Today, February 1, marks the point of midwinter. This is
a going within time for me. Even in the luminous
sunscapes of canyon and plateau of the high Arizona desert,
frigid north winds penetrate our short days and the temperature
does a fast plummet with the early sunset. I feel stirring
underneath the surface, a kind of discontent, unease. Oh,
yes, there it is, the voice of my soul putting me on notice
to pay attention. I hear too the voices of people from
many parts of the world seeking new vision in the face of
the unknown, of something stirring, some sense of dis-ease.
Jan., 2008, Hopi Indian lands winter landscape.
Now coming into February helper spirits there will be
magically sprouting seeds in the underground spirtual
chambers, germinating new life even in the midst of winter.
In my own winter retreat time, I have found solace and inspiration
from the wisdom of John O’Donohue, Irish poet, philosopher,
and eloquent spokesman from the ancient Celtic heart. I was
astounded to hear of his sudden death in January. He
was unafraid to be vulnerable and express the deepest
longing we all carry. I am moved to tears knowing he
is gone from this physical world. (Please
see page I posted in his
honor along with a powerful article by him about our own
transfigurative journey and two articles about him). It
is a reminder to me to share our precious gifts we all carry.
Excerpts from his Wisdom From the Celtic World CD set are
woven into this piece that follows.
Thresholds of Light and Dark
“Within the ancient Celtic
ceremonial cycle, the four major seasonal ceremonies were
at the thresholds of light and dark…These fecund thresholds
brought blessings…They
embraced the two sides with energy and celebrated time and
the differences.”
As with this cycle of nature, O’Donohue says, “There
is always a winter time when old dies away… Unless
you allow yourself to work on that threshold, you remain
a guest outside your own life.”
“Landscape is the firstborn of Creation...Our bodies
are formed of that clay of the earth. And alive in each of
is this shared memory we have with earth. We carry
a longing which is not our own. There is a stillness
and a silence within which is a gift of the clay that makes
us up. There is an ancient life in you that is not
accessible in the surface of mind. If we stay trapped
in the visible world, we will never inherit our lives.”
When we are struck with suffering, overcome with fears,
have a sense of failure and are in a place where no mobility
or inspiration seems possible, this is the very time to hold
John’s wise words as a beacon: “Limitation
is merely the shore of our new frontier…Our lives
are too big for the hardened shell of ego. Suffering
makes an incision on that shell so hidden life can emerge. You
release a new dimension of self, now too bright, too large
to live in the old shell.”
Staying present with our self in the place of deepest compassion
and the greatest gentleness, rather than seeking distraction,
is the key to new life. “Each of us must come
to terms with our essential loneliness. When we feel
most isolated, something is moving, we are returning closer
to ourselves.”
“Real suffering is different than fabricated, self-imposed
burdens we create out of our own falsity. They bring
us nothing; they keep us circulating in the same empty room
of fact and don’t open us to the fecundity of suffering. Real
suffering calls us home where energy is clear, minds are
open and alive and where our soul as a beautiful shelter
will hold us tenderly and powerfully on the ground of our
own belonging.”
“When we gaze with kindness on the beauty of our inner
landscape, we can repair and heal our damaged belonging and
come into unity with the divine…It takes a long time
to learn one’s own place in our life. The closer
you journey to your own source, the more you come into rhythm
and harmony with what is actually there.”
John offers an analogy to the seed, which in an act of trust,
dissolves itself to send roots into the dark soil growing
around the rocks, putting tendrils into moisture and finally
emerging into the light and bearing fruits. The seed
fosters its own loss to a fruitfulness and dignity of being. How
do we foster our sense of loss? How do we send our
roots around the dead and stony places?
Finding Our Own Circle of Belonging
To find our way back home, John
reminds us of many powerful allies available to us. Our
soul friends, known as Anam
Cara, can hold us in a circle of belonging. He
says, “Wonder is expression of the fire of longing,
a subtle presence that opens the heart.” Remember
too, the connective power of the natural world: “Nature
is the intimate face of unknown, a one pulse with the eternal
divine heart. Being in a wild place is a healing—you
are in the midst of great prayer…Animals become one
with the wildness of the universe…Every human is born
without a map or cage and with a knowing of our wild self.”
“The world of Celtic spirituality is a world of springtime
and fresh beginnings, relieving one from prisons of your
own perceptions.” John points out, “A Celtic
gift is the knowledge of fairies as presences. Fairies
were said to live in the air. Many tunes were said
to be from the fairy kingdom…The world of fairies
had a sense of playfulness to it.” He reminds
us to use humor, embrace irony and lightheartedness as well. And
of the need to liberate imagination as a doorway of soul
wisdom.
John also speaks of how your guardian angel is the spirit
of renewal and transfiguration that always walks at your
side. "Your angelic presence can convert a dead world
into a new world of potential and mystery and promise. Just
ask them to help you…The power of prayer can lift
these weights so heart can breathe again and become fully
alive.”
“You
were born for eternal life and you should risk enjoying
it.”
May this mid-winter time bring you a fresh sense of
acceptance, in-sight and seeds of new life.
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You might also enjoy reading an article about Celtic
Spirituality by my wise friend, Nancy Lee-Evans, a
healer and teacher who lives in Anchorage, Alaska. She
reminds us that for peoples of European ancestral roots,
this is your indigenous heritage.