With the arrival of the Spring Equinox last Sunday, you can literally hear the thrum of growing things beneath the soil, just waiting for the right timing and conditions to rise and thrive.
First up are snowdrops, poking their shy little faces out of the last bits of remaining snow. The crocuses will quickly follow, as well as the many other flowers now waiting in the wings. Soon, a whole profusion of soft green and pastel colour will be delighting our senses with their beauty.
It could be so easy to overlook these fleeting sureties that nature’s constant cycle of life, death and rebirth offers. So easy to take it all for granted ... but we mustn’t. Especially right now.
For the last couple of months I have been busy shepherding an online Tarot course and rebooting classes at the studio. To be honest though, I've resisted sending out a newsletter and been struggling with what to offer up as helpful in this environment of unrelenting conflict. It can be overwhelming at times, and I doubt I’m the only one feeling this way.
As if to punctuate this, March itself has been a harsh struggle between warmth and cold, light and dark. At no time in recent memory have such contrasts been so painfully obvious because, in many ways, it feels like what is happening in Ukraine is being reflected in nature. In both situations there is still no clear winner, although with nature we can be assured that the light will increase. And this powerful metaphor is one we need to hang onto.
Like the growing things that go fallow over the winter, a full two years of lockdowns, mandates and social distancing have kept us frozen and on ice at every level. And sadly, just as we are raising our heads and beginning to thaw out, a very dark aspect of humanity is simultaneously rising in Russia.
It is challenging to feel joy amid such uncertainty, yet I am still making myself search for the snowdrops and the first green shoots of spring, precisely because they do give me joy. I also recognize that what I am really seeking from these little plants, so bravely battling their way towards the light, is reassurance.
Spiritual teacher Caroline Myss refers to what we are going through as “the age of the unthinkable”. In her typically forthright way, she writes that too often we say, “Someone should do something about this” or “I don’t watch the news, it’s just too negative.”
Myss believes that “the choice to remove yourself from the collective because you don’t like the news, or you don’t like what’s going on, is a choice that is an insult to your power. You under-estimate, you under-appreciate, what you are made of and what you’re doing here. Nobody was born to ignore life. Nobody was born to say someone else should do something.”
She goes on to say that when we are witnessing injustices, looking to someone else to solve them is a form of avoiding tapping into our resources; of not offering up the power of our love force. And she is right.
Those of us “of the light” are being called upon, like never before, to contribute our love force, in whatever way we can. And if we can’t contribute, at the very least, to not ignore, resist or put our heads back in the ground because we don’t want to look at the harsh realities.
We are, sadly, living in a world where we have created more complexity than our human nervous systems are evolved to handle. Is it any wonder we struggle to acknowledge how much we are carrying? Resistance, deferral, and helplessness are the ways we protect ourselves from the onslaught of bad news.
And yet, when the bigger picture seems too large or too overwhelming to grasp, there is something we can do. We can stop and ask: what one little step can I take towards this situation, even if that one little step is to simply acknowledge that darkness and uncertainty exists?
Many spiritual traditions talk about the importance of having humility, a Latin word derived from humus, meaning earth. To be "humble" can also be translated as being "grounded" or "from the earth". Unlike our human ego that immediately wants to spring into action or defense, humility is a quiet and gentle response - the response of our love-force.
When feeling at a loss at how to move forward, we have only to be humble and look to the earth for grounding, guidance, and inspiration. Nature’s energy at this time of year, in particular, completely embodies the love force Caroline Myss speaks of, because right before our very eyes, we see life rising again after being frozen so long beneath the ground.
So, I am challenging myself (and each of you reading this), to push gently through any resistance or helplessness. To be like the tiny green shoots of springtime, now making their own journeys towards the light. And, most of all, to be humble in the face of what we are witnessing – the bravery, sacrifice and suffering of the people of Ukraine – even if we find we can only express that humility symbolically through a small random act, such as carefully pulling away a dead leaf so that a tiny flower can more easily raise its head.
We must not let ourselves become paralyzed, numb, or indifferent. Or worse, allow conflict to become our “new normal”. Prayers, donations and other gestures of solidarity may feel inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, but it is these many small instances coming together, incrementally and one step at a time, that will make a difference. Because they are what defies the darkness. They are what says, loud and clear, as Nature does, thelight will triumph.
When I despair that humanity doesn’t seem to be evolving to a state of higher consciousness the way many spiritual teachers claim it is, seeing the love force swelling across the world in defiance of evil, is heartening. And it is something I can consciously choose to be a part of it … because doing so is what will help me to rise and thrive.
My shamanic teacher, Pete Bernard of the Pikwàkanagàn First Nation says: “now is the time to awaken and rise in the non-consciousness of life and the world. To shake off the grogginess as we begin our turn back into the light and use it to lighten the heaviness. As we begin this process of Awakening, what do we want to Awaken to? Now is the time to not only heal but to bring into action the Medicines that have slept inside of you and make them a part of this world.”
We must not take anything for granted right now, no matter how small or trivial it may seem, and work with the Medicines sleeping deep within us. And we must put our faith in the surety of nature’s cycle – that rebirth always follows a period of darkness.
Like the snowdrops and crocuses, let’s choose to make our way slowly and carefully, one step at a time, tapping into whatever resources are available at any given moment. Because, when conditions are right, we will then be able to contribute our love force to that great collective movement which, like nature, has only the single goal of ensuring we all rise and thrive again … together. Do not try to save the whole world or do anything grandiose. Instead, create a clearing in the dense forest of your life and wait there patiently, until the song that is your life falls into your own cupped hands and you recognize and greet it. Only then will you know how to give yourself to this world so worthy of rescue.
~ Clearing, by Martha Postlethwaite
The Mystic's Circle
FREE ONLINE SESSION "Raising our Love-Force" Wednesday, April 13 @ 7pm
My Mystic's Circle has been on hiatus for a bit but will be resuming again sometime in the next few months with an exciting new format.
In the meantime, please join me for this free 30-45 minute mini-session. Our time together will include a short teaching that expands on the theme of "rising and thriving", a gentle meditative exercise to tap into our love force, and a brief Q&A. It's time to put ourselves firmly back on the spiritual path and start raising our vibration again!
If you are intrigued by "higher level" perspectives and spiritual topics, The Mystic's Circle might be right for you.
This fun workshop introduces you to an easy technique for constructing the beautiful twisty knot patterns typically found in traditional Celtic art.
Learn the characteristic “under/over” weaving effect then create your own knot using watercolours, metallic inks and markers. A beautiful way to spend a spring afternoon!
For a full description of this workshop and to register click here. Spring Flowers Mixed Media Play Workshop Saturday, May 14, 2022
In this fun and relaxing workshop we will use a short meditation and a variety of fun prompts such as words, snippets of poetry, paper and fabric ephemera, etc. to get our creative juices flowing.
Then, using acrylics, metallic inks, markers, torn paper, etc. we will layer up a small canvas with collaging, stamping, spongeing and mark-making techniques. The result will be your very own unique mixed media masterpiece to welcome spring!
For a full description of this workshop and to register click here.
If you would like to arrange a group of your own to do either of these workshops, grab a few friends and let’s book a date!
SPRING ENERGY TUNE-UP TIME!
Tarot Consultations If you are feeling a little stuck as we begin navigating the way back to “normal”, the visual stimulation of the Tarot’s rich symbolism and imagery can help identify where you currently are, what is potentially blocking you and options for how to move forward.
These fascinating cards are remarkably accurate at accessing your intuitive and creative right-brain wisdom. Let’s lay out the cards and figure things out together!
Readings are $100 for a 60 minutes session
Chakra Balancing Sessions If you are not familiar with shamanic energy work, this is a great opportunity to experience its benefits. I will scan your chakras (the energy centres aligned along your spine that affect your overall health and well-being) to find any blockages, then clear and rebalance them.
Enjoy the calm relaxing atmosphere of my studio and a multitude of sensory sensations as I work with stones, feathers, plant medicines and sound to get your energy flowing freely again.
$100 for a 60 minute session
Email me to book either your Tarot or Chakra session
WEEKLY DRAWING & PAINTING HAS RESUMED
Why not learn some new skills and join me in-person again in the studio.
Drawing - Wednesday and Sunday afternoons from 1-3 pm Both beginners and more advanced are welcome!
Acrylic Painting- Thursday afternoons from 1-3 pm Bring your paints and your favourite subject matter and let's have fun painting together.
Private or Semi-Private Lessons If you are a nervous newbie or need a refresher before joining a group class you can book a private session with me in any medium - drawing, watercolour or acrylics.
Join The Artist's Circle!
My "online studio" will have you seeing nature in a whole new way ... through an artist's eyes. Hosted on Patreon, a small monthly fee gives you access to my full library of art tutorials and sketchbook prompts, nature notes and more, any time you want.
Learn and create at your own pace following my step-by-step videos and other creative projects, then connect live with me via Zoom every month for coaching and feedback.
With the arrival of the Spring Equinox last Sunday, you can literally hear the thrum of growing things beneath the soil, just waiting for the right timing and conditions to rise and thrive.
Myss believes that “the choice to remove yourself from the collective because you don’t like the news, or you don’t like what’s going on, is a choice that is an insult to your power. You under-estimate, you under-appreciate, what you are made of and what you’re doing here. Nobody was born to ignore life. Nobody was born to say someone else should do something.”
When feeling at a loss at how to move forward, we have only to be humble and look to the earth for grounding, guidance, and inspiration. Nature’s energy at this time of year, in particular, completely embodies the love force Caroline Myss speaks of, because right before our very eyes, we see life rising again after being frozen so long beneath the ground.
My Mystic's Circle has been on hiatus for a bit but will be resuming again sometime in the next few months with an exciting new format.
If you are feeling a little stuck as we begin navigating the way back to “normal”, the visual stimulation of the Tarot’s rich symbolism and imagery can help identify where you currently are, what is potentially blocking you and options for how to move forward.
If you are not familiar with shamanic energy work, this is a great opportunity to experience its benefits. I will scan your chakras (the energy centres aligned along your spine that affect your overall health and well-being) to find any blockages, then clear and rebalance them.
