SPIRITUAL MIGRATIONS

EQUINE MAGIC
By J. Alison Hilber

           I am a seeker.  I look for the positive and try to appreciate what comes, whether perceived to be good or bad.  I believe myself to be a deep feeling person with a conscious awareness of myself and my world.  I am always looking to move to a deeper level, find another door or window that opens to allow the essence of my being to emerge.  But even with the amount of conscious effort I exert to recognize the paths that will lead to my next spiritual adventure, sometimes they still sneak up on me.  Thus was the case with my first interaction with the magical spirit of horses.

          Since the time one galloped gleefully full tilt toward his afternoon meal with me, age 10, sitting astride, I have been mostly terrified of horses.  They are big and powerful and skittish. They made me very nervous.  All the while, however, I was in awe of their beauty, their grace, their intelligence.  I kept a respectful and guarded distance on the few occasions I was close enough to feel that old fear arise in me.  So it was partly out of obligation to a friend’s cause that I found myself attending a fundraising event supporting horses used in therapy.  I liked the idea in theory and wanted to show my support in my new Central Oregon community.  Besides, who passes up a really good barbeque? 

          At one point in the evening, the owner of the organization, Claudia, provided a demonstration of how she uses the horses in a therapeutic situation.  My friend came up behind me and said “you should try this, it’s very spiritual.”  The irresistable invitation to do something “spiritual” quickly overrode any underlying fear I would have had of the horse.  So, into the ring I went, not having any particular consciousness of an emotional issue that required clarifying.  It was all for the good of the fundraiser and I would do my best.  Within three minutes of being with the horse, I was in tears.  Issues I had no idea were still unresolved came flooding to the surface.  Ancient Issues of invisibility and need for approval were immediately reflected in the horse’s behavior.  And as Claudia gently explained to me the wise ways of the horses and the resulting emotional and spiritual clarity, I knew immediately that this was a process I needed to pursue.

          Serendipitously, the following weekend was a scheduled women’s workshop, and though my bank account said “no way,” my soul said “absolutely.”  It was an inspired action, and no matter what, I never say no to those.  What transpired during the course of that workshop has changed my life.  It’s not the first thing that’s changed my life, but it changed it in a way nothing else has.  It touched a place and a depth that I had not yet fully accessed, and really had no idea even existed. 

          Through a number of interactive exercises with the horses, I discovered that they are extraordinarily intuitive, feeling beings.  They interpret energy, in each other and in humans, and respond in the moment, with complete honesty and without judgment.  The slightest shift in my vibration elicited a completely different reaction from the horse.  If there was the smallest amount of insincerity or confusion in my energetic vibration, the horse would stay far away, ignoring me completely.  But when I was able to release my fears, my inhibitions, my need to “do it right,” the horse responded in the most loving, accepting, welcoming manner possible.  At one point I was in the arena with all six horses, and my shift in vibration attracted one horse to my side without me making a single physical move.  Within moments, all six horses surrounded me, their loving and gentle energy holding me like a womb. The feeling of joy that came bubbling up from the core of my being was such that I had no idea it even existed.  But there it was, and in that moment, I fell completely and irreversibly in love... with the horses, with joy, with myself.  It was a truly Divine moment. 

In the ensuing weeks of spending time with the horses and sharing friendship and philosophies with Claudia, I continue to move to deeper places.  The horses are a constant reminder, even when I am not in their mystical presence, that living in the moment – living my truth – will always bring more insight, deeper connection, increased clarity, total acceptance, unconditional love, and magnificent joy. 

10/2005

This is Sonny, who has since passed on. He was a truly gentle and intuitive spirit.

he Four Seasons of Spiritual Migration (jah 2003)

I am filled with loving kindness,

I am well.

I am peaceful and at ease.

I am happy.

   -traditional Buddhist prayer

These are mandalas reflecting the words of Abraham-Hicks and the Law of Attraction (jah - 2003)

(1) The basis of life is freedom; the purpose of life is joy; the result of life is growth

(2) Seek reasons to love

(3) Appreciate yourself

(4) You are pure positive energy

(5) Well-being abounds

(6) Let it in