Other than to say we've had, perhaps, the most reasonable summer of the roughly 30 years I've lived in this region, I'm not here to talk about summer. Autumn is my favorite time of year and I believe it's especially spectacular in the mid-Atlantic. The temperatures are perfect for being outside, building a fire in the fire bowl, hiking trails, leaf peeping. And as the leaves fall, they lay the branches bare, prompting us to do the same within. While I love the redbuds, cherry blossoms, magnolias, dogwoods and crepe myrtles that dominate this region, I love bare branches more.
For me, spring and summer coax my energy out of my body. Fall and winter lead it within, toward the core of my spirit. So I think that's why the Fortune Fairy is coming in the position of the Spirit today. As days grow shorter and nights get cooler, the presence of spirit grows stronger in me. Barbara Moore wrote in the book for this deck that if things suck, the Fairy is going to make it all good. And if things are already good, look for them to get even better. So today's combo is about spirit getting stronger in our lives.
To me, that means not just being "in good spirits". But it also means a deepening connection and communion with that energy or source that is greater than us all, whether you call it God, nature, Buddha or something else.
I would say that, if accused, I couldn't deny "waiting" for a spiritual connection to find me. In fact, I've been feeling disconnected for a while. And while I still meditate most nights, nothing seems to "take" lately. While there are times the connection feels effortless, we still have to show up...and show up in the right frame of mind...to receive. We can't expect spirit to beam into us while we're returning emails, running errands or watching TV. In fact, for me, I am most connected when I am fully in the moment, and even more when I am fully in the moment in meditation or prayer. So if we want our connection to improve, then we first need to show up. We need to have some sacred practice where we are fully present in nature, prayer, meditation...whatever forms that connection for you.
And a second thing is that we also need patience. Because the connection to spirit needs to be elastic for us, sometimes being close and sometimes being far away. While it's valuable to honor the spirit sides of ourselves, we ARE here to be human, after all. And by that I mean we need to honor the cyclical nature of being earthbound spirits. Honoring and embracing the waxings and wanings of our lives is, in itself, a spiritual practice.
We won't always be connected. We won't always be happy. We won't always be at peace. Nor will will we always be disconnected, sad or jumbled up inside. The key is to show up anyway. Detach as best you can from what's going on and connect with spirit. And if the line seems to be disconnected, smile. Because this is what we all came here to experience. Just remember to try again tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment