Celebrating the Land
Vernal Equinox
Spring and Autumn Equinox draw our attention to the rising and setting position of the sun. From anywhere in the world, except the North and South Pole, the sun will rise directly east and set directly west. At the Poles there is only one sunrise and sunset a year, these happening at Equinox. At the North Pole the land has been in darkness all winter, but finally around this time the sun will reappear above the horizon and remain in the sky all summer until setting at the Autumn Equinox. At the South Pole the reverse occurs.
Are we living in harmony and balance with our environment? In many ways we cannot avoid this, we are energetically linked to it, we cannot detach from the land we live on and our energies will entrain. The understanding of entrainment was first noted in 1666 by Christian Huygens who noticed that the pendulums on two clocks, set to swing at different rates, will slowly start swinging together and come into unison. It is believed this happens because there is an exchange of kinetic energy between the two which changes each slightly from their extremes, until the energies held by the two are matched and the exchange no longer occurs. The two objects reach zero exchange and are in unison.
The Seed of Life sacred geometry
The six petalled Seed of Life, which actually contains seven circles, is the base for the sacred Flower of Life geometric pattern. Sacred geometry refers to layout and design used in 'sacred' structures such as Egyptian temples, Christian churches and in religious art. On one level it recalls that God is said to have created the world in seven days and on another it is symbolic of the proportions of all that is created.
There are various steps to creating the pattern. Whichever route you take to achieve the full Seed of Life you have to start with a circle, add shapes until bringing the 7 circles together into the full 'flower'.
To bring a precision to the pattern it is easier to draw complete circles, intertwined, with compasses. However, a perfectly good one can be drawn fairly easily freehand using the stages shown below.
It is a simple step now to draw the last three circles and finish the Seed of Life.
It could be described as the Genesis pattern.
There are several other geometric shapes within the full Seed of Life, but particularly the interlocking Vesica Pisces and the Trinity aka Trefoil. You will also be able to superimpose squares, rectangles and triangles using points within the intersections of the circles. Whatever you find it is all based on the 6 fold symmetry.
7 Blessings
Water, Fire, Earth and Air
May the mountains in your life be ascended as easily as the lark rises from its nest. May the dark chasms in your life be filled and lightened with the full strength of the summer solstice sun.
May the rivers in your life flow with the sweet golden honey as does the heather’s nectar for the bees. May those places in your life flooded and overwhelmed be relieved and be balanced
And may the breath of the changing winds caress your heart with love as they bring opportunities and good fortune.
May those places in your life that are dry and deserted be relieved and be balanced
May those places in your life that are in harmony and loved be ever present, ever blessed and every joyful.
May you be at peace.
Consider Dawn and ask how does the earth waken?
What signs are there of the new day?
How are the elements expressed?
Water
Rain touches my face, a soft mist. Damp straggly hair kissed my cheek.
I thank and bless the soft rain for it hides my tears, again, my sorrow.
I taste salt in my mouth. Sea water pools cling to my lips, jewels, liquid crystals.
welling from reddened eyes, watery streams dribble mini waterfalls, moonbeams, off my chin
Beneath my feet thick mud accepts my tearful flood of pain and soft rain, through my soft heart, flows and grows and fills an ocean
Emotion tosses me on waves of grief and joys, at once clear, warm, welcoming, then congealed, merciless as ice.
Tears and rain destroy my life until the tide turns again.
Earth – when the first rays of light touch the earth she knows it is time to awaken – what new rays of light are now awakening and confirming your passion to be alive?
Fire – the heat of sunrise touches leaves, invigorating their growth – what energises your growth?
Air – warm gentle breezes arise as different layers of air are heated at different speeds and intensities and yet they are unified into air flows and streams – where is the diversity held with unity in your life?
Water – dewdrops sparkle as crystals on the grass – what adds sparkle to your life?
Now do the same for Mid-day and Dusk.
Creative change
Days are so changeable – one day it is balmy sunny summer weather and the next cold windy and wet.
When the sun appears there is good heat in its light and baby leaves thicken and burst forth cheerily. But those bare branches, later to green, allow driving rain to pass easily.
The name suggests a 'big place of birch trees' and in Neolithic times this would have been an attractive wooded area.
The stones had been hidden for millennia and were discovered in 1940 by people cutting peat. Ancient field boundary walls and hearths suggest that it was inhabited and enjoyed from about 3000BC for several thousand years into the Bronze Age to about 1200 BC. Then the deep bogland formed and the site 'lost'.
The continually changing weather is mirrored in the endlessly dynamic land. The flow of time in place reminds us of our own lives and their many twists and turns in the cycles of life.
The Taoists talk of the dragon that is local and also of one that travels over the whole planet, its journey bringing modifications to create and enliven the Universe. Take a moment to recognise and bless your life's creative changes.
The stone rows and seven stone circles at Beaghmore near Cookstown in County Tyrone stand in moorland where skylarks dance upwards and rabbits run between delicious morsels of fresh grass.
Saunter a long path
Springtime! we appreciate the virgin growth and greet arrivals.
Around our feet bluebell's grass-like leaves, yellow dandelions, little blue forget-me-nots, purple fritillary, upright cowslips, gentle violets and bright primroses abound.
Close to our heads, crows carry beakfulls of sticks, swallows swoop and clouds of flies dance, newly hatched.
The earthly realms are pushing forth, flourishing, swelling, radiant and joyful.
How are you doing? Never been better? Or challenged by all the exuberant energies of youth?
Now the sun shines warmer and daylight lengthens. A great time to take a stroll through the countryside. This is a metaphor for our lifetime's journey. And there is a choice. There is always an option in life. Shall we ramble along the easier level path with just a few gentle slopes? Or maybe the moderate track where there may be some rough or hapless patches with several obstacles, tree roots or loose stones? On the strenuous path there are physically demanding steep slopes and climbs, many obstacles and you will need strong walking boots. We evaluate and select what will nurture our souls. Which path are you taking through life?
There is a code to follow. In our walk through the living countryside and as we travel through the years and places during our stay on earth. We shall not damage anything, be they walls, fences or our relationships with all other beings. We shall be aware of hazards and not cause hazards, such as lighting fires where they will get out of control in dry woodland or moorland. How often does a match start a forest inferno or our own action or words get out of control and cause chaos and disruption? Take all your rubbish home. It is your garbage, deal with it!
You walk at your own risk and no one else can be held responsible for any accidents that happen to you. Be prepared as you step out on your journey with suitable clothes. Inform yourself and wrap yourself in knowledge of the possibilities your route will take. We each have a mental capacity and our wisdom, memory and inquisitive mind is there to be used.
Our Nature Trail across the land and Nurture Trail through our lifetime has information boards marking places of interest along the way. These points of curiosity and wonder will tell us about our ancestors and the past, describe archaeology and historical monuments that we pass by, illustrate beings that share the journey with us, their shape, colour, characteristics, and the geology, the basic materials that our world consists of.
At the start of our walk we leave the cave, the womb, and travel down the birth canal. In nature we visit the high hillside spring where water bubbles through the ground, the source of our journey.
This stream is in the walled gardens of Kylemore Abbey in Connemara.
The dancing water flows down through bog lands, disappearing into reeds and rushes, flirting with hard exposed rocks. Old fields and abandoned farms watch its progress. Otters play along the muddy banks, holly stands stiff and erect with its glowing red berries, while oak, ash and hazel branches drape towards the blessed joyous flow.
Grand houses are often constructed at beautiful vistas. Their residents gain solace and joy from the views, listening to the waters tones and songs.
The lakeside, populated with fishing jetties, picnic tables, bridges, and old boathouses, reminds us of the landscape we experience. Scattered over the lakes of our lives are similar places.
Take some time now to evaluate a walk you can do in nature – and what it teaches you about your own lifetime.
Nature Walk Nurture Walk
Spring welling up from the earth
The experience of your own birth – ask your mother
Stream tumbling over rocks through heather hillside What were your first trips and falls as a child?
Old fields and abandoned farms
Holly stands stiff
Holly's glowing red berries
Branches drape towards the flow
Grand houses constructed
Solace and joy from the views
Are any 'past life' or family ancestry issues affecting your present?
Who was 'stiff' with you as a child?
What did they have that you so wanted?
How did your relatives / friends bend towards you?
Now you are an adult and your life is a 'grand house'.
What is it constructed of? Who drew up the plans and built it?
Where do you gain solace and joy when you look at the vista of your life.
What satisfies your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual landscape?
Fishing jetties
Where do you go for nurturing and sustenance?
How do you catch it and haul it into your life?
Bridges Are you aware of the bridges in your world?
And so on... comparisons are infinite and eternal... the nature of land reveals our inner landscape.
Rainbow Colour and Pattern
So many arching rainbows! An ingenious combination and interaction of bright sun and rain, fire and water, expressed in radiant beauty enlivens our day. Surprise of seeing one contributes to a childlike fascination of the ever changing curve, and the hope it might be a double promises novelty.
Methodical gardeners bring the rainbow down to earth and their palette can be subtle or vibrant. They plan and design flower displays on graph paper during dark winter nights, turn the pages of seed catalogues looking at inspirational gaudy photographs. Orders are placed and young plantlets received back.
A colour wheel describes which will clash and which will match. Curving rainbow patterns enliven formal flower beds. In Spring they are tidied and prepared with young plants. The lawns are mown in parallel lines, short and organised. The blossoms of springtime have a varied wardrobe. What colours predominate in your cupboards? What clothes will you wear this year?
Red – invigorates creative fires of a passionate sun and romantic life
Orange – brightens cheerful conservations and warms relationships
Yellow – awakens us as the dawn, bringing health and happiness
Green – calming our souls, nourishing flexible growth
Blue – harmonious change and peace in gentle serene surroundings
Violet – mysterious spirituality of natural lavender, lilac and delicate violets
The wild garden is ordered a little differently. Here seeds are scattered with random abandon, mixed and not matched. They are surrounded and protected by brambles and meshed branches of low bushes and tall trees. Nature settles the design of this fallen rainbow.
In visualisation we celebrate the success of the rainbow by facing east, watching the rising sun, the morning breeze renewing our life.
Relax, release and let go. All concerns and tensions fade.
A new day is dawning.
The tender energies of Springtime emerge and erupt with unexpected strength and vigour across the land and within yourself.
First beams of light spread over the land, illuminating and radiating the grass and fields from the horizon towards ourselves. The many shades of green and yellow that arise from the land wrap around you, and a gentle light surrounds your head bringing calm clear thought.
Take a few deep breaths of this wonderful nourishment for your mind.
The sky's blue deepens, tinted violet, and that light radiates to you, enveloping your throat, bringing harmony and grace to all your words. Your emotions can be expressed in serene truth.
Flowing over the land the sun's light magnifies the vivid reds and oranges of the tulip flowers, enfolding and filling your centre with joy, warmth and kindheartedness.
Inhale this cheerfulness and enhance your expressions of the love you manifest.
Take seven breaths, slow, gentle, not forced, smooth and easy. Imagine a rainbow bridge flowing across the sky, a semi-circle of radiant banded light. Now change this colourful rainbow to silver light. A silver arch spreading across the blue sky. Invite the energy of silver, the colour of the spiritual rainbow, to spread through your whole body and surround you.
Refreshed and comfortable you now radiate that outwards, across the land to the tulips and the grass of the pastureland and into the sky, the atmosphere of earth. You connect to the creative forces of springtime, invigorating and invigorated. You circle the planet.
Now imagine a circle in front of you. It is turning and revolving. What colours play in and around the circle?
And before you the circle transforms into a triangle. Again pay particular attention to any colours in, on or around the triangle, flowing as oil or set solid as crystal.
The triangle turns and revolves. Transforming again the triangle becomes an octohedron.
And it shatters. Mosaic colours dance in scattered pieces before you.
This is the dance of the millions of drops of water that form the rainbow.
Each drop is itself a rainbow.
Enjoy this flow and exchange of energy until you are ready to close your meditation. Eat and drink and move your muscles, walk around for a few moments, and return to your life refreshed.
Rainbow Meditation
Woodlands and Orchards
Chinese traditional teachings acknowledge five elements – wood, fire, earth, metal and water.
Wood expressed in Springtime is the fuel for...
Fire and Summer heat, which burns to ash and...
Earth whose presence is experienced late Summer and harvest time. And Earth ores are...
Metal, the Autumnal element. After Metal the cycle of the year brings...
Water condensation, Winter snow and ice which will nourish the Wood of Spring again.
Three treasures of Chinese traditional medicine, are stomach and spleen qi which relates to each person, kidney's jing linking to earth and heart shen which corresponds to heaven and fire.
The Taoist Guanzi writings suggest that the heart is emperor within a human body. Our heart is regulating and controlling not only the physical blood flows but spiritual shen, which needs to be strong to assist the mental and physical aspects of our bodies in dealing with intuition and information from our five senses. Internal organs support heart shen to achieve harmony, self control, balance, clarity, and flexibility. Shen inspires our creativity and imagination and confirms our essence, our soul. Shen movement is expressed within the mental realms as awareness and manifests as seven emotions - joy, anger, sadness, grief, fright, apprehension, worry. These are verbalised but not extreme.
Guanzi advises that you do not race your heart like a horse, or you will exhaust its energy. Do not fly your heart like a bird, or you will injure its wings. Never frantically move things around just for the sake of seeing what will happen.
If you move things around you dislocate them from their proper place. If you will be calm and patient, everything will come to you by itself.
Shen relates to Summer and invigorating red. In the turning from Spring to Summer, from green to red, when energies are vibrant, it is good to cultivate quiet and harmony by gardening and relaxing in nature.
And what better place than in fresh woodland groves and blossoming orchards. If you cannot go into the natural world, or if you want a gentle boost of green wood energy, the following meditation might assist.
Lady of Spring meditation
As usual prepare yourself, and where you are, for a time of peaceful meditation. Breathe in and out at a comfortable pace. Pay attention to the flow of your breath, to the air passing through your nose and mouth, but do not assess or analyse in any way. You might enjoy some gentle music, light candles or incense. Create an atmosphere for relaxation. Visualisation is fun, supportive and pleasurable. There is no right or wrong way, there is only your way, and this will lead to a joyous enhancement of your everyday life, of soul, body and mind converging towards the light. You are opening to intuition and enhanced awareness.
In your imagination, or in reality, sit in a lovely Spring landscape, where green tussocks of grass take form in rich abundant pasture land. Like a lazy sea the ground stretches to boundary hedges of white flowers. Small clumps of trees shelter young lambs playing and calves, with their mothers, graze. A bluish haze stretches over the land. It is near dusk and there is a soft breeze gently swaying tree branches. You attune to the warm hearted energies of the season. Bring your awareness to your body, relax and be tranquil.
Within the open green grazing land is a small raised mound and as you look towards this you see, rising out of the top of the mound, the tender shape of a maiden, cloaked in a mist of white tinted with emerald and gold. She has a magical beauty. The Lady of Spring embodies the time of year, an initiatory goddess, young and splendid, regenerating the fertility of earth, enlivening the emergence of plants and all beings. The white light of her presence increases and radiates over the land. Her soft light pours over you and into you, as you would fill a glass with water. Your heart is touched with contentment.
You see a hare hopping through the shadows, stopping beside yellow dandelions, bobbing up to check for safety while it eats. Also aroused by the white light, hare transforms into a graceful divinity, revealing a spiritual essence. Approaching, perfectly content in your presence, it sits beside you. Bending down you tenderly stroke soft fur. Peace and happiness fill the atmosphere. The Lady of Spring, sublime white maiden, watches and shares this moment.
Hare never sits still for long and is soon eager to move. You can feel the energy flowing as hare gets up and starts hopping towards the mound. You know to follow. Yet, as you approach, the maiden in the white mist fades. Then you realise that hare is leading you not to the mound but on a pathway of flattened grass to the edge of the field, to a gap in the white blossoming hedge. You notice bees collecting nectar from flowers and butterflies dance amongst the leaves of wild plants. Each step you take brings a blessing of new opportunity and refreshment.
Hare has become less misty and the white light dissipated. You can see the greyness of its fur and there is a sense that this is a real hare. It ducks under a low branch in the hedge and you step through the gap into a sweet new found landscape.
Behind the hedge is a small orchard on a sloping hillside. Here are old apple trees in generous pinkish white bloom. The buds, so full of potential, have burst forth in the heat of the day. You recall that the apple originates in Asia and you spend a moment to bless the ancestors that nurtured and cared for the first apples. Quietly you enter and explore the orchard.
Areas within mature woodlands of hazel coppice and white thorn have been cleared, while the larger oak, beech and ash trees stand tall in the distance. In the space created apple and pear trees thrive and a garden evolves.
There is a woodsman's shelter amongst the trees, a bush of bright golden gorse beside the door. The coconut scent from the flowers spreads on the calm evening breeze. The rural scene is complete with a gardener occupied preparing and digging a raised bed for root and leafy vegetables, turnips and cabbage.
You rest and observe, breathe in the cool scented evening air. Remember we are all blossoming. You bless and thank the flowers and acknowledge with gratitude your own changing life. The cold stark winter is left behind. Now you can breathe and enjoy the air of change as springtime strengthens.
Bring to full visualisation the delicate flowers, bluebells, cowslips and vibrant green leaves on lightly curving branches as in a Chinese painting. Breathe in this landscape of fresh growth and feel your heart in harmony with the scene. Draw the green energy into your heart knowing that life is good, that it is good to be alive.
Amongst the apple trunks you notice a haze, a white mist and realise that the graceful Lady of Spring has moved from her grassy mound into the orchard. Where she passes white clover springs up. In her right hand is a bunch of delicate blue, mauve, yellow and white flowers and she raises it to smell the perfumes. In the distance a pheasant calls. It is a wondrous world that surrounds you.
The Lady of Spring travels through the orchard. You watch. She is turning her body and hands in graceful swirling motions, weaving spirals and circles, curves and symbols through the trees, her coherent movements stimulating healing and harmony to all, transcending time and space.
Unified heart vibrates the air and blesses all growth, as if angelic wings have brushed the soul of the world. There is harmony on earth and in the universe. You resonate in beauty with this harmony.
You hear distant birdsong echoing over the hillside. Dusk falls and robin, blackbird and thrush settle for the night. A large full moon rises over the misty horizon into a blue sky tinged pink. Pausing to reflect you find a tree trunk to rest your back against. It is firm and supportive and you are comfortable.
Friendly hare sits in stillness beside you. It looks at you with clear, responsive eyes, aware of all that surrounds you both. There may be something to share either with hare or with the Lady or perhaps they have a message for you. But share no more than you can afford or give. Make and receive no impossible promises. Use discernment in your exchanges and communications.
Sit with the scene for as long as you wish.
When ready to finish your meditation, in gratitude, thank the Lady, hare, the energies of springtime and all that have joined you.
