Inhale
the pause
We are in the inhale, the pause. The moment the sea recedes. A temporary contraction. I was reminded of this wisdom at a beautiful ceremony a few days ago to mark lughnasa. We were asked: what is ripe in my life right now?
It’s time to notice the abundance, bounty and beauty that surrounds us. Yes, even as I write this with a jumper on, looking out at heavy rain… The trees in the garden are heavy with apples, destined for crumbles and cider. What else is ready to harvest?
I pulled three cards for myself that night:
WATERFALL ~ persistence
CLOUD ~ imagination
JASMINE ~ sensuality
and I smiled and smiled to myself at how appropriate, how fitting they were. Autumn, harvest, fall, whatever you call it is just so juicy. It calls to all of the senses with its woodsmoke, fruits, insects and heat. How do I gratify my senses?
We pause at this time to reflect, to seek pleasure, to celebrate all that has passed and to prepare for what is to come. Harvest is about being intentional about what we are bringing into the dark half of the year with us. Who will be my dreamtime companions?
I hope some of you might be mine. From Sunday 1 September I will be holding a virtual righting space. Drop me a message if you would like to be part of a regular and supportive container for your creativity.
Until then, I hope that you too are blessed with a moment to pause. A breath to take, to be thankful for all that you have and to call in all that your heart desires. Today I will leave you with words from Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa:
“Dancing as if language had surrendered to movement - as if this ritual, this wordless ceremony, was now the way to speak, to whisper private and sacred things, to be in touch with some otherness. Dancing as if the very heart of life and all its hopes might be found in those assuaging notes and those hushed rhythms and in those silent and hypnotic movements. Dancing as if language no longer existed because words were no longer necessary…”