Musings From The Trail

Musings From The Trail

Wild Breath of the Soul

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”It is that holy poetry and singing we are after. We want powerful words and songs that can be heard underwater and over land. It is the wild singing we are after, our chance to use the wild language we are learning by heart under the sea. When a woman speaks her truth, fires up her intention and feeling, staying tight with the instinctive nature, she is singing, she is living in the wild breath-stream of the soul. To live this way is a cycle in itself, one meant to go on, go on, go on.” 

-Clarissa Pinkola Estes 

#WildSoul

♾

Image: Prayer to the Wild and Sacred
by Nancy Lankston

Gratitude for Time and Light

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The Word

Down near the bottom
of the crossed-out list
of things you have to do today,

between “green thread”
and “broccoli,” you find
that you have penciled “sunlight.”

Resting on the page, the word
is beautiful. It touches you
as if you had a friend

and sunlight were a present
he had sent from someplace distant
as this morning—to cheer you up,

and to remind you that,
among your duties, pleasure
is a thing

that also needs accomplishing.
Do you remember?
that time and light are kinds

of love, and love
is no less practical
than a coffee grinder

or a safe spare tire?
Tomorrow you may be utterly
without a clue,

but today you get a telegram
from the heart in exile,
proclaiming that the kingdom

still exists,
the king and queen alive,
still speaking to their children,

—to any one among them
who can find the time
to sit out in the sun and listen.

~Tony Hoagland
in Sweet Ruin, 1992
☀️

Image: Pacific Sun
by Nancy Lankston

Expansive Full Moon in Aquarius

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Expansive full moon in airy Aquarius. We are in the midst of global change and chaos. Expect the unexpected. 

Many people are feeling overwhelmed, tense, contracted and exhausted right now. Shallow, rapid breathing fans the flames of your inner chaos. Take deep, long breaths instead. Make your exhale longer than your inhale. If you are a student of yoga or pranayama, use Ujjayi breathing. Slow down, unwind and expand your energy with yin yoga.

Aquarian consciousness encourages us to expand our perspective. Change is always messy and chaotic. It is impossible to control, so stop trying. This is what is happening right now. Surrender to it.

Take a break from the news. Seek out the beauty and magic of life instead; the colors of sunrise, clouds dancing on the wind, cicadas buzzing in the trees, flowers quietly blooming, the feel of soft pet fur on your fingertips, the sound of a child’s laughter, an ice cold drink on a hot afternoon, the smell of dinner cooking, the full moon lighting up a dark sky tonight… 

Life is still full of magic. Look for it.

And remember that you can be part of the healing medicine we all need right now by simply speaking and acting with kindness.

☾☽

Image: Big Sky and Prairie
by Nancy Lankston

Vocabulary for Joy

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Women hold a vocabulary
For joy in their mouths like
A field of lavender and bee bellies
Buzzing a hum back into the earth. 

~Liza Wolff-Francis

🐝

Look for Liza’s book,
Language of Crossing on Amazon

Image: Lavender Bee
Creative Commons

Wild Gemini New Moon

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New moon in airy Gemini, joined by the Sun, Mercury and Venus. We are awash in wild Gemini energies for the next few days.

Let the trickster games begin! Try to relax and enjoy the carnival ride that Gemini loves to create. Shape-shift into your child self and look for the magic. It’s here all around, if you look. Coyote Gemini always brings magic.

Avoid getting too mental and over-thinking things (Gemini’s shadow). If you try to make sense of the world right now, you will only make yourself crazy. So, let your hair down and unleash you inner 4 year old!

Flip off the news. Literally, flip it off!

Sing a silly song. Waltz down the supermarket aisle. Play with your food. Talk like a munchkin. Make monster faces. You can return to responsible adulthood in a few days. But for now, giggle and wiggle and make some fun.