Embracing Animal Spirits in the Quest for Solace

As we navigate the ebbs and flows of healing, it's often the unexpected guides that bring us solace and strength. In today's heart-to-heart session, we were privileged to hear from a remarkable Julie Jewels Smoot, a poet whose stirring collection "The Journey Back to Myself: A Book of Healing Poetry, Second Edition" resonates with anyone seeking inner peace. She shared with us "Mighty Blue Heron," a captivating piece that paints her personal encounters with her animal spirit guide, a symbol of resilience and companionship. Through her eloquent words, we're invited to experience the profound moments where nature's beauty intertwines with her path to recovery, reminding us all of the transformative power of connection.

The emotional resonance deepened as our own Julie Jewels Smoot recites "Storm: Mighty Horse" a poignant reflection on her bond with a horse named Storm during a therapeutic riding program. This poem is a touching narrative of vulnerability, companionship, and the unspoken understanding between humans and animals. Her journey, articulated through the rich tapestry of her poetry, offers a glimmer of hope and a testament to the healing power of both nature and nurture. Join us as we explore these heartfelt expressions of struggle, strength, and the beautiful reminder that we're never truly alone on our journey back to ourselves.

Connecting to the beautiful sounds of hand pan.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:52

Hi, today I wanted to read my poem Mighty Blue Heron. The Mighty Blue Heron is my animal spirit guide. It's shown up on my healing path several times and when I was at Artemis Rising at Boulder Crest it showed up when we were kayaking down the Potomac River. And the blue heron showed up a lot on my healing path. So I wanted to read this poem I wrote.

Speaker 1: 1:25

First time I saw you, I was kayaking on a lake. I paddled closer to you to see what you were. You looked prehistoric to me. You were camouflaged on the branch that had fallen into the water. I looked at you and saw how magnificent you are. I paddled even closer to you and you took flight. I watched you fly across the lake with your mighty wings. I noticed the blue feathers you had. I was amazed with your power and beauty. The second time I saw you, I was kayaking down the Potomac River. You moved your head and watched me paddle down the river. I watched you take flight and you flew right past me on the river. Once again, I am in all of your beauty. You helped me to know that I had someone watching out for me and I was not alone on my healing journey. I saw you three more times this past year. You were my spirit guide as I was on a spiritual journey. You let me know that I was not alone. You were present while I was coming home into my body. You helped me to know that I am not alone and reminded me of the beauty that is in nature and in me. You helped me feel safe, to feel. That was my poem Mighty Blue Hair On. And another poem I want to read is Storm. Mighty Horse. Storm was again. I was at Artemis Rising and we went over to a therapeutic writing program and that's where I met Storm. This is the poem I wrote.

Speaker 1: 3:25

I met you one day in June when me and my friends came from the healing retreat I was on. You were in your stall in the barn. I saw how beautiful you were and I was drawn to come meet you. I found that you were a mighty horse whose name is Storm. Your head was covered with a mask because you were hurt. I related to you, since I was used to wearing a mask to protect myself. I saw the beauty that was inside of you through the mask that you were wearing. I came over and started touching you. You loved the attention that I was giving you. We connected on an emotional level that day.

Speaker 1: 4:11

The next time I saw you, I was very emotional from having a challenging day. I came to stand beside you and you put your head over my shoulder. You were there for me and comforted me. You helped me to heal that day by just being a magnificent horse and being my friend. I started crying more and was glad that you were there. You saw into me and provided a safe place for me to feel what I was feeling. That's my poem Storm Mighty Horse, the greatest horse I've ever met. So I wanted to read two of my poems from OF MY POEMS FROM MY BOOK THE JOURNEY BACK TO MYSELF, a BOOK OF HEALING POETRY. That's AVAILABLE ON ITUNES AND AT AMAZON.