I just finished putting together my reference book for the Dream Arc animals that are traveling with me in 2026. Yes, I said animalS. I had so much fun traveling with 12 animals, one from each category, during my 40 Day Spiritual Journey I decided to pick 12 animals to travel with me for the whole of 2026. The text here in this journal is taken directly from the Dream Arc Animal Codex, reached through the Dream Arc course by Richard Rudd (all copyrighted). The information in the spreadsheet is from the Living Library which is free.

I will tell you all about the selection process, but to do that I first need to tell you my words for the year, as they are tied together. I don’t just have three words for the year I also have an ideal to travel with. When the Gene Keys Pulse was in 11 (Obscurity, Idealism, Light) in mid-December, I was inspired. Gene Key 11 is the one I wish I had in my chart, so I am always invigorated when it comes around. At that time, I was inspired both by the gift of Idealism but also by the Dream Arc bird, the Pheasant, the Vision of Solar Light. I decided that I want to lean into all the line 6’s I have in my chart and choose an ideal to live by. I chose this one: 

If you want to be inspired as well, take a listen to this video by Richard Rudd all about ideals and GK 11. (I’ll get to the Pheasant later in this post.)

As for my words? I explain all about them in Lizzie’s and my recent podcast, The Power of Words. They are Simplicity (GK 23), Presence (GK 20) and Kindness (related to my only Line 4 in my profile which is in my EQ). 

This Year’s Riff with these words: 

May I be blessed with kind and simple presence. 

May simplicity bring me into the present moment with kindness.

May I be deeply and kindly self-aware and may I see the simplicity of existence.

May each present moment be filled with kindness and simple blessings.

Now let’s add the animals… 

TRICKSTER: As soon as I decided that Simplicity and I would be traveling together, the Magpie appeared (the Vision of Alchemical Reward, GK23). Although I have changed quite a few of the other animals over the past weeks, the Magpie wouldn’t budge. The images below are of our forest magpie I named Jake, who has since come back with his mate and two years of fledglings, teaching them how to eat from the suet feeder on the porch of my art studio. Just today a few of them are partaking of the suet in our cold and snowy weather. I love how much they chatter, they have such a range of language.

GUARDIAN: The Emu was making her presence known when I was wondering if I was going to change Guardians (I loved traveling with Turtle during my 40 days). And I realized she fit very well as 34 is the programming partner to GK 20 and my word Presence. I acknowledged her call and now have the Emu as my Guardian, and the Vision of Grounded Majesty. It’s also my Life’s Work!

WARRIOR: As I already had an animal for one of my words, as well as for the programming partner for the other, I knew I needed to choose one of the animals that represent GK 20. The Crane wasn’t interested (so funny when you get that kind of intuitive hit) and I wasn’t interested in the Fly so that left the Skunk. The Skunk became my Warrior. I’ve never traveled with the Skunk so I’m interested in learning more from this unassuming warrior.

LEAPER: As I had the programming partner for Presence in the Emu (34), I decided to explore the programming partner for 23, which is 43. I fell in love with the Moose, Insight Breakthrough, and she became my Leaper. I also liked the aspect of her northern habitat as a balance to the southern heat of the Emu.

Both GK 23 (Simplicity) and GK 20 (Presence) are part of the Codon Ring of Life and Death, and their programming partners make up the whole of the Codon Ring of Destiny. I love that synchronicity.

MESSENGER: I have had some great messengers visit me this past year, I particularly loved the Mouse (GK 13) and the Bat (GK 57), but I knew another one was silently waiting. The Lynx quietly appeared over my left shoulder one day, subtly letting me know she is ready to be heard if I am ready to listen. The Lynx is GK 62 and Vibratory Precision. She holds all of the messages from all of the messengers yet waits for me to ask. “What matters is that you call. I will show you some part of the great pattern.” I know one of my big lessons is to learn to ask. Gene Key 62 is my SQ.

HEALER: I think the healer was next. I loved traveling with both the Turtle and the Toucan during my 40 day journey. They are both GK 14 and my Stability Sphere in the Star Pearl. I want to keep a connection to that deep stability during these next few chaotic years and so chose to travel with the Badger as my Healer, Competent Healing.

DREAMER: I wanted to travel with the Pheasant from GK 11. However, in the Dream Arc, Richard speaks about the order of traveling with the alchemical birds:

I am one in a group of alchemical birds that are unlocked in a sequence. Study each of these birds and their revelations: 1. The Raven. 2. The Swan. 3. The Peacock. 4. The Pelican. 5. The Pheasant. 
-from the text of the Pelican in the Dream Arc

I have traveled with the Raven and the Swan in the past few years so in order to finally work with the Pheasant, I must first spend time with the Peacock and then the Pelican. 2026 is my Peacock year and the Vision of Mystical Illumination – GK 64! 

HUNTER: I think this one was next. I chose the Loon because of his message of the Vision of Loving Forgiveness (and it’s one of Hayley’s keys as is the Peacock and I love me some Hayley energy). I think my word Kindness needs to remember forgiveness as does my Line 5 in my Core Wound.

CHANGER: This one changed quite a few times (giggle). I didn’t have a feeling that I had to balance underworld creatures with vision keepers or mammals so that didn’t come into the equation at this point. However, I admitted to feeling like I’m still mushy and gooey inside and amid transformation so wanted a creature that metamorphized to counsel me. That would be the caterpillar or silkworm or dragonfly or butterfly. I already had my Leaper and Guardian so that knocked out silkworm and butterfly. But I had originally chosen the Seal as my Changer, so I switched her to the shadow frequency of 55 and went with the Dragonfly. There’s some Lizzie Dewey energy here as this is her SQ.

JOURNEYER: For the longest time I was happy with the Goose as my journeyer: GK 5 and the Vision of Timeless Rhythm. I have this Gene Key in my Star Pearl and it is such a good one to live with day in and day out to learn patience. But at this point I realized I had quite a lot of vision birds and I might want to bring some earthiness into the group. That’s when I remembered that GK 5’s programming partner is 35 and the Yak came into the band. “Hell yes” I say to the energy of Spiritual Adventure! There is a whole mother connection here as well, as this was her Life’s Work… not sure where this will take me, as she also had the Peacock three times in her chart. Perhaps more healing of the mother wound, perhaps more insight into her genius! I’m up for it all.

UNIFIER: This one also changed a few times when finally the Cormorant was replaced by the Beaver. One of the things I want to do this year is to uplevel my creativity by developing an illustrative style using digital art. That means I must learn a more robust program than the one I’m using. I have chosen Procreate for the iPad. I already own a whole set of classes I bought over three years ago which I’ve never dared try before. What does all that have to do with the Beaver? The Power of the Small and his message, Determination in Service (GK 9), helps me to look down at my feet instead of the whole mountain (of inner and outer work) ahead of me. The Beaver reminds me to simply take one step at a time. I can learn something brand new just taking one step at a time followed by another and another. 

LAUGHER: This one changed just last week during the Opening of the Sage’s Golden Path Retreat. At the end Richard Rudd brought in Ease, Elijah brought in Creative Vitality and Tanmayo brought in the energy of Innocence. I had started out wanting to travel with the Puffin, then changed to the Parrot. After being reminded of how important that innocent childlike energy is I went back to the Puffin and the Vision of the Innocent Child. This will also help me in my BHAG (big hairy audacious goal) of being an illustrator. It will remind me to play and to be free to make mistakes and let go of perfection. I can approach it all playfully.

I’m looking forward to what these animal allies will bring throughout this next year. I know the animals I traveled with for only 40 days helped me with brief potent points, but a whole year is something else altogether. I’ve now done the whole course of the Dream Arc three times since it came out, including two retreats. I traveled with an animal from each category, one at a time, and intuited the next animals with increased self-assurance. I’m ready to take on the adventure of traveling with one from each category at the same time. And yet I know I won’t be overwhelmed because more than likely they’ll each have their own time, or event, or even their own part of my life to bring their energy to. And I’m also holding space to change it up as needed. If a new animal comes in I’ll be flexible and know the right way to handle it. This is a living archetypal wisdom that is meant to help me to become my own shining star. I will listen.