Connect With An Imaginary Healer

Separation

These are crazy times in most of the world. Faces are missing everywhere. I feel like I live in some dystopian, science fiction novel. No matter what your opinion is about what is going on, everyone is feeling the lack of physical human connection. Some say they feel more connected, and, digitally, maybe so. We have forgotten what it means to be human, though, or maybe we are starting to remember, as our humanity is taken away.

We need physical cues and presence. Without it, we become even more separate and lonely. This was an age of separation even a year ago. Now it is more so. We can’t tell who anyone is. And those who do show a face may be attacked for doing so. So we are separated by hiding, and by showing.

We are disconnected from our true nature, our real humanity. This separation and isolation, we have been told, is good for our health, but it is not. What happened to needing 8-12 hugs a day for mental and physical health? Being told not to breathe is not good for our health either, but that is another topic. We have forgotten our physicality, our connection to our bodies and this living planet.

We connect through a variety of languages – minute facial cues, facial structure, spiritual essence, body language, odors and scents, our frequency, and our whole biological ecology of the critters that live around us, on us and in us. We are an ecosystem, which is integral to the planetary ecosystem.

Without facial expression, we are bereft. There are specialists who study body language and facial structure. It is all so subtle. We do not even know we are getting these cues. The shape of mouth, the jut of a chin, the slope of nose, all can give us hints as to whether we would even resonate with a person. Sure, they say “the eyes are a window to the soul,” but it is not the only facial feature. Video calls do not pick up all the subtleties of structure and expression, and are devoid of other senses we use to connect.

Humans are sensual, loving beings who love to touch, smell and taste. Technology is wonderful, but it is a shell of the real thing. Spirit, our inner knowing and nature are always essential to our health, but so is our connection to each other in a real, visceral way. We are not just talking heads.

Imaginary Horse

So how do we compensate or cope in our isolation? Maybe we feel an even deeper connection to spirit and nature. Maybe we feel a really strong need to hug a tree, feel the sun on our face, or see a bird. And when we do, it’s the highlight of the day. Maybe we even feel this in our bodies?

During one of my meditations, I had a sudden, visceral need for a horse. A horse!! Why? I love horses but have had little experience with them. So why did I feel such an intense need to hug a horse, ride a horse, or just view their beauty. Why do I cry when I see one on TV?

I recently learned that horses have 17 facial expressions, second only to humans who have 27. Their expressions are similar to humans, plus they use their ears. Dogs have 16 – no wonder we bond so well with dogs. Cats? Who knows, but I can sure tell what my cat is thinking even if I haven’t analyzed how I know.

So I’m curious as to why horses are coming to me so strongly. Is it that they have so many expressions, even though I didn’t know that? Or maybe, they symbolize power and freedom, which it seems we do not have right now or, at least, we think we do not have.

There is another side to the horse, if you look at the history. They have been restrained and abused – used in war, used as pit ponies in mines, used as pack animals – and slaughtered. They’ve been abused in various races and rodeos, for our pleasure. They’ve had blinkers put on them so they cannot fully see. How much fear and pain have they experienced through us? Do they feel like they have had their wild spirit or nature beaten out of them?

How about us? Are we being tamed into submission? Do we feel stagnant, in prison, incapable of moving forward? How do we get going in these times of restriction? Are we only allowed to be narrowly creative? Are our efforts thwarted? Are we inhibited, fenced in by obstacles?

Did you know that they use arsenic to improve horse endurance and give their coat a glossy look? Sometimes I wonder if how we treat animals is coming back to haunt us. The “powers that be” are doing the same to us – lock us up, reign us in, and possibly inject us with substances. Maybe I feel a strong connection to horse because we resonate on the abuse level, and we both desire freedom and power. What happened to our wildness, our earthy nature, our true nature?

Despite all this, horses seem to be very compassionate to us and offer us therapy. People seek relief from trauma, PTSD, grief, autism, and behavioural issues through a relationship with horses. There is something about a horse’s ability to bond with us, if they trust us, which leads us to self-discovery and acceptance. Confidence and self- empowerment increase from developing a practical and spiritual relationship with such a large, fascinating and beautiful animal.

Luckily I have found someone who has horses. So if I visit, maybe a horse will come to see me and connect with me. Maybe our frequencies will match. Maybe we can heal each other? Maybe my grief for this world will lessen.

Your Imaginary Healer

So who are you going to connect with? Is there some aspect of nature that calls to you, or even one of your spirit helpers? Begin a conversation with them, receive some healing, and give some love. Wisdom received from these conversations with imaginary “friends” will help you face the human world in your own unique, creative and powerful way.

Originally published in the April 2021 Opal Rising magazine