Category: Nature + Moon + Tea

Wild Reading for the Earth Touched Soul

When I’m not writing or spending time connecting with the energies of the Earth, I spend a lot of time reading. Words are medicine and I especially love finding books and authors that resonate deeply with me. So, I thought I’d share some of the literary treasures that have been reaching into the quiet spaces of my heart.

IMG_20150203_152336

New Finds 

(I ordered these recently and I was super excited when they were delivered last week)

Finding the Deep River Within by Abby Seixas, which is all about slowing down, finding balance and giving your inner essence space in your life. This book was recommended by Lesley Austin who runs the Wisteria and Sunshine online community which joined a few weeks ago. It’s a good resource for those with busy lives who are looking to find a greater sense of inner peace, balance and meaning.

In Writing Wild, Tina Welling guides the reader through connecting with and harnessing Nature’s energy in their writing or creative pursuits. Writing Wild grabbed my attention because it focuses specifically on the type of writing that I do. I was surprised to discover (perhaps I shouldn’t be) that I’ve applying some of the techniques that she suggest naturally. There is always more to learn, so I am looking forward experimenting with some of the other unfamiliar and fun exercises.

Reclaiming the Wild Soul by Mary Reynolds Thompson – This book is something really special because I immediately connected with Mary Reynolds Thompson’s philosophy. It looks at how the various landscapes of the Earth reflect aspects of our “deeper, wilder selves”. I’ve only just started reading it , but already feel like I’ve found a kindred spirit and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me.

Some Old Faithfuls

In recent weeks, I’ve felt called to revisit some of these old faithful ones too. They seem to bring the nourishment that my soul is craving right now.

Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes – Every woman should read this book. I bought it eight years ago, and still each time I reread it in parts, it touches me deeply and I keep learning something new.

“In WOMEN WHO RUN WITH THE WOLVES, Dr. Estés unfolds rich intercultural myths, fairy tales, and stories, many from her own family, in order to help women reconnect with the fierce, healthy, visionary attributes of this instinctual nature. Through the stories and commentaries in this remarkable book, we retrieve, examine, love, and understand the Wild Woman and hold her against our deep psyches as one who is both magic and medicine. Dr. Estés has created a new lexicon for describing the female psyche.” (Amazon)

Wild Comfort by Kathleen Dean Moore – I find Kathleen’s writing gentle, soothing and in some ways reminiscent of Mary Oliver’s poems. Her descriptions of the natural surrounds are beautiful and sometimes dreamy. I can see why some refer to this book as a meditation of sorts, because that’s exactly what it feels like when I read it.

“In an effort to make sense of the deaths in quick succession of several loved ones, Kathleen Dean Moore turned to the comfort of the wild, making a series of solitary excursions into ancient forests, wild rivers, remote deserts, and windswept islands to learn what the environment could teach her in her time of pain.” (Amazon)

Wolves and Honey by Susan Brind Morrow – I cannot believe that I had this book in my possession for several years, yet only got round to reading it properly last year. And the moment that I did, I was in love. Wolves and Honey is one of the most fascinating, well written and poetic nature inspired books I’ve every read and it’s easily one of my favourites.

Do you hear the stars singing?

After an evening swim, I sat outside on my little veranda with a pot of freshly brewed raspberry leaf tea and sipped its fruity deliciousness. I counted the stars as they burned themselves into the heavens. They scattered across the moonlit sky one by one. The evening shifted to darker and darker shades of blue as time grew older and I wondered what the stars were singing.

Do you ever hear the stars singing?

It is said that the stars sing loudly over the desert. That’s what the Bushmen in the Kalahari believe. Attuned to the energies of the Earth and the Universe, they tell stories of hearing the star soaked music filling the night air. Some say that they’ve woven these star songs into their own music. The Bushmen also believed that those who could not hear the stars singing suffered a terrible sickness of the soul, for they were not attuned to the invisible strings and threads that tie us all to Spirit and to the land.

This story brings to mind a poem by Hankasso (/Han=kass’o), a Kalahari Bushmen poet from the late 1800s whose translated work is published in an anthology that I bought several years ago. In his poem titled “What the stars say” he wrote:

“I grew up listening to the stars
the stars saying: ‘tsau! and “tsau!’
it is always summer when you hear the stars say ‘tsau!’

I’ve not heard the stars sing myself, but it’s such an enchanting thought. I imagine that what the Bushmen speak of is similar to the wild whispers and subtle nudges of wisdom that find their way into my heart when I deep practise stillness and immerse myself in Nature. Stories and poems like this remind me that the mystery is always there, whether we notice or understand it or not. The wild Earth always has something to say to those who wish to listen. And art is in the listening, for when you tap into your intuitive senses and listen with the ears of your heart, chances are you’ll be transformed by the profound beauty of what you hear.

“Some call it augury; I call it listening to the land, and its dreamings.” ~ Sharon Blackie

raspberry pot

Welcome Sacred February

There’s always been something sacred about February. It’s my birthday month, the month that we celebrate love (I met my husband on Valentine’s day many years ago) and here in the Southern Hemisphere, Lammas is upon us. This signals beginning of harvest time. To me it’s also reminder to enjoy the last weeks of summer for autumn will soon set in.

So I’m taking the opportunity to honour what I have to be grateful for, to harvest the gifts that the Earth leaves at my feet and lean in to the sacred blessings that the moment has to offer.

What does February mean to you?

sacred february