The Blessing of Anam Cara

"top 7 strengths of a Soul Friend"

“May you find the

friend of your soul

and  joy in  the

freedom of love.”

In Corrogue it is frosty.

  One of our favorite hens (and I have to acknowledge I do have favorites) is Boddica.  She is fearless.  She would be the hen to ask fierce questions.  She is the hen equivalent of a soul friend.  She probes your knowing and understanding of who you really are.  She might ask, “ Tony, what does an Anam Cara do?

In answer to Boddica`s question I would humbly reply thus.

1. An Anam Cara loves your essence. 

They see you beyond your mask.  This is the mask of persona.  This is what you call personality.  They see beyond the fear.  They see the absence of love.  This is the love you withdraw from others and yourself.  This is the love that is your real power.  This does not mean they have to like YOU.  You are the one that gets in the way of soul.  Your soul is the light of love and it needs light. It needs the lightness of being.  An Anam Cara will remind you simply “to be.”

2. An Anam Cara lives close to the land. 

They might be found roosting with chickens.  They love the elements of fire, water, earth and air.  They are elemental beings although they are more down to earth than mental.  Some might consider they exhibit opposite traits.  They love sensuality and sexuality. They love the play of Eros.  This takes them on the wing.  An Anam Cara will remind you to come to your senses and be sensational.

3. An Anam Cara guides you to the presence you are. 

They are people of the silence.  They listen.  They do not debate.  They do not fill you up with knowledge.  They transmit the knowing of love.  They touch you with beauty.  This is not their beauty but the beauty of the Beloved.  They move in the world as nobodies of import.  They do not puff up your ego.  They may build your ego up.  They do so in order that you can disappear.  This is in order that you can fly the coup.  This is so you can enter the joy of leaving the prison house of never being enough.

4. An Anam Cara reminds you of what is important. 

They guide you to knowing who you are.  They take you into what are called in Ireland “thin places.”  They take you to the edge.  They coax you to the edge.  When you are trusting enough they push you.  They know this is the only way for you to learn to fly.  They know you are an eagle that was brought up in a society of chickens.  The Anam Cara will take you soaring.  The very air that will take you higher is learning trust and faith in your essential goodness.

5. An Anam Cara takes you to seek the source. 

You will be taken beyond time and space to the very souse of your being.  This will be done using different techniques depending on which Anam Cara you talk with.  There will be techniques to take you out of the constant chatter of the coup into the light heartedness of life beyond the chicken wire. These techniques take you into ease and allow you to give up dis-ease. 

6. An Anam Cara will affirm YOU. 

You will be told that YOU are forever enough.  This is because the Anam Cara knows that you are forever enough.  They have seen beyond the limitation of the ego.  They know the prison house of the little self.  They know you hold the key to liberation.  Only they might tell you that the door is always open.  It was and never will be shut to you.  They have trust that “all is well and all manner of things shall be well.”

7. An Anam Cara does not really care. 

They know you are always held in the hand of the Beloved.  They are not here to do anything for or to you.  They are only there to facilitate your discovery that you are always enough.  They know that what you need is not more of anything but a great big helping of “no thing.”  This gives your soul true rest.  This is where you give up trying to live “your life” and become life abundant.  You become the flow of the essential.  Nothing matters because it all matters.  Ultimately they take you to love of soul.

So this is how I would answer my Anam Cara soul hen. 

Would she be satisfied?  I am not sure.  I know she would think I have avoided the real question.  “What comes first?  – the chicken or the egg.”  I compensate by tenderly gathering her up in my arms.  I stroke her beautiful chicken head.  I tell her, “I love you.”  I tell her, “You are a forever enough hen.”  She goes off and lays another golden egg.

I leave the coup.  I leave this “Chicken Coup for the Soul” and return up the ramp to our cottage.  I am gathered in.  I leave Murphy to debate the rudiments of flying.  He is on the edge.  He is excited.  One day soon he too hopes to fly.  The question is, “Which soul hen will do the pushing.”

THE END

RECOMMENDED READING

For me this book by John O`Donaghue is one of the all time great books about Soul Friendship. It is poetic and lyrical. It is heart warming and inspirational. It is a constant companion. It is now dog eared and well worn. See The Blessing of Poetry

  Sincere Blessings To You All

tony@irishblessingsmatter.com

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