your very empowering comment. Pruning the vegetation that no longer serves, that hampers forward movement, is the way out.

    I just have to remember not to prune too much. It will entail finding the root of the plant, and following it from there...

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  12. marion,
    WOW.......that is all I can say.
    hugssssssssss

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  13. Thank you, Lorna...glad you enjoyed it!

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  14. Anonymous7:57 p.m.

    I think thickets should be enjoyed and preserved. They are necessary in our lives and in nature. Put the shears away.

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  15. What an amazing moment, your eye contact with both the hawk and the snake. I am glad that it was an answer to some of your questions.

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