Preparing For Winter
Yes, I said I would finish my Shaman herb series, but after some deep thinking and reflection I've decided to wait until spring. And this is why.
At this time of year, in the Northern Hemisphere plant energy is hibernating or dying. I would rather write about plants when they are alive, vibrant and growing.
I live my life with the seasons. Autumn is the time to when we finish gathering food for the winter, prepare our land, and homes for the cold and wet. On the medicine wheel we are in the west which is the dream time, a period of introspection. We want to sleep more, dream more and reflect on this past year.
The west path is a path to inner wisdom. Its energy is like the ocean, ebbing and flowing and governed by the moon.
This is a good time of the year to explore our dreams and if we are brave our nightmares. It gets darker earlier, and we are under the guidance of the moon. Sometimes there are things in our lives that are easier to look at and heal with the soft glow the moon rather than the strong light of day.
Later, in December and January it will be time to learn from those reflections. We enter the North position of the wheel, a time for learning and listening. Before central heating and electric lights, when people lived in smaller communities, or communal homes, they sat around the warm fire and talked. Elders used winter as a time to pass on wisdom to younger generations. Instead of New Years resolutions, think New Years lessons, or New Years new knowing!
Last year, at this time, was when Bear entered my life as a spirit teacher. I was doing a meditation called the "Cave of Care", from the book the "Celtic Shaman" by John Matthews. The meditation is about facing fears. In the meditation you sit in a cave, create a safe shield around yourself, and then ask your fears to enter. This is the first meditation in the book because what you fear is what holds you back in all pursuits. Knowing what your fears are is the first step in dealing with them.
That part of the meditation went okay. I had a pretty good idea what my fears were; lack of confidence, lack of faith, and lack of trust. (Ya know, just your basic run-of-the-mill fears *grin).
Latest Articles