~ inspired and fantastic, yet fleeting ~
The Firefly contains the light of a thousand stars. It's pure, radiant, and illuminating. This high-frequency charge cannot be sustained for long, therefore the firefly card indicates a moment of inspiration or awakening that quickly fades if we do not catch it. There is Firefly energy behind every poem, song, and invention... our job is to be ready to harness this creative spirit when it graces our path. What can you do to support this precious and elusive light?
when in balance ~ writes, creates, brainstorms
when out of balance ~ burnt out, feels dull
to bring into balance ~ write a poem, draw
Hello friends! :) Welcome to week 19 of our yoga series - exploring this life through the symbolism of the animal kingdom. Each creature represents a different aspect of our human journey, helping us to better understand and connect to our inner and outer worlds. Every 5 weeks in our yoga classes, we cycle through each of the 5 elements (earth, water, fire, air, space) and their respective animals in this card deck.
Last week, the lizard of the fire element reminded us of the importance of retreat. We are sensitive creatures who have an intuitive sixth sense... but sometimes the noise of the world can begin to drain us of our magic. It is necessary to take time for stillness, creativity, and play... so we can just *be*... and then when it is time to return to *doing*, we move with greater efficiency, effectiveness, and joy.
This week, we connect again with the air element, which relates to clarity, movement, communication, breath and life force. The firefly teaches us to to cultivate a greater awareness to ourselves, so that when we ignite with inspiration, we are able to recognize that light and catch it. So often, we are too busy or distracted to take our creative downloads seriously. How might your life change if you were to honor these gifts and act on them?
In a period of stillness... whether that be in meditation, driving, the shower, walking... etc... all of a sudden, as if it weren't even my own thought, in that space, flashes an idea. This feeling is so powerful, my entire body feels ignited and I temporarily forget whatever I was doing, because I'm so enthralled with this "download". And then it begins to fade, and I return to present reality. I guarantee you've experienced this as well.
This flash may come in the form of a creative project, to connect with a particular person, or an act of kindness and service. It could present itself as a new habit to implement, or some other kind of change for your life. It may be a trip you need to take, or the urge to go jump in the ocean. It may be an image of your future or a ripple of your past - an indication to recalibrate or resolve.
There's been so many instances in my life when I experience that flash... and I do nothing about it. I notice, "oh yeah that'd be really cool, but... not realistic, or I don't have the time or the energy or the resources." And that light dies out. And I lose that invitation of magic into my life.
"But I really don't have the time or energy or resources... even if I wanted to act on it!" I totally get that. I feel that way all the time. I often feel like there's SO much I'd like to do, I have so many ideas and dreams, but I just feel incapable. And so it can feel really overwhelming or even bring about feelings of guilt or inadequacy to try and fail to act on every single download. Especially if you're the type of person who experiences them quite often.
There is a remedy to this. The first step is to recognize: you are capable. Just maybe, not right now. I believe that "acting" on a flash can be as simple as acknowledging it as a valuable gift - it's not something to just brush away and forget about with a wry laugh. First, recognize that this burst of inspiration is for a reason (and it's up to you to listen to what that reason is). Recognize the positive surge of energy and vitality you feel from this experience.
When I experience the glow of the firefly, sometimes that glow is telling me "this is something you need to do NOW" and sometimes it's like "hey, wouldn't this be cool? Isn't this a rad idea?". And so, those urgent messages, I should take more seriously, right? "KAT stop spending with that person or add/delete [this thing] from your life or buy a watermelon or go paint right now." Or a moment of sharp clarity "Hey, you're feeling [this way] about [this] and you need to pay attention to it" And with those urgent messages, I try to take them seriously and honor them by taking some time to maybe journal, go on a walk, take the direct action, or in some other way, bring movement into that thought. This way it gains some momentum and becomes more real - it's no longer just an idea.
Sometimes these flashes of inspiration don't even have a quality of words, it's just like an emotion awakens and rushes through your body. This is a wonderful opportunity to translate that energy into writing, poetry, art, music, dance, or any other kind of creative expression (again, bringing movement and physicality into it). This process will help bring clarity to something either in lucid thought or untangle something ineffably... and bonus! You also just created beauty through creative expression! Even if you don't consider yourself a "writer, poet, artist, musician, or dancer" everyone has the ability to create art - you don't need to show anyone... just allow yourself to express and let that energy move. Otherwise it gets stuck or that life-force dies out and retreats back into our subconscious and we miss that doorway into our evolution.
Not to worry, if something is important, it will return. That's why when a flash isn't so urgent, I'm like "yes! awesome! noted!" and when it is the right time, it will be the right time to act further. I often forget about certain ideas and then the firefly lights up again, reminding me of that same message. If you continue to get the same flash over and over, you better listen up ;) And if you "miss" some or "don't have time" or feel too overwhelemed, that is okay too! If it's important, it will return, and eventually, you'll be ready to listen and act on it. Everything happens in divine timing. We are on a journey of learning how to better trust and follow our inner compass - and it takes time.
The firefly card's theme leads rather seamlessly into our upcoming teacher... how do we listen to the guidance that doesn't come forth in a burst of energy? What about those whispers that are difficult to decipher? Next week, the golden egg of the space element has a message for us... a message resting deep within our heart space. Be still. Listen. And like the perfect timing of a hatching egg, this profound message will be revealed.
dream extreme!
♡ kat
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