Monday, December 22, 2014

Summer Solstice Circles

 After an hour of meditation this morning, a spell of gardening, a toast of elderflower champagne (!) on the steps with my gardener as we admired our work, I set off for the beach.
Each summer solstice my favourite thing is to create an offering on the sand, to greet this turning point in the seasonal cycle.
 This year, the pohutukawas are at their most splendid. It is a 'mast' year, which occurs occasionally, and has brought about abundant flowering of native trees throughout the country.
The rain has stopped and the sky is cloudless. A playful breeze whisks away the heat from the sun, and down at the beach it's still fairly quiet. This week before Christmas is always a special time to be here, knowing that I have let go of deadlines and rushing about, and left the busy crowds back in the city.

Here, even the computer has slowed down. It will take over half an hour to load this post, even though I've limited myself to only three photos. Right now, slow is OK.
The wheel of the year is turning. For those of you in the north, the light is seeded at winter solstice. For those of us in the south, the dark seed has been sown, even as the warmth is increasing and the waves are beckoning. As the wheel turns, our light becomes your light, and your dark becomes our dark. We are all connected. Happy solstice, wherever you are.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Imagine . . .

 Imagine . . . 

Imagine if . . .
at this time of year,
for every person who is speeding up,
disconnecting
and behaving erratically . . .

there is someone who is
slowing down,
connecting deeply
to the still centre
within,
and taking special care.

Imagine what the lead up
to summer solstice/winter solstice/Xmas
would then be like.

Just imagine. . . 

Could that someone be you?

Blessings on you all, whether you are opening to the fullness of summer solstice light, or to the seeding of a new cycle in the winter solstice dark.
May there be peace in your homes and love in your heart. 

Juliet


Monday, December 8, 2014

Retreat into stillness

The calendar year attempts to impose its agendas of deadlines and completions, yet the seasonal year is opening like a flower, towards the shining light of summer solstice.
 And so what better time to retreat for the weekend, to a beautiful place in nature, with beloved friends, who belong to a group that was formed 29 years ago to celebrate our southern seasons.
 Together we create sacred space. We draw inwards, into silence, and meditate on the season.
the movements of our lives,
and the presence of love.
Our original families have mostly passed on. But this circle of women endures. It embraces every season, from the depths of darkness to the radiance of the light. To mellow together over time is such a blessing and a gift.
And now I am pondering on new ways to help others create such a group. If you would like to know more, you can click here to leave a message on my website contact form.