I had a beautiful comment on my post last week. The writer explained how she had recently lost her mother and that the roadrunner had visited her in the most unusual way. She explained how she’d had a conversation with her mom about roadrunners before her mom passed. After her mother’s death, the roadrunner came to her. She said:
It used to be fairly rare to see one (a roadrunner). This week I had one come all the way up to our yard. That is not common. We feed all the cats that come to our house plus have dogs. That normally keeps non-flying birds at a distance. This one watched me for awhile then turned away and slowly went down our drive. I can’t say what he wanted to tell me but I did feel there was something.
I too have always been fascinated by the roadrunner, and since I have decided to include animal mysticism as a part of my blogging ritual, I figured Roadrunner was a great place to start.
The Why
Some of my readers may be curious as to why I have such an interest in animal mysticism. Twenty plus years ago I wrote my first novel, and though it was never published is was an unforgettable learning experience in more ways than one.
My story idea was that a little boy had an imaginary friend who wasn’t imaginary. So who was this ghost child to be? The question led me to the Burnet and Llano, Texas public libraries to do research. Keep in mind that this was the 1990s before the world-wide web of information exploded. I found old newspaper clippings that recorded the capture of a boy by the Comanche in 1867. His last name was Friend.
Friend. Imaginary Friend. See where I’m going?
I felt this child had guided me to his story, which is quite incredible. His name was Lee Temple Friend and he was 9 years old when the Comanches captured him. The one thing that stood out in my mind was that when he was found and returned to his family, he died.
Here is how it was reported in the county-wide newspaper, The Highlander, August 17, 1972. This accounting is based on the narrative of John Oatman, who was 18 years old at the time of the Lee’s capture. The narrative ran in the 1914 edition of the Llano News.
Lee, now 13 and very sickly and pale, barely recognized his father. He could not speak English and had to be guarded. Civilization seemed to depress him; his condition worsened and he soon died.
Though my novel is fiction, I decided to base the imaginary friend on Lee. I began researching the Comanche and Native Americans. This research opened up an entire world to me I’d never studied. Of course, this led me to the beliefs Native Americans have in spirit animal guides.
As I studied the animals and their significance in my life, I began to notice that every time an animal appeared to me, it had a message. When I followed their advice, I found it never failed to lead me on the path I needed to follow.
I started paying close attention to these messages and found my life to be much richer because of it.
I have favorite quotes that pop into my mind when I think of animal mysticism and its role in my life.
In the beginning of all things, wisdom and knowledge were with the animals; for Tuawa, the One Above, did not speak directly to man. He sent Animals to tell man that he showed himself through the beasts, and that from them, and from the stars, and the sun and the moon, man should learn…for all things speak of Tuawa.
—Chief Letako-Lesa of the Pawnees Tribe
If you talk to animals they will talk with you and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them you will not know them, and what you do not know you will fear. What one fears one destroys.
— Chief Dan George
He prayeth well, who loveth well
Both man and bird and beast.
He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.
— From Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Coleridge
Facts about This Cuckoo
The roadrunner eats things that move like insects, spiders, scorpions, lizards, rodents, and is famous for his ability to kill snakes. Legend has it that Roadrunner can build a fence of cactus pieces around a snake to keep it imprisoned.
They may form lifelong bonds with their mates and lay three to six white eggs which hatch in 20 days. The chicks begin their first adventures in 18 days.
When alarmed, it coos and clatters its beak.
Roadrunner as Your Totem
If the Roadrunner is your Spirit Guide, you are a person who can think quickly on his/her feet. You are someone who is constantly thinking. Your mind is always at work and when you are talking to others in order to convey a thought, you may have to remind yourself to slow down.
You are an active person and are happiest when you’re undertaking a new project whether it be for fun or profit, it doesn’t matter to you.
Though you often find yourself involved in many things at one time, you always complete what you set out to do.
Roadrunner’s Appearance in Your Life
If Roadrunner has appeared to you, he has several messages.
- He may be suggesting that adaptations to new situations in your life are needed, and that in these situations it will be necessary for you to think quickly.
- Now is the time to make plans and put them into play.
- Laugh at yourself and don’t take yourself so seriously.
- Take care of yourself before taking care of others.
When to Call Upon Roadrunner
Roadrunner medicine can help us if:
- We are involved in a project that requires mental agility.
- We need mental stimulation.
- We need to chill and learn to go with the flow.
- We need to laugh.
- We think someone is trying to trick us or play a joke on us.
My Challenge to You
There was a child went forth every day,
And the first object he look’d upon, that object he became.
And that object became part of him for the day or a certain part of the day,
Or for many years or stretching cycle of years.
—From Leaves of Grass by Walt Whiman
I challenge you to become a child. Listen and speak to the animals. Become your animal for a day, a year, or a lifetime. You will find a richer life and establish a connection to Earth.
Tell me what animals you feel a close connection to.
Or if there is an animal you would like for me to write a blog about, let me know.
Information for my Animal Mysticism blog was obtained from the following books I highly recommend.
The Probe’s Mission Statement
The Probe is a blog devoted to the exploration of the unexplainable, to finding the truth in occurrences that resemble science fiction, and to researching and reporting on topics that could be flung upon the wall of weird. New posts are featured as often as I can find WiFi, and as often as I have something I think you might find interesting.
Over a year ago I paid a company a lot of money to convert my blog over to WordPress. They did a terrible job as far as formatting. So over the next couple months I will bring forward old posts that are still relevant, update, reformat, and repost them.
(I now use Tech Surgeons for my blog and Jay is awesome. If you have any computer stuff that you need help with, contact Jay. If you want the name of the robber dogs who did a bad job and charged me a bunch, email me, and I’ll disclose that information to you privately.)
I live in an isolated, rural community in southern Colorado—conservative and rather closed minded. Though I love the area, it’s not a great fit for someone who believes in space travelers, thinks she is host to a Walk-In, and talks to her newly departed grandson. The few friends I have are not fans of science fiction. They prefer romance novels or reality TV. I would enjoy talking to other science fiction lovers, or ghost hunters, or animal lovers, or writers.
Join me here for more close encounters of the alien kind, or ghost kind, or animal kind, or travel kind, and please share your own. Science Fiction or Fact? Doesn’t matter to me. I just like a story that gives me the chills, makes me laugh, makes me think, or makes me imagine.
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