Intuit August

A new word to me, intuit means: to understand or work out by instinct.  I think that may be an overall theme of my whole life as I rarely use other means of figuring out my days as a mom or as an artist.
I'm sure most of us do use our instinct often but it is just not articulated when we do.

August was full and the fall is shaping up to be busy.  Despite my resistance to a fast paced life it seems that with a family of four people making their best possible life it's just inevitable.  As the family manager so to speak I hover about co-ordinating schedules and making timetables, yesterday it left my head spinning. 

But as Dave is trying to keep his fitness up he suggested an after dinner walk.  I was resistant at first  because it's a bath night, we need to get the boys back on school bedtime routine, etc, etc, but instinct took over and told me that I needed that walk. The rain drenched paths, leaves strewn about by a weekend wind storm (fallen trees from that wind storm even) all of this would calm my mind and be good for us all.  It was more than pleasant, it was healing.

 So bedtime was a bit late, but we'll get back onto the routine eventually.  And the future renovations to our home, soccer schedules, work trips, art show exhibitions to apply for,  community plays to rehearse, all of it will fall into place or not.  Our health, our well-being and connection to nature, must have priority over all of the minutia that fills or days.  Our instinct tells us so. 

April Outside

Last weekend we visited a wonderful organization's open house.  O.W.L which stands for Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society rescues injured birds (mostly raptors) and houses ones that can not re-enter nature and releases ones that have healed.

 Turkey Vulture.

  A Barred Owl.  We think an owl like this may be nesting near our home.  

We have seen her/him 3 times now.

And the climax of the day was the release of this juvenile bald eagle.  He was saved by a BC Hydro worker after being caught in a power line.  It was very moving to hear his story and witness this bird's release back into the wild.

There are so many people that dedicate their time to worthy causes, this is just one of many.  Supporting such brilliant work is a great way to send a family day outside.

Commitment (a multipart series)

Oh, what a crazy month April has been.  Life has been very full and a bit hectic and my head is overwhelmed with ideas of things to write here and this is the first time I've sat down to do so all month.  But rather than let my hands type out all these thoughts I'd rather focus on one at a time, because well, it seems more fair to you as a reader.  My next few posts will probably skirt around a theme that is coming up frequently this year.
Commitment and self-discipline.  April presented two opportunities to practice my commitment to the earth.

On April 12 our family attended the B.R.O.K.E sponsored rally against Kinder-Morgan's proposed pipeline expansion in our city.  There are dozens of reasons I am against this expansion but the first one is that our earth cannot sustain the practices of extracting fossil fuels.  This pipeline will transport oil across our backyard to buyers in foreign markets, navigating tricky waters with tankers that could spill and destroy wildlife and precious natural areas. We already live with the risk of the current pipeline's potential hazards let alone adding another.  This type of thinking about our environment as an extraction field needs to be stopped.

On Earth Day I visited Kyan's classroom and read "Earth Mother" by Ellen Jackson.  It is a wonderful story of the gentleness, power and wisdom of nature's cycles.  The kids were very engaged by it and we followed up with learning the first verse of The Earth is our Mother chant.  And to end the lesson we talked about what each of them could do to take care of the earth using this sheet.  I was happy that the kids responded as they did.  And despite being busy in other things I was glad to mark the day for the kids and myself.  I plan to do this each year as long as Kyan's (and eventually Elliott's) teachers are on board.  This work is about my spiritual path and in a future post I'll expand on where these values are building from.

Around home our interest in birds continues to be enhanced by our bird feeders.  Elliott built a nest for our little eggs one morning.  Spring brings forth so much life and newness that it spills over in the boys' faces.  The inspiration of it seems endless.

Fair November

What a stunning month November was this year.  The thing about my birth month is that most people find it wet, cold and depressing.  Which I try not to take personally really.  I mean, there is little I can do to redeem it for anyone...it is what it is.  Except when it is not.  Like this year when it was sunny almost every afternoon and that sun streams down like a gift to those of us that are usually huddling under umbrellas and feeling pale and gloomy by mid month.  The above photo is of two bald eagles on the edge of the Harrison river.  This was their moment to feed on the salmon as they return to lay their eggs and die in the process.  Such a fascinating life cycle and such a delicate balance that we were privileged to witness this year. 

On the right in the above photo lies the Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa where we luxuriated in the healing waters for a lovely weekend.  It was the highlight of the month for me.  So relaxing after a busy month of soccer games, gatherings, school, cleaning...you get the picture. A mini vacation it was and a grateful person am I.

And just cause I want to share a lovely poem I found about November that gives it a nice sentiment rather than the gloomy one that is often associated with the 11th month.

November comes

and November goes,

with the last red berries

and the first white snows.

with night coming early, 

and dawn coming late,

and ice in a bucket, 

and frost by the gate.

the fires burn

and the kettles sing,

and earth sinks to rest

until next spring.

-Clyde Watson

Book of the Month: Wild Comfort

This stunning collection of essays was a delight to read.  Kathleen Dean Moore is a philosophy professor, nature lover, and wife to a biologist.  Moving fluidly from Oregon (her main home) to her Alaskan cabin and some exotic locals elsewhere her essays mix personal experience with deeply compelling reflections on death, the cycles of the earth, wild life and our human weaknesses.

Wild Comfort: The Solace of Nature takes you on a journey with Moore and her family that you want to continue past the end of the book.  After a series of close ones in her life dying she took to journey of the artist deep inside to find some sense of solace.  Bittersweet mixed with the simple rhythms of nature; while Moore's spiritual side is practically agnostic she touches on the mysterious and magical of the outdoors and our unmistakable connection to it.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for comfort based in the falling of snow, the habits of birds or the currents of the ocean.

just a little off

That's how I'm feeling this week.  A weekend away has left me feeling behind...just trying to keep afloat amid  the normal day-to-day.  Today the sun has shined all day and that has been very refreshing.  In fact nature has brought a sense of solace with some heart pumping hikes and drinking tea by a rushing creek with Elliott.  As I'm ordering gifts, attending craft fairs, cooking and doing a little making I feel the need for quiet.
Perhaps that is why being in the woods is giving me so much comfort.  The loud hum of the water over rocks, birds, those sounds are good noise.

Sleep is also a bit short these days, something I will keep trying to remedy since we are all fighting the sniffles.  I am keenly aware of the dark time, these weeks from Samhain to Yule always hold reflection and a sense of turning inward.  Next week I hit a bit of a milestone age and that has me marveling at how time moves.  The spirals of life cycling around us...

 I think I'll get through these feelings eventually.  I think it is normal to experience this ebb after the flow of the last 6 weeks.  Soon things will be quieting down in terms of day-to-day and holiday fun will spring up here and there.  Soon...the only certainty is the passing of one moment into another.

Trees are Life

My favorite part of the natural world has got to be trees.  I live on a mountain full of them, from every view out of the windows of our home their leaves reflect the sun in the summer.  In fall they drop colourful leaves in the heavy rains and in winter their strong branches bare the weight of occasional snow fall.  Spring brings buds and flowers on some varietals and birds sing of the wheel's turning.

The concept of the World Tree, Tree of Life as axis mundi or the connector of the sky, earth and underworld is one that resonates deep inside me.  In my trance work a large smooth tree with wide branches and curling roots acts as my entrance point to my sacred space.  Sometimes the tree is full of leaves, sometimes its branches are bare.  Always I feel secure as soon as I see it, its energy being familiar and grounding.

The scientific magic of trees is still being studied but I have been reading small snippets of articles that talk about the ability trees have to communicate with each other.  They clean the air, keep soil from eroding and provide shelter to countless other beings (us included).  Check out this video relating the connections trees have through their root systems.

I tend to shift which tree to focus on depending on the seasons.  In spring cherry, plum and apple blossoms herald new beginnings and maple trees share their sweet sap.  In summer I love willow, oak and birch trees; all the leaves in their shapes and textures and how the sun shines through them.   When fall arrives I tend to notice the trees laden with fruit and nuts and which ones turn colour first to signal autumn.  And as Yule comes the conifers whisper quiet words of reassurance and lend their evergreen to the starker landscape of cold, wet days.

Here are some books on my future reading list if you are just as passionate as I.  Don't forget to hug a tree today or stand in Tree pose and just be.


Arboretum America: A Philosophy of the Forest by Diana Beresford-Kroeger

Arboretum Borealis: A Lifeline of the Planet by Diana Beresford-Kroeger

Remarkable Trees of the World by Thomas Pakenham

Mythic Woods: The World's Most Remarkable Forests by Jonathan Roberts

How to Plant a Tree: A Simple Celebration of Trees and Tree-Planting Ceremonies by Daniel Butler

Get Out

Today marked the beginning of outdoor pre-school for Kyan.  His hiking, fort building, nature exploring and hopefully mud pie making year of fun before regular school begins in fall of 2013 (yikes!).   I feel really grateful that he can attend this program.  It is a half hour drive in morning traffic (if we are lucky) which is different from the 5 minute walk to his Monday pre-school class but the opportunity to learn outside is priceless.
This week has begun a new mission for me - getting out.  Looking back on years past Kyan and I were outside a lot.  We explored the little areas around our then home.  My second pregnancy slowed that down considerably.  And now that I have a high energy 18 month old it must be reinstated.  So this program is going to be good for all of us.  Elliott and I hiked a short but at times steep trail today crossing a high extension bridge over a white water ravine and then back over further downstream.  He waved to all the tourists taking photos and soaked in all the fresh air.
Living in the Pacific Northwest means that you get lots of rain, but rarely is it really cold.  And September is supposed to be sunny for the next two weeks so we are taking full advantage.  We've been out every morning this week and I plan on keeping up the trend.
This active nature interaction keeps us happier, calmer and healthier.  When I forget that we are overwhelmed quickly and it is usually not pretty.
Yesterday I put a sealant over all of our hiking boots/shoes and it heralded a new year to come of adventures on the trails and in the forests.
 It felt like a good omen, a positive step for our family journey together.

Out of Doors

 Summer Solstice beach fire (with the moon above and waves crashing) 

The wind was also very strong that night.

There really is nothing like being outside.  And by that I mean in fresh air, under the sky, and on earth that can be felt under your feet.  Attending ritual within nature's cathedral enhances my senses and often I feel a link to centuries past, a time when being in nature was our nature; when we couldn't shield ourselves from inconvenient weather because our indoor options were few and far between.  Certainly the soft breeze and warm sunshine of spring and summer, the crisp air and slight chill in fall, and the mild cold and soft snowfall of winter are the ideal settings to share sacred space in, but what happens when the temperature drops suddenly or the day is full of thunder and lightening...well, it can't be helped.
My philosophy with the weather is to tough it out as often as I can.  I do this not because I'm a masochist but because I want to acknowledge my humble place on this globe and push myself beyond my comfort zone.
Rituals are not a huge part of my practice right now but as all ebbs and flows I know they will become more prominent as I gain more "me" time.  Also my interests are changing.  My spiritual inspirations are shifting and that will change what ritual means to my practice, but the being outside connection is a constant regardless.

 A lovely Beltaine day making wands by a lake on a mossy patch

I was just listening to episode 103 of The Wigglian Way and they played a song by Lady Isadora called Drawing Down the Moon and these lyrics fit perfectly with my theme today:

 

"Gather in secret if you must
But do not tarry overlong behind closed doors
For it is in the richness of the Earth
And the boundlessness of the Sky
That My true Temple is to be found
And the Moon and Sun and Stars
Will keep your secrets.
Look for Me within these things
But above all within your own souls
For it is there I am
And beyond..."

 

A cold Winter Solstice fire.  

My dad built this in -10 degree Celcius temps.

And though you can't see the rain here Elliott's naming ritual was a wet one.

In my memories of these rituals and many others that I didn't have photos to share, the weather whether it was lovely or not stamped a mark.  That is the beauty to being connected in sacred space to the earth's many faces.  You remember the cold or the soft breeze,  how wet you were from the rain or how the candles were melting from a scorching sun. All this makes that time about more than words and deity or spells but also about our humanity, and our interconnectedness with this holy earth that is our home.

Tales from my Garden: 2012

I feel a bit behind in sharing about the garden progress already and it's still only May. As we head into a week of rain my pots are out on the deck getting a good soaking.  The snap and shelling peas are over a foot tall, I've picked out two new varieties of tomatoes to try and planted cucumbers .  Fingers crossed on those!  This year I also decided to double up on parsley because we love it in almost everything.  I also got some applemint, lemon balm, lavender and bee balm.  In the front plot the tulips are just getting past and I'm really excited about our first rhubarb harvest (once I use up the last frozen rhubarb in the freezer.)  I may add one more round of plants in a month or so, but for the most part it's time to sit back a bit and let nature do her thing.

  

someday...J is for Jasper

About 10 years ago this summer my sister and I took a 12 hour bus ride from Vancouver BC to Camrose Alberta to attend our cousin's wedding.  Along the way we had many stops but the one that is most memorable for me is when we stopped to stretch our legs outside of Jasper National Park.
From the Convenience Store parking lot I saw a far away mountain peak...(after searching mountain names in Jasper I'm still not sure which one this is)

   image source

And this wild and stunning landscape has been sitting in my heart ever since.  Someday a visit will be planned and carried out.  This trip will have a sense of pilgrimage to me.  I have many such places that I'd like to visit in a spiritual context.  Many are the typical pagan spots: Stonehenge, Newgrange, the Ganges river and some are just mystical and compelling to me for other reasons.
Being in wild places is very important to my pagan path.  It reminds me that I am small, that the earth in her mystery and power can inspire wonder and quiet the aimless ramblings of the mind.  I can get that when heading outside here as well but certain places in the world hold an allure of something deeper.  A lesson of place emitting an energy of a specific kind.  That energy can only be felt when your feet are planted on that ground, when you are breathing that air and feeling the breeze on your skin.
This song was inspired by this glorious place and only increases my resolve to visit.

For the Birds

As promised here is a little playlist to accompany the lovely birdsong that is bringing spring on the wind.  Spring is taking its time with us this year, teasing us with some sunshine here and there but bringing rains and winds that stir the juices regardless.  I hope this means a long and hot summer to come.

Birds

Cicadas & Gulls - Feist

Big Bird in a Small Cage - Patrick Watson

Sweet Bird - Joni Mitchell

Norwegian Wood (This Bird has Flown) - The Beatles

Given to Fly - Pearl Jam

Black Crow - Joni Mitchell

Emperor Penguin - The Tragically Hip

Flightless Bird, American Mouth - Iron & Wine

The Birds on the Bridge - The Deep Dark Woods

Blackbird - The Beatles

Bird Guhl - Antony & the Johnsons

Song to a Seagull - Joni Mitchell

Three Little Birds - Bob Marley

And Your Bird Can Sing - The Beatles

The Littlest Birds - The Be Good Tanyas

You may have noticed several Joni songs, she sings about birds a lot.  As do The Beatles but you can't deny the classics.  Feel free to add your favorites in the comments and get out and enjoy the birds.  I plan on doing a bit more to honour them this spring, I'll be back with more on that soon.

When it rains...

we go for a walk anyway.  At least that's what I decided today.  This week was a bit quieter for us and mama was starting to go stir crazy.  So despite the cold, wet and downright soggy conditions outside our door we loaded up with chips & some cheese, did some errands and headed to the trail. 

We had many companions on our journey on this dreary day: ducks, seagulls, pigeons, hardcore joggers, another mama with a sleeping stroller babe, some ladies with umbrellas, strange, hovering insects that looked like winter mosquitoes (!?!) and my favorites (other than the boys) lovely birds singing happily away. 
Rain, heck they love the stuff.  It was all happy birdsong out on the marsh by the lake today.  And something in their songs lifted my heart out of the marshy lowlands and into a rejuvenated spirit of it's good to be alive.  The cold does that to me.  It's something about the promise of warmth later that makes me enjoy the chill.

And then there is the beauty of nature.  The colours of spring emerging out of the west coast winter gray. 

Yellows and vibrant peachy pinks are in this spring, nature has a jump on the fashion trends.   And as for the birds I am making them a playlist.  Please leave a comment with your favorite bird song if one comes to mind and I'll share the playlist when I finish it off.  Have a great weekend.  

Poem of the Month: comfort

One of my dearest and most wonderful friends is going through some serious stuff.  Heart wrenching, heavy and so, so hard.  As a friend support is all I have, love and time and positive energy.  I wanted to send these to you, may they give you some comfort or help in any hard moments to come.

My Help is in the Mountain

by Nancy Wood

My help is in the mountain

Where I take myself to heal

The earthly wounds 

That people give to me.

I find a rock with sun on it

And a stream where the water runs gentle

And the trees which one by one give me company.

So must I stay for a long time

Until I have grown from the rock

And the stream is running through me

And I cannot tell myself from one tall tree.

Then I know that nothing touches me

Nor makes me run away.

My help is in the mountain

That I take away with me.

Earth Cure Me

by Nancy Wood

Earth cure me.  Earth receive my woe.  Rock strengthen me.

Rock receive my weakness.  Rain wash my sadness away.

Rain receive my doubt.  Sun make sweet my song.

Sun receive the anger from my heart.

Our Equinox

For the third year now we made our way to the other side of our mountain to share the morning with friends.  This year it wasn't hot like the first, and there was little sunshine like the second, but the day was autumnal in its mist...

 we spent time in the rose garden smelling the last of summer's warmth...

after the gentle rain dispersed we assembled a simple altar...

and of course played in the leaves.

this tradition is a comfortable one.  Kind of like a familiar sweater and a mug of tea.  Welcome Autumn!

Tales from my garden

I thought I must get around to posting this garden update because the photos are already two weeks old and the plants are growing like crazy.  The above photo's flower emerged from a pot I planted last year with a wildflower mix of seeds.  If anyone knows what it is please leave a comment.  The fragrance from this one is lovely.

Here are the tomatoes, peas, and green peppers.  Both tomato plants are blossoming and the spaghetti squash is getting big and leafy at this point.  It's amazing what a difference two weeks can make.  Despite the weather taking its time to get warm the plants are progressing.  Being out on the patio is a pleasure with bees and birds and sunshine for company.

last week we...

 searched for frogs in overflowing brooks

 buried two placentas in a sugar maple grove

 became re-acquainted with a certain loved cow

 recorded for posterity the simple beauty around us

 celebrated birthdays and blessings with family

met with old friends and family and made some new ones too

it was over far too quickly but sometimes memories are made that way.  i vow to stay longer next time and have more time to soak in the love.