The Autumn equinox is a time of balance between darkness and light, and that surely describes perfectly the times we are living in, and attempting to find our way through. For most folks, stress levels are up, politics are dividing the country, and there’s a lot of Mouse Medicine happening. WHAT! Mouse Medicine??? Yes, stick with me folks, and you’ll see what I mean.

Last week, a dear friend of mine, who also does healing work, relayed an event to me that happened to her earlier in the day. She was planning to make a Spirit Fire outside in her fire pit, but when she went to set it up, she found 4 newborn mice in the center of it, each one of them in one of the four directions. I knew right away that there was a message in that. Later, that night, for the first time in the seven years that I’ve lived here, the noise of a mouse in my bedroom woke me – twice. So, knowing that there must be some aspect of Mouse Medicine that I needed to implement in my life, I pulled out my original Mouse totem article, as well as the two that I had written with a new format for Volume 2 of the Totems book I am working on.

You see, dear ones, Mouse is a master of survival. You will agree with me if you have ever tried to rid your house of them, since they are opportunistic and very adaptable to their environment. And when one mouse is around, there are sure to be more, because mice are prolific, so if it’s not about having babies, maybe Mouse Medicine is saying is that it’s time to work on whatever your art is, or your self-expression. One thing for sure is that Mouse Medicine is telling all of us to acknowledge and appreciate the Power of the Small. So, that’s what I have been focusing on since. Funny thing is, my friend also saw a mouse that night – the same night as me. So, we’re both paying attention, and hopefully, you will too.

Have you noticed that things that you formerly took for granted to go right are not doing so – at least not as right as they used to – and not so often? It’s not always easy to let go of the weight of what’s happening in the world, or the distressing patterns we see all around us. It’s not always easy to pivot toward something positive. For instance, we may not feel vibrantly healthy all the time. We may not have all the things in place anymore that used to bolster our feeling of security and safety. We may not even have a specific future we’re looking forward to – but we can appreciate the Power of the Small in the moment we’re in.

It doesn’t mean everything in life will suddenly be all right again, but we will be able to allow ourselves a respite from the stress, let ourselves feel love, and be love – which makes us a force for good in the world, thereby fulfilling our purpose for being alive. How do we learn to do that? Well, we begin by realizing it’s important to appreciate what’s right in front of us – or as Ram Dass described mindfulness as being here now, back in 1971 in his book, Be Here Now.

This morning, while I was writing this, and receiving guidance about this Equinox message, and writing down some instances of how we can all be present in the moment, I happened to look up. Outside my window, though the weather was grey and forbidding, a female hummingbird was flitting from one to the other of the last remaining blossoms of the honeysuckle vine on my trellis. She will probably still be here through mid-October, even though the leaves from the trees are beginning to carpet the grass and the driveway. She didn’t concern herself with the prospect of her food sources winding down. She was living totally in the moment of what was nourishing her and what was possible. She was being here now. I instantly accepted her as my teacher, and let myself sink into fullest gratitude for being a witness to the magic that seeing a hummingbird always instills.

So, here are a few instances of appreciating the Small, if we are willing to be mindful, and be in our bodies fully:

  • We can stop and savor the bite of food we are in the midst of eating.
  • We can take a deep breath and relax at any given moment, especially if we are in a stressful situation
  • Spending time in nature, and appreciating the trees, plants, animals and insects there, will do more than most anything to bring us into a state of gratitude for what we have – and hopefully to action, in order to protect it for our children’s children
  • Play – with children, pets, friends, or if they aren’t available, a musical instrument, or dancing around the house

The point is to fully embrace life in the moment, in as many ways as we can, as often as we can, in as many situations as we encounter. It takes practice, but it doesn’t have to be perfect to be rewarding. Happy Equinox, and enjoy balancing the Light with the Darkness.