Owning the crone; becoming a woman elder
I woke recently with a vivid image from childhood still imprinted on my mind. It was of my beloved Nan’s arthritically misshapen hands, plunged into a creamware bowl of flour and butter. That promising scent of deliciousness to come, the one I’d been present to so often when baking with her, still teased my nose as I floated gently back to full consciousness. It might not seem immediately obvious, but for me it was a clear indication of another move towards owning the crone and becoming a woman elder.
Awen – the ancient and modern super-power
In the Celtic bardic tradition when a poet was filled with Awen – divine inspirational flow – they weren’t just acting as a messenger of the gods. As they spoke or sung those exalted words there was a very real sense that they took on the being and essence of what they were recounting. They were bringing it to life.
I find this idea incredibly encouraging in these times of tumult and uncertainty. As always, I and many others like me are asking, what can I do? As just one person, alone?
The Dawn of Everything: a book for now
I posted about how The Dawn of Everything was blowing my mind on Facebook, but I really think it merits a bit more time and attention so here we go.
It’s written by archeologist David Wengrow and anthropologist David Graeber, so that’s two of my subjects of fascination combined for a start. But it ventures far beyond just another history book, literally, because it questions all the deep-rooted assumptions popular history has taught us about how human society developed.
We all know the story, and I’m guilty of buying into it too from what I’d read previously. In humanity’s early days we were peace-loving hunter-gatherers living in idyllic small groups.
The life cycle of stars
Here’s my poem inspired by the life cycle of stars, which for me echoes the incarnation of the limitless light of the soul into the density of a human body: as above so below. I love gazing up at the night sky, and I’m lucky that we live in a place of low light pollution so they’re often astonishingly clear (when the Welsh rainclouds are taking a night off anyway)! I think that at a cellular level, literally, we recognise our origins out there in the vast expanse and we gain a sense of belonging, hope, and perspective through seeing our place in this cosmic context.
A Thrutopian evocation; the way through
As an essential aspect of my grounded spiritual work, I’m passionate about living in harmony with the more than human world. I’m currently on a journey with other writers called Thrutopia, in which we’re investigating how we can write a path to a flourishing future. Our media is flooded with dystopian visions because in these challenging times of climate change and social disruption it’s just too easy to imagine a disastrous future.
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Aries New Moon 🌑♈ (Apr 17, 12:52pm UK)
A new cycle begins - an invitation to step into something new and live more fully from your true self.
Full guidance + podcast in the link.
#AriesNewMoon #NewBeginnings
A coastal walk revealed something magical 🌊
As the sea spray rose, shapes began to form, first dancing figures… then a face. Zooming in, I saw the laughing Old Woman of the Sea looking back at me. Take a look… 👁️
#SeaMagic #Elementals
As we leave the Easter weekend, this is what my heart is singing:
"We all live under the same sky
We all will live, we all will die
There is no wrong, there is no right
The circle only has one side"
- Lyrics from "Side" by Travis
Full Moon in Libra today🌕
A moment of completion and rebalancing.
Where do you feel out of alignment?
What’s disrupting your sense of harmony - fear, relationships, boundaries?
Listen to your body and intuition. They already know the way back.
#LibraFullMoon #Balance
The natural world is always in conversation with you.
When you’re grieving, it shows you life continues.
When you feel alone, it keeps you company.
Whatever needs healing, the earth offers its quiet balm 🌿
#NatureHeals #EarthWisdom