twilight Archives - Owl Medicine: Shamanic Healing

Twilight 4 January 2021 – Photo: L. Weikel

Colossally Distracted

Yikes. How could I have been so colossally distracted as to neglect to comment on the new moon we just experienced this past Sunday? Here we were, celebrating the beginning of the next cycle of the Gregorian calendar, and I didn’t even notice that the moon was new as well?

I hang my head in shame.

But you know what? Luckily for me, the moon herself reminded me of her recent ‘new’ status by revealing just how lovely her crescent self is becoming. She revealed herself in such utter beauty tonight, it was impossible to complete our walk without stopping over and over again to try to capture the beauty that seemed to only build as the night progressed.

Macro Meaning

As you all know, my natural inclination is to focus on setting our own personal intentions and aspirations at the new moon. Obviously, they may or may not coincide with the intentions (or ‘resolutions’) you declared for the new year. But the coincidence of the new moon happening so close to the turning of the calendar increases the power of anything you set your mind to in these intense times.

It’s interesting to contemplate the ‘macro-meanings’ of outer events and their timing, too. For instance, I wonder if there will be anything new – any new investigations – announced in Attorney General Merrick Garland’s speech tomorrow afternoon regarding the insurrection. Will we be surprised and relieved? Or will we continue to be lament the fact that not a single ‘mastermind’ of the attempted coup has been indicted.

Only time will tell.

But I think I speak for many of us when I express my fear that my faith in justice will remain unrequited if those who plotted this slow moving coup are not held accountable.

Before Our Eyes

We all know what we saw unfold before our very eyes last year. That was no ‘tourist visit,’ and to even suggest that ‘spin’ on those events with a straight face is insulting. Shame on the Representatives who tried to float that narrative.

I keep coming back to the idea that we all watched it unfold in real time – right before our eyes. And now we’re starting to get an idea of just how deep into the inner circle of the Administration the plotting took root and flourished. I for one would love to see some Justice Seeds get planted this week.

New moon, new year. Yeah, fresh accountability would be a great complement to these energetic patterns of hope and new beginnings.

Tonight’s Newly Waxing Crescent Moon – Photo: L. Weikel

(T+28)

Lightning Bugs

Two nights ago, on Monday evening, Karl and I took a good long walk that extended into the magical time of twilight. Much to my delight, we were welcomed along the way by lightning bugs rising from their slumber and peeking their heads above the tall grasses that fill the fields and line the roads around our home.

With my sense of time rather hopelessly distorted as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, it felt early to be greeting these harbingers of summer. But I guess it’s not. I see I first wrote about them last year on June 3^rd, when I discovered a lone firefly hanging out on our porch one morning. I then wrote another post on June 9^th – when I reported seeing a grand display as they rose from the forest floor near High Rocks.

Come to think of it, then, it would appear that they’re pretty much right on track. Practically to the day, since it was June 8^th when we saw them this year!

Wow. Bug time. You can set your calendar by it.

First Heat Wave of the Season

We took a walk this evening that bumped up close to twilight, but wasn’t late enough, apparently, to witness my favorite luminescent creatures. I have to wonder if they weren’t sleeping in, tucked into the cool shade of the matted undergrowth of the meadows and forests. They may have been tempted to hunker down a bit longer than usual tonight, as the heavy blanket of heat and humidity today made all movement feel like a major, sticky effort.

The heat index was up to 100 degrees today. That’s oppressive. It means that the heat and humidity weren’t bad enough on their own, but they decided to work together to add a little oomph to the punishment being meted out to the humans. But I also think these are prime conditions for firefly eggs to hatch.

I’m optimistic that a post-twilight walk later this week will yield tremendous firefly activity. Or maybe we’ll have to wait until July for the best natural pyrotechnics. In the meantime? I just looked out the window and a wink of light acknowledged my glance.

Lightning bugs. They’re one of the little joys in life that keep me going.