It’s a Sign: Connecting to Messages of Deeper Soul Callings
When we are truly present, we are open to symbols and signs sprinkled about that may be messages of deeper connections
—
Have you ever connected to something that unknowingly stirs dormant forces within? It’s like collecting a piece of yourself that you didn’t even know was missing — or a part of a puzzle that fits into the fabric of your life story that suddenly makes sense, even when you don’t necessarily understand why.Are you paying attention, or are you rushing through life…busy, busy, busy?
We all need space to breathe, to experience and to expand. We also need space to sink into nothingness — the quiet lullaby where the soul whispers to us.
And while that sounds poetic, it can also be a place of uncertainty, like climbing into a pitch black cave. So…we find ways to distract ourselves from the discomfort — with a mission: Get through it as quickly as possible.When we look up, slow down and feel into the present moments of our life — our entire experience of this journey shifts and takes new form. I’m not talking about the earth shattering dramatic moments, but rather the hushed, stolen ones that saunter in like a warm breeze enveloping your soul. It’s the space where inspirations take flight, pieces click together…signs show up and symbols reveal significance.Recently, in a small tourist gift shop somewhere across the Atlantic in the Irish countryside, it happened to me. As I quickly scanned the room, the 3-spiraled symbol was everywhere —imprinted upon cards, stones and various items. My symbol.For as long as I can remember, I have doodled spirals in the corners of my journals, notepads and just about anything I ever created — these 3 spirals to be exact (the same in the image here). The spiral is one of the earliest decorative ornaments used in Celtic art. And all the while I thought there was no method to my doodling madness, no significance or meaning.What has my soul been trying to tell me?
BOOM, when I saw ‘my symbol’ all around me, it was a homecoming of sorts. Welcome home, lost piece of the soul puzzle.
Of course, I could have bypassed this. I could have deemed it coincidence, dismissed it, walked on by…or I could have claimed it. I chose the latter.I’ve returned from 10 days of virtually unplugged travel in the lush, green, enchanted countryside of Ireland. I say ‘virtually’ because, if truth be told, I did what I have done many times before — I lugged my computer around with me for the entire trip, never once cracking it open. Before I left, I had declared that I was leaving it behind, but at the last minute, I rose up against my better judgement and shoved it in my carry-on luggage…just in case.I know this about myself: I’m a creature of habit and I like my creature comforts all around me especially when traveling (candle, computer, books, notebook, etc. — check, check, check, check). However, there was no moment when I felt remotely compelled to write, check emails or peruse social media. Fine, intuitive voice, you win. You were right. Memo received.The bulk of this trip was spent within the countryside — and I was too busy walking through fields of green grass, touching rocks, talking to sheep, connecting to sacred geometry, breathing fresh air and quieting my entire nervous system to notice. And it is there within that space that seemingly insignificant things you had previously rushed by, begin to make sense.
Ireland is a country of wide open spaces, where people delight in their ancestry and folklore — where they keep wonder and magic alive. It’s palpable in the air all about, from the ribbons tied on the branches of fairy trees to the tiny fairy houses sprinkled about upon lawns. Once you begin to notice them, you see them everywhere…same goes with life…and our lessons, inspirations and spiritual prods.
Suddenly, when my eyes were open — I began to see this symbol at every turn. I had to learn more. Surprisingly, there is no official meaning associated with the symbol of the Celtic spiral, which is actually wonderful so you can assign your own. It is a trinity of sorts; a beginning, a middle and an ending intertwined. Birth, death, re-birth…aaaah, and who couldn’t sink into that? Another ideation is that it represents creation, growth and the togetherness of all things. I’ll take it all.
Symbols speak the language of the soul.
They assign meaning to feeling, setting us free to take action. W.B. Yeats described the essence of a symbol as, “a transparent lamp about some invisible flame.”We search for signs and symbols to guide us through this human experience. Search no more, they are right before you. You needn’t travel across the ocean in order to access them, to tap into your own wondrous delight. You need only to quiet your being; body, mind and soul…and trust what you hear (and leave your computer behind).And oh how delightful to connect to something within yourself.Yes, it’s a sign. The signs and symbols, the pieces and parts of your glorious story.The best souvenir I’m bringing home is a newly restored sense of listening and observation — and my new totem, a stone imprinted with the 3 spirals. As I sit here at my desk,I smile as I glance up and see it resting on the windowsill. It reminds me to remain curious and open, an observer of life and explorer of deeper meaning…an adventurer seeking my best self.Go forth and collect yours.
—
As always, I love hearing from you and learning how this unfolds in your life. Are you waiting for a sign to take action, to connect to something, to find more meaning — to trust yourself? You’re not alone.