Category: Spirit Whispers

The Moth, The Mountains, The Rivers

On days when my soul craves the healing balm of poetry, I find myself seeking solace in the words of Mary Oliver. Today has been one such day and the words Oliver strung together into the poem – The Moth, the Mountains, the Rivers – seep deep into spaces in need of the soothing embrace of  this sacred poetic language.

 

The Moth, The Mountains, The Rivers

by Mary Oliver

Who can guess the luna’s sadness who lives so

briefly? Who can guess the impatience of stone
longing to be ground down, to be part again of
something livelier? Who can imagine in what
heaviness the rivers remember their original
clarity?

Strange questions, yet I have spent worthwhile
time with them. And I suggest them to you also,
that your spirit grow in curiosity, that your life
be richer than it is, that you bow to the earth as
you feel how it actually is, that we- so cleaver, and
ambitious, and selfish, and unrestrained- are only
one design of the moving, the vivacious many.

African Black Duck

Gliding Gracefully

I am enamoured with moorhen. I love the ease with which they glide across the water. Gracefully and in perfect stillness, they sail effortlessly. All around me the mark of winter’s touch is seen in the dry grass and bare leafless trees. But as they wade through the dry reeds on the water, they bring with them the graceful touch of life. As the gentle breeze brushes against my skin and the fading winter sun brings the comfort of warmth, I find myself thinking of how peaceful it would feel the carry the grace of floating yellowbilled ducks and moorhen into my own movement and in the way that I sail through life’s many experiences – with the same leisurely sense of trust, coupled with a deep sense of purpose at the same time. For the moment, I close my eyes and bask in the essence of what I’ve observed, with the word Grace as a mantra echoing in the quiet spaces within me. Something in me whispers:

“Great Mother Earth, Goddess, Divine Spirit…show me how to witness and invite the flow of grace into my life, into my experiences and into my heart.”

Listening, I hear the dry grass and reeds rustling. And then the knowing sets in. The knowing that grace is found in breathing, in noticing and in being present to the mystery of what is before me in this moment, as well as what is within me.

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Beauty, Sun and a reason to Celebrate

As winter sets in, I’ve been trying to fill my days with beauty, lots of warm sun and things that soothe my soul. It’s been a blessing to surround myself with things that make my heart beat faster, especially on days when the cold makes me want to just stay in bed.

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Flowers, candles, cinnamon scents, chai tea and zesty citrus fruits have been warming my hearth and uplifting my wild essence in recent weeks. These are the layers I’ll be taking with me into the heart of winter. I love engaging my senses in this way. These things make me feel alive. My house is very cold. So, I also spend as much time as can sitting in the garden with my books or my laptop, sunbathing while I work.

 

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I’ve also been celebrating something pretty awesome. As you may know, I’ve been pretty hard at work on my book. I’m so please to have finally completed the first draft. Now I’m getting ready for the editing phase which I anticipate will be somewhat of a lengthy process.  Regardless, I am excited to have reached this point. For years, I’ve had ideas that I started writing but never finished. Now, I’ve actually completed it. My husband has been an incredible sense of support throughout it all. I am so grateful to have someone so supportive and loving at my side, always cheering me on and celebrating each success.  I’ll be sharing more on this in the upcoming weeks.

 

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