I decided to spend some time journaling to ask Elen of the Ways what she had to tell me. After all, she didn’t just show up because Maine is an awesome place to vacation (although it is, that’s true).

Why did she show up in my life now? Not last month or last year. I did some Automatic Writing and got some interesting messages. One of them was this:

Remember the Salamanders.

Salamanders? Um, what? And then I did remember.

When I was a girl, I used to sort of collect salamanders. I would find them in the woods under rotting logs and capture them, and then put them in a shoe box. I’d bring them home and keep them on the back porch for a while. My mother was pretty tolerant of all kinds of animals but I wonder if the salamanders pushed that boundary. Probably not. Of course, i did let them go.

Anyway, as the anniversary of the death of my mother approaches (on Leap Day), I wondered if the message was a way to connect me with her, which of course it has. I wondered if there was a deeper message, however. I went to one of my go-to resources for this kind of information, my friend Fern’s website (lilysongbird.com) and found this:

SALAMANDER – You’re about to go through a subtle transformation; however, don’t try to hurry it along or dramatize it but instead let it develop at it’s own pace. You’re about to receive help from an unexpected source with respect to the dilemma you’re facing. Cooperation with those around you and with the environment is the key to your success right now. If you’re entering into a new personal or business relationship, check things out before proceeding. During this transition that you’re going through, be emotionally contained so that you don’t get burned out or consumed by changes.  This animal helps to connect us to the mysteries of the earth and to feel grounded in the present moment. Some salamanders are terrestrial, others are aquatic; while in magical traditions, Salamander also relates to the element of fire.

Boom.