Tag: wild whispers

Keepers of the River

My husband and I took a walk down to the river in my neighbourhood yesterday morning. A chilly breeze blew off the water. It smelt of autumn. The sun hid behind the grey clouds, peeping out here and there to comfort the earth with its warmth. I stood on the river bank and let the soothing sound of the flowing water carry me to a tranquil inner sanctuary of stillness.

There are times when I’ve put my feet in river water just to see what it’s like to be a river rock, the coolness of the flowing wetness rushing over my skin. It’s so refreshing and a part of me wants to flow with it all the way to the end of its course just to feel the joy of the river’s journey. To be part of the mysteries that it carries with it.

Flowing water is liberating somehow. I’m aware that on a metaphysical level, it’s is said to break up stagnant energy. In my experience I find this very true because when l relax into the vibration of flowing water, I sense myself coming unstuck. I love knowing that this river is there. This little piece of wildness meandering amongst domesticated constructions of city life the way my wild essence meanders within. It takes me back to the that place of freedom in my childhood, when I lived in rural Kwa-Zulu Natal and my cousin and I used to go down to the river and play. Those were such blissful times of simplicity.

When we crossed the bridge to the other side of the river, we saw a pair of African black ducks – a monogamous pair bound as life companions for eternity. They are a species of river ducks that nest in the riverine forests. They are like keepers of the river who are always sailing the currents and they rarely stray away from their watery home. The black ducks prefer the fluidity of rivers and rapids more than the placidness ponds and lakes like most other ducks.

Over the past year, I’ve spotted numerous pairs of these black ducks in various rivers and Nature spots within and on the outskirts of the city. This is the first time that I’ve seen them close to my home, so it felt like an encouraging sign somehow. It’s as if they are following me. I like the idea of these ducks watching over the wild flowing river and listening to the language of the water. I imagine them as keepers of its ancient stories, recording in their hearts all the wisdom that the river has to tell.

Yesterday, I remembered that the African black ducks are cousins to the mallard who are spiritual symbols of grace, commitment and protection. They are connected to our emotional body, the watery feminine element and Goddess too. Some ancient African tribes believed that they were rainmakers, carrying the wetness of Goddess’s love and tears under their wings. That’s a beautiful thought, although I suspect this is because we are more likely to see them around the rainy seasons when the rivers are flowing.

I haven’t been going there as often as I could. I’ve been exploring different Nature spots elsewhere. But having re-connected with spirit of the river, I feel the need to make time to visit there more often. I know that the river and its keepers have wisdom and healing to offer me. And who knows, perhaps I have something to offer it too.

African Black Duck

The Healing Storm

“In the distance I hear the quiet rumble of thunder. The taste of fresh mystery hangs in the air like a thick layer of honey ready to be licked up by willing souls who go out into the rain in search of something sacred.” (Excerpt from chapter 3 of my book, Wild Essence)

Sunday at midnight, the gusts of wind that stirred before the storm drew me outside. The trees swayed wildly to and fro. Lightening lit up the sky here and there, the thunder a gentle rumble. As the night stars disappeared under a blanket of dark grey clouds, I revelled in the comfort of the cool wind that whipped against my skin.

Soon dark corners of the garden became visible as my eyes adjusted to night vision. It reminded me of those summer nights playing outside ‘til late at night, hide-and-go-seek in the dark, hiding in the bushes. I remember the yellow-green glow of wild hare and wild cats’ eyes in the moonlight up in the hills behind our row of neighbourhood houses. It was so eerie and mystical at the same time. Perhaps it was the nostalgia, but a part of me wanted to prance around the midnight garden and climb in the spaces between the shrubs and trees the way we used to back then.

When the rain came down (and heavily so), it felt like it was washing away the residue of a difficult week. The past week has required lots of deep breaths, self-nurturing, green juices, turmeric and ginger tonics and moments of stillness to retreat. My health wasn’t at its best, we had a death in the family, my father-in-law landed in hospital and various other stressful situations seemed to crop up all at once. So the cleansing vibration of the timely rain seemed to wash away the tension I’d been carrying.

Something in me wondered if this was the last storm I’d see in a while. I hope not. But living in a summer rainfall area means that as we descend deeper into autumn and then winter, the rain soon fades away. Winter here in the central interior means dry blue sunny skies. I do love the sun (especially when my house is freezing) and mild winters, but sometimes I also miss the wet coastal winters and occasional snow-capped mountains of the parts of the country that I grew up in.  Yes, we have our cold snaps and chilly days as one would expect, but much less wetness to quench my thirsty ombrophiliac soul.

This is probably why in recent years, I’ve set myself a challenge – to find new things to love about the changing seasons, new ways to soothe my soul and seek out the healing and lessons of Nature. It’s always an adventure to see what will be discovered in the new season. And with my sense of wellbeing now renewed, I look forward to discovering the wild whispers that find their way to me as the dark months unfold.

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Sneak Peek: A Short Excerpt from the Wild Essence Book

How are the wild whispers of your soul reaching out to you today? Are you finding ways to listen and flow with the needs and desires of your inner wilds?

As you may know, I’m super excited that my new book, Wild Essence, is finally being released into the world. So today, I thought I’d share a short excerpt from the book to give a little taste of things to come. I hope that you enjoy it:

The Universe always wants you to remember. In the eloquent words of self-starter Danielle LaPorte, the Universe keeps asking you, ‘Can you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be?’ So it sends you reminders, clues and sacred messages to decode. In instances of stillness when you stop searching and allow yourself to be, these sacred messages and reminders permeate your consciousness. They unveil themselves in your life in various ways – through people, in places that you explore and experiences that unfold around you. They find you as signs, synchronicities and miracles which remind you that a greater power is at play. In my world, more often than not I’ve found them in Mother Nature. The wild Earth writes love letters on the fine threads of each feather that drifts gracefully to the Earth. I find maps to my inner treasures encoded in the veins of each leaf. Each message leaves me wondering, ‘How much more amazing would the world be if I gave myself permission to let my wild essence shine?’ Can you imagine the impact that allowing yourself to be who you are fully would have on your life and the world? The answer is so obvious it may even come across as cliché because the likelihood is that you would have heard it several times before, yet I feel compelled to reinforce this beautiful message – Liberating your wild essence would have a profound impact on your life and the world, because something of such tremendous value would be returned to its rightful place in the greater scheme of things.

GAIA LOVE