A Frog Named 'Peace'

The frog that came to live with us late in June has remained in and around the small pond right beside the front entrance of Light Omega. His name is 'Peace' and he sometimes sits all day on the bank of the little pond, staring at the water cascading down the vertical rocks. The pump is now active on most days and he can sit like this for hours without moving, watching, listening, being.

Today I asked him if he had anything to say to me and he responded by saying that he felt well taken care of. In addition to the loving attention he receives from those who enjoy his presence here, the addition of lily pads to the pond I think has made him quite happy. Peace-frog has become the inspiration of a song, of postings, and of those gentle movements of the heart that are part of the innocence that each soul carries. His being here as a representative of the animal kingdom is most precious, as he carries the light within his being to all with whom he is connected: to his species, to other animals, and to the Earth itself.


See: The Frog Who Came Home

The Frog Who Came Home

A large green bullfrog has been sitting by the side of a small pond (no more than 3 ft. in diameter) by the front entrance of the Light Omega Center for three days now. He does not move, but he has communicated with me in a very simple way when I asked him what he is doing there and what he needs. He told me that he is attracted to the water - both to the sound of the waterfall (operated by a pump), and to the water itself which creates the remembrance in him of 'home'.

I wondered why he had found his way to such an isolated place without other wildlife or frogs for this remembrance, and asked him if he wanted to be moved elsewhere, but his answer was ambivalent - mostly, he was content to just be.

Later on, I had the impression that he had come there to die. When I asked him about this he said: it may be so.

The frog sits in an absolutely still, meditative pose all day. It seems that the energy here as well as the feeling and smell of the water is creating in him a sense of home and I am content to just leave him there.

There is a heightened spiritual consciousness operating in certain animals that sets them apart from the rest of the species, making them more aware, more sensitive. This, I perceive to be the case with this frog.

As I was thinking of writing about this, I came across a very simple and clear article about animal communication. What may seem very complex or mysterious is explained here in the language of life.

Additional Note: It was necessary to drain and refill the little pond with fresh water in the last two days and the frog disappeared for a day while we did it. Today he is back again and I asked him again how he is and whether he wanted to be moved elsewhere. The frog answered clearly this time, that this was now his home and he was content to just be there. He also thanked me several times for my concern for his wellbeing. A sweet reminder of the appreciation of other life forms for the offering of acknowledgment.

Speaking to the Animals

We walked slowly around the property, Malcolm chanting an ancient Native American song that had traveled with him from another lifetime. This song created sounds of joy and sacredness from deep within his throat and heart. He gave these to the Earth and to all creatures. We had not decided on this simple ceremony in advance, but felt it as an expression of the heart to ask the bear that had taken apart the bird feeders a month ago to respect the sacred boundary we were creating and to invite it to partake of the spiritual nourishment that is present, here, in this holy place. Malcolm was not speaking just to the bear but to all creatures, sharing his desire to live in harmony with them.

Yo-oh-hey-yo. Hey-ey-yo-yo.... he sang.

We wound our way around the bird feeders several times and around the edge of the opening in the trees that surround the house.

Yo-oh-hey-yo. Hey-ey-yo-yo....

A dog next door, hearing the chant, started barking very loudly and with a desire to communicate. His owner apologized, saying he was not usually like that. We offered a specific blessing for the dog, who was being affected by our ceremony.

Coming back to where we began, we touched the Earth in reverence and gratitude, fingers pointed downward. Having blessed the Earth, our small ceremony was complete.


See: Visit From a Bear
Eagle's Cry - Native American Flute - John De Boer

Visit From a Bear

A bear came for the first time late last night and knocked over the bird feeder. It took its mighty paws and bent the entire post down to the ground in its search for food. I did not know this till the morning, yet as it approached, the wind chimes hanging in a small tree not too far away tinkled in the windless air. I heard them, wondering in the stillness what kind of animal was announcing itself, and why, of all the places it could have passed through, it had brushed up against the chimes.

This plausible communication might be thought an accident by some, a deliberate gesture by others, leading to the question of why make an announcement?

No interaction in life is truly accidental. None is meaningless. The sound of a bear moving past wind chimes interacts with my ears and heart, and creates a relationship. In that new creation is a choice - the choice of how to respond, the choice of how to acknowledge another.

Statistics would tell us that bears in the springtime in certain locales are on the prowl for food. The heart might tell us that the bear was looking for something in addition to food and thus announced its presence. Which we choose to believe determines how we respond to life and with what degree of presentness. Neither explanation rules out the other. Both take into account the beingness of another life.