đŠ If youâve never thought about your spirit animal or totem, a Native American word for the symbol or sacred animal you feel an otherworldly kinship with, maybe nowâs the time to find your writing Patronus.
Have I lost you?
J.K. Rowling dubbed the Patronus a magical guardian that acts as a shield between you and a dementor to be conjured by spell in Harry Potter lore. Itâs a difficult incantation performed by powerful wizards, who by thinking their most happy memories, are able to invoke the animal spirit guide with which they share a deep kinship.
A writing Patronus, in contrast, can be conjured by powerful wordsmiths (us) who feel an affinity to a particular animal to help guide their work and shield them from detractors.
While animal spirit guides are steeped in Native American history where itâs said you may actually have nine throughout your lifetime, which appear to you either in dreams, in nature, are an animal you have a great affinity for, or irrational fear of, a writing Patronus can be the animal you frequently spot on a hike, the figurine you love on your desk, the one that haunts your nightmares or guides your prose.
đ© Before you abandon me for writerâs woo-woo and sparkle dust, can you recall an animal spirit in your own life? My daughter, for instance finds stray dogs constantly. If thereâs a stray within a three-mile radius, she finds, fixes, rehomes or locates its owner. When asked once, how this happens so often she said, she âfeelsâ them. HmmâŠthereâs woo woo for ya.
Iâve come in contactâas in reach out and touch on several occasions--deer during a hike. I also spotted dolphins regularly when I ran on the beach but thatâs just because I live in Florida. Though cardinals, blue jays and owls, who inhabit the trees in my neighborhood, have made regular, close proximity appearances to me many times over the years.
đŠ I truly thrill when thereâs an owl in my trees or on my fence as theyâre such fascinating creatures that are especially prevalent from August through November here.
đ I also have a friend who I would bet has a certain affinity for beesâas strange as that might sound. They seem drawn to her or vice versaâand not in a sting you way, but more like some kind of bee charmer way. đŻ
I find it fascinating that Native American folklore finds meaning in each creatureâs appearance in your life. Dogs bring lessons of communication, loyalty and friendship; dolphins bring cooperation; deer, gentleness, grace and the ability to change direction quickly. Bees bring possibility.
Want a writing Patronus now? Here are a few tips for finding or recognizing your writing Patronus:
·     Let your writing Patronus pick you rather than the reverse. You will know when they come to you in their physical form, in dreams, in thoughts or in writing work, especially if they show up multiple places on multiple occasions
·     Look to nature. Pay attention to the animals around you and their behavior
·     Meditate and ask a spirit animal guide to come forward
·     Pay attention to dreams involving animals
·     Think about the qualities youâd like in a spirit guide or shield; what animal does that lend to?
·     What animals have you been connected to in your life experiences?
Once you find your writing Patronus itâs there to help guide and protect you in your work and to think about both in good times when you are grateful, as well as in darker times as a healing source.
đŠ Animal spirit guides are thought to emanate the traits and qualities we should honor in ourselves.
Here some Patronus ideas and what traits they bring out and honor in you:
Butterfly: development, change, grace
Cat: adventure, independence, patience
Coyote: trickster, stealth, skills
Eagle: intuition, strength, courage
Elephant: wisdom, gentleness
Fox: quick thinking, intelligent, sly
Hawk: messenger, visionary power
Horse: drive and goal-oriented
Hummingbird: messenger, healing, playfulness
Ladybug: change and luck
Owl: deeper meaning, wisdom, what others miss
Rabbit: cleverness, creativity
Raven: magical, introspective, psychic
Sheep: innocence and vulnerability
Snake: healing, increased energy
Turtle: truth, understanding, peace
Whale: emotional healing, inner life, wisdom
Wolf: instinctiveness, freedom
Woodpecker: sensitivity, prophecy, devotion
Find your writing Patronus. You may be glad you did. Expecto Patronum!
Happy Friday the 13th!
Who/What/Where to Watch?
What the eff happened to Scrabble? Inside a tile game tourney.Â
Playgirlâs back, thatâs right! An interview with the newly launched, newly revamped EIC of Playgirl. Get your ideas in order.
Letâs not romanticize mental illness.Vogue Portugal pulls cover amid criticism. I recently chatted on social media with writers who were also upset that sad, dejected- looking art continually accompany mental health stories.
33 books. Thatâs how many book adaptations were to be made into movies this year. Of course, the pandemic put a wrench in that. But still, thereâs some good ones I look forward to.
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