A little walk and talk

I went on a walk the other day. I say walk loosely because it was more like a fucking trek, I accidentally walked 7kms and I really didn’t mean to do that. I really felt connected to the earth as I was walking, and something inside of me was telling me to continue to walk.

When I was a kid, I used to spend an immense amount of time outside. I would take my bike and search for bodies of water, always looking for birds or ducks. I liked to take photos of them, and notice the communities they would be sitting in. When I started to grow up, it became harder for me to take the time to go on longer walks or adventures, especially working and being a full time student. I got really disconnected from the earth, and subsequently, myself.

When I started to get into spirituality, I was still a teenager, maybe just at the end of high school. It is easy to fall into false narratives of what spirituality looks like, especially in the realm of toxic positivity and disconnecting from reality. My spiritual practice has been based on learning from those who have shared their wisdom, in many forms, and following my own intuition and inner guide because my body will oftentimes be my grounding force. A meditation practice can look like many things, and it is not just sitting down and breathing deeply for a few minutes. Meditation is a ritual, and we perform rituals with ourselves daily. The way we shower, eat and take care of our bodies is a ritual. The way I feed my cat every morning is a ritual. A lot of things can be granted the label of spiritual, it is really about the intention you put into it. I have been really working on listening to myself, and doing things simply because I enjoy doing them, so I embarked on this trek.

I went down a path that I had been down before, but I kept walking further past where I had previously stopped. I ended up finding beautiful trails, lined with handmade birdhouses and bright notes from past adventurers. I have been feeling deeply connected to birds recently, I see them everywhere. There is a gorgeous hawk that sits by the highway I drive every day, a bright red cardinal that starts each day with me, and countless crows that follow me wherever I go. I was walking down an off-trail path, and I noticed what looked like a portal within the trees. As I walked through, I saw the prettiest blue jay sitting on the edge of the trees, just glistening by the water. I know it seems odd to say that I find peace in animals that are as fleeting as they are comforting, but I see myself in the birds.

I kept walking and eventually got to a main road, and once I realized how far I had gone, I began the trek back. I got a wicked blister on my foot from my new boots, and my legs definitely felt the weight of that adventure later, but my energy was touched in a more positive way than my feet were. The sun was shining, and I met a lovely man walking his cute dogs with sweaters on. It was a longer adventure than I had intended, but I had a great time.

Spirituality is not always buying crystals, investing in “witchy” tools or engaging in spell work. Spirituality is noticing the energy of the planet that connects each of us to her, and embracing that energetic alliance within everything we do. Intention is everything, even if you can only remember to be intentional once a day.

Go on a walk, look for the birds and listen to what they tell you. You might be surprised at their wisdom.

Love always, S