There are days and seasons when the world is grey. Days when the natural winter of the earth as well as the winter of our situations and spirits have almost drained us of energy and color.
And yet… hiding away from it is not the answer. Grey is a time offering its own virtues… releasing the judgemental nature of black and white, softening the edges of the ego, gently demanding patience until color begins to return to both our environment and our lives.
What always helps me in the grey times is to get out and meet it on its own terms, fully accepting and learning from it by a WALK in nature.
On this one particular day when I’d had enough of staying inside in inclement weather, I went out…bundled up of course…after the rain that was melting snow. There was mist and fog both ascending and descending, and lots of puddles.
As always, my camera was with me though I did not think I would see anything of worth or beauty in such seemingly bland landscape. But you know, it also pays to be awake to possible surprises, even in the grey times, and experience has taught me that we are never disappointed.
And there they were….everywhere. Puddle Trees! Watery Reflections …or maybe invitations/magical portals to another dimension beneath ours if one could dive in to see what all this grey-ness was really about.
It is a worthy practice to once in a while look at things from another perspective. In the tarot there is a Major Arcana card called “The Hanging Man” depicting a man swinging upside down from the limb of a tree. He is not in trouble…just seeing things from an upside down perspective to consider things or situations in a new way.
The Puddle Trees are a little like that. A sort of fairy tale to ponder with several secret lessons to be revealed in meditation.
I was delighted with my “find” and had fun meeting the Grey in a new (upside down) way!
From Christine, the Greening Spirit
Dear Christine, I’m glad to be receiving The Greening Spirit again. Especially delightful & insightful were your words about the reflections of the Puddle Trees.
Like you, I was enjoying the fog surrounding our apartments, – but especially as it settled so softly into our woods. I could ‘see’ the deer as they picked their way with gentle attention to finding the life-giving acorns hiding in the snow below.
I have no idea how to get ‘on’ your site, computereze remains an impenetrable language to me. So, I can only respond this way. May we celebrate at this ‘first of the three Pagan Celebrations of Springtime’, Imbolc or Candlemas, followed by Ostara, & then Beltane. We are but a small reflection of the power & substance of Earth-based Spirituality. May we honor all transitions on The Wheel Of Life. Cheers, Essjay
Essjay Foulkrod sjgraymare@aol.com
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Essjay..thank you for your comments! The reason you have not been receiving updates is merely because I have not posted in a while..but here we are again…so much beauty to photograph, write about and share. And yes I too love the rituals of the seasons!
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