A few weeks ago, tired and groggy, I let my dog out for his morning yard time. I went inside and no sooner was my foot on the third step then I heard his barking. It was loud and persistent. I went outside and found him face to face with a groundhog; its sharp front teeth bared and snapping in the direction of my canine friend. "Back Gilly, back" I screamed to no avail. I went for his collar to pull him away from the groundhog but in my morning fog I had forgotten to put it on him. I was frightened that either he or i would be bitten in my attempt to get him away. I dumped a flower pot on top of the poor frightened groundhog, the dirt spilled between my toes ( I was meta/literal-phorically covered in earth) and I was not any more successful in subduing him than I was my own dog. The groundhog was trapped in a corner between the house and a route for a safe escape Gilly barking at the intruder. Somehow I was able to distract Gilly enough for the groundhog to run through a break in the bottom lattice of my deck and out the other side. Off to the other side Gilly ran, the story continues but once the groundhog was gone I went inside shaken and nauseous.
This experience led me to ask the following question in my morning meditation. Why did this happen and what is the message? I asked myself these questions and through the process of inquiry the answers flowed.
1. What does Gilly represent? My pet and friend.
2. What does the groundhog represent? I don’t know
3. What are the attributes of a dog? Loyal, friendly
4. What do dogs like to do? Play, eat, sleep, protect
5. What are the attributes of a groundhog? (after searching the Internet) Clean dens, two entrances or more a main entrance and a peep hole/or escape route. They are Vegetarians and raised by the female. They change dens in the summer and winter.
6. What do groundhogs like to do? Burrow, sleep and eat.
OK so i ask myself what all this has to do with me. An Ah ha moment occurred and here is what she said.
The dog represents my playful side. That part of me that like to eat and sleep and play and protect. The groundhog represents the other side of me that is ready to hibernate and go deep within (my spiritual practices). Groundhog medicine is deep and powerful (this I found out after searching). It goes into the dark and brings to the light. On this day the two met up to show me that i have choices to make.
Every part of our existence is speaking to us on different levels of understanding. Ask, Listen and learn.
