I am in Bozeman Montana. I visited Montana right before one of my surgeries, but the focal point of that trip was Missoula, ewam, and Flathead Lake. I have been “in” Bozeman for almost 20 years. I lived in Montana from 2004-2008. I lived, grew, and died a bit when I was here. Some of my most auspicious moments as a human happened while I resided here. A few worth mentioning were getting diagnosed with my autoimmune disorder after almost dying from MRSA because my immune system, due to my undiagnosed Hashimoto’s had tanked. Alongside that were moments of doing AmeriCorps VISTA, taking Buddhist vows at ewam, accepting I had abilities, recognizing I had trauma that needed to be addressed, validating that I attract certain types of people as a healer, and that I loved the state.
I left Montana in 2008, grieving the end of a 7-year relationship that I thought would be the one that checked all the boxes. I landed back at my parents’ place, close to turning 30, and feeling like I was behind schedule on what was expected of me by others. Little did I know that on the horizon was a woman that was going to break me in a way that left a permanent scar no one could ever see.
When I see mountains, I see a majestic and mystical challenge. I want to know what is at the top. One of my exes shared that what she saw staring at the mountains was a feeling of being trapped. I always felt that the stubborn Sagittarius in me felt compelled to see the way through to the other side. The indigenous people knew not just a way but the way. I felt that in my soul. I did not do as much as I wanted to when I was in Montana or, realistically, anywhere I lived and roamed before my weight loss and knee replacements. This was due to being in daily chronic pain. I lived off Tylenol and Ibuprofen. I should probably start a Go Fund Me now for a liver transplant.
Mountains for me are the bones of Pachamama. To be able to traverse them is sacred on all levels. I have had the privilege of navigating many mountain ranges, including Machu Picchu. The mountains also heal me in a way that I forgot until today. I have many joint and bone-related medical maladies. I have learned what makes it better and worse. I am currently in the middle of a flare-up because I was missing the subtle signs my body was giving. This means my trip is being cut very short, and I may not be able to visit Yellowstone or Grand Teton, which was the whole point of this trip. If I push it now, the payout later is devastating and costly.
While I am traveling I am open to how nature and spirit communicate with me. One of the most common questions I get about such topics is how do you know when it is something spiritually significant, like a sign? I say, you feel it first, you rule out all common possibilities second and third, if all that has been deduced and your experience seems “out of place,” it is probably spirit. Truly, only you know. In the Badlands, 12 Pelicans were circling over a pond in the middle of nowhere, 3 Cormorants flew over the to of my car, and once I got past the Dakotas, the Magpies started appearing.
My first big spiritual moment with Magpies was in the Garden of the Gods in Colorado many years ago. I was standing near a structure and felt like I was being stared at. I turned my head, and perched on a rock next to me was a Magpie. I had never seen one before, but I immediately sensed they were part of the Corvid family. Corvids include Ravens, Crows, and Grackles, just to name a few. These birds hold a special space in my heart. Later on during my first trip to New Mexico, I was in the middle of nowhere, and Magpies were flying over the ditches at the pace of my car. It was breathtaking.
Crows have held significance all of my life. There was a tree that they roosted in behind my grandparents’ home. It was almost spooky to watch the murder grow and disperse, early dawn and evening. Magpies have this Coyote energy about them that I admire and appreciate. We have a lot of similar qualities, good and bad.
An up-and-coming blog is diving into the spiritual characteristics of Mountains and Magpies.