reverence

Conflicted – ND #76

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Solitary Bluebird Scoping Out the Feeders – Photo: L. Weikel

Conflicted

As I sit here pondering what I might write about tonight, I’m conflicted. On the one hand, I’m keeping abreast of the developments in Ukraine and can see the writing on the wall. Even more troubling than simply observing a map and noting how troops have been massing all along the border between Ukraine and Russia (and Belarus) is the commentary on how unhinged Putin sounded in his bellicose rant earlier today. I didn’t listen to it directly, but I did pay attention to the assessment made of his speech by our former Ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul.

So, yes; I am paying attention. On the other hand, I would much prefer to focus upon the everyday delights that come from living in the country and witnessing the first furtive attempts of springtime to take hold.

I wonder if I’m feeling the way my parents may have felt when they read about or listened to accounts of the first invasions by Hitler. As much as our world has shrunk since those times, it is still true that bombs or artillery fire or the rumbling of tanks trampling everything in their path ‘over there’ is far too easy for us (as Americans) to ignore.

A Distraction

So here I am. I know there’s nothing direct or tangible I can do to have an impact on how the current crisis plays out. But I also know that doing my best not to get swept up in anxiety and fear, while maintaining awareness of what’s going on elsewhere in the world, can have a ripple effect as well.

There is a difference between affirmatively maintaining inner balance and tranquility in the face of dire circumstances and deliberately ignoring what’s going on beyond one’s own neighborhood. I’m reminded of the word that came up for us last week: Reverence.

Turkey Vultures – Photo: L. Weikel

Some Encounters

So it is with reverence for the cycle of life that I share the three photos I’m including in this post tonight.

The first is a not-so-great angle of a bluebird that came and sat on a branch just above my birdfeeders this morning. I’d just finished filling all the feeders and was luxuriating in the opportunity to sit on my porch and turn my face to the sun.

It’s odd for bluebirds to come to our feeders. They tend to flock and flitter through the open fields surrounding our home rather than hang out near the house. And this bluebird was all by his lonesome. He was literally the only bird anywhere near me at that moment – in spite of the abundance of seed available to all.

Above are some turkey vultures hanging out at an abandoned house about a mile from our home. It almost felt like they were picking the flesh off the carcass of the dwelling itself.

And finally, below, is a sweet photo I took of Pacha lounging on her daddy’s legs this evening.

I know I take these moments for granted – in spite of my efforts to appreciate and celebrate them. The thought of having to even entertain the idea of gathering up my precious four-legged family and a few family treasures, and then ‘evacuating’ to Canada is nearly impossible to fathom.

So I observe and attend to these parts of my life with reverence, in honor of those unable to do so at the moment. It’s the least I can do; but it is something.

Pacha just looking cute – Photo: L. Weikel

(T+76)

Waiting – ND #73

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Ice Hearts Waiting to Melt into the Tohickon – Photo: L. Weikel

Waiting

Sometimes it feels like everywhere you look ticking time bombs are just waiting to go off. What’s even worse is having that feeling and knowing many people are refusing to see what’s right before their eyes.

I don’t even need to enumerate the ticks we’re hearing in the background of our lives. There are so many simultaneous ticks that I have to wonder if those are what’re keeping the beat in our lives. We’re all living on the edge right now. We’ve been living in a state of heightened anxiety for at least six years. And if we’re paying even half attention now, we sense things could crash down on our heads at any moment.

Honestly, this feels like the most precarious time I’ve ever lived through – and I’ve been around 62 years. I’m talking cumulatively – from geopolitical aggression to the meteoric rise of fascism here in the U.S., as well as the free and proud expression (and legislation) of prejudice, racism, and misogyny.

It’s all a bit overwhelming.

A Word

Is there a word or expression we might be wise to focus upon over the next few days? Some concept that can keep us stable and fundamentally calm as we watch the shit-show unfold?

Yes, we need to put our beliefs into action. But we can’t be in perpetual motion. So what might we want to bear in mind when we allow ourselves to stop and take a breath? How can we keep ourselves from falling into either fear or despair?

I asked Cher Lyn’s Mystic Art Medicine Oracle Cards:

Reverence – Mystic Art Medicine Oracle Cards; Tools for Transformation by Cher Lyn

Reverence ~ Honoring the Goddess

“In the painting “honoring the Goddess,” the central God figure bows respectful in His prayer. The Female Goddess is assisting his third eye connection to open. In union, their powers join and support each other, each in their own honoring way praying for the Earth and Humanity. They represent the balance of the Masculine and Feminine necessary to remember how to create the paradise we seek. (…)

Reverence is an attitude of honoring life. You bless that which you do with gratitude and respect. Your actions affect all of mankind. In the web of life you are a strand interconnected with everyone else doing your part to weave our tapestry together. As you appreciate the beauty in a moment, in children, in nature, or anything, your appreciation of that beauty radiates like the sun blessing all of Creation. One person who dedicates themself to seeing the sacredness of all of life, thereby reveres all of life, walks through their day lifting the consciousness of many, many people simply by being.

As you become reverent your tendency to harm anything including you, diminishes, your consciousness raises and peace reigns supreme. Every single moment of your life contributes this way, toward the light, or it pulls it away. Your decision to become more reverent is your decision to become more spiritual. Opening more to the beauty of you. This is a natural aspect of your authentic power. (…)”

My Take

As controversies and antagonisms flare, as aggression, fear, and hate try to overtake and consume our attention, our best means of breaking the spells being woven around us and the world right now is consciously noticing and cherishing what is right in front of us. Some very big concepts (and egos) are playing out right now; it’s true. And most of us are neither diplomats nor soldiers.

I believe the Reverence card is suggesting to us that our responsibility in de-escalating the darkness is achieved by looking upon all the little treasures of life and smiling. It makes a difference. By doing so, we make a difference.

There is a better way. There is a sweet spot achievable by bringing together the best qualities of the feminine and the best qualities of the masculine. We can create a balanced, visionary melding of the two that is more powerful and more sensitive than either of them separately.

What might happen if we look upon the little things in life, the mundane, the natural world, and even each other with a smile? What might happen if we reach out and ever so gently touch each other and the face of our world with reverence and awe?

(T+73)

Refuge – Day 972

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
  • Monarch on Echinacea – Photo: L. Weikel

Refuge

Right around noon today I unexpectedly encountered several minutes of profound peace. I rediscovered a place where the air is sweet and vast, and if you time it just right, wraps you in a cocoon of silence. Before today, I don’t think I would’ve called it this, but – it’s a place of refuge.

One of my daughters (in-law*) belongs to a local CSA. Tiffany is generous and makes a point of sharing her bounty with us. I (well, we) reciprocate in some small measure by picking up the weekly harvest when she can’t make it and occasionally massaging the kale. (Yes; that’s a thing. And I guarantee it’s the yummiest way to eat kale you’ve ever tried.)

Today was my turn.

After gathering up our allotment of precious bounty: red onions, cucumbers, carrots, kale, parsley, cabbage, summer squash and zucchini, I turned my sites on the vast fields where we get to ‘pick our own.’

Lots of Pollen On These Two – Photo: L. Weikel

Loose In the Fields

The CSA administrators essentially let us loose in the fields to pick our own raspberries and cherry tomatoes. We’re not entitled to pick as many as we might like; just like any good thing, there are limits. Indeed, getting to the fields late can mean you may not even be able to eke out half a pint of either, at least when the yield is only starting to come in.

We’re also welcome to pick from a variety of herbs, which I didn’t do; and I think okra may be in season as well. (That’s an interesting vegetable that could merit a post of its own.) But one of the best parts of the field is being entitled to pick the flowers they’ve cultivated.

Is It the Acoustics?

The acoustics of the fields are remarkable. Technically, it’s not actually the fields that cause the amazing acoustics, it’s the palisades, the massive stone edifices that tower over the fields that create almost a fishbowl of sound. When other people are picking their veggies or flowers, even if they’re chatting with someone quietly, right beside them, it’s guaranteed you’ll be able to hear every nuance of that conversation.

I have a feeling that’s why most people, if they don’t immediately enter a meditative state, reflexively lower their voices to a whisper when engaging in ‘pick-your-own.’ Because voices carry so easily and crisply, when they’re not there at all, silence bounces off of silence and it’s as if we’re in a sound-proof booth.

The totality of the experience is hard to describe but easy to lose oneself in.

Early Season Jewels – Photo: L. Weikel

Reverie

The coneflower, also known as Echinacea, was a mecca for the pollinators. Oh my goodness, it was such a delight to see all manner of bees, butterflies, and other winged ones imbibing.

At one point it dawned on me that I was the last person standing in the middle of that field. The only sounds I heard were the sudden screeches of crows that were hounding a red-tailed hawk. Hawk didn’t take the strong but silent route, either. It scree’d its indignation right back at them as it took up residence in a massive oak at the edge of the field.

Almost all the flowers were covered with pollinators. I couldn’t bear to pick the vast majority of them. And indeed, when one of the employees came out to the field (not sure if they were looking for me or what), I shared with them some of the other prizes I was harvesting – my photos.

The Spirits of this Place know that the manner in which these vegetables, fruits, flowers, and other plants are being cared for is sacred. The reverence creates a palpable refuge for all Beings seeking nurturing, nourishment, and peace.

(T-139)