A few days ago I had occasion to take a walk along a lovely lane in Seahill, County Down. To say the wildflowers are in their prime fails to do justice to the enchanting display.
Everywhere you turn there’s another beauty to beguile you. Then the sea, lapping along a gentle rocky shore, completes the spell. Before that day, I had not even known about the place and a return home by train via the quaint little station sealed the deal on a remarkable and memorable day trip.
Many ancient traditions, as well as some modern belief systems, view all life and existence as being made up of five elements: earth, air, fire, water and spirit. While each element brings unique qualities to the mix, they all blend together to create the dynamic manifestations of our perceived reality and experiences.
It is, perhaps, in the midst of nature that we humans sense our existence most deeply, feeling connected to the planet while we walk our gardens and even to the wider Universe as we gaze at the night sky. I believe that these sensations happen through direct contact with elemental aspects.
Think of a windswept hillside or rustling trees; a loud downpour of heavy rain or a silent fall of light, fluffy snow; a golden sunrise or crimson sunset; sand sliding through your toes or waves splashing around your ankles; the emotions of relationship and the inspirations of spiritual practice, whatever you perceive that to be. The list of possibilities is endless. I’m captivated still by the Louis MacNeice poem The Sunlight on the Garden, particularly when I look out at the pale streaks or sunrays across our hedge on a winter morning.
Though sun basking is a favourite activity when I get the chance, today I am a little more fixated on wind (air) and water, both very powerful yet both also capable of being soothing and gentle. In the part of Ireland where I live, weather is relentlessly changing and notoriously unstable. Rainfall levels are at the higher end of the spectrum and seem to be living up th their reputation as July progresses; winds bluster and blow from the Atlantic Ocean or North Sea and most winters involve some snow, although we are considered a temperate clime.
Many friends and neighbours complain about the weather and understandably so – I have done my fair share of moaning about it too, especially when it becomes necessary to drive in poor conditions in order to get to work or school. But in recent years I find myself less likely to resist the wearisome weather and more inclined to accept and see the beauty in it all. I find wet, windy days exhilarating now; cold, crisp nights uplifting; frosty mornings enchanting. While I love summer, Autumn gives me some kind of earthy pleasure. It is all so elemental.
Here’s the band Earth, Wind and Fire singing September.
An amazing blog has come within my radar and I feel moved to share just one of the many fascinating posts from ‘Symbol Reader’. Capturing the depth of insight and inspiration that is possible when the symbolic aspects of life are delved into, this post on protean fluidity is particularly mesmerising. I hope you enjoy it and get as much out of it as I have. Thank you Symbol Reader 🙂
Over the past few weeks the garden has shed much of its glory and I have been doing a few odd jobs around there, clearing leaves from the patio and into the hedgerow  where decay will, in the long term, produce new life. I do love this time of year though, around Halloween, when everything feels very elemental.
In all aspects of life, plant or animal, including the human kind, each season has its own unique charm and beauty and Autumn is for me a time of peace and contemplation. I was, therefore, delighted to find Mary O’Connor’s beautiful image this morning on her blog Life Is Full of Sweet Spots,Â
A book I read recently also inspired me a great deal. By Eoin McCabe, ‘Open: How Learning to Live from the Heart Changed Everything’ is a treasure for anyone struggling with anxiety, depression or just plain bewilderment. Through his own life experiences and a kind of trial and error process, the author shares ideas and techniques that helped him deal with upheavals and crises, with loss and change. I couldn’t put it down and I know it is one of those books I’ll keep going back to again and again, probably for life! Highly recommended. So, until next time, believe in yourself, stay focused on your goals, keep creating your dreams and hang on in there!
curiouser and curiouser........now for the legal bit :-
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Creativity and Social Support in Mental Health explores service users' lived experiences of mental health recovery within a day-centre setting where creative activity and social support were key aspects of the service.