Corn teaches that anything in its full maturity gives of itself. The mature tassels of Corn plants generate pollen that is offered out, blown about by the winds to enter that lustrous, silky part of the Corn so those juicy kernels can grow. Mature land gives out to the animals and to us; its rich soil nurtures and feeds all that grows. Mature water bestows moisture and is steeped in minerals that benefit the land, animals, and people. Mature forests offer shade, shelter, beauty, food, and love and wisdom we have yet to explore.
Prosperity means different things to different people. A curious example is of a Mexican healer, a curandera I worked alongside in a mental health center decades ago in Colorado. This woman was caring with everyone she met. She also looked after her childhood community in Mexico. When money was needed back home, the curandera used to go to a shopping mall and approach a stranger who appeared to be in need. She then brought this person a nourishing meal and shared meaningful time with him or her. In turn, the curandera told me, “Within a week I received an unsolicited donation for the amount we need at home. I give from my own heart and pocket to someone who really needs it, and that energy unfailingly returns.” It’s natural to desire and seek for ourselves and our families. Everyone wants to be happy and prosperous. Yet if we only breathed in and never breathed out, or if we only ate food and never expelled food waste, we would die. In the same way, the soul thrives through giving. Corn teaches that life fills us according to how we give ourselves to it; the fire we stoke is the fire that blazes. The Earth offers abundantly to all her children, and when we give back, really put our hearts to it, we entrain with our Mother and harmonize with her creatures. We join with nature in remembering we are the same light and love. As we give of ourselves to others, Nature, and all of life, I invite you to explore the programs offered through the Olympic Mountain EarthWisdom Circle (OMEC). Each of these programs support us in building a sacred and responsible relationship with the Earth, opening us to the rhythms of giving and receiving. From my heart to yours, Llyn Cedar Roberts, MA Founder and President The harvest season offers us many gifts—from beauty to wonder to cycles of completion. And while there are many more gifts that we could explore together, I’m most in awe of these three in particular. For this reflection, I will meander through the qualities residing within each of these gifts to express the deep gratitude I have for this special time of year. Beauty: September in the northeast brings in fewer warm days and calls in cooler nights. The leaves begin their great turning from green to red, orange, yellow, and brown. Orchards bear bountiful fruit. A pull to slow down and settle in takes over. I steep in the comfort of a warm bonfire or cozy sweatshirt. Nature’s changing landscape wraps around me, offering a tender embrace. During the day, I get lost in the vibrant, blue hues of the sky. And as night moves in, I connect with the shining stars no longer eclipsed by the haze of summer. Out in the forest, I see nature’s creatures busy at work. Some are putting up stores for the winter while others are building warm dens for the cold months ahead or preparing to enter their mating cycle. Massive trees drop pine cones from their branches. The local streams begin to chill. The beauty cracks open my heart. Wonder: This September is full of blessings and ripe with magic. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, we will experience 10 different meteor showers, a full Harvest Moon, and the Autumnal Equinox on the 22nd. We will also move into the beginning of the trecena of Tz'ikin on the 20th. A trecena is a 13-day period (considered a week) in the Mayan calendar. While each day of the Mayan calendar has its own energy or sign, the first day of the trecena sets the tone for the entire week. The energy of that first day reverberates into the 12 days that follow. Tz’ikin is the energy of the Eagle. It is the great winged one that soars to the greatest of heights on wings as wide as the sky. Tz’ikin is the all-seeing, taking in views from the highest of summits and peaks. It takes in dreams, inspirations, and imaginings. It sees with keen vision all that is and all that can be. Tz'ikin is connected with the west during this cycle, which is associated with autumn in many traditions. The wonder of these magical moments this September leave me in awe. Completion: I see the harvest season as a time of completion. While the last vestiges of summer life are coming to a close, a different kind of life is beginning. The joyful exertion of the past months come to fruition. Hard days of working in the heat come to an end. Bounty lands on the table and is stored in the pantry. Life does not stop with the onset of cooler months. It just changes form. It ebbs and flows with its own pace and rhythm, shifting from fast to slow. We complete yet another cycle. This completion causes me to pause and reflect on my journey so far. I invite you to consider what gifts the harvest season offers you and to explore the programs available through the Olympic Mountain EarthWisdom Circle (OMEC). An upcoming nature-inspired writing workshop begins in October and provides a creative outlet to explore and express your relationship with nature. Each of OMEC’s programs support us in building a sacred and responsible relationship with the Earth, opening us to nature’s beauty, wonder, and cycles of completion within ourselves and beyond. I hope this harvest season fills your heart as much as it does mine. From my Heart to Yours, Christopher T. Franza OMEC Board of Directors Turkey Vulture’s Message & A New Course Offering: |
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