Meaningful Coincidences

“In shamanic cultures, synchronicities are considered to be teachings as well as signs indicating where one should focus one’s attention.  Such correspondences demonstrate the usually hidden links between the individual psyche and the larger world.”  – Daniel Pinchbeck, from 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl

meaningful coincidences can help guide us

If I have just one gift, it is that I am usually quite aware of the meaningful coincidences in my life.  Not only do I recognize them, but I internalize, digest, analyze, and piece them together to form some greater message.  Without trying to sound too New Age or religious (I’m neither), I believe that synchronicity is a message from the Universe, created specifically for each of us to help guide us on our life’s journey.

And what do I mean by meaningful coincidence?  It’s those uncanny moments where random acts, feelings, words, visions, people and dreams collide and intertwine in very direct and strange ways.  Those moments where a sudden connection of memory happens, experienced or in the making, and the hair on your arms stands straight up while surrendering to the magically inexplicable.

I’m sure everyone has experienced a coincidence before.  They do not need to be so profound, it can be as simple as this classic example:  You are thinking of someone you haven’t seen in 10 years, and suddenly you get an email or phone call from them out of the blue.  Taken alone, individually, these coincidences may not seem like a big deal or you may not even notice they happened. But when many occur simultaneously, and even start to cross over, it’s hard not to ponder the meaning of them.

I am not always experiencing these meaningful coincidences.  There can be fairly long lapses of time where there are no signs, when I am simply living my life and doing what feels right.  But there are other moments when, out of the blue, these coincidences start happening all. of. the. time.  To the point where it can sometimes feel a bit eerie, and sometimes I feel like magic is happening.  It is usually in these moments when I pull away from large groups and find myself eager to be in nature, or to spend some time alone in a more reclusive state of mind.  I can’t seem to pull away from books, generally non-fiction, feeling like my mind is starved for knowledge.  Generally those around me, who see me as an uber-social person, begin to worry as I pull away from the social circle and opt to just hang out one on one with people, or not at all.  But they have nothing to worry about.  I am fine, and generally in these moments I am more than fine, since I am working to set a path that makes my heart feel right, and that is exciting.

I am beginning to wonder now if these moments are random or if they are timed precisely for moments of transformation.  In my experience they come when I am not acting or living according to my heart or “purpose” and it comes as a wake up call.  The last time this happened to me was about three years ago, while in Mexico.  I was quite lost before I went on that trip, and so many powerful breakthroughs and epiphanies occurred during my time there, which shifted my path in a very direct and intentional way.  I thought it was just Mexico’s magic seeping in, but now here I am in Barcelona and it’s happening again.  So maybe the magic is inside of me.  I’m fairly certain that in my case meaningful coincidences are not random.  So I listen, and I choose to be aware.  And the more I become aware, the more dear synchronicity shows its face and whispers to me, and even seems to offer more blatant signs actually pointing me in the direction where I should be going.

Change is scary and sometimes unsettling.  But for me, my greater fear is to ignore the signs so generously provided, and perhaps not live up to my potential.  I’d rather just give it a shot, take a risk, and feel comforted that the Universe has not failed me yet.  As long as I listen and follow my heart, and the increasing amount of synchronicity in my life, I’m sure it is all going to work out as it must.

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Back with a Vengeance

There is something about writing that is very therapeutic.  It is a way to take that jumble of messy thoughts swirling about up there and to place them into some order (the Virgo in me prefers organized chaos).  I’ve kept journals my whole life, and go through long periods of dedicated writing followed by long hiatuses where I don’t write at all.  As I read through these old journals and posts, I realize there is a pattern.  I tend to write when I’m needing to work things out, when my heart is hurting, when I want to manifest something, or when I suddenly find myself in a moment of change.

To take it a step further, I choose to put these thoughts in a public space for anyone to read because I feel like this will somehow manifest what I’m trying to figure out, that somehow by ‘putting it out there’ and making myself exposed and more vulnerable that the answers will then find their way to me.  So far, it has worked pretty well =)

It has been a long time since I’ve written in this blog.  A few years back I went through a fairly big life transition, be it the Saturn Returns phenomenon around age 30, or just the early-life crisis of an illegal, broke, single immigrant trying to find her way.  During this period, I felt such a strong urge to write, whether it was in a journal, in this blog, or writing poetry for the Prostibulo Poetico.

It seems that after the year of struggling, soul searching and personal growth my life just fell into place.  I was offered reliable work and income, finally got my residency after 10 years of trying to make that happen, discovered my passion for birth and began my path as a doula, moved into my own flat, and experienced my first mutually loving romantic relationships.  In the past couple of years my life has become comfortable and reliable, not to mention totally awesome and fulfilling and FUN, which is exactly what was needed after a few unstable years of feeling like I was falling with no safety net.  As a result, I weened off writing in a very unintentional way, and this blog went off the radar.

Photo by Catherine Mansart

Perhaps it’s because I work in threes, and because the cyclical nature of life enjoys keeping me on my toes, three years after my past transformation and now at the magical age of thirty-three, I am very aware that a new transformation is beginning.  For a couple of months now the Universe has been throwing me some signs that a) something needs to change, and b) the time is now, or at least soon-ish.  I see the signs.  I get that this process is happening, and I have some idea as to what needs to change, but there are many uncertainties.  That very familiar urge to find some quiet solitude, and to write down and share feelings and realizations as they come along, is back with a vengeance.

The sweet news is that I believe change is good.  And even better, this time around I feel much more positive about this inevitable change, as now I have a stable base below my feet as a starting point.  I can leap more confidently without fear of falling too hard. Overall I am very happy and feeling good about myself and the opportunities ahead.  This time there is no rush or immediate pressure looming over me either, so that allows me a little time to work all this out.  This is all dandy!

Regardless, transformations are never easy and I am having a difficult time right now trying to find out what exactly is happening and how to react to it.  So until I figure it out, and eventually react, I’m guessing my journals will get some more love and attention.  My lovely friends will unfortunately have to endure some of my head rants – sorry guys.  And maybe, if I’m not too lazy, this blog will become more present again and hopefully will work its magic to put me on the right track.

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