Wander Free Wellness

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The Magic of Vultures

A friend of mine was talking to me yesterday about the mycelium of fungi that gathers nutrients from decaying organic matter. And I was reminded of some writing and reflection I was doing over the past week on an animal that gets too much of a bad rap - the vulture.

I saw several vultures eating an armadillo (yup, an armadillo) in the middle of the road in Georgia recently. I drove by several times, and each time less and less of the dead animal was left on the road. Years ago I may have seen this and felt disgusted... but something inside me has shifted in the way I view the world.

Now I marvel at the beauty of the vulture. The vulture turns rot, decay, and death and finds a source of nourishment from it. The vulture is a literal death-eater. And from the death, it finds fuel, sustenance, and continues with the beautiful cycle of nature and life.

Death is not final. Just as the death of the armadillo became nourishment for another animal to live on, the small deaths that we encounter in our day to day life are often doorways to new possibilities, new life.

Perhaps reflect:

Looking back, can you identify a time in your life where an ending actually ended up being the nourishment or fuel for a beautiful beginning?

Looking ahead, can you imagine that what is ending for you right now, could be fueling a not-yet-known new iteration of your life?

If you'd like to dig into this type of self-reflection and growth work even more with me, subscribe to my YouTube channel or my online membership Temple of the Wild Wanderer for women, trans, nonbinary, and those identifying with the feminine.

Love,
Jen