By Kathleen Leppek

The dogs that have been part of my life, loved togetherness and always seemed to know if people were coming over, if we were leaving to visit someone, or if we were going on a vacation enjoying a social connection. My dog Sophie was the original party girl. She also seemed to feel it was her job to be an inspiration to others. I actually took a photo of Sophie wearing a party hat and lei since she seemed to clearly indicate, bursting into a room with her expectant expression, “Did somebody say party?” Her antics of uninhibited joy also inspired my writing of poems and stories. She seemed to clearly state, “My job is to inspire. My job is to inspire. My job is to inspire.” Galloping across an open field, bounding into a lake, spinning in the air 360 degrees and wagging her tail into a full body shimmy were among the ways she exhibited absolute wonder while interacting with nature, dog friends, and people friends.

Among Sophie’s many messages was the ability to connect to the depths of others inner core. The human/animal bond is likened to a heart connection and this divine connection is something we have in common with all living things. Dogs’ trust and service to their people brings out the best in our heart.  Sophie shared her best with the intuition of her heart saying, “Walk like an Aquarian.” The Aquarian seeks understanding of themselves and others and gives with heart felt expression.    The song, Walk Like an Egyptian, demonstrates the Egyptian hieroglyphics depicting people with their heads turned in profile and their full broad chest facing forward. This is symbolically the teaching of the Egyptian culture to show your heart, your truth, and to do the best you can, teaching their community to lead with the heart. To make amends with yourself and get your heart to reveal where there is imbalance, is the opportunity to live and die with your heart as light as a feather. The heart has the ultimate power to transform experiences to understanding, purifying the heart, turning lead into gold. The Egyptian culture was also based on the group moral principles of a unified society that believed in each other. Gathering together in inclusiveness with commitment to constructive cooperation and the rights of all living things is surely walking like an Aquarian.

Many of us have found inspiration observing and being in nature as well as with animals and pets. I have absolute gratitude of the inspiration nature, animals, and pets have given me. Each pet in my existence taught me life qualities that assisted me on my path showing me the way forward. Nature’s beauty has rejuvenated me with the expanse of a blue sky, the heights of mountains, and flowers that give showing their hearts. John Muir said, “Of all the paths taken in life, make sure some of them are dirt.” As we walk into the Aquarian Age, it is time for humanity to take care of one another and to take a stewardship role for the living things on the Earth. It is humanities role as thinking beings to responsibly manage the mineral, plant and animal kingdoms. When we realize the dignity and rights of all living things, we give strength to their living beingness as sentient conscious beings. They have divine rights to live, connect and participate and it is my wish that all humanity will awaken and support the Earth and all living things with respect, acceptance and appreciation. It is the living beingness of this Earth, that we call home, where we can find the Aquarian energies of togetherness, cooperation and inspiration. We can share giving honor for the balanced betterment of all. Let’s put it all together and Walk Like an Aquarian.