Signs

This may sound very strange and a little unexpected from a spiritual and female empowerment platform, but this is still a one-woman-show, and this woman had to bury her favourite chicken the other day. 
When I moved back in with my parents a few months ago (bye Bali, hello pandemic!), I took up some chores around their countryside home, including taking care of our family dog and the chickens.


Long story short – my favourite one got pretty sick over a week ago and after a stressful week trying to take care of her (which isn’t very easy considering they are not necessarily pets – even though I like to treat them as such), she passed away on Monday. I’m glad she’s not in pain anymore, of course, but I did get really emotional. In various ways the caring, the concerns and the letting go brought up quite a few triggers. 



But I also smiled. I smiled straight after patting the grass and soil back on the little carved out hole. I smiled because as I turned around to face the farmlands, I stumbled over a black feather. A large one, stuck straight into the soil about a meter away from my precious feathery friend. I picked it up and stuck it next to the stone securing the loose soil in place. 


As I made my way back to our garden fence, I spotted a white butterfly on the side of the greenhouse, sitting there patiently. Waiting for me. It fluttered around me for a little while as I walked back to the house, until I started to smile. It was like the butterfly thought, ‘mission accomplished, off I go’. 

For many years now I have a deal with the Universe. Whenever I need it, wherever I go, if there’s a butterfly around, I know I’m being supported. Lately, the feather-thing has symbolised a somewhat similar sign- that I’m on the right path. I went from 2 to 20 feathers in the last three months. 



I recently read the beautiful work ‘Signs’ by Laura Lynne Jackson, about our connection to ‘the Other side’, or to energies / spirits / guides [depending if and how you feel into this topic]. The book is a collection of stories of people’s experiences with family members and friends who have crossed, as well as useful tools to tap into this ability to connect ourselves. Laura Lynne also makes an appearance on the series Goop Lab on Netflix. 


Feeling into her work made me realise I’m not ‘crazy’. That everything and anything around us is interconnected and there’s so much more to this life than we can perceive on a physical level. A rush of wind when you think of a loved one, a butterfly fluttering past when you feel heavy, a feather in the middle of the road when you’re unsure of a decision… I choose to believe it’s not coincidence or a stroke of luck. I choose to believe in the magic of this Universe. 



I choose to believe my little chicken is running happily again somewhere else. I choose to believe there’s more – and it’s bringing a lot of relief, joy and peace into my life. 


Do you have a sign? If so – in what way does it bring you comfort? If not – what’s one of the first things that come to mind (can be specific or generic) that you’d like to see as a means of a little bit of support?