Heidi: Snow Falling on Warm Ground

[Heidi]

Snow Falling on Warm Ground

When I sit

Let the thoughts come.

Welcome them even!

With an open heart, I can receive them

Drifts of snow falling

On warm ground.

 

When I am work,

Let the chaos come.

Welcome it even!

With a centered heart, I can embrace it

Drifts of snow falling

On warm ground.

 

When I am play,

Let the obstacles come.

Welcome them even!

With a calm heart, I can resolve them

Drifts of snow falling

On warm ground.

 

When I am in the world,

Let the difficulties come.

Welcome them even!

With a full heart, I can release them

Drifts of snow falling

On warm ground.

 

This is a mindset challenge. My goals are about restoring my heart and spirit after a long and difficult dark night of the soul, one that feels as though it is finally beginning to recede. What I learned on my path through Hell is that I have no enemies; there is no fight. I am an agent of the Spirit.

 

Simplicity: storage unit; monthly housekeeping; local food subscription for 2021.

Peace: the path forward to togetherness with Vivian; continued thoughts and efforts with the boys; meditation.

Integrity: the dance with the job*; begin doctoral classes

Restore: acupuncture; massage therapy; milk and honey and yummy goodness; meditation.

Initiative: paralegal for those facing eviction; research proposal for honesty project

Teamwork: rely on my advocates, the attorney and TheTherapistsThree; maintain contact with my Jedi Council; the morning call; and the Forum Friendship.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

I'm very glad to hear the dark night is ending. I stand at your side to await the dawn.

[WolfDreamer]

I love your use of SPIRIT to organize your goals, and the poem is wonderful. Following along!

[Heidi]

It will not happen overnight or even over one Challenge, but I believe in my heart that the ground has changed. Thank you for being with me 

@Tanktimus the Encourager.

The Way is open.

[darkfoxx]

Here for ... all of it. 🙌🤗

[Ann of Owlshire]

What a beautiful challenge. I wish you the best connecting with your Spirit.

[DarK_RaideR]

Every new Heidi challenge feels like re-discovering the calming waters of a wisdom pool. I've said it before and I'll say it again, there's peace and wisdom that radiates through your very words, friend.

[Heidi]

Thank you, @Tanktimus the Encourager @darkfoxx and @DarK_RaideR, and welcome @WolfDreamer and @Ann of Owlshire. With such great companions, I am sure to succeed.

 

This morning I delivered the scarf to my morning-call friend. We don't see each other in person often, and it was nice to be able to sit and talk in the living room, just the two of us. He liked the scarf, and I liked making it.

 

The check arrived from the job* and not a moment too soon. The Universe loves me and wants me to be happy. Truly, there is a bit of serendipity about taking an action (applying for the paralegal position, and also deciding to drop the Writing workshop for this term) and then getting a literal check in the mail in the morning. I know it's not a cause effect situation, but the Universe often has interesting timing.

 

What with the holiday weirdness, I forgot to pick up milk on Wednesday and now it's Monday already, so I'll need to venture forth again for that. I made couscous with wild mushrooms in some chicken stock yesterday, and it was so good that it's all gone. Perhaps I'll set some pinto beans up in the pressure cooker to cook while I get the milk.

 

I am releasing the relationships that don't serve me, and doing it with love. This involves a lot of sitting in meditation, being actively grateful for the role that the relationship played in my path to The Here And The Now, and waving in affection as I move on.

 

This is the resting week, a week of small quiets, perfect for discernment and reflection. The new year started on the 21st for me (complete with a thorough house cleaning), and I have felt a subtle shift in my approach, a reorienting. I am intrigued by what the Way holds.

[Heidi]

Tossing a cup of dried beans into the pressure cooker with ample water was a little bit of brilliance. They did their thing for an hour while I ran errands and cleaned house, and now I have coziness by the spoonful. I drizzled the beans with olive oil and seasoned with rosemary-salt-pepper. Life is good.

[Harriet]

I'm here for the conceptual analysis of honesty, meditation, and tidbits about pagan celebrations, if you have any. I wish you well!

[Heidi]

33 minutes ago, Harriet said:

tidbits about pagan celebrations,

O dear. I have many.

Where would you like me to begin?

[Snarkyfishguts]

I have missed this Heidi awesomeness from Druid days. So happy to be here with you now! 

[DarK_RaideR]

I ran into this and my brain decided to be weird and connect it to our recent discussion of Plato's Republic.

I'm all for a philosophical remake of Star Wars. Emperor Platopatine sounds like a pretty compelling villain.

[Scaly Freak]

8 hours ago, Heidi said:

The check arrived from the job* and not a moment too soon. The Universe loves me and wants me to be happy. Truly, there is a bit of serendipity about taking an action (applying for the paralegal position, and also deciding to drop the Writing workshop for this term) and then getting a literal check in the mail in the morning. I know it's not a cause effect situation, but the Universe often has interesting timing.

 

The Universe is simply telling you that both your action and your decision, were the right thing to do. The timing is not interesting so much as it is encouraging.

[Heidi]

7 hours ago, DarK_RaideR said:

I'm all for a philosophical remake of Star Wars. Emperor Platopatine sounds like a pretty compelling villain.

This could make for a very interesting (and meaningful) skit series, actually (and what is Republic but a series of skits?). Maybe as a Theories of Justice series, since each theory of justice shows up in both Republic and Star Wars. 

[darkfoxx]

9 hours ago, Heidi said:

O dear. I have many.

Where would you like me to begin?

This sounds like a great tie-in to challenges and seasonality - a primer on each would not go amiss (neither would the seasonal nudge toward connection)

[Heidi]

1 hour ago, darkfoxx said:

This sounds like a great tie-in to challenges and seasonality - a primer on each would not go amiss (neither would the seasonal nudge toward connection)

 

Maybe this is a good use for the Club feature -- cross guild, nature/season focus. 🤔

[Heidi]

Do we also need a knit-wits club?

This could possibly get way out of hand . . . .

[RhiaWolfe]

Hello! I find your challenge intriguing. I am trying to get my head back in the game and try and pull out of dark times, myself. Following along for inspiration. 

 

Do you have any meditation suggestions? I'm looking for a good source of guided meditation, like an app or something. I don't want to pay for a subscription though. 

[Harriet]

18 hours ago, Heidi said:

O dear. I have many.

Where would you like me to begin?

 

Mmm. Hard to say without seeing the catalogue. What sort of ritual themes can be relevant for immolc? I'll need to start thinking about what's relevant to my experience of nature in the turn of Spring, since I have no lambs and don't want to just perform someone else's rituals. But themes can help.

[theophilus]

I love everything about this challenge. The imagery, the peaceful, gracious, centered approach - truly inspiring. I’m here for all of it. Rooting for you!

[Heidi]

1 minute ago, theophilus said:

I love everything about this challenge. The imagery, the peaceful, gracious, centered approach - truly inspiring. I’m here for all of it. Rooting for you!

Thank you, @theophilus. Welcome.

Make yourself at home.

There's a fresh pot of tea on the sideboard, and cinnamon tea-cake too.

[Heidi]

1 hour ago, Harriet said:

What sort of ritual themes can be relevant for immolc?

Imbolc is a time of renewal.

 

Traditionally sacred to Brigid of the Celtic Isles, it is a time for inspiration, preparing for new beginnings, and celebrating the return of light after having weathered the dark period of the year. Clean your home, especially the windows and doorframes, which were traditionally hung with a Brigid's cross for protection. The floors were swept and cleaned and then rushes were laid as a Brigid's bed to attract the goddess, who was said to visit virtuous households and bestow blessings of prosperity and fertility. These rituals are the origin of the "spring cleaning" that we still do, a way to open our homes and our selves to the blessings of the new year, a time to prepare for abundance.

 

This is a time to focus on the in breath and the restoration it brings. Reconnect with your breath and your body. Prepare yourself for creativity and for manifestation. This is the time when we look to the animals to see what the coming year will hold, and Groundhog Day is the modern incarnation of this ancient Imbolc divination.

 

Light candles and kindle the spark of creativity that has come with you through the dark days of Autumn and Winter.  Think back to Halloween and all that came since, and light a candle in thanks for having the wisdom that completing another cycle has given you. The Christian tradition adopted this Celtic tradition as Candlemas, a festival of candles and togetherness in light.

 

A wand of White Birch, a tree of beginnings sacred to Brigid, was traditionally laid in the home so she could use it to bring back the Spring. The Norse rune, birch, is the first of the runes, reflecting this association with inception.

 

Colors associated with Imbolc are white (purification and new beginnings) and green (fertility and growth). Brigid is a fire goddess so don't let your candles remain dormant; embrace the spark of life and the flame of creativity that comes with it. This is a very feminine season, symbolized by the chalice. Celts would make pilgrimages at this time of year to sacred pools and sacred Wells referred to as "the chalice of the earth."

 

It is a time for re-connection.

Take stock of your body, your home, and your land.

Prepare each of them for the coming year with an open heart, full of clean fresh new breath for the coming year. Fill yourself with the love that the universe has for you.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

There is a legend that when Brigid was invested as a Nun the Bishop accidentally read the wrong prayers and invested her as a Bishop.

https://godspacelight.com/2017/02/01/st-brigid-of-kildare-as-bishop/

[Heidi]

18 minutes ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

There is a legend that when Brigid was invested as a Nun the Bishop accidentally read the wrong prayers and invested her as a Bishop.

https://godspacelight.com/2017/02/01/st-brigid-of-kildare-as-bishop/

That's some magic alright.

❣️