On Eagle’s Wings
By Dakota Earth Cloud Walker
In 1993 I moved to Arizona. This move wasn’t something I had dreamt about doing or knew that I was going to be going there. I did have a lucid dream about it before going, but I was never actively pursuing moving there…not until my heart had been broken into a million pieces. Staying in Ohio would have meant having to endure seeing my ex, who had broken my heart.
One month after I had moved to Arizona, I had climbed to the top of Camelback Mountain and sat on the edge of a rock overlooking the city. I was genuinely feeling sorry for myself, and my heart – still broken, still shattered felt like it would never heal. So I wrote a letter to my ex, one that I would never send because it was full of fiction and a life I wasn’t living. But in the letter I described my perfect life and why my life was so much better now. I was living my dream at the base of a mountain, and my days were spent doing what I loved most. I explored and discovered new things, new people, new everything. I described my life in great detail, not leaving any gem out of the text. In some ways, it was my fictitious revenge letter, ultimately saying, “See, you can’t destroy me after all!” That letter remains in one of my journals to this day.
Six months after that fictitious letter was written, 95% of it became my reality—the 5% which didn’t was the part where I blamed myself.
I had changed my perspective, looked at things differently, and began envisioning myself in a different life – more fulfilling one, doing what I loved to do. By shifting that perspective, I gave the Universe the recipe for my life and opened the doors for it to all come flowing forward. It was my first real experience with manifestation. I learned then… be careful what you focus on, and be sure it is indeed what you desire for your life.
The Eagle is the spirit keeper of the East direction. He reminds us to find clarity, to shift our focus and attention on the things which are more heart-centered and inspiring. He gives us a new, fresh perspective on our experiences and helps us to see things from a slightly different angle, giving us an entirely new definition of what that experience might mean to us.
When I was finally able to step out of my way and drag myself out of my ego, which wallowed in the “poor me, look at my broken heart” syndrome, I saw an entirely different version of what happened. Nothing else would have propelled me to make such a giant leap into the unknown than that breakup. As hard as my heart shattered, it only shattered because I was shown what the depth of love could feel like – setting me up to recognize it when it came again more authentically and perfectly. And we all have stories such as this – tragedy turned to triumph – as we look back and realize we wouldn’t be where we are today if that ‘horrible thing’ had not happened.
The Eagle inspires us to view our lives with new eyes through sharp focus, and perhaps, with practice, we can begin experiencing a shift in our perspective as we are going through the experience rather than as an after effect. And also realizing that our perspective will alter depending on what filter we choose to look through. Are you looking through the filter born out of ego, which is more self-centered, self-serving, and immature? Are you using the filter of your parents or a former teacher or even your spirituality? Finding your perspective through the heart center will always bring you into a space of more profound wisdom, which allows you to witness the connections, the love, and the authentic truth of who you are at a soul level.
All our experiences in this life are here to serve us in obtaining our higher purpose while strengthening our spirit in the context of love and oneness. In that space, all things are possible.
