There Are No Accidents

One of my favorite animated movies is DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda. I find myself often reciting certain lines spoken by Masters Oogway and Shifu. The one that pertains to today’s topic is, “There are no accidents.” My adventure into the metaphysical realm began over ten years ago. It has only been in the last four or five years, however, that I have made a more concerted effort to be aware of my own energy and the energy I receive from all that surrounds me. Many experts in this field state that when you are in tune with the Universe, you will begin to notice coincidences- things that seem at first glance to be random. But when you look beyond the surface, you find they are not accidents at all. For the most part, I tend to just take them as a sign that I am in tune. But sometimes, I know I am supposed to take them for a sign. More on what a sign might actually mean in a moment.

But first, how do you distinguish an everyday event from synchronicity- accident vs coincidence? This, I feel is very specific to each person, depending on what that person experiences on a daily basis. Sometimes, however, it is unmistakable. An instance I wrote in my journal happened last fall. I had been hosting a monthly get together with neighbors and friends, but had put it on hold for the pandemic. By fall, it was generally accepted that outdoor activities, with proper distancing and masks was acceptable. I had been on the fence about when to resume these get togethers. In August I was reading Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver. On page 114 I came across the following quote: Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. This struck me instantly. I knew I had come across this very same quote recently. It took me a few minutes to work it out, but it came to me: That same quote is on page 97 of My Family and Other Strange Animals, part of The Corfu Trilogy by Gerald Durrell. I felt as if the Universe was shouting at me, “Gather! Gather! …and invite new people!” So my monthly get togethers resumed, outside around a fire ring with lots of space to be safely distanced. I had a larger than normal turnout and several people told me how thankful they are for the gatherings I host.

A few days ago, I was heading to my work area, which is outside the building where I work. As I neared the door that goes from the sales floor to outside, all the lights went out. Later that day, while dining at a restaurant, the lights in my section suddenly went out- AGAIN! Now the circumstances that led to the lights turning off, in both cases, were ordinary if not likely. At work a coworker in the warehouse had accidentally bumped into the switch bank that controlled the lights. At the restaurant the light switch for my section was on the wall next to a table where a family with young children was seated. One of the children couldn’t resist the urge to flip the switch, which only made me smile. But the fact that it happened twice in a day, right at the specific time I was there, could not be ignored.

Here is where we come to the part where the message is not always clear. Seriously, what does being suddenly plunged into darkness twice in one day mean? When something vague like this has no immediate or obvious relevance to me, I turn to my oracle cards. I have several decks that I use for different purposes. In this case I chose Colette Baron Reid’s Wisdom of the Oracle deck. The question posed is “What do I need to be focusing on to stay in alignment with my truest self?” I asked this question because I felt that sudden darkness seemed to say, “Stop. Look inward.” I only pulled one card: number 52, Mending in protection.

The protection message of this card has several facets. As with any reading, the person doing the inquiring must pull from the message that which pertains to his or her personal circumstances. Noticing key words that jump out at you or strike a strong emotion, positive or negative, will often hold the answer. Sometimes it is not obvious at first. If I am unsure of the relevance of the card with regard to my inquiry, I will often leave it lay out for a day or two and see what comes to light. This time, the message for me is to view the dissonance I am experiencing as a way back to Source and to remember that it is OK to look to others for support when I experience loss in whatever form it takes.

One last example. Twice in one day, wild turkeys flew across the road in front of me while I was driving. That alone got my attention. But when I got home, there were two more wild turkeys in my backyard! I live in suburbia, so to find two turkeys strutting around in my backyard was surprising to say the least. When it comes to animals, my main source for information is the book Animal Speak by Ted Andrews. I will also often go to Steven Farmer’s Messages from your Animal Spirit Guides Oracle Cards, or Colette Baron Reid’s The Spirit Animal Oracle. As always, interpretation is based on the experiences and circumstances of those who receive the messages.

It could be that you never watch your odometer, yet somehow you glance down and it’s on exactly 12,000 miles. Or maybe you are walking on the beach and you see a perfectly smooth, completely white stone, where there are no others. All such small things are nudges and messages.

So tune in and be alert, observant and open. Messages can, and will, come to you in many forms. If you are looking for an answer or advice from the Universe, just remember that the form in which that answer comes to you may be an unlikely happenstance…an accident. But of course, there are no accidents!