New Moon Blessings | Earth Blessings

To our beloved friends and community,

One of our spiritual opportunities throughout these uncertain times is to find beauty, inspiration and faith amidst otherwise disruptive conditions. In the past four weeks, I have had an uneven track record with this task, but I come back to it again and again. One consistent, assured place that I find beauty, inspiration and faith is in connecting with the rhythms of nature.

Finding and celebrating beauty in Spring comes easily as it practically knocks on my door in a flood of flowering. I need only stop and notice.

I find inspiration in the incredible restorative powers of nature. Truly, the nature spirits, devas and elementals are working overtime as we watch ecosystems healing. There are reports of lions reclaiming African roadways devoid of tourist, swans and fish repopulating the canals of Venice, mountain goats roaming villages in Wales, long hidden mountain ranges coming into view as air quality soars, and even seismic rumblings quieting. And, although this healing may not be permanent as we move out of our homes and back into the world, it does demonstrate that given half a chance, nature has an amazing capacity for healing that inspires me.

I find faith in the bigger picture that life itself is a force of nature. I have had an ambivalent relationship with the California Towhee for many Springs now. The California Towhee is a rather nondescript small brown bird that forages primarily for seeds in chaparral, city parks and back yards. They are one of the first birds to be filled with life force energy and get down to the business of reproduction each Spring. They are also one of the first to vocally greet each day in the morning.

They are excellent harbingers of Spring and equally excellent alarm clocks. I have never marked it on a calendar but my guess is that this early, early morning clear, metallic, monotonous and resonant string of “chirps” (a kind description to my ears) begins and ends each year within a narrow window of days. This year I got curious and did a bit of looking into this phenomenon that impacts my sleep. Apparently, they have both a song and a call—my “morning alarm clock” is a call either by a bachelor or a mated pair getting to know each other and reinforcing their pair bond. This knowledge has me thinking kindlier of them. Understanding, leading to compassion.

Although this year we will not be gathering in physical community to celebrate Earth Day, we shall gather in spirit and virtually. Join the celebration at Earth Day Santa Barbara. And, we can each find a way to offer our individual thanks, prayers and gratitude to Momma Earth. It could be as simple as to stand barefoot on a patch of earth, feel the ground under your feet, sense the sky above your head, notice the air entering and exiting your lungs, and the spark of fire in your spirit. It need not be a fancy ceremony to be a heartfelt and deeply powerful expression of your devotion to life itself.

May the nourishment of the earth be with youMay the clarity of the the Light be with youMay the fluidity of the Ocean be with youMay the protection of the ancestors be with you,And so, may a slow wind work these words of loveAround you, An invisible cloakto hold your life.

~John O'Donahue

Teresa, spirit of Thule, spirit of Huxley, Tucker and all at Paradise Found