Be Ground

Very little grows on jagged rock. Be ground.
Be crumbled, so wildflowers will come up where you are.
You’ve been stony for too many years.
Try something different.
Surrender.

~Rumi

Fierce Feminine

“i found god in myself
and i loved her
i loved her fiercely” 
~Ntozake Shange

“The dakini is a messenger of emptiness and also appears in dreams to guide the meditator, and she might appear in real life as a woman with certain wisdom qualities. The dakini is a force of truth: wherever we cling, she cuts; whatever we think we can hide, she reveals.” ~Sapchu Rinpoche

“Another important aspect of the dakini’s feminine energy is how they cut through notions of pure and impure, clean and unclean, what you should do and shouldn’t do. They break open the shell of those conventional structures into an embrace of life in which all experience is seen as sacred.” ~Lama Tsultrim Allione

#wild
#wisdom
#sacredfeminine
#dakini

Art: Dancing Dakini, Nepal, 14th century; LACMA

I Am

I am the moon goddess casting a silver net over this night

I am the brooding black raven asleep in the dark wood

I am the dreamer and the fox who guards the dreamer

I am the windswept plain where lost dreams can be found

I am the bone songs of my ancestors playing on the wind

I am the heart of the ancient sycamore crumbling into dust

I am green leaves capturing rays of sunlight as they fall

I am the lone crane, standing watch near the shore

I am the jumping salmon crane silently waits for

I am the dance of flickering flame consuming it all

I am Phoenix reborn from the ash of what came before.

~NancyL

Painting: Moon Woman and the Serpent:
Gifts of the Dark by NancyL

Imbolc!

We have arrived at Imbolc – the halfway point between winter solstice and spring equinox.

Days are lengthening, seeds are stirring, animals are birthing. Mama Earth is beginning to awaken from her long winter slumber.

Celebrate that spring is on its way.

#Imbolc
#cycles
#seasons
#WheeloftheYear

🌞

Image: Imbolc – The Maiden Awakens
by Annie Louvaine

Samhain; Betwixt and Between

Originally published November 1, 2017

Aspens at Twilight by Nancy L

Certain times in our lives are filled with potency and magic. Twilight is such a time, as is dawn. These are magical moments when it is neither day nor night. Birth is another potent in-between time, along with death. These special times mark borders and transition zones. The in-between is a sacred time when magic is afoot.

Here in the northern hemisphere, we find ourselves on the boundary between autumn and winter. The light is slowly fading away as our Sun drops lower and lower in the sky and our nights grow longer. This is another potent in-between time. The ancient Celtic people would celebrate Samhain (Sow-in) at this time.  Some tribes chose to celebrate at the 1st new moon after late harvest (November 4th, 2021). Other tribes celebrated at the 1st full moon after harvest. The celebration of Samhain was a beautiful way to honor the seasonal  transition out of the light and into the dark.

The veils between the worlds grow very thin during this sacred in-between time.  Loved ones who have departed this Earth are believed to be nearby. Many people in Mexico honor this by celebrating Dia de los Muertos  (Day of the Dead) at this time.

Samhain is the perfect time to acknowledge and celebrate the sacred cycles of birth – growth – death – rebirth that are an integral part of Nature.

🍁

Some suggestions for acknowledging and honoring the magical in-between time of Samhain:

Take a few moments to honor everything you have “harvested” this year.

Bow to your ancestors and thank them for giving you this life.

Offer love and prayers to loved ones who have transitioned.

Thank the brilliant light of summer and embrace the deep dark of winter.

Listen for spiritual guidance to help you in the coming year.

Wheel of the Year

Earth Mother

Willendorf Beauty by Peg Green

I am dawn’s flame
Arching through treetops

I am a whisper of wind
Playing in the weeds

I am dark loamy ground
Supporting roots and shoots

I am cool mountain waters
Tumbling toward the sea

I am holy Mother
Creating and holding you.

~Nancy L