‘I do not want to live in a world without butterflies.
Without the intricate eyes and velvety wings,
graceful splashes of color dancing on the breeze.
Airy, delicate keepers of hope.
Metamorphic symbols of change, growth, maturation.
… I do not want this world without the butterflies.
I could not bear the wailing of flowers.’
~Christina M. Ward,
‘A World Without Butterflies’
Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
are not lost. Where you are is called Here,
and you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
you are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
where you are. You must let it find you.
–David Wagoner,
Collected Poems, 1976
🌎♥️
image: Wheelhouse
by NancyL
“Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.”
~Robin Wall Kimmerer,
Braiding Sweetgrass
🌎
NASA Image of Mama Earth
taken by Apollo 11
“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
🌞
Sunset Image by NancyL
“There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice.”
~John Calvin
🥀
#color
#bloom
#grateful
#joy
Image: Liatris by NancyL
“I hope you are blessed with
a heart like a wildflower.
Strong enough to rise again
after being trampled upon,
tough enough to weather the worst
of the summer storms,
and able to grow and flourish
even in the most broken places.”
~Nikita Gill
Image by NancyL
A One-Day Virtual Immersion Event with Shamanism Without Borders Community Leaders!
This year’s theme of Tending to the Animals is so close to all of our hearts and we look forward to sharing this in community. Join our Shamanism Without Borders Community Leaders as they guide you through a day of tending to our animal allies, guides, companions and friends.
What shamanic tools can we use to support our animal friends? How can we help them? What techniques can we use to heal them? What kind of support do they need from us? How can we connect more fully with our animal allies? How do we honor the sacred relationship that we humans have with animal beings of all kinds on Earth?
Join Shamanism Without Borders in this One-Day Virtual Immersion Event to explore these questions and how shamanic practices and principles can be applied to creating a better world for the benefit of all beings and our Mother Earth.
The equinox today signals the start of spring in the northern hemisphere.
An equinox is a point of balance in the seasonal cycle. Day and night are roughly equal in length at this turning point. And this year, an almost full moon in Libra is amplifying the shift.
In the chaos of these uncertain times, it is easy to become ungrounded, anxious and afraid. A connection to Mama Earth helps restore balance and calm.
So, take a few moments today to honor this seasonal shift toward life and new growth. Go outside. Breathe in and out. And express your gratitude to Mama Earth for the many gifts of spring.
🌱
#spring
#equinox
#findbalance
#cyclesandseasons
#wheeloftheyear
#newgrowth
