Possibilites & Transformation
I love Nature. My mother loved Nature, and she passed this love onto me at a very early age. Within Nature’s constantly transforming vistas and vignettes, I see patterns, track movements, tuning into the whole of it and I am fascinated.
A keen sense of curiosity fuels my studies of Nature from many perspectives; artistically, scientifically, spiritually, and so on. I investigate the nuances of Nature. The contrast of light and shadow, the way the seasonal shifts show up in subtle, and not-so-subtle, ways. The ecstatic life force that sings through everything is a constant source of wonder and Mystery to me. This knowledge and wisdom, gained from decades of observations, are what guide me as I express my creativity today.
I remember the first time I saw images of the earth from space. It was during the decade of the international “space race” of the 1960’s. I was small, but even so, I recognized the electric feelings of awe I felt from viewing our planet’s magnificence from space. I was aware that within all the diversity, in all the myriad systems, from the largest to the smallest, that they were all working together, effortlessly, to create this amazing world of ours. This perspective registered in our collective consciousness, and as humans, we recognized how small we are in the vastness of the Universe. It changed us.
It is time for another seasonal turning and preparations for the Vernal Equinox are well underway in our home. I am facilitating a weekend intensive for welcoming Spring. It is focused around the ancient experiential rituals and sacred ceremonies of our Ancestors marking the advent of spring. The practices I share are based on ancient practices honoring the seasonal shifts, within and without. I have combined them with modern techniques for exploring these Mysteries as paths to creativity, healing, wholeness, evolution and the discovery of illuminating insights from within.
Both equinoxes mark a time of balance, of equal time spent in light and in darkness. Spring signals a time of building energies in Nature and in our lives. I see this occurrence as a natural interval in the seasonal cycle. It’s a time of rest, a gathering of our Intentions and energies, before an increase of activity and growth, on the seasonal pendulum’s swing towards the waxing of days and waning of nights in the northern hemisphere.
I imagine this Pause in Nature, a twice-yearly event in the seasonal cycle, to be similar to our own breathing patterns. Tuning into my breath, I recall my lessons with breath-work; how to breathe deeply, meditatively, following the breath with my awareness, feeling the air moving in and out of my lungs, clearing and cleansing my mind, as I oxygenate my blood and brain. There, too, I find a natural hesitation between the inhale and the exhale, and again, between the exhale and the inhale. The interruption is minute, but noticeable when one looks for it.
This Planetary Pause in the seasonal cycle is another opportunity for inner exploration. Among the many choices, there are creative possibilities, planning new projects, restoring balance in health, career, life or the age-old practice of creating a garden at this time of increase. There are infinite possibilities for growth in our process, just as there are infinite stars in the Universe.
(Original alcohol ink painting by CShepardArts. Art Title: Nature Sings -2016)
