And my Beastie for 2020 is…
Book of Beasties by Sarah Bamford Seidelmann is a well-crafted, visually appealing encyclopedia of spirit animals. After hearing Seidelmann on a podcast on which she was a featured guest last April, I had purchased her Beastie book on Amazon Prime for $14.92 (which I had thought was quite a deal for a beautifully-illustrated 376-page book) but I just checked and it’s now offered for $12.90.
I had written each animal on a slip of paper and placed them all in a big bowl. On January 1, I drew a slip of paper out to reveal my beastie for the New Year. Think of it as a 2020 mascot. (There’s an excellently-rated app on iTunes called “What the Walrus Knows” that would have basically done this for me so much more quickly, but because I didn’t want to pay the $4.99, I ended up spending quite a bit of time writing them all down by hand—there are a lot of animals in this book! I guess there is something to be said for the dramatic effect of drawing a slip of paper instead of pushing a button on a phone though.)
To properly set up this little ceremony, I took my evening shower, then dimmed the lights, sat on my bed, and drummed skilllessly and self-consciously until I could feel my mind quiet a little. (The drum was a hand-held one I had purchased from Amazon Prime, ref: Remo HD-8512-00 Fiberskyn Frame Drum, 12”; however, if I were to do it again, I think I would purchase the 14” to try and achieve a slightly lower tone.)
If you are approaching this from a Christian belief system, I think this practice is easily adaptable. The Bible has plenty of admonishments to look to the plant and animal world around us to gain lessons and insights. Song/music and a physical action like kneeling, bowing one’s head, or folding one’s hands are all well-known ways to respectfully approach a meaningful moment with the Creator. A prayer could be framed in such a way to ask God to reveal which of His creatures could have lessons for you in this New Year—again, like a 2020 mascot.
Well, the animal whose name I drew was… the Dragonfly. And, wow, the two pages dedicated to the Dragonfly in the beastie book were full of truths I could instantly feel in my core were perfect for me at this time in my life—and that if I were to incorporate them into my life this year, I would be the better for it.
I already had a Dragonfly necklace that my in-laws had gifted to me a good while back from one of their travels, so I’ve been wearing that as reminder to myself of the Dragonfly’s lessons. The wings are fashioned from mother-of-pearl (if I had to guess) and its iridescence is perfect, as you’ll understand when you read page 149 of the Book of Beasties.
I’d love to hear what your beastie is for 2020, so please share in the comments below.
Yours,
Scheffy