Before my bushy-tailed messenger scampered away, his little paws were folded in reverent prayer. A sweet reminder to pray for the world, and give thanks for all the goodness ever present in each waking hour. Stay in the Light...the best is yet to be.
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
The past month, I've missed our sandhill crane family and thought the long-legged stately birds had moved on to greener pastures. They are the fourth generation of cranes we've watched raise their young. Junior's rust colored heart-shaped mask has finally turned red like his parents.
Early this morning, what joy to watch the soggy trio pick their way through the tall wet weeds and enter through the large gap in the pasture fence. They were back! Soaked feathers from heavy rains, the happy family hungrily pecked at the cracked corn on the pavement. Happy for a little sustenance...
Sandhill cranes are a welcome sign that it's time to participate in the dance of life. Cranes represent creativity and longevity. Sandhills also sound a warning, when a disturbance is in the ethers... Papa lets out a loud raucous call to pause and be vigilant. That's why these prehistoric looking birds are also known for guardianship. They have been around for millions of years.
Remember you are never alone. You have a guardian assigned by God to watch over you. During these times of unprecedented, rapid change, listening to the wisdom offered by our angels is most needed throughout the day. Their messages offer peace, hope, love, and provision. Keep having the faith and try not to be deceived by appearances. The best is yet to be.
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
Sometimes it just takes a sudden thrust to break a bubble of illusion. Mesmerism.
Saturday afternoon's sudden angel push had sent me in a whirl in the Butterfly Garden--moving large mica rocks, statues, benches, stepping stones, and solar garden lite orbs. That labor of love had helped to dispel my tiredness and work off some angst. The more I worked, the more energy I gained, just like my Grandmother always said.
Sunday mid morning, something amusing happened that caught me off guard. My two big feet were planted against the bedroom window as I laid on the bed to look out at the new garden face. Our tabby cat, Hei-Hei, lounged beside me on the bed. My feet on the pillow, and my head propped up on pillows at the foot of the bed. In an upside down position, I could clearly see the garden--grateful for the inspiration and transformation. The view of nature is always healing...and brings peace.
Then it happened... a little heart beat at the window looking in at me.
A bushy gray tail appeared... Two, big curious eyes peered in the bedroom window, looking inside. This friendly young squirrel had climbed up on the rocky window ledge to visit. It was one of those rare moments when time and space fade away... I looked into the bright eyes of this brave little creature. Hei-Hei, surprised to see a squirrel up close, jumped up to get a good look. In a quest for peace, I softly told him how the little squirrel was his brother who came to visit. I spoke softly to the little squirrel as he looked in at us, and then raised his little paw up on the window screen, like a hi-five. A striped tail nervously swished, hesitant about this rare encounter, but the unlikely pair were almost nose to nose in a peaceful exchange that lasted for a minute.
Squirrels are a favorite nature teacher of mine...so many lessons over the years. Lessons on giving and receiving, balancing work and play, preparing for the future, not giving up, breaking through limitations with euphoria.
This little neighbor of ours lives in the tree penthouse by the driveway. God is in the details. He knows the secrets of our hearts and how to mend and to heal. This was the first time a bushy-tailed squirrel climbed up on the rocky window ledge to say hello. Who knows...maybe he was looking for where all the cracked corn and birdseed are stored? Or, maybe the angels used him to crack a big hardheaded nut.
I looked up the symbolism after he climbed back down, returning home to the garden. "Squirrel: Balance your work and play. Prepare for the future, but do not get lost in preparations. Find ways to gather and to gift."
There wasn't time to take a photo in that moment of grace, but this squirrel on-line comes close in capturing the precious moment.
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
Photo: web
Animal-Speak Pocket Guide, Ted Andrews ref.
Yesterday, sitting by the garden a little heart caught my eye--waving high up in the sky.
The last leaf on a spindly vine, the angel message was divine.
Love! Love!. Love! The little heart leaf seemed to say.
A touch of joy. Love stirred the air.
And, when I stepped back what a surprise.
The little heart was naturally framed by a bigger heart formed by the trees. 
I was thankful for the humble angel message that every little act of love brings powerful results. The world needs love now more than ever. Never feel like you are not enough...keep on loving with all you've got. And, just when you feel the need for a boost, angels deliver in amazing ways. Keep having faith. There is more going on than we can perceive with our five senses. Trust and be grateful that you are more than you can presently understand. And, God loves you. Teach only love...
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
Not the best of photos, but a lesson too good to pass up...and an inspiring reminder of that old saying...If nature is your teacher, you will surely learn.
Last week, off in the distance, two strange red tropical flowers caught my eye. Oddly out of place, I wondered where the unlikely pair had come from? Turns out the flowers had bloomed from the large pot in the Butterfly Garden, a good distance away. I felt a tug on my heart as I followed the trail. Long, green tendrils climbed the JOY stake, skipped along the pasture fence, always stretching, hanging on. Then victory! Blooming in the Light.
In looking back, the beautiful plant's new home in the Butterfly Garden this summer wasn't as sunny as the patio where she'd been thriving, but wasn't front and center. And, then with all the rain and cloudy days this fall, I didn't notice the change in stature, or how she was coping/adapting to her relocation.
But in that instant, I got the message. Something I needed. Angels help us to pay attention when a message is coming our way. I'm so thankful for the lesson that bloomed in a surprising way--an unfading memory that clearly demonstrates that where there is a will, there is a way. Love will always make a way. Never give up. Just keep on str-e-tch-ing for the LIGHT with all you've got! And, have faith...the best is yet to be. Victory is assured.
Remember you are never alone...what lessons are unfolding for you...little insights that catch your eye and bring hope and joy to your day. Your angels are with you. Expect wonderful things to happen.
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
Recently this 1991 LOVE Christmas Stamp Ornament caught my eye at the neighborhood flea market... I love sending mail around the world, and was thankful for the reminder to stamp the world with LOVE year-round. To be more like Mother Teresa who said:
I am but a small pencil in the hand of a writing God
who is sending a love letter to the world.
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
A spur of the moment visit to see the wild peacocks looked like a no-show. Elliot and I asked the angels for help. It's still molting season...but just when we were about to give up, a rare and special blessing caught our sight.
This beautiful white peacock...a picture of peace, rested in the warm sunshine near the rehab patio. Content to be during the long, molting season. A new, lacy white, plumage takes time to grow back, ready to fan once again in the budding, glorious spring. This condition isn't permanent... only a phase of renewal.
The spiritual meaning of a white peacock is divine grace, purity, and spiritual awakening. It's magnificent tail represents wholeness, expansion, and authentic self-expression. An encounter with a peacock may signify a time of spiritual transformation. A purposeful shedding of old patterns and beliefs that no longer serve you. A time to let go of the past and embrace a new chapter of life with grace.
The white peacock encourages alignment with your highest truth and purpose. It's important to trust in the process of transformation and renewal...the best is yet to be.
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
God's angels hover near and all about.
His Love surrounds you, of this be sure;
that I will never leave you comfortless.
~A Course in Miracles
Years ago I had a God box. An empty decorative box of lavender bubble bath that had been a birthday gift. A special place to tuck my keepsakes. Old photos, little mementos and prayers. I still have it somewhere...
At the flea market on Wednesday morning, a little blue box caught my eye: GIVE IT TO GOD.
I didn't notice the comforting proverb on the inner lid until I opened the prayer box at home.
SHE IS CLOTHED WITH STRENGTH
AND DIGNITY AND SHE LAUGHS
She laughs without fear of the future... With God as my strength, there is nothing to fear... I needed that reminder. I am never alone and neither are you. There is nothing to fear for God is ever present.
God's angels hover near and all about.
His Love surrounds you, of this be sure;
that I will never leave you comfortless.
~A Course in Miracles
Being a doubting Thomas, early this morning, I followed my ego's advice. Grabbing my camera, I hurried outside in the dark, hoping to recreate yesterday's amazing blessing of light. How a tiny flash bulb had ignited the whole garden, energizing all the solar orbs in the Marian Butterfly Garden.
More light arrived in a morning email from a good friend staying at Jacksonville Beach. Her beautiful photo of the full moon last night was filled with light. A colorful halo encircled the Supermoon and the cross of light beaming in the center. Wow. A heavenly picture of serenity... Moonlight created a silvery path of light in its wake on the sea. Let there be light...
Have a peaceful day, and remember you are never alone. You are in the presence of God's angels...why not welcome these heavenly visitants.
Too dark to tell if I had captured the moment, Elliot suggested using a flash--something I never do--Fumbling in the dark, I found the button to pop open the lid. But the camera button didn't click. I got a BUSY message on the LCD screen. I asked the angels for help, and tried again.
A shaft of bright light shattered the dark! The flash was working!
The garden appeared in bright light..but something even more wonderful happened in the process. That tiny flash of light had ignited all the solar-powered garden lights! The Psalm 91 angel, Mother Mary statue, and yellow butterfly bench were aglow after the flash had faded. Multi-colored garden orbs, twinkling in joyful delight, transformed the garden into a little wonderland, bringing rays of hope into the darkness.
Wow...Who would have thought?! Although the solar orb photos didn't show up in the dark, I welcome the powerful reminder. It only takes a little flash of light to brighten things up in our corner of the world, so keep on shining. The best is yet to be.
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
In looking back many years, this Polaroid photo of our weathered statue of Archangel Uriel, with the mandolin, (taken on November 16, 1998) in Virginia was a treasured keeper. At that time, an inner voice had prompted: Grab the Polaroid camera! Take a picture of Uriel standing among the autumn leaves in the front yard.
"Smile, Uriel!" I kidded, crouching down to snap a photo of the large statue whose name means Light of God.
Eagerly waiting for the Polaroid picture to slowly develop, a pair of bright angel wings of light soon appeared...above Uriel's head! And, a powerful laser beam, a column of light, passed through the reddish brown statue of the mighty angel passing into the earth. Archangel Uriel had come shining through revealing the bigger picture!
And, so it is with us. "Let there be light..."
The Light is always with us, a spark of God, even though not readily seen with physical eyes. It still is.
Archangel Uriel is also known as the Angel of Music and Poetry. Folklore says Uriel
warned Noah of the impending flood. Archangel Uriel helps out during
disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes. We have a dire
need for celestial help at this time in our history.
Loving nature as I do, the following poem has brought me comfort over the years. Whenever my ego looms with fearful whispers of death or fear of any kind in moments of weakness, these words come to mind when I still my mind and remember, restoring peace and harmony.
There is a light in you which cannot die;
whose presence is so holy that the world is sanctified
because of you.
All things that live bring gifts to you,
and offer them in gratitude and gladness
at your feet.
The scent of flowers is their gift to you.
The waves bow down before you
and
the trees extend their arms to shield you from the heat,
and lay their leaves before you on the ground
that you may walk in softness, while the wind sinks to
a whisper round your holy head.
The light in you is what the universe longs to behold.
All living things are still before you,
for they recognize Who walks with you.
The light you carry is their own.
(A Course in Miracles)
If you are struggling in the dark, remember the Light of God shines bright in you. You are a spiritual being of light, forever shining in the Love of God. The best is yet to be. And, keep shining...
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
I want to share this beautiful peace dove with you today. A notecard from a friend in the autumn of 2000. Yesterday, following an angel nudge, it turned up in an old photo album. Finding the 25-year-old note was in divine order, and even more amusing my friend mentioned it in her note. With fresh eyes, the Holy Spirit's sheltering wings shimmer and glow in a shower of radiant hues like a prism in the warm sunlight. May you have peace in your world today. The best is yet to be. A helpful daily prayer is: I am in divine order.
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
"Let there be light!" September 29th is called Michaelmas Day, a holy day set aside to honor Archangel Michael. His name translates to "Who is Like God". He is called Saint Michael in the Christian churches and is the mighty warrior whose light triumphs over the darkness of negativity. Often Saint Michael is depicted with a sword, slaying a dragon. He is the powerful Archangel to invoke in our battles against negative energies. Archangel Michael helps us to find the light within ourselves. He will use his powerful sword to cut away any obstacles holding us back from achieving our God-given purpose.
The patron saint of policemen, soldiers, and small children, he also watches over pilgrims and strangers. He is the fiery warrior, Prince of the Heavenly Armies, who fights for right and justice and gives guidance to all who find themselves in dire straits.
(The Mont-Saint Michel in Normandy, France)
There is a legend that in the late 5th century the Archangel Michael appeared to fishermen on St. Michael's Mount in Normandy, France.
Michael is considered the greatest of all angels in the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic religions. He is known as the Holder of the Keys of Heaven and Chief of the Archangels, Angelic Prince of Israel, and Angel of the Burning Bush.
We can pray to Archangel Michael to help us whenever we find ourselves, fearful, overwhelmed, and alone.
We welcome and thank you, Archangel Michael, for all that you do to help set us free so we can be in service to the Light of God that never fails.
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
(photos from web)
Years ago a giveaway box at the Nature Center was offering old magazines to any takers. I asked the angels for guidance and leafed through the vintage Guideposts and Reader's Digest. Two Christmas issues were keepers. The Little Mermaid wrapping paper taped on one was a remnant from a birthday gift. Ariel, the little mermaid is a reminder to never lose our inner voice.
 | |
Sadly, it appeared a season had passed. Our neighborhood duck flock was missing on Monday. The energy flat, no longer effervescent without their peaceful presence napping on the grassy slope.
Yesterday on our way home a last minute detour by the pond brought good news. I'd hope to see the ducks again, and there they were only this time up close and personal. No longer off in the distance, napping, they were up and at 'em. We couldn't keep from smiling. They showed up with enthusiasm, waddling in tandem toward the car, boldly quacking heartfelt greetings. An answer to a request to share love. Thoughts are things, and I was thankful for the reminder that "Love waits on welcome not on time." Love always makes a way.
I'm finding my thoughts are materializing much faster these days. So it's best to keep them on the bright side--that's where the angels are ready to guide and serve in love.
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
All storks bring a message about delivery--new birth, new beginnings, longevity, and creativity. And, this happy flock was quietly pacing in anticipation of goodies coming. Worth the wait.
Since woodstorks have no voice or song to call their own, communication takes place by bill clapping, body gestures, and dance. This animated performer put on a show, spreading her giant wings to take a bow at the Buttercup Bakery... Buttercups are all about keeping the faith... They are easy maintenance and can adapt anywhere. And, when the woodstorks show up here, I'm reminded to "Suck it up Buttercup... You've got this (with the help of the angels), so wing it." Better days are ahead.
Have a wonderful weekend with your angels. Remember the best is yet to be.
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
And squirrel teaches...to keep a balance in our giving and in our receiving, in play and work. To build a firm foundation to prepare.
By the time I grabbed my camera, his cute repast was done, his stance shifted. He'd let down his bushy tail as if giving her a hug and then turned my way so I could share a photo with you (through the window screen). Squirrels have seasoned my life with playful joy as far back as I can remember. My heaviness suddenly lifted as I realized I'm often a hard nut to crack...but laughter brings comic relief, and is good medicine for the heart. The best is yet to be. Remember you are never alone, "God has given His angels charge over you.. ." Claim the promises in Psalm 91, and watch for amazing results.
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
Sometimes we're attracted to an object without fully realizing why. Then, one day that ordinary something catches our attention, and shines a new light of understanding. That's what happened with this antique doorknob that belonged to my dear grandmother. The old white farmhouse sat empty for years after her passing in the late 1980's. A strong faith-filled woman, Grandma had lived a long, full life. When I inherited her old Singer Sewing machine, I found the pretty glass doorknob in the sewing machine drawer with some other memorabilia. I couldn't exactly place it in the farmhouse. Where had it come from? The antique white splashes of paint were a sign it had a functional place of honor at one time. Although the ornamental knob never fit any of our doors through the years, I held on just the same, tucking it away for safe keeping.
Last month I was searching for something else when there it was. Grandma's forgotten knob turned up in a cabinet of old stuff. Taking a closer look, I held the smooth glass in my hand. Many ornamental layers added depth to the eight-sided doorknob. I wondered why I hadn't noticed the starry flower in the center? Seven petals emanated glorious rays of light in the glass. Seven is the number of perfection, completion. And, I just now learned that eight in the Bible signifies a new beginning, a new order, a new creation...resurrection.
With gratitude, I reflected on my Grandmother's love. She was my loving guardian angel when my life was at the cross-roads. I needed a major overhaul. Her guidance opened a door for me to come up higher. To believe that God's angels are a real influence in our lives, and to walk by faith not by sight. To trust that more was going on than I could presently understand with my physical senses. Without her help, no telling where I'd be today.
In closing, Grandma's door was always the Christ. She loved the Lord. Losing her mother at age 11, she turned to Christ; her toddler's death in an accidental kitchen fire, she turned to Christ. Jesus was always her salvation.
With a fresh uplifting perspective, Grandma's doorknob now shines on my desk like a paperweight. A daily reminder. To open the door to higher consciousness and live and move and have my being in that space. To open the door to the indwelling Christ and abide there in peace and harmony.
During these trying times of celestial speedup when faced with gloom and doom, how comforting to know we are not alone. Our dearly departed loved ones are near... Heavenly help is always available. Nothing can separate us from Divine Love. The best is yet to be.
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
It's often said that when God closes a door, He opens a window. Although things don't always go according to our plans, that doesn't mean that God won't fulfill our desires in some other way. God is in the details.
Last fall's hurricanes stopped the regular muscovy ducks visits to the lake in town. We missed our happy-hearted morning flock but were grateful the lake had been fully restored. To our surprise, a window recently opened in our neighborhood when we took a detour to drive by our neighborhood pond on the way home. Ducks! A large family of eleven were at rest by the pond, a portrait of peace and harmony. Ducks are about emotions--not letting your strong emotions take charge, but to be like a duck and let them roll off of your back like water on a duck's back. Don't ruffle your feathers...but keep on paddling.
Enjoy a cute film-clip of the tribe waddling across the street in tandem at the angel for you website. Out of the blue, it could be an angel reminder to get your ducks in a row...to be ready and well-prepared in advance for something that's going to happen to ensure a smooth experience.
Remember you are never alone. Nothing can ever separate you from the love of God. The best is yet to be.
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
What a surprise to check my email before bedtime. The news on September 11th from SpaceWeather.com featured a Giant Butterfly-Shaped hole in the sun's atmosphere sending a stream of solar wind toward Earth. It could spark geomagnetic storms and auroras around September 14th.
The timing of the email brought to light the current angel theme about butterflies this week, and the final stage of becoming our true Self. And, this giant butterfly formation (hole) in the atmosphere of our sun, the Earth's star our home planet revolves around, year after year, seemed significant angel message to me. A major celestial transformation of epic proportion, if only in symbolism. Winds are about change... And, the Holy Spirit is the wind, the breath of God... beneath our wings.
I welcome the celestial sign that soon we will have wings like a butterfly and fly free, no longer in the cocoon dreaming as a lowly caterpillar...but embraced as a brand new beautiful creature in Christ.
Remember you are never alone. You are in the presence of angels... The best is yet to be.
Let there be light!
Rae Karen
photos: Spaceweather.com
The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he leadeth me beside still waters.
He restoreth my soul.
May we take a moment today to pause and reflect on God's eternal peace and goodness on the anniversary of that shocking day that shook America at its core. May today be a day of prayer for all those who sacrificed their lives to help those in need, and for all the families who lost their loved ones on that tragic morning.
May God's angels enfold our hearts and give us the strength to overcome all obstacles, to come up out of the ashes and rise again in victory.
An angel message came yesterday, a visual image of a little garden that crossed our path seven years ago when house hunting. The home sat up high on a hill in a retirement community. Although the house wasn't a fit, someone had created a lovely little neighborhood garden in the center of the cul-de-sac. A little turf to honor and invite nature. The memory images were so clear in meditation, I wondered, why now?
Curious, Elliot and I took a ride to follow angel guidance because you never know what's up until you do.
I was so glad we listened. At the little cul-de-sac the garden was still there. Pulling up closer, I laughed at the welcome sign. Party Thyme! That was the angel's message. Time to celebrate life! The garden had grown and expanded over the years to become an official Monarch Butterfly Garden. (And, a touch of synchronicity was at play as the morning angel blog was about a butterfly silhouette angled in the light on the Woman in the Garden.)
Looking at the uplifting Party Thyme sign we'd been led to, I felt the touch of an angel. My sweet mother was offering encouragement from the other side. A red carved cardinal was also featured with the crowning butterfly. Whenever one appears. a cardinal is a sign that our departed loved one is near. The wooden red-headed woodpecker pecked at the wood post below Party Thyme, drumming in a new rhythm to life.
God is in the details. And, the angels are His loving representatives, ready to serve.
I got out of the car to look for an angel statue in the garden. There she was... tucked away behind the bushes by a bird bath, not far from the butterfly bench. A loving reminder that although angels are seldom seen rarely does their loving influence go unnoticed when we remain open to receive. Joy, peace, grace, harmony, love...
The veil is thinning...get ready to receive miracles and celebrate life. Party Thyme. More is happening than we can presently understand. Keep having faith and going within...you have everything you need when you seek within and follow the heavenly guidance.
Have a joyful abundant day as you celebrate life with your angels.
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
Today began with sooo much light... Early this morning, I discovered a brown package at our front door. A special delivery! Ha! "Hats off" to the angel who sent the perfect gift at the perfect time. A Turtle Sprints Cap! I laughed, trying it on...one size fits all with a timely message to pick up the pace, all you turtles in the race. The bright yellow tag was a winner: STAND OUT. STOP SWEAT. SOOO LIGHT.
Sooo Light continued to play a winning hand... I went into the office wearing my new Turtle cap. A shaft of bright sunlight added to a lightness of being. Something was up.
My attention was drawn to the Woman in The Garden. (I bought the artwork years ago because the woman appeared to be blending in with the flowers... becoming one with all Life.)
To my delight, a shaft of morning light now translated the Woman among the flowers. Her silhouette appeared to be tenderly holding a butterfly. A butterfly--a wonderful symbol of freedom, and new birth. I turned around looking for a logical explanation. The full-length mirror, on the opposite wall, had cast an angle of light to the portrait creating something new and inspiring. A transformation. The sun's rays on the mirror lit up the butterfly sticker and paper angels with light and a rainbow wing, bringing clarity of vision.
Let there be light... that's my theme for this year. Angels are real. It's most humbling how they translate the ordinary into the most extraordinary-- using whatever we are familiar with to help us understand how much we are truly loved. To keep on keeping on... the best is yet to be. What blesses one, blesses all. May you feel an abundance of God's Love lighting your life today with joy, peace, and love. Keep having faith and welcome God's angels into your world, and expect an abundance of good.
Rae Karen
Last week an angel lesson on communication surfaced in an unexpected and amazing way. Following an angel nudge, Elliot and I went to the lake to share an old loaf of Ezekiel bread with the little fish near the boat ramp. The ducks have moved on, but with bread in hand, it was healing to begin the day in nature.
The lake was calm and clear, a sunny morning. And, the fish were so happy to receive! We pinched off the slices and cast our bread on the water. Hungrily, schools of little minnow and fish the size of my thumb darted for the crumbs, splashing and cavorting...making a pop-ping sound in the water. Soon I saw bubbles, big and small, floating on the lake... I never knew fish blew bubbles to communicate. But, they do...I later learned.
Wanting a photo to share with you, I asked for angel help. Back at home I discovered the angels had delivered a big catch. One big bubble far exceeded my wildest imagination. I can only imagine the angels laughing when I first saw it. I could hardly believe my own eyes. It looked as if people were reflected inside the sunlit bubble. No one else had been around... A closer look sent a zing through me when the photo had been magnified. It was the two of us. Elliot and I were sealed in a happy fish bubble of light. Love is reflected in love... in your giving is your receiving. An unforgettable and humble lesson.
Angel Intelligence at work...
Ask and you shall receive. Now is the time to seek the guidance of the heavenly angels in our lives. The Unseen Realm is more real than the physical. Help is always available, ready to turn on the light. Walk by faith and not by sight. Faith will always see you through...and God is good, through it all.
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
Early this morning an old friend turned up like a calling card. An adult cicada with wings was on the porch step as I stepped out. A cicada always reminds me of childhood days on my grandparents' farm. The cicadas would fly free and leave their original shells stuck to the trunk of the oaks. Fascinated and a bit scary, it took a while to overcome a fear of those sharp clawed prehistoric insects sticking to the past like Halloween decorations. The exterior skeleton shell, right down to those big bulgy eyes, a perfect model of the cicada before breaking out of the slit at the top of its back. 
Although the cicada at the doorstep was lifeless, it was an opportunity to take a closer look at these fascinating insects. She had earned her wings, on her way upward. Her journey had been one of patience and waiting. Spending as much as 17 years underground before digging her way out. And what perseverance to wiggle out of the tiny slit on her back. But it was worth the wait. She spread her newfound wings, breaking free from the past. Graduation. A new creature.
Curious about the timely angel message, I revisited the symbolism: The cicada's presence heralds a stirring of forgotten, childlike joy. (That was a fit.) It can indicate the meeting of someone who will feel like an old friend. A cicada symbolizes a gift, an opportunity, that will be surprising and will touch your heart with happiness. When cicada appears our energy has changed. A signal to come out of our shell and break free of whatever is restricting us. It's now time to share your voice and express yourself authentically.
I'm so thankful for all the angel blessings that come each day. When we make an effort to attune to their loving presence, the angels deliver the right message at the right time at the right place. Messages of hope, peace, love, and joy. Remember you are never alone. God has sent his angels to be with you now and always. Expect the best, and may your day be filled with child-like joy.
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
Cicada ref. Ted Andrews, Animal-Wise
