Category: Nature + Moon + Tea

Sunsets, closure and ceremony

Endings seem to be a theme for contemplation of late. Tomorrow’s full moon marks the completion of a cycle. With virtually 2 weeks to go, 2013 is coming to a close soon too. Endings are inevitable. Facing its finality can be hard at times, depending on the circumstances. It can take time to grieve what is lost.

This weekend reminded me of the power that ceremony has in helping us to release what is no longer. Graduations make the end of schooling or college life. Funerals and memorials help us release souls who have passed on. A friend who travelled to Greece once told me of how the people in the village that she visited would stop what they were doing in the late afternoon and come together with a glass of wine to watch the sunset. I though that this was the most beautiful ceremony to make the end of the day. Ceremony brings about a sense of closure to whatever sunset we are facing. By symbolically letting go, we let go mentally, emotionally and spiritually as well. It allows us the opportunity to review the past objectively, to appreciate the highlights and become aware of mistakes.

With this in mind, Leonie Dawson’s Create Your Amazing Year 2014 workbooks came the perfect time. For the past week I’ve been working through the 2013 Closing Ceremony section of the both the Life and the Biz editions of these workbooks. They have been the perfect companion for reviewing the past year, celebrating my blessings and achievements as well as releasing the challenges and negative experiences.

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Doing this review process has brought so many incredible insights. I’ve realised just how blessed I am to have so many of my dreams come true. I’ve also realised just how strong I am, stronger than I’d imagined. There were moments when I thought my life was falling apart, yet I lived through those challenges and have come out in one beautiful piece on the other side of it all.

Having engaged in this ceremony of releasing and celebrating the past, I feel closure. I also feel a freshness and spiritual spaciousness that I believe is making room for the newness to enter – new blessings, new experiences and a new year.

Yarrow Tea Meditation

It’s a beautiful warm summer evening, no rain for the first time in more than a week. I decided to sit out in the garden while the sun faded, sipping some yarrow and borage tea. I love that these herbs are fresh from my garden. Yarrow has been my prominent plant ally for 3 months now. This magical herb is my companion in forging a deeper understanding of plant medicine and connecting with nature intuitively. These helpful skills have added a profound new dynamic to my herbalism training.

As a tea enthusiast, studying herbalism has made my daily tea drinking ritual so much more of an adventure. I’ve had the greatest experience experimenting with interesting blends of herbs that I pick from the little apothecary garden I’ve co-created with Spirit.

One thing that I love about my tea ritual is that it allows me to imbue a potentially mundane act with meaningful intentions. This week, I was reminded of that when learnt another lovely tea ritual in the Luna Flow e-course that I’m participating in. The ritual involves infusing the energies of the elements and Spirit. Needless to say, I look forward to the mindful pauses to sip herbal concoctions in stillness even more these days.

The opportunities to do simple things like this – to make an everyday activities sacred, however ordinary they may be, leaves me with a soft and grateful heart. Life is indeed what we make of it, and when we bring awareness and appreciation into the moment, anything can become beautiful or significant.

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This Fortune Teller’s Tea Cup is totally on my wishlist (Pic Source: Danmalateas.com)

A Moment of Waxing Moon Magic

The moon lies still, glowing against the indigo sky. A flock of birds are out in full force under the waxing moon tonight. They are feasting on the flying ants after the evening rains.

Moments like these remind me of excitement of childhood summer evenings. Back then it was easy to live in awe and wonder of the world.

I become aware that this instant is an opportunity to be present. An invitation to watch the mystery of the world that comes to life after the sun goes down. It reminds me that rekindling my sense of wonder is easy to do when I open my eyes to the sacred thread that weaves itself through all experiences.

In an instant, a fairly mundane day is transformed by a brief moment that makes the magic of the Universe feel more real.

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Source via Pinterest:http://bit.ly/18GoWSz