Loons As Divine Messengers and Emissaries of Future Pull
How do I begin to explain that a loon was my teacher for three months this summer? During the previous three summers, I befriended Nature by sleeping in my tent surrounded by trees, boulders, and the unending night sky. I leaned to trust in the night and the darkness and the innate friendliness of the earth beneath my body.
This summer and fall my assignment in apprenticing to pleasure and leisure continued, and my venue became the lake and the solitary loon was my Future Pull call. Instead of delighting in the chaotic dance of the nightly fireflies and the endlessly changing night sky, I was attracted to the fluidity of the clouds and the changing rhythm of the water. My body relaxed and I felt the resurgence of water, air, fire, and earth within me. Depth beckoned my heart and mind.
Although I have written about how people often serve as representatives of Future Pull for one another, I had not included animals even though I often consult the Native American Animal Medicine cards for meaning when birds or animals cross my path. This summer I grew bolder and described Future Pull as God’s Call as well as a frequency.
A lone loon picked me up during the last week of June as I settled into the cozy purple cottage at Camp Etna in Etna, Maine . I spotted him earlier when I heard his haunting call. Then he disappeared. Just before I swam to shore, he surprised me by coming up in back of me and swam about four feet in front of me and stopped, turned around, looked me directly into my eyes, fluffed his wings and exposed his ample underbelly.
I wanted to clap my hands in glee, but I felt mesmerized and beyond expression. When my rapidly beating heart slowed down, I knew in my bones that we had become forever friend in an instant. When I recovered momentum and stepped out of the lake, I waved to my new friend and shouted; “I’ll be back to swim with you tomorrow.” All night I heard loon calls and although I was tempted to get up and walk down the long, dirt path and over the railroad tracks to the lake, I resisted my impulse.
The next day I looked up the meaning of loon is the Native American Medicine card deck and discovered that loons are symbols of peace, harmony, generosity and they are also considered to be Divine Messengers.
Some days he appeared as if waiting for me; other days I vigilantly scanned the lake for him. Mostly, he appeared when I was concentrating on something else: the yellow and white lotuses, the cloud patterns, a fish jumping nearby, a heron outlined against the tall trees, or two adult eagle flying in circles over my head.
Many days we swam together uninterrupted for at least a couple of hours. He always settled about two arms lengths on my right side. When I slowed down, he followed. When I sped up, he matched my rhythm. Some days he swam up behind me and surprised me moments before I headed for shore. Always, I prolonged my swim. At times, I pushed myself to be loon friendly although my finger nails were purple.
No thoughts, or things to remember to do, or even fantasies. I joked to a friend that I enjoyed more one to one time with my loon friend than many partners share with one another.
For decades I remember saying, “Trust that all is in perfect Divine order and I tried to live into that multi-dimensional way of living and Being.” My daily adventure with the loon required no trying or planning or even visualizing. In fact, when I energetically made an intention to attract the loon, nothing happened. It was only when I let go of expectations and surrendered to the beauty that surrounded me that the loon arrived. Sometimes he surprised me as I tracked the blue heron that camouflaged itself in the brush near the lily pad garden. Other times he fluttered his wings and alerted me to his presence as I tracked the quartet of eagles flying in circles high over my head. Clearly, I was not in charge of his appearance or disappearance.
One day I did not swim because of the loud thunder and startling lightening. The next day I was surprised when I stepped into the lake at my usual spot and spied a slender loon feather on a nearby rock. I smiled, then cried, and celebrated by doing my version of a loon dance.
When I was not swimming, I enjoyed hammering and chiseling a whale’s tail, out of a 98 pound chunk of industrial sandstone. I smiled as I shook my head and admitted that nobody told me that industrial sandstone had the strength of granite and marble, and my diamond-studded files were useless.
Surrender was the continuing lesson as I chipped away pieces of stone. Each time I used my will and my strength to chip away another layer of stone, instinctively I knew I would be disappointed. When I backed off and listened to the stone or meditated before picking up the hammer and chisel, I was guided.
Once again, being receptive and allowing —rather than trying hard brought pleasure and fulfillment. I felt supported in my continued lessons about patience and precision by the frequent calls of the loons.
Three weeks ago, the loon surprised me with a friend. I was excited for him.All summer he was alone. Not anymore. I nodded to her. She ignored me but continued to swim next to her mate. I wondered how or if we would adjust to being a threesome. No worries. She swam beside her mate as if our friendship was natural. A week later she left his side and swam about two arm lengths away on my left side.I giggled as I imagined these two magnificent birds were my wings and with their help I could fly if I desired.
Last night, September 29th, about three months to the day that I met my loon buddy, I woke up at 2:23 AM. I felt sad because I had not seen my loon friends for the past three days. Then I remembered how joyful I felt on September 26th, when I spotted them swimming towards me. I sang my Hello Loons song loudly and they both flapped their wings as they swam closer, I opened my heart even wider. A feeling of Spaciousness connected us. I felt as if Nature held the three if us in her embrace. Reverence reigned.
As I recalled our last time together, I realized that I had no regrets. I was present. In the same moment, I also understood that I had completed my apprenticeship to pleasure and leisure. I let go of judging myself for the two years it took me to complete the lesson and concentrated on the blessings. I had opened my heart even wider than I imagined was possible. In the process, I reclaimed my inner and outer joy and grace as I surrendered to beauty, co-creation, and Oneness.
The next day Wachian gave me a message from Spirit at Healing Light Church. He said that the loons wanted me to know that they have a fine memory and will remember me when I return in June. Also, he channeled that they invited to remember them by feeling their presence in my heart. Yes, I know how to do that because Radiance resided in my heart. No think, trying or working hard. Simply by remembering grace, I will connect with my friends, messengers of the Divine. For the lessons and the blessings of my friends the loons, I am forever grateful.