This week we’re continuing our theme from last week: your physical body and its well-being.

A few days ago, I had a long talk with my cousin. We’re exactly same age, and we grew up next door to each other in rural western New York State. We’ve always had a close, loving sister-brother-type relationship.

She was telling me about a recent health crisis her daughter had -- she’d been diagnosed with a deadly tumor.

After operation, her surgeon told her he’d gotten all of tumor out, and prognosis was excellent. If he hadn’t gotten it all out, he continued, her life expectancy would have been about two years. And it could have been a horribly painful death. She’s still a relatively young woman -- about 40, and this would not have been good news for one that young.

So she wasn’t going to die after all -- at least not right now, or soon. Then good doctor made an ominous remark. Some day, he said, “You’re probably going to die from this anyway.”

Now I’m sure this man, a surgeon who practices his trade in one of most well-regarded medical facilities in world, is competent and was well-intended in his remarks to his patient. After all, he’s a healer.

But to instill in a patient’s mind that she is probably going to die a horribly painful death is, to me, an abdication of his responsibility as a doctor and a healer.

Chief Joseph

One of greatest challenges many humans have is dealing with their physical bodies. Your bodies are magnificent mechanisms -- truly magical beyond any of your wildest imaginings.

The intricate processes your bodies undertake every single second of your physical life are truly magical. Your bodies -- every part, organ, and system -- every cell, molecule, and atom -- know how to do their jobs, and how to do them perfectly.

It would truly boggle your mind if you could see all these delicate, intricate inner workings of your physical bodies. Your bodies need no direction from you. In fact, they do very well without you.

In Corrogue it is frosty.

The ramp into our “acre of diamonds” is now firm underfoot where before it was a sea of mud. Murphy our dog runs excitedly by my side. We are on our way to release chickens from coop. They are to be fed porridge oats in milk.

Murphy has become an honorary chicken. He has been self-appointed. He now eats with hens and cockerels as I give them their long awaited breakfast. They are now together, dog and birds, loving this life that is secure and satisfying for them.

I am becoming clearer. I am becoming more integrated and more know of flow of this life. I am become a soul friend. I am becoming what is known in Celtic tradition an Anam Cara. This translates as Anam meaning “soul” and Cara meaning “friend.”

Like our beautiful dog Murphy I am busy rounding up different aspects of my less integrated self. These are pieces that are like different chickens within a roost. I gently bring them together in love and acceptance. I imagine myself sitting atop a chicken coop with my chicken friends and we would debate various life questions.

We might ask “What does it mean to be a seeker after soul.” We would squawk about our inner life. We would peck at question “is unexamined life worth living?” We would joke about what happened when chicken crossed road. More seriously we would scratch in earth to query that existential question, “What came first - chicken or egg?”

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

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

An Anam Cara loves your essence.

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

An Anam Cara lives close to land.

They might be found roosting with chickens. They love 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 play of Eros. This takes them on wing. An Anam Cara will remind you to come to your senses and be sensational.

An Anam Cara guides you to presence you are.