Animal Messengers: Wake-Up Calls from Nature
Have you ever had an encounter with an animal that made you pause and think differently? Animals can be powerful messengers—showing up as teachers, comforters, or nudges from the Universe. If you’re paying attention, they might even deliver a message straight from your higher self.
Here’s my story:
I was sitting in meditation in my little woods, trying to quiet my mind (you know how that goes), when out of nowhere—a squirrel bounced off my head on its way to a tree branch. I kid you not. Tiny claws, scalp tingles, the whole deal. I opened my eyes, yelped, and burst out laughing.
I asked my inner wisdom, What was that all about? The message landed just as clearly: Wake up. You drifted into thinking. Come back to presence.
It was as if my squirrel messenger was saying, “Hey, you! Less mental chatter! Be here now!”
The Meaning Behind the Encounter
I looked up the spiritual meanings of squirrels and laughed again.
Squirrel, as an animal spirit guide, reminds us to “remain flexible when life doesn’t go as expected” and “bring lightheartedness to difficult times.” That sounds like improvisational Jazz Living to me.
It reminded me of a time my friend had a deep moment of eye contact with a wolf while hiking solo in the woods. It felt profound. We agreed the wolf was likely one of his spirit animal guides—wise, strong, and watchful.
And me? I get the squirrel. Playful, resilient, and resourceful.
Spirit Guides in the Wild
Animals show up for us in all kinds of ways. After my dad died, pheasants started appearing—often, and always in meaningful moments. A pheasant is a wild bird, not common in urban areas. I spot them occasionally in rural settings. My dad hunted pheasants and provided pheasant dinners on many special occasions. It felt natural to have a pheasant etched onto Dad’s gravestone.
After the funeral, I took one last tour around the cemetery before leaving town. Suddenly, I saw a pheasant disappearing into the brush. My dad came to say goodbye. I felt my dad’s presence so strongly that it brought tears. Since then, pheasants have become a gentle “hello” from him across the veil.
The month after my dad died, I celebrated my birthday. I thought of how Dad wouldn’t be calling to wish me a happy birthday. A little while later, while driving in a commercial-residential area, a pheasant flew across the road in front of my car. Thanks for the birthday greeting, Dad!
My mother-in-law shows up in the form of a hummingbird. Every time I see one dancing in the flower garden, wings humming in rhythm, I feel her love breeze in the wind.
Jazz Living: Improvising Meaning in Everyday Moments
In the Jazz Living approach to life, we balance structure and improvisation.
The structure in the squirrel story:
I was meditating. A squirrel leapt. It hit my head.
The improvisation:
How I chose to interpret it. What meaning I gave it. The way I let it shift my energy.
Jazz Living invites us to respond rather than react. Some might say the squirrel incident was a random event, and meaningless. But I choose to live in a world where synchronicity matters—where the Universe sends winks, whispers, and full-body squirrel tackles to get my attention.
Synchronicity: Science Meets Soul Nudges
Synchronicity is when seemingly unrelated events intersect with uncanny timing. Like when you’re thinking of someone and they suddenly call or show up at your door. It’s happened to me too many times to call it a coincidence.
And now, science is starting to catch up with what many of us have felt for years.
A 2023 study published in Frontiers in Psychology (as reported in the NIH PubMed Central) explored this phenomenon. Researchers found that people who are more attuned to synchronicities—and who take time to reflect on their meaning—experience greater optimism, life satisfaction, and a deeper sense of purpose. They even developed a scale to measure how often people notice meaningful coincidences and how those moments are woven into their life story.
In other words, noticing the squirrel is one thing—but interpreting its visit as a message for you can actually boost your well-being.
As one of the study’s models shows, we start with receptiveness—a quiet mind, a walk in the woods, a moment of openness. Then something unusual happens—an exceptional encounter. And if we’re willing to engage with it, that’s where the meaning lands.
Your Turn to Tune In
On the occasion of Father’s Day, I find myself thinking of pheasants again—and of the quiet comfort that comes from knowing our loved ones still find ways to connect.
- What animal messengers have crossed your path?
- What unexpected moments have nudged you out of routine and back into presence?
That’s Jazz Living: making room for the unexpected, where even chaos can carry a message, and you get to improvise your way into meaning.
Explore More: Classes & Resources
Curious how I apply Jazz Living to real-life growth and healing?
Check out my Classes – Wellness Universe Instructor Profile and Resources on my Wellness Universe profile.
You’ll find tools to help you reconnect to your inner calm, awaken your intuition, and navigate change with resilience and grace
Reference
Russo-Netzer, P., & Icekson, T. (2023). The experience and meaning of synchronicity: Development and validation of the Synchronicity Awareness and Meaning-Detecting (SAMD) scale. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 1053296. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1053296
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