Change

"Now ebb, now flood, now friend, now cruel g(f)oe;
Now glad, now sad, now weel, now into woe;
Now cload in gold, dissolvit now in ash;
So dots [does] this world transitory go."
-- William Dungar, "O Wretch; Beware"

The aftermath of order and chaos are natural frequencies that balance our lives. Custom and change are but their children, who allow new influences and possibilities into the world. When things become too formalized and ordered, they become stale and static, lacking the life and energy that only change can bring. Yet when change strikes, we feel out of control, disordered, even attacked by its sudden overturning of all that we have known. Despite that, change is not, of its essence, antagonistic to us, only to our habitual and clinging notions. Long periods of change and fluctuation can be very wearing, however, because we have no order or pattern to give context to our living.

The period leading up to the spring equinox is similarly a time of great upheaval in nature: the first full moon of March usually heralds high tides and strong winds that enliven the long-dead period of late winter. The change of spring is one that we welcome with all our hearts, but we appreciate it warmly only because of what has gone before it. Our ability to cope with change will improve if we discover the art of living in the present moment, of being at home where and when we are.

"What strategies do you use for coping with change? Meditate upon the fresh opportunities and energies that change is currently bringing to your life."
[From Caitlin Matthews' "The Celtic Spirit"]

Walking the Earth Sacredly

It is all sacred. Every hill and every valley. Our land is a living thing, not a grave of forgetfulness under our feet.
-- Owen M. Edwards, cited in Emyr Humphreys, "The Taliesin Tradition"

The way in which we walk the earth matters greatly, but our feet do not always remember this. Instead of walking the earth sacredly, we tend to stamp with proud disrespect in every stride. How can we remember the sacred dimention of the earth? Only when we realize it as a living entity does this understanding come home to roost. Nearly everyone has at some point experienced the impinging of a greater living presence when we have seen a beautiful view or stood at a powerful land feature through which the earth's soul is clearly discernible, but this feeling fades away once we are back in our home surroundings.
To get a sense of the living presence of the earth, as an ensoulded being, we can chose to purposely notice the abiding life of the earth by sitting in nature and focusing upon its breathing, its rhythms, and its soul. This requires that we filter out our own concerns and presence and focus instead upon the earth's. Whenever we give up this kind of time and attention, the rewards are striking. We learn, at first hand, the beauty and presence of the sacred earthy; we hear its ancient stories, songs, and myths; we become aware of the humbling fact that we are a part of the earth, not the earth of us.
With this realization, we can take up a new relationship with our planet, walking gently and with remembrance, dancing the song-lines of the living mythic landscape in our soul's circuit.

"Today, wherever you walk, be aware of each step as a blessing upon the earth."
[From Caitlin Matthews' "The Celtic Spirit"]