Many of us love animals deeply and have them as their companions throughout their life’s journey.
My aunt for example, I don’t know her without a dog by her side. Her latest edition is Xenia, a rescue from Greece, with a cute heart shaped mark on her nose. I remember how distraught my aunt was, when Lissi died, her previous dog. She nearly wouldn’t have gotten another one, also thinking she was too old and that the dog might survive her.
Still, her heart and soul were saying otherwise and Xenia in the beginning was costing my aunt a lot of nerves… learning to pee in the garden and not in the house was a big deal for the former street dog.
Even though I share my aunt’s deep bond with animals, as a grown up, I never owned a dog or a cat. Simply because I was so much on the move and couldn’t offer a stable home, loving to travel so much as well.
Although there was this one time where I came close to it, when a friend’s golden retriever had puppets. Pam rightly so refused to give one to me though, because of my lifestyle.
Regardless, animals have always played a special role in my life and I pay close attention to them, when I encounter some, which happens on a daily basis; birds, mules, dogs, seagulls, etc.
You will laugh at me, but I am the weird one, who picks the snail up from the street and talks to it:
‘Darling, what are you doing? You are much safer over here!’
Also in all of my solo shows animals played an important role, symbolising different aspects, archetypes so to speak. In a recent Instagram Video I elaborate more on my special connection with animals from childhood on. You can watch it here.
In addition I have two animal oracle card decks. I love using them as an inspiration for the day or when I’ve encountered an animal and what to know its message.
Within my own creative journey animals have been great allies, a constant source of inspiration and I personally really see them as messengers. When we have a special encounter with them and we happen to pay attention.
You might have also noticed, that quite a few creatures have sneaked themselves into my stories on my Dreamy Cappuccino podcast. There’s a butter bee, a lost mouse in the heating, a frog, who wants to steal the turtles shell apart from other curiosities.
But let’s put all of this aside for a moment, because today I wanna tell you about Alfons, who’s true name is Woodie, (I only found out the other day) and whom I met over a month ago in Rusheen Bay, Galway. He’s a wood pigeon, who happens to like humans. Apparently he even likes to nibble on people’s ears. Thank God, he didn’t do that to me, I would have had the shock of my life. Honestly!
Anyways, I am sitting on this bench overlooking the bay, kind of caught in my own daydreams, when this pigeon lands right next to my shoulder. I get so startled, that I jump up from the bench, which kind of inspires him to fly to my feet. And sit, yes you heard that right, sit on one of my pink trainers. The whole situation feels quite absurd. And when I start walking, he walks with me. Finally he leaves and when I encounter another person walking their dog, they know that pigeon and tell me it often sits on people’s heads. Alfons for sure is known in the area. He’s got a reputation.
Of course I had to share my encounter within a Facebook group, asking for their take on it. Being curious about what would come back to me. I loved the responses, like birds representing the communication with spirit, the obvious one – pigeon stands for love, and the one I found the most intriguing:
‘Alfons is a social worker, making everyone’s day brighter.’
In my mind I already started concocting a whole story about him. It’s not complete, but I know for sure Alfons has a love interest based in Cornwall, called Petulia. I already told it in pigeon language, but the translation is still missing… unfortunately.
I probably will share the translation during a Live Dreamy Cappuccino Session, I am planning to offer for those of you, who want to empower their own imagination and feel inspired again.
So, why not chat about animals as allies on our journey, when we meet up for the first time. I would like us to share our stories, invented and real, finding a deeper meaning, while having fun.
The exciting thing though is, that I found out Alfon’s real story the other day, which I wanna honour here.
In Rusheen Bay is a bird sanctuary, and the other day, when I happened to have a walk, I got chatting to the guy, who looks after the birds. Of course I had to ask!
Here’s what he told me. Alfons is actually called Woodie and has been rescued three times. Imagine that, he listens to his name! People brought him in, when he was still a baby, discovering him injured next to their car, after a night out.
Mary fed him with a syringe and they released him into the university woods. That’s basically the other side of Galway.
The second time he got rescued, Alfons (Woodie) was found in Barna in the playgrounds of an elementary school. He had tried to make his way back to the sanctuary. Have I mentioned he is a wood pigeon? Hence the name.
The third time they rescued Woodie (Alfons) was, when they had to put all the birds into one cage. Because of the container being replaced. The seagulls attacked him and nearly killed him. He barely survived. But Woodie (Alfons) did and he was released again this year in January, having found his home in the close by Barna woods. He’s learned to keep away from the dogs, but loves humans and has had apparently two families.
Don’t ask me whether he’s had them at the same time or not… none of my business. Plenty of love there, for sure! He’s two years old and I hope he’ll have a magic life and that we’ll have another encounter. If we do, I’ll let him know, that he’s been the sole inspiration to one of my stories. He for sure is a hero in my eyes, having survived so many life threatening situations.
Now I can’t help but ponder whether you are one of those people, who believe I am weird. Yes I’ve heard it a few times. Or do you actually get where I am coming from and have your own lovely story to tell?
Maybe you’ll join me for a live Dreamy Cappuccino Session soon.
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