Stacey L.L. Couch's Blog, page 13
May 15, 2015
In Memory: Caruso’s Puer Spirit
There is one character in my book Gracious Wild that I didn’t have enough pages to share about. That is the small, sweet chestnut Arabian horse named “Caruso”. The only mention he gets in the book is a brief tellingof our least glamorous moment together when he tripped and I came off of him. Then in the epilogue, I touch onthe heartache of saying goodbye to my friend. I am coming back around full circle to remember my time with him as he passed awayrecently.
Caruso was not the first horse I e...
May 11, 2015
Spirit Animals: EARNEST ELEPHANT
Elephant society is female dominated, what is otherwise known as a matriarchy. Each herd is lead by an elder female who is at once the older sister, the eldest aunt, the mother, and the grandmother. She travels with her sisters and all oftheir offspring. There is a deep sense of community among elephants and they mourn the passing of their loved ones. Maturemales travel alone or in lose bachelor groups. They only join the females during mating.
Elephant symbolism speaks of the...
April 28, 2015
Dreaming the Law of Attraction
With theenormoussurge of studyinto the law of attraction lately, so many people are learning how the act of dreaming can attract what theydesire. Some teachers and coachesfocus their entire practiceon teaching this one mystical law. It’s effects are that fascinating and mind boggling. Anyone who’s wished for something big and had it come to pass knows what I’m talking about. Understanding this onelaw of the universe does help us get closer to co-creating our reality, but some things don’t alw...
April 10, 2015
Spirit Animals: DARING DRAGONFLY
Dragonfly symbology is intimately linked with the ability to move quickly and swiftly in all directions. Like hummingbird, dragonfly isan agile flyer that can hover, go up or down, forward or backward, and left or right. This speaks of an ability to encompass all seven directions of the medicine wheel. He also has four different styles of flight from gliding to speeding through the air.
When studying the meaning of dragonfly, be sure to examine your own agility. Ar...
April 2, 2015
The Legend of Purity of Heart
As a child I harbored secret fantasies about horses. Standing in the Colorado State Fair stable with the gigantic nose of a Budweiser Clydesdale cradled in my small hands was pure bliss. There was a precious brief moment where I could just enter, enter into the experience of equine. Nothing came between us. The gentle gelding’s eyes smiled at me. I still remember the touch of his velveteen white muzzle and the round edges of his nostrils. Then everything becomes lost in memories of a blinding...
March 27, 2015
Spirit Animals: FLEXIBLE FOX
Foxes are versatile and varied. Did you know that there arefive species of fox in the continental United States alone and over 20 worldwide? Some species like red foxes cover many habitats and commingle with human habitation while others like the swift fox remain in a particular habitat. Let’s review a few species to get a glimpse ofthe unique power and symbolism of the talented fox.
Gray Fox Spirit Animal CamouflageThe most prolific and common fox native to North America, the gray fox, is a...
March 16, 2015
Angel of Fiery Red Trees
This excerpt from Gracious Wild: A Shamanic Journey with Hawks is near the end of the book and shares some of my most intimate and beautiful moments with the red-tailed hawk named “Graccia”. Graccia isan ambassador bird trained to work with people and go on public speaking occasions to help raise awareness about the value of raptors and wildlife. She went on an average of one presentation a month, but I trained her daily which meant that many of our times together were actually spent alone wa...
March 1, 2015
Spirit Animals: WOLF the WITNESS
Wolf spirit animals embody a wide range of qualities in the humanpsyche. Just think of how many stories you’ve read and movies you’ve seen that have wolves or werewolves as characters.
Most obviously, wolf symbolism is about dismantling fears and not letting them control you. When wolves used to roamthe habitataround our small towns, many people feared going out at night. Despite the myths, thank you Red Riding Hood, wolf is not a vicious man-eater. It is truly the stories in our...
February 17, 2015
Spirit Animals: SERENE SWAN
She glides gracefully along the water, neck arched with her stately head held high. Her feathers couldn’t be any more white. They gleam and look so soft and so smooth to the touch. She’s often seen in this way, gliding on the mirror-like surface of a lake, but she takes to the wing too. Her enormous wingspan reaches out as if it may touch the ends of the sky and her elegant neck stretches out, long and forward venturing into the vastness of the universe.
Swan symbolism is associated with the v...
February 15, 2015
“Split in the Canvas” from Gracious Wild
In this excerpt from my book Gracious Wild: A Shamanic Journey with Hawks, I share the story of the first time that the northern harrier hawk named Thalia came flying to land on my glove. Thalia lived at a wildlife rehabilitation center where she’d been trained to work with humans to do bird of prey education programs. I was learning how to work with her to become her caretaker. Annie wasThalia’scurrent custodianwho was handing the reins over to me…
One afternoon in warm spring weather, I met...
