Auspicious Animals

Newsletter September 23, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred...

When my stepdad, Mike, diagnosed with terminal cancer, lay on his deathbed, I noticed something beautiful. There was a stoic little green praying mantis perched outside on the front door . It stayed there for the last week of Mike’s life, and was a great source of comfort for our whole family as we visited dutifully day in and day out. A symbol that we were all surrounded by prayer, perhaps? A symbol that nature was feeling the big changes taking place inside?

Have you ever had an auspicious visit from a creature in nature?

Over the course of my life I have seen some truly breathtaking creatures in stunning environments. As a Girl Scout, my troop encountered a mama brown bear with two baby cubs on a hike in the woods. In junior high, I saw several deer on the hill near my school. As a teen I saw a bobcat across the street from my house, who definitely saw me before I saw it!

And yesterday, I had another chance encounter with a beautiful creature while I was gardening. I came across a caterpillar. Not one of those green ones with the light green stripe down the side, but a big furry black caterpillar. And it was fast! It was beautiful and it was moving briskly across my backyard turf.

And you know what- it was extra special as it has a meaningful connection to this time of year. The high holy days are the time of personal change and transformation. And of course the caterpillar’s  journey of metamorphosis into a butterfly is the quintessential symbol of change. It reminds us that even drastic change, is possible.

I mean this little creature crawls meagerly on its belly, shedding its skin several times until one day it perches upside-down on a leaf, becomes encased in a cocoon, and then finally emerges with beautifully colored wings able to fly. (For a fun video on this process, see the video HERE).

Each of us can be like the caterpillar, transforming ourselves every year. So, what transformations do we need to make in this year in terms of our health and family life, in terms of our daily life and political life, in terms of how we relate to one another and community?

This is the season is the season of change— may we emerge in the new year, ready to fly!

This is how we’re #keepingitsacred…

Together, we’re #keepingitsacred...

Rabbi Heather Miller

Founder, Keeping It Sacred

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Thanks for your interest, and thanks for #keepingitsacred...