Wise Wonderings

12/05/2024

Beauty in Trauma

We often look only at trauma through a negative lens. How the event changed our (or our animal’s) life for the worse. Thoughts like “we no longer get to do x together” “if that event hadn’t happened then I/we would still be doing x” “things are all so different now and will never be able to go back to where they were before the event”.

I recently connected with one of my cats who had a traumatic event only just a few months ago. We spoke about how she would like to move forward with her new body and how I can best support her in this transition. As we wrapped up her final message was “𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝒷𝑒𝒶𝓊𝓉𝓎 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝓇𝒶𝓊𝓂𝒶”.

What if you flipped the script on how you view a trauma you’ve experienced? What beauty do you see when you change the lens? That event that happened, where are you now that you never could have gotten to without it happening? Maybe you could have gotten there, but maybe you wouldn’t have the support system you have now. Maybe your partnership with your horse needed the breakthrough that came from the event. The chances are you needed to learn or remember something and the universe (as she always does) knew exactly how to help you learn or remember it.

There are no coincidences, but perfectly timed moments to help us along our journey. Things are different now and will never be the same, how beautiful is that? Zelena wants to know, what beauty has come from your trauma?

10/15/2024

A message from your shadow dog/animal:

Wherever you go, I will follow. As without you there is no me. You are my light in a dark world, and I am what grounds you in an ever moving world. Though you may not always be able to see me, I am never far away. Turn to me, and I will always help lead you to the light of day and out of the darkness you find yourself lost in. Know that our connection runs deeper than those of this physical world.

10/02/2024

It can be so hard to firstly find your truth, but secondly to say that truth out loud.

I have never felt more fully myself than when I realized that I can tap into and connect with animals on more than just a surface level. The first time that I connected with an animal and heard and saw messages from them I was blown away. Realizing that this felt so natural and yet so amazed at how perfectly the animal met me where I was to send the messages I needed to hear and see.

As I continued to hone these new (but really actually not new at all) skills I continued to be in awe. I will never not be in awe of animals and how connected they are. Not just to you or I, but to everything. The earth, the universe, the knowledge I (we) have from our current lifetime and past lives, to everything in between all of this.

I feel as though I have been doing this for lifetimes, and with assistance from Felicity Davies and a beautiful session with her I learned that I have been doing this for lifetimes. Our session was so beautiful and so helpful and so many things I didn’t realize I needed at the time.

I will continue to evolve as I continue to learn from these beautiful animals I am so blessed to get to connect with. In this moment, what I am currently realizing and solidifying through connections with my own animals and client animals, is that I need to be comfortable speaking my truth.

So what is my truth?

My truth is that I LOVE connecting with animals on an energetic level. I love connecting with them and sharing messages that your animal has for you. I am SO honored when the animal brings their human into my life to help one or both of them. My truth is that I am able to do this in a way that honors the animals’ messages and their people. I am realizing that as I set forth on this path finding who I am and who my “ideal client” is that it is without a doubt those who know their animals have a deep message(s) for them and they need assistance to connect with those messages. My truth is that I am able to help connect people with their animals on a deeper level than they anticipated or sometimes realized they needed. I love the work that I get to do, as it’s not work but just simply me getting the chance to chat with loads of beautiful souls.

Know that if you feel called to connect with your animal and you’re not “crazy”. That is you hearing a small message from your animal to reach out for all they have to share with you in this moment.

If this speaks to you, send me a message, I’d love to connect with you and your beautiful animal. ♥️✨♥️

09/13/2024

When you ride your horse what are your main focuses? When you finish your ride, where do your priorities lie? Do they lie with your horse, your tack, or you? Who are you riding for? Are you riding for your horse, the world (whether that’s the horse show world or social media), for you, or for both you and your horse?

When riding and working with Val this morning she wanted me to share a message.

It’s great to have goals of your own, but don’t forget where the desire first came from. When did you first fall in love with the animal? When did you first fall in love with the sport? When did you first feel that “I need this to survive”?
Do you even recall these firsts?

When did this all change? Has it changed or do you still do everything for the person you were when you felt/found those firsts?

What is holding you back from being the rider or horse person you so badly desired to be when you felt those firsts??? Someone who wanted to be so beautifully aligned and connected with the horses and beautiful animals around you. Someone who always wanted to put their needs and wants before yours no matter the external pressures.

Val wants to remind you that it’s okay to have ventured away from the path you thought you were going to travel. That it’s all the more beautiful when you realize you’ve veered off course and find the strength to find your way back to the path that your heart and soul wanted from day one. Life is beautiful and holds so many lessons for us. Detours along the way are always for the bigger purpose. Allow yourself the freedom to do what your heart and souls desire most. Spend the extra time grooming your horse. Stop and hangout with your horse in their stall before going out to tack up. If you’re tacking up and “just going through the motions”, stop and ask yourself or them what you really want to do. The voice in your head or the pull in your gut is likely coming from them or your inner child. Hear it, feel it, acknowledge it, and follow where it takes you.

Start a new trend where you do what you and your horse want more than what external pressures tell you what you or they want.

07/26/2024

Message from the Red Fox

Know that you are swift and agile like I. Know you have the ability to wait for the perfect time to move and do as you need. But with this swiftness also comes a knowing of how to wait and be still. Listening and feeling for the when right time to move presents itself. All the patience in the world. All the strength to bring to light that which you need to. And the power to hold onto what serves your current needs best. You allow the world to glance at you in your entirety only when you know they need the boost. But keep the full power of your magic to be more felt than seen. I come to you as a reminder and not as a teacher. As you have all this and more already inside you. See your beauty and feel your power as those on the outside see and feel you.

07/05/2024

I’m so thankful to live in a land so vast, so beautiful, with so few limitations. Where we are free to do as we please, dream as big as we can, chase whatever career we feel called to, and wander down any path we wish.

Happy Fourth of July everyone 🇺🇸

07/02/2024

Sunday morning’s meditation brought even more powerful messages, however this time they came from an unexpected source. Mother Earth the land herself. We walked around collecting rocks that called to us. Messages came in waves as I walked around allowing the earth to guide my feet to the places I needed to be.

As I walked past a hill I suddenly had the thought “there’s a rock up there that needs me.” So I wandered up the hill allowing my heart to be pulled to the rock that needed me. I stopped with a large round orange rock at my feet. I suddenly had a small battle within me trying to know if she was the one I needed or not. Then clear as day I got “I represent the weight of the world in which you place on yourself. The weight in which needs to be released. Yes, I am your rock, but I will not go forward with you. You are going to release me back into the world.” So I picked her up and brought her with me.

We then needed to name all of our rocks and then stack only 5 of them. 𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒔𝒉 (my big orange rock) and 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆 both grew roots and made it clear I was not to use them. 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝑨𝒃𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆 and 𝑷𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 guided me to stack them in an order that I knew I needed. A way, upon reflecting back, that I came to realize is vital to my current path and set of life lessons. Love being the roots that I stand up one to move through every moment, connection, and lesson. Grace being the next rock up. She is what I currently struggle with. Ironically (or not so much) I struggled to stack/balance the next three rocks. I only was able to as I allowed myself more grace knowing what I am, can be, will be, and all between is perfect exactly as I am in that moment.

As I wrapped up the meditation and connection I found myself trying to “protect” my rocks and space from intrusion from the ants around us. I found it amazing how I quickly found myself protective of the lessons attached to the rocks in front of me. The message “it’s okay to allow others in to view, understand, learn from, and appreciate.” That’s when I stopped worrying about myself, rocks, and space with the ants.

As I packed up Grace and Abundance let me know that they had more to give me and wanted to travel home with me. However, Relinquish got a good quick fling over the edge. Where she rolled downhill releasing all the ties I had to her and her messages, and rolled into place along the path down below taking her place in the world where she belonged all along.

Since returning home I have shared pieces of my trip. Sitting with the larger moments and messages. Knowing that all I’m ready for in this moment will present themselves and those I’m not ready for will come in due time. Here I am open, ready, grateful, willing, and soaking into all the magic presented over 3 days of pure magic in Arizona.

07/01/2024

Saturday evening at sunset we ventured out to finish the day with a meditation up on a ridge. Once again I connected with my spirit guide and received beautiful gifts and messages from him. The messages that came to me and left massive waves in the most beautiful way were those that came to me from my horse in the wild herd I had connected to earlier in the day.

“Your horse wants you to know your unknown is beautiful.” ~Spirit guide

“Not knowing where you’re going is perfectly fine. It is more than fine, it is beautiful and perfect and exactly where you’re meant to be. Your power is seeing beauty in all things. Beauty is in forgiveness. Not to be forgotten, but to be released from your grasp, your field, your mind, your body, your whole you. Taking only the best you forward. Allowing the past to stay and live where she was born. To visit as needed, but to not be grasped with all your strength. Know you can and will do this. That you have done this. With me by your side all is possible. All is achievable. All is known. All is doable. Bring forward only that which helps you, lifts you up, fills your soul. All you need is within your reach, all you need is to ask.” ~ Stallion

Beautifully and kindly reminding me that I have the strength within myself. But to know that I can (and should) seek assistance when my strength is low. That in doing so is not giving away my power or magic, but helping fuel or boost it when my spark is dwindling.

06/30/2024

When I walked up, scanned, felt into the herd, and opened myself up to any one particular horse who felt called to connect to me I found myself drawn to a bay stallion. He was quite plain and unassuming at first, but the more you (more like me) looked at him, felt into him, and took in all he had to offer the more you realized how much he had to offer. Beauty, Grace, Tranquility, Confidence, Peace, and Strength.

As I tuned into him and what messages he had for me I realized something. As I stood there looking out at him I slowly noticed a reflection, a mirror, a return of all that I was seeing and feeling from him. He was standing there sending back to me everything that I saw and felt in him. “I am as you are.” “You are because of me. And I am because of you.”

He shared with me how we have been connected in past lives and that our souls will forever be connected. In times that they are not physically close they will always find a way to connect, even if only briefly. To remind us of the lessons we have learned in the past and to give us the strength to learn the new lessons we are meant to in this current life.

He then brought forward my herd from home and gave me a new lens to look through when seeing them. How they all embody a larger lesson learned in past moments together, or a lesson needed to learn carried forward from the past. Giving me a new love, appreciation, and gratitude for my herd.

His and my life have always been intertwined with one another. But we have always supported, loved, taught, and protected one another. Whether that was hand in hand or from a distance. He reminded me of my own strength, beauty, power, grace, and magic. Things that became an underlying theme for the rest of the weekend.

06/29/2024

Saturday morning came quickly but with such a beautiful sense of calmness. I didn’t know what the day held other than just pure connected energetic magic.

It didn’t take us long to find a band of horsss hanging out in the river enjoying a peaceful morning bite. Our small group of ladies hung out on the outskirts of their group. Quietly just enjoying being in their presence. Soaking in the more simple messages of peace, security, enjoyment of the small things, and love of a group that holds your best interest at heart. When the last of our group soaked in these messages they kindly asked us to move along. While doing so bringing forward the message of realizing you do not need to cling to one moment or message beyond its own purest moment. That it is good to continue moving forward looking for the next lesson, message, or moment that captures your heart.

If you stay stuck in one moment afraid to move forward because of what you might possibly miss from this place, you run the risk of losing out on even bigger magic in the next moment. This was the first larger message I received from the next herd of beautiful horses that we came to. A herd that was clearly much more established than the last. When I tuned into some more messages from this group this is what stood out to me.

At first you grow with the protection of your mother and family. But then you grow up and flee the nest. In this stage of life you band together with others of like mindedness. You just saw this previous era with the last group. Some new to the era, and some ready to phase out and move into the next. Which is where we stand now. Members like family, and members who are family, but all loved and needed the same. All of us serving a purpose for the larger collective, and each of us supporting one another with what the other offers the collective.

Stand strong in the moving waters around you. Take peace in knowing that your herd is here to support you as you navigate these new waters. Knowing that as you gain your strength you will begin to help those who are just starting out in this new phase that is now old for you. Give grace to yourself and others as you navigate new waters. Glean from others up stream that you can and will make it through to the next stage. Take a helping hand when being offered, but not allowing it to become a crutch for you.

We are all here to serve a purpose and to add our own flair to life as others see it. Send and receive support as time, life, and the moment all call appropriate.

06/28/2024

I just returned home earlier this week from a 3 day weekend away in Arizona. Spent with wonderful women and the horses of Salt River. Coming at you is my first round of reflections from the messages sent my way while I was there. This will be presented slowly in pieces over the next few days. ♥️✨♥️

Have you ever walked into a space, an area, or place and instantly felt a strong sense of being home, even though you have never been there before? I know I have. I’ve had this happen a few times in the past. The most recent happening when I visited Arizona. I had such an overwhelming sense of coming home it was so beautiful. The first night there in our meditation I connected with not only the land but also my ancestors. Their love, support, strength, wisdom, and guidance surrounded me wrapped me in a warm embrace, and welcomed me back home. A more beautiful, powerful, or loving homecoming I have never felt before.

In this meditation I set the intentions to find the lessons I’m currently working through. Where I need support most. What I am looking for. And to learn how to connect with the land in a new and more supportive way. I never know what the universe, my spirit guides, or the animals I connect with have in store for me. I 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 that part of all this work. However, what they all had in store for me over the weekend spent in Arizona was beyond anything I could have imagined.

In this first meditation they came forward with the purest of intentions and the deepest love and support for me. They allowed me to see where I came from (the land in which I sat on). They helped me see a new spirit guide that has been with me all along, but not ready to see and receive from him until then. They helped me connect with my late father more purely and closely than I ever have before. Lastly they gave me a small sense/preview of the magic that was to unfold over the coming days.

Such a sense of calm, peace, or gratitude I have never felt in the way they came to me in this first evening. Leaving me fully supported and yet so excitedly on the edge of my seat for what was to come.

06/11/2024

It’s show season. Majority of the horse community is showing, planning to show, wants to show, wishes to show, or misses showing.

Here’s my take on horse showing from both a rider and animal communicator.

First I ask you this…

What is YOUR favorite part of showing? What is the biggest push for YOU to show? What are YOUR goals or plans when it comes to showing/each individual show?

Now I ask you this…

What is your HORSE’S favorite part of showing? What is the biggest push for your HORSE to show? What are your HORSE’S goals or plans when it comes to showing/each individual show?

As a rider/trainer I used to say the phrase “I just want good rounds to continue our education from home in a new setting”. But then ignore signals of my horse or client’s horse being overwhelmed or anxious and just say that “it will get better with more seasons”. But will it? Why can’t we address that this season and this moment? Why does our horse have to be okay and not show any signs of anxiety, being overwhelmed, or doing something they’re not mentally or physically ready for? Why can’t we allow them the time and space to express this? Why must we tell them to shove down what they’re feeling, but then turn around to a young kid or first time adult amateur and tell them everything will be okay and just breathe and all the validating phrases we tell those newer riders?

Riders and trainers are quick to say that they are only there for good experiences for their green horse and that they just want them to do the same at the show as at home. However, when it comes down to it often times get bummed with a placing. Will fluff their placings telling you they got third place, but neglect to say that it was a class of three. Will be annoyed that their horse kicked out, stopped, spooked, or something else while on course because they were having difficulty dealing with the stress of all the show parts. They will expect their horse to stand in the hot sun for hours on end, fully tacked with their rider on their back and expect them to do so quietly without any breaks or “naughty” behavior. But yet the trainer yells at the kids for doing just that when at home.

So how can we look at and approach all of this differently?

I am so thankful to have gotten my younger mare Val when I did. She has helped me learn how to bring to light my wants and desires while keeping her wants and desires at the forefront as well. Keeping me honest and humble. How I show today is loads different than I how showed years ago with my girl Luna.

I get to the show sooner and allow her all the time she needs to take in the sights and feelings around her. When she (mind and body) takes a breath I slowly tack her up. Going out for our first schooling at the show is not much different than any other day at home. We stroll for 5 or more minutes until she again takes a breath both mind and body, and lets me know she’s ready to think about working. Then we slowly move through our trot and canter gaits. Allowing her to stretch, breathe, and relax before “doing the hard work”. Then we spend no more than 10-15 minutes in the hard work with plenty of breaks letting her mind and body rest and focus on what we want. When we’re done we stroll around and hangout for a bit until she says she’s ready to go back and be put away.

Day of the show I do the same routine when riding her. Choosing the quietest times to school the show ring as I can and only getting on when I know our time is near.

When our show day classes are proposed to take 20 minutes each but end up closer to an hour each, what do I do? I get off my horse. I allow her to graze (yes with her show bit, bridle, boots, etc all still on). I loosen the girth and allow her back, belly, and barrel to breathe. I tell her how good she is. Take her to a shady spot. Socialize with other people (horses included!). I take her away from all the commotion if it begins to be too much for her. On really hot or particularly long days I offer her water. I give her body scratches and tell her how awesome she is (she has a particular fondness for this part).

The key here…
I allow her to be a horse as much as possible.
I do as much at the show as I can that I do at home.
I bring as many of her favorite things into play when at shows.
When she has a “green baby” moment, or her nerves get the best of her when in the arena I laugh it off, take a breath, and move on without holding it over her.

I always make time for cuddles, scratches, good girls, moments to quiet our mind and body to connect and just be, and tell her how much I appreciate her. This is a VITAL part to every day of the show.

A consistent theme in things client’s animals like are “the little moments together”. So don’t forget to pack these “little moments” from home into all the show things you’re packing as well. I promise you, your horse will appreciate it more than you realize.

06/03/2024

It’s the start of a new month. Another fresh start and another moment to pause and look back. I got my new oracle deck “The Oracle of the Sacred Horse” in the mail. So I pulled her out and flipped through her. The card that called to me was the “Elder Mother” card. I read through her pages and man did she hit home.

Then I decided to pour a glass of wine and reflect on my card. What glass called me? None other than the glass given to me by one of the most influential people/women in my life, Laura Gentle. She was always kind, always listening, always looking to better her knowledge and abilities to help horses and their humans, and always so incredibly intuitive. She helped me find my voice. Helped me hear Luna’s. And taught me so incredibly much about nutrition, horsemanship, and so much more regarding horses and life.

What do Laura and the Elder Mother have in common? They both came to me at a moment in my life when I was/am going through a transition.

Elder Mother speaks about sadness, transition, and regeneration being your current season. Through that she speaks about how she offers wisdom and protection for you through this season. But that she wants you to know you’re not alone through this journey. She offers you support and strength while you shed people and normalcies of your old life and season. She sees you in your sadness and isolation, but then she offers you understanding as you send love, goodbyes, and kindness to those (both people and situations) that no longer support, build you up, understand, or encourage you to reach for the next beautiful chapter.

So much of this resonates with me. People who I thought were permanent members of my herd have moved on for greener pastures. And yet at the same time members from other herds have found their way to me in the most beautiful, supportive, and unexpected ways.

My take away from both Laura and Elder Mother in this moment are these:
Sadness comes both at the close and opening of a chapter. It is not just okay, but needed to feel as you move through chapters.
Transition is only doable with love, kindness, and goodbyes to not only the last chapter but also to the people who choose to not move forward with you into the new chapter.
Regeneration is so beautiful and necessary. It doesn’t mean to start over totally new, but to bring new light, love, and compassion to your current life/chapter.
Because of Laura and the nature of who I am, I will forever continue to learn, seek new information, spread love, seek for the best ways I can help horses and their humans, and be unapologetically myself.

Cheers to a new season, a new chapter being fully and completely supported by myself and new herd, and so many new and beautiful souls entering my life on a daily basis.

05/05/2024

This was a fun session. So much gratitude for Guided Voice and her beautiful girl Maisy. ♥️✨♥️

This month’s featured creature is one of my own, Maisy, aka “the Golden Compass” My wanderer and seeker.

“Stay true to yourself while you continue to learn and grow. Be supportive but unapologetic of who you are. ” Maisy’s underlying core message was that she helps others see the value in who they are, their worthiness, and their strengths, and to help the voiceless find their voice.

Her messages came to me through Sonja Arnold with Wise Wonderings. We had such a light hearted and validating chat together and I felt called to share some of the messages.

Maisy expressed through Sonja that she was here to help me stay true to myself, to stay curious in my thirst for knowledge, but to not overlook the balance of ‘being’ and ‘seeking.’

She shared with Sonja her desire to have fun, to adventure and to remind me to laugh and play. “When you laugh, the world laughs with you… the world takes a breath.” What Sonja didn’t know before she connected with Maisy is that I call her my Golden Compass because she is a wanderer and she ALWAYS alerts me when there is disruption in energy around us. She will be the one to notice a rabbit who is hiding in a bush, a turtle in the tall grass, a horse being chased, a bird falling from its nest. She has an innate attunement to the emotional status of other beings. She will seek out children who need a friend, she will find the most nervous person and comfort them, she will soften the aggressive dog, and she’s a playful queen… she’s really quite amazing.

When I first asked Sonja if she’d like to trade services, she said she was nervous because I had always been someone she was guided by, but I am a firm believer that everyone has something to offer and I’m so glad she believed in herself! Sonja took my self-paced communication course, as well as Felicity Davies Intuitive Equestrian program to help her discover her own gifts, and while innately talented, is at the beginning of her beautiful journey. I told Sonja that whoever came forward, they’d be the perfect fit to guide her, and shortly after Maisy asked if it could be her. I’d never asked anyone to talk to Maisy before so I thought, of course! The only specific question I had for her was about her fear of thunderstorms and why she chose me as her person.

I asked about Maisy’s fear of thunderstorms because Maisy asked me to. I asked about why she came to me because I wanted to know for myself. I already had an idea of why Maisy was scared of storms, because I was there when it happened, but since Maisy asked me to ask her, I decided there was something I didn’t know and I’d be open to any additional information.

“Maybe before she came to you she was alone somewhere, because I see her alone in the dark, on cement, and the thunder is so loud it’s shaking her to her core. She feels trapped and she feels alone.”

As Sonja was recounting this memory for me, I couldn’t help but smile ear to ear with tears in my eyes as I started to realize the beauty of what Maisy was offering to her.. to both of us.

What Sonja didn’t know is that this exact scenario happened three years ago when we got ‘trapped’ in our barn from a pop up MASSIVE storm. I put Maisy in my tack room (cement floor) so that she’d “feel safe” (haha another lesson in not thinking we know what’s best for others) while I took care of the horses, it was dark because we lost power, and the storm was so big it was shaking the barn and even the ground. I already knew this is what started her anxiety, because she didn’t have it before….

What I didn’t know is that her soul’s journey in life is that she helps others see the value in who they are, their worthiness, and their strengths, and to help the voiceless find their voice. She knew going into the conversation that Sonja needed some concrete evidence that she was on the right path, so she gave me a question to ask her that would remind her that she’s exactly where she needs to be! I always feel that I gain just as much from my conversations with animals as my clients do, and here it was happening in front of me in reverse, I was BEAMING with gratitude!!
Lastly, Sonja was guided to pull some oracle cards for me which unbeknownst to her had such deep messages and validation for me regarding where I’m at in my own journey. I received validation that I am providing spiritual growth for others just by being who I am, that I am being guided to step out of the shadows and become a beacon for others to shine their own light.

Where you believe blessings are, blessings will be.

I have always struggled with the fear of overshadowing others, because I know how strong my intuition is. I’ve also been someone in the past who puts mentors on a pedestal and forgets that I have my own contribution that’s just as important. I’ve made it a point to remind my students not to forget the value of their beauty and contributions. The day I forget to be humble is the day I have lost myself. This conversation was such a beautiful reminder that we all walk together, we all have something to offer, and that one light cannot outshine another, they shine side by side illuminating the parts that our own light hasn’t yet reached.

Thanks for the wisdom, Maisy!
Find my classes here: guided-voice.com
Find Sonja on FB: Wise Wonderings