Springing into SPRING

Yea!  If you are able to read this, you made it out of Winter and are firmly sitting in Spring Time.  I don't know about you, but Spring is my absolute favorite season.  Given I have lived in Southern California my whole life, you might argue that we only have Spring season here.  But the funny thing is, when you do live in Southern California your whole life, you experience what seems to you to be in fact seasons.  So there.  I repeat:  Spring is my favorite season!  Yea, Spring.

With Spring comes new hope, new dreams after surviving the harsh winter months.  The days of darkness and cold.  The barren ground.  The deep silence of winter.  When we move into the Spring Time, we move into the vast land of possibility.  What wasn't possible in Winter might very well be in Spring.  And so we dream.

What dreams do you entertain this year?  What seeds are you willing to plant?  You know that nothing grows without taking the steps to make it happen, right?  And yet it may be that making it through 2020 and all the changes we were forced to make have left us a bit fatigued and perhaps grieving many losses of many kinds.  We may find that we are struggling to get the gumption to start again.  If that describes you, I hope you may find a bit of hope in these words.

Fingers Crossed?

Spring.  The earth begins to reveal her magic as new buds sprout and plants you forgot you had begin to rise up out of the barren ground.  The birds sing songs that sound like joy on steroids.  The sky brings both beautiful blueness and also the fluffiest white clouds imaginable.  There is an energy of aliveness that wasn't there just a few days ago.  And we get to partake of it all.

There is a caveat however.  We too, must shake loose the winter doldrums and bring that Spring energy within ourselves.  It helps to do a few things to make it easier to feel the shift.  Let's talk about that.

First, it's always a good thing to formally recognize the change.  We do that here normally with our Gathering and the Changing of the Seasons event.  With COVID still around, we won't be doing that here but we will be meeting on the next best thing.  ZOOM anyone?  Check out the FB page to find the details.

If that doesn't work, please create your own special moment to honor Spring in your life.  This gives you an opportunity to listen to your inner prompts, to see what wants to be nurtured this year and what your soul wants you to tend to.

Second, be sure to take some time to evaluate what was important to you just last year.  Are you still on the right track?  Perhaps things have changed so much that it's important to reset your compass.  This may be a bit scary as you have already invested much of your time and treasure in this direction.  But if you have gotten a bit lost, it's better to reset now rather than find yourself even further down a road that is really not your best road.

You may want to take time to walk about and listen to nature.  See if you are drawn to certain objects and if so, take time to mull over their significance.  Some people will do a reading with an intuitive deck of cards like Tarot or Runes.  They are always fun to work with.  If these don't suit you, see if there is any other practice that works for you.  The main idea is to go deeper than the every day world you can see.

You have both the freedom and responsibility to wake up in Spring Time.  Perhaps the shift of energy around you will be enough to propel you forward.  Perhaps.  But, more likely, you will need that extra kick in the pants we have been talking about to really make the most of this wonderful new aliveness that surrounds us.  

What will you do?  Step up?  Step out?  YES!  Sounds like a perfect plan.  If you have any questions about steps to take or how to set up your ceremony to welcome Spring, just let me know.  I am so easy to find...

Here's to you and to your Spring Time and your Dreams and that Spring in your step!

Your Soul Catalyst, 

Verna

 

That Place of Deep Silence

I received news today that stopped me in my tracks, that completely took my breath away.  News that moved me into that place of deep silence.  News that is really not that surprising, given the times in which we live.  News that might have been expected after phone calls received last evening.  And yet.  The news hit like that wave that catches you on the shore and tosses you violently face first into the sand.  The news that ripples out to dozens and dozens of family and friends, tossing them as well.  Everyone given the news broken open.

It seems fitting to post today.  It's not every day that grabs your heart and squeezes it thus.  Given this blog is all about the soul and things that matter most, today I write.

Yesterday I received the first of the two COVID-19 vaccines.  I am joining in the company of others my age who are graced with the gift of this hopeful drug.  There is so much discussion around this and the social protocols asked of us to try and diminish the spread of the virus.  So much that close family members, neighbors and friends often walk away from each other, unable to come to peace with the others' views.  Today a family member died from complications of COVID-19.  He was too young to be in line for the vaccine and I don't even know if he would want it.  What I do know, is that he died.  And leaves behind so many people who are just not ready to say good bye.  And yet, they have no choice.

I have know this man since he was born.  He is my nephew, even if I divorced myself out of the family years and years and years ago.  My heart aches knowing this family is facing the future with him not here.  I am tired and my whole being aches.  How much more are they suffering.

If you ever read my stuff, you know I am familiar with dying.  Working in hospice for over a dozen years gave me an education that is beyond any school's ability to teach.  Lessons about living as if this day is your last, living life with passion and purpose.  Living with the knowledge not one day more is guaranteed or promised.  

I know this stuff.  And I try to live it.  Reality is, we probably can't stay in the depth of that awareness day to day.  Imagine if every day, you wake up, imagining this one is the last one.  Who would you reach out to?  Where would you spend your time?  What would you want people to know about you?  Who might you forgive?  What frustrations would you simply let go of?  Who will you tell that you love them?  While we may not be able to descend to the depths every day what if we at least try now and then.

Maybe the day you read this, you will be inspired to reach out to someone.  You may be inspired to forgive someone,  Maybe you will try something you always wanted to but were afraid to.  Maybe now is the time.  Maybe today.

Let's live with purpose, with honor, with integrity, with love, with compassion.  Wake up every morning and give thanks for this day.  Rise to the occasion and sing your song.  The song that is yours to sing.

As I end this post, I take a moment to honor "Little Bobby".  I imagine I will inhabit that place of deep silence for some time to come.