Raccoon energy

John and Karen Hollingsworth photo

So I'm in the basement switching the laundry loads tonight and suddenly I see some movement near the doorway. Silently, a good-sized raccoon turned and glanced at me, as if to say, "Oh? Is this room busy?" And his pal, who was on his way into the other room, luckily changed tack and scooted back outside. The first guy had to think twice about it and receive an invitation back into the yard as I clapped my hands loudly.

My heart was pounding. Raccoons can be mean, right? And there were two of them between me and the way out, creeping in on nothingness and leaving on a whisper. Two, right? Two? Is that everybody? Everybody is out? They seemed fairly non-plussed, however. Not half as excited as the squirrel who came exploring into the living room one afternoon, through the front door.

I looked up the bandits in one of my animal medicine books since the encounter was so bold and direct.

Surely someone in the universe is trying to get my attention. And since the moment before they arrived, I was considering two things: (1) How I have finally, finally just sucked it up and am starting to address the sorry state of my post partum body (and how that process could play out if there is a baby #2 in the mix), and, (2) the grand and exciting loss of 70lbs (! ! !) by my friend's awesome, driven husband who now is a half-marathoner. A really good looking, fit half-marathoner (They are such a great couple, they both scored, finding each other). Here are some quotes from the totem book that struck me:

The raccoon will eat almost anything available. it will capture small prey, but it usually eats mostly vegetables and fruit. This is something that those with this totem should also keep in mind.

Well, luckily I like to eat vegetables and fruit. Small prey? Notsomuch. Unless I've captured it, bubbling, in a tall glass with a long straw underneath a square red sign with a distinctive logo. I guess you could say I'm a low-effort hunter. But maybe that's the problem....

The use of masks to achieve altered states and for other healing and ritual purposes has been a part of every society. [Masks] are tools for transformation. The hidden aspect, the secrecy, helps to promote the transformation. It helps us to change what we are to what we want to be giving us magic....

Well. What a coinky-dink. I could use some transformation, and frankly I'm a bit embarrassed by it, so it's not like I'm going to announce it on the Internet or something. Oh, wait...

Raccoon holds the knowledge of how to change our faces....If a raccoon has shown up, you may see its influence for an extended time. If you are trying to make changes...plan on using about a 20-week cycle. You will find it more effective.

Twenty weeks? All right. Sometimes any decision is a good decision. And that gives me leeway to have setbacks during Christmas.

But two raccoons, a pair of them. Where is the message in that? Find a buddy? Double the efforts? Double the visitors? Don't travel alone?

It will be interesting to see whether other messages are in store.