This was originally posted the morning after the election. It has been read more than any post ever. Two airborne visitors, an owl and a hawk, arrived; the owl the day before the election and the hawk this morning. Both stared right at me. I think they were telling me what is next.
Dear Friends,
This is a very strange and profoundly challenging time.
Monday night, Roxanne and I were returning from town and as we turned up our street a huge owl flew directly in front of our car, landed on a tree nearby, and as we stopped, he looked back at us. We have never seen an owl here, though we know they are indigenous.
This morning, in the grips of the election results, I went to make coffee and looked out onto our back porch. A huge hawk was sitting on a chair not 15 feet away looking out at the Jemez mountains and then turned and looked directly at me before flying off. We had never seen anything like this. Indeed, it is the stuff you read in a John Nichols or Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel.
You need to know that I do not generally pay much attention to symbolic messages, but these two sightings, two bookends for the horror of the election results, forced me to pay attention. Roxanne looked online for what these sightings could signify. From the internet, we found this about the owl.
“Many Native American cultures viewed the owl as a totem animal representing wisdom and prophecy. They believed that those who saw owls should take the sightings as a sign to stand back from everyday life and turn inward for wisdom found through being quiet and listening to a person’s inner voice.”
And this about the hawk.
“Hawk is often a messenger from Angels, Devas and the Divine. He signals a time in your life when you need to focus on what’s ahead and prepare for a leadership role. Your global vision is a potent helpmate in this.”
After 18 months of writing to you, I feel I have a responsibility to shed light on what just happened and what might come next, but I honestly can’t think straight and so I will heed the owl’s advice and be mostly silent for now.
What I will say is that this is no time for recriminations, as we who didn’t vote for Trump need each other more than ever. For this moment, I’d say be as compassionate as possible, do as little as possible, say as little as possible, listen hard and look within.
In a few days, we may have more insight and more capacity to see a path. But for now I have only one thought and it has complete possession of my brain: Bernie would have won and won easily, I feel so cheated that I didn’t get the opportunity to vote for him yesterday, and I don’t know what to do or say about that reality.
I keep crying. I feel robbed. Many of you likely feel the same. But it is important not to dwell in our grief for long. There are too many people, plants and animals who need all of us more than ever. It seems an impossible task just now, but the sun came up today, a reminder that life goes on and we have an obligation to ourselves and others to gather ourselves and face our new reality.
The owl would have recommended not even saying that. But something inside said that I must.
Hug someone close to you. I will write again in a day or so when things get a bit clearer.
Paul
Categories: Actions
Thank you and thank you for your work. You did it!
Thank you Carol. But trust me “I” didn’t do it. We did it and the scores of volunteers across the state who were in there calling, canvassing, and contributing money. And just when we thought we might be able to take a bit of time off….Trump wins and we have to urgently gather. Town Hall Meeting Nov 20, 3-5pm at 1420 Cerrillos. Bring friends. We will provide tools and strategies for action. And we need all of us onboard. Thanks so much.
Paul,
This afternoon I spotted a large hawk, also, and near where I walked often for a year lost in thought.
I hope it’s a sign that I will be inspired to fight the trump sham presidency.
I know your efforts have made a major contribution to the NM democratic flip. That’s great.
But I want to direct my efforts to impeding the trump agenda. Any links or advice will be appreciated.
Former Bernie supporter
Please plan on coming to our Nov 20 meeting announced in Saturday’s blog. Meeting will be Nov 20, 3-5pm at 1420 Cerrillos. We will have tools and specific strategies for fighting Trump and for local actions. Thank you for your input and desire to help. We need it. And if you do plan to come on the 20th….bring 5 friends!
I have only recently joined this blog and just read this post. Prior to the election (actually October 11) we heard a commotion from a neighbor’s house. Turned out to be two large hawks “yelling” at an even larger owl in a tree in our neighbor’s front yard. The hawks were apparently trying to get the owl to leave but the owl did not react at all. Not sure how to interpret this symbolically or to relate it to the current political situation. Would have been much clearer to interpret if it were a bald eagle and her nest being threatened by a bear.