I was watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas with my grandchild recently (for the umpteenth time). Every time I see this movie, I’m reminded of its simple message about the holidays. Even when all is lost (spoiler alert), the Whos down in Whoville remember that the true gifts we give each other come from the […]
Gifts of the Season Read More »
Spring equinox is here. A day of equal light and dark, the day of transition as the light which has been increasing since winter solstice now overtakes the darkness and continues to expand each day until summer solstice. I’ve always thought it curious that we start our new year in the northern hemisphere just as
Autumn…the year’s last, loveliest smile. ~William Cullen Bryant Today is the equinox, ushering in fall in the temperate climate of the northern hemisphere. (Apologies to my friends in the southern hemisphere – this post will be out of sync with your entry into spring, and to friends in the tropics who have a different seasonal
The Season of Courage Read More »
It’s that time of year, at least in the temperate climes of the northern hemisphere. As we approach winter solstice, health is in our awareness more than usual this year. Some of us are getting our flu shots and Covid boosters. Health concerns are now part of our plans for holiday travel and getting together
Breathing a Blessing to My Body Read More »
I love the taiji (yin yang) symbol. You are probably familiar with the design in which two curving shapes create a perfect circle. The two curving shapes represent yin (darker) and yang (lighter). Yin and yang are sometimes thought of as opposites, each with various associations–yin with the receptive, mysterious, feminine, earth; yang with the
The Illusion of Conflict Read More »
This chapter starts with a description of a small country with few people. They live simply and in harmony with nature. (This chapter could have been the model for the back to the land movement of my younger years. Reading it brought back wonderful memories of living in a shack in the mountains of Montana!)
Tao Te Ching – Chapter 80 Read More »
Leaves paint autumn beauty Yet trees still let them go Knowing that life demands release That breath cannot be held
Summer is the season of pure yang energy. Its element is fire. Its organ is the heart. Yang energy is active, hot, rising, powerful. When someone is wildly successful, driving forward, dominating the competition, unstoppable, we might say, “Wow, she’s on fire!” Our western culture highly values yang energy. Idle hands do the devil’s work,
Arising in darkness As summer’s light fades Entering the in between Where mystery beckons “Come”
Entering the In Between Read More »
Solstice calls the lightThrough the darknessThrough the coldEach day a few steps closerEach day a little brighterThe earth warms to her touchAnd stirs in winter’s stillnessBuds quiver on bare branchesWhispering welcomeWelcome home
Darkness darkness, be my pillow Take my head and let me sleepIn the coolness of your shadowIn the silence of your dreamDarkness darkness, hide my yearningFor the things that cannot beKeep my mind from constant turning Towards the things I cannot see ~Stephen Stills Today is the first day of winter, the season we associate with
Light in the Darkness Read More »
I was walking in my neighborhood this morning, strolling beneath a canopy of brilliant fall colors, kicking rainbow leaf confetti on the sidewalk. A breeze shook loose more leaves that swirled and drifted down. Energetically, autumn is a time of gathering, bringing in the harvest, storing our resources for the winter. In the Chinese five
The Beauty of Release Read More »
Winter ushers in the calendar new year, at least in the northern hemisphere. We release the old year and welcome a fresh start. One of my favorite things about the new year is hanging up my new wall calendar. (Yes, I still use an old fashioned paper calendar.) Birthdays are circled, cabin weekends blocked off,
To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight, and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings. ~Wendell Berry As we passed the equinox in September, I wrote about the season of darkness, about
The equinox has passed. Night is now longer than day. We are entering the gradual darkening until winter solstice calls the light to return. Darkness gets such a bad rap. It’s scary, it hides secrets and shame, danger lurks in its shadows. Here in the Pacific Northwest, it is gray and rainy much of the
The Season of Darkness Read More »
The creek thundersWith fresh vigorAfter summer’s droughtBelly bursting banksLaughing full of autumn rain
[I’m reposting this article from last autumn. For those who have enjoyed the series on seasons, this will hopefully be a nice reminder.]Autumn…the year’s last, loveliest smile. ~William Cullen Bryant I wrote recently about courage and also about surrender. These two concepts come together perfectly in the season of autumn, dancing with each other as
The Season of Courage Read More »
This continues and completes our series about the associations made in Chinese medicine and qigong between the five major organ systems and five elements. These associations are expanded to include associations with emotions, energies, animals, colors, sounds…and seasons. In this series, I’ve tried to highlight a few of the associations that you might enjoy contemplating.
The Season of Balance Read More »
This continues our series about the associations made in Chinese medicine and qigong between the five major organ systems and five elements. These associations are expanded to include associations with emotions, energies, animals, colors, sounds…and seasons. In this series, I’ve tried to highlight a few of the associations that you might enjoy contemplating. Fall was
To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. ~Lewis B. Smedes Fall was the season of courage and gathering energy. Winter was the season of stillness and storing energy. Now we arrive at spring. The light has been quietly returning since the beginning of winter, and now it
The Season of Forgiveness Read More »