Seasons of Change Circles
Please join me in circle each season as we enter the heart of Mother Earth through meditation, poetry, and celebration! . Contact me for more information or to reserve your space in the circle.
Celebrating Summer!
Celebrating the harvest ~ Allow for ripening ~ Savor your success!
Summer is the season when nature comes into its fullness. (Angeles Arrien)
The long days of summer’s light encourage us to reach upward. This is a time of growth and ripening. This is a time of celebration and play! We are called outdoors! Hear the sounds of the neighbor’s lawnmower.. .crickets and toads… fireworks…cheers from the baseball game…children splashing in the pool… the sunrise wake-up calls from the birds.
During our inner summer there is an increased surge of spiritual vitality. During this time of increased energy, we develop our talents and gifts. We are less confused and experience more gratitude…playfulness… and lightness of heart! We are ripening and it is important to balance our “doing” with “being” by taking time to breathe and enjoy the NOW.
Where in your life do you feel fruitful, completed, at peace?
~May you know the joy of Summer~
About the image: “Dance of Life” Artist: Mary Southard, CSJ Courtesy of www.ministryofthearts.org ~ Sisters of St Joseph of LaGrange, IL
(used with permission)
Shifting into Fall!
Sensing a shift ~ Acknowledging change ~ Getting support ~ Creating refuge
“The summer ends, and it is time to face another way.” (Wendell Berry)
Fall is the season of surrender and preparation.
The Earth is slowly turning away from the sun and she responds with a splendid display of color. The heavy dew makes way for the early morning frost, squirrels are busy burying their food for the winter, children return to school, and farmers reap the last of the harvest from the soon-to-be barren ground. This is a time of transition, change abounds mirroring the phases of our lives.
Fall is about surrendering to death and letting go to allow for the rebirth that accompanies Spring. “We find large spaces where something beautiful once lived. As one by one the leaves let go, a precious emptiness appears in the trees (Joyce Rupp & Macrina Wiederkuhr).
What do we need to gather to prepare for the winter ahead? What do we need to let go of to make room for the new?
~May you honor the “movement” of Fall~
About the image: “Autumn” Artist: Mary Southard, CSJ Courtesy of www.ministryofthearts.org ~ Sisters of St Joseph of LaGrange, IL
(used with permission)
Going “Within” Winter
Retreating and reflecting ~ Catching sparks of hope in the darkness ~ Defining our vision
“Winter is a lesson about the fine art of loss and growth. The lesson is clear: There is only one way out of struggle and that is by going into the darkness, waiting for the light, and being open to new growth.” (Joan Chittister)
We are invited to adopt a slower pace … NOW is the time for withdrawal from the busy-ness and restoration/rest for the soul. Just as the lessening of light and increase in darkness is necessary for the Earth’s nourishment, it also offers opportunity for all of nature to pause for rest and renewal.
Winter asks us to be with mystery, to embrace the solitude, and honor the silence knowing that beneath the Earth’s surface seeds are germinating and preparing for another season of growth. The days are indeed growing longer… as they always do and there is comfort in that. In our personal lives, this time of increasing light offers increasing clarity and renewed energy for birthing the new.
~May you know the silence of Winter~
About the image: “Holy Waiting” Artist: Mary Southard, CSJ Courtesy of www.ministryofthearts.org ~ Sisters of St Joseph of LaGrange, IL
(used with permission)
Welcoming Spring!
Bursting into bloom ~ Birthing the new ~ Blossom fully!
“Listen! In the earth, the seeds are stirring and making noise, like the birds whose song has been silenced by winter. Now the snow is being devoured by sun, our elder, and in the branches, the persistence of our prayers is bringing the birds to life.” (Nancy Wood, Shaman’s Circle)
Spring, a time of birthing the new – a new season, a new you! Let’s celebrate the return of the robins, spring thaw, and increasing light. Let’s make space for whatever is new in you! We’ll reflect upon Spring as part of the great cycle of life using nature as a metaphor in our own lives.
In the heart’s springtime, the inner self awakens. Seeds of growth, hidden in the midst of winter’s bleakness, germinate and sprout… Visions, dreams, and yearnings for the future unfold. (Joyce Rupp & Macrine Wiedekehr)
What is awakening in you?
May you awaken to the “aliveness” of Spring!
About the image: “Here Comes the Possible” Artist: Mary Southard, CSJ
Courtesy of www.ministryofthearts.org ~ Sisters of St Joseph of LaGrange, IL
(used with permission)
These circles are open to the community. Donations accepted.
The Seasons of Change: Using Nature’s Wisdom to Grow Through Life’s Inevitable Ups and Downs by Carol McClelland, Ph.D. offers a beautiful model for transition during this time of rapid change. As a Certified Seasons of Change Coach, it is my pleasure to offer opportunities for us to tap into the healing power of nature. Just as Mother Earth transitions from one season to another, dying each Winter only to be born again in the Spring, so do we. For example, the changing leaves and end of the harvest signal the season of Fall. We receive notice that our services are no longer required on the job or move to another city and we know that change is coming. If we follow nature’s lead we know that this is a time for getting support and creating a personal refuge to manage the changes ahead. We prepare for Winter…. A time for retreat and reflection.
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