Nature

The Pace of the Pathless Woods.

I believe it was Lord Byron who once said, “There is pleasure in the pathless woods…a society where none intrudes.”

When I was a little girl, I’d spend hours alone in the woods surrounding our home. The trails were long and unforgiving, but – there was always a sense of quietude in my journey.

The soul is most patient here; surrounded by the sweet refrains of nature.

“We need the tonic of nature,” offered Henry David Thoreau. “At the same time that we are earnest to explore.”

A ‘nature’ inherent to all of us, connecting us to that sacred space deep within our heart.

That we might learn to live in each ‘season’ –  to “breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit”

And, resign ourselves to the pace of this pathless wood.

Have You Ever Seen a Cloud Such as This?

My darlings, have you ever seen a cloud such as this? A lovely Lenticular capturing the last light of day.

If you’re lucky, you may have already witnessed this stunning meteorological masterpiece. A rare spectacle, showing itself – only when the earth’s atmosphere is most willing.

“Where stable moist air flows over a mountain or a range of mountains, a series of large-scale standing waves may form on the downwind side. Lenticular clouds sometimes form at the crests of these waves. Under certain conditions, long strings of lenticular clouds can form, creating a formation known as a ‘wave’ cloud.”

It is one of Nature’s greatest, and loveliest of displays.

The Promise of a Tree.

“For me, trees have always been the most penetrating preachers. I revere them when they live in tribes and families, in forests and groves. And even more I revere them when they stand alone.

They are like lonely persons. Not like hermits who have stolen away out of some weakness, but like great, solitary men, like Beethoven and Nietzsche.

In their highest boughs the world rustles, their roots rest in infinity; but they do not lose themselves there, they struggle with all the force of their lives for one thing only: to fulfil themselves according to their own laws, to build up their own form, to represent themselves.

Nothing is holier, nothing is more exemplary than a beautiful, strong tree.

So the tree rustles in the evening, when we stand uneasy before our own childish thoughts: Trees have long thoughts, long-breathing and restful, just as they have longer lives than ours.

They are wiser than we are, as long as we do not listen to them. But when we have learned how to listen to trees, then the brevity and the quickness and the childlike hastiness of our thoughts achieve an incomparable joy.

Whoever has learned how to listen to trees no longer wants to be a tree. He wants to be nothing except what he is.

That is home. That is happiness.” ― Hermann Hesse

My darlings, someone asked me the other day – how it is that I find such refuge amongst the trees; after all, aren’t they simply an offshoot of green?

To which I reply, my darlings – a tree is so much more than this gathering of leaves:

It is this roughened bark – in spots, worn smoothly; a testimony of the fortitude forged through ‘weathering’ these many years.

And, these roots – holding still, on this patch it calls home; determined to maintain sense of being.

In their rustling, there is a softened peace – a metaphor for life; within which, there is a hope…everlasting.

My darlings, this is the reason I do so love my trees.

 

Creating a Space for Compassion to Grow.

[blockquote source=” Aberjhani, The River of Winged Dreams “] “Compassion crowns the soul with its truest victory.” [/blockquote]

Oh, how I love finding images of love in nature.

As if placed by divine grace, a reminder of our true purpose here.

To see

To explore

To discover

This rich fabric which connects us all.

And though, at times, our emotions may leave us feeling vulnerable and exposed; rest assured, my dearest darlings, that quite the opposite is true.

For, it is only through the soulfulness of sentiment that we may finally begin to heal.

And, when we create the space for compassion to grow.

p.s. – Isn’t she lovely? This beautiful calf born just a few months ago – with the most perfect of hearts painted upon her forehead. It must be true, then – what they say; that compassion crowns the soul with its truest victory.

A Reminder of Much Simpler Days.

“Like all magnificent things, it’s very simple.” ― Natalie Babbit

My darlings, do you remember the excitement in collecting fall leaves?

As a child, I couldn’t wait for Autumn—as it meant our elementary school class would take a trip to the local Nature Preserve. We’d wander for hours through those forest trails—taking pencil etchings from the bark of Maple trees, unwavering in our quest for ‘just the right leaf.’

Sassafras was always my favorite—with mittened hands, ready for winter, it was her sweet smell that drew me in.

My teacher knew the best technique for preserving leaves—pressed between two sheets of waxed paper, with the heat of the iron causing the colors to burst.

Come to think of it, I may still have a few of these fall masterpieces…set aside for posterity, a reminder of much simpler days.

My darlings, there’s such greatness in simplicity; when a mountain stream can carry a symphony, and these woods…keep us company for hours.

 

The Memories in the Leaves.

There’s no greater testimony to the spirit of this Universe, than the sounds of little ones—enchanted with the delight of bursting through the newly fallen leaves.

And, my goodness, how wonderful—to have witnessed it from my very own window.

“Ready?!” he shouted. Looking off to the side, I could see the youngest child waiting patiently in his wagon. As the older boys – one push, one pulling – caused a ‘red flyer’ explosion of these castings.

“Again, again!!” the little squealed.

Oh, but my dearest darlings – isn’t there always a ‘waiting space’? Time in which our ‘leaf piles’ must be constructed, once more.

Perhaps, to share that the greatest joy is in the anticipation?

“To be a tree and read the memory of the leaves…”

Indeed, for within each glorious pile, we see—our most cherished childhood memories imprinted upon each leaf.

The Case for Mindfulness.

There’s been some fascinating research to suggest, that what animals experience is passed on to their offspring. Specifically, in the area of behavioral research in which these offspring were observed to manifest the same ‘fears’ as their parents.

And though scientists have long believed these traits to be learned, it does beg a rather interesting reflection – that is, is the ‘sharing’ of our fears inevitable?

It would explain some of our more irrational fears, those which are seemingly triggered without much, if any, provocation. My goodness, to think that we might ‘inherit’ the unsettledness from our ancestors

Elephant calves, for example, have been observed showing the same characteristics as their mothers, and, in spite of having been newly born. In one instance, a newborn calf who showed duress by the water’s edge, born of a mother who had nearly died mired in the banks of that same muddied river.

I, myself, have noticed a similar behavior with the cows, often leaving my wonderment peaked. I’ve watches as calves instinctively kept to the ‘safer’ side of the pasture.

There’s also research to suggest that the ability of mice to ‘remember’ – is directly impacted by the presence of immune system factors in their mother’s milk.

And, if that’s not enough to nudge your curiosity – researchers have found that mice can pass along learned information about a traumatic or stressful experience. In one particular case, a fear of the smell of cherry blossoms was evidenced in subsequent generations.

Though, I’m not able to confirm the validity of these observations – it certainly is cause for one to think.

Perhaps, there is an energy to our emotions, an impermeable imprint which becomes fixed to the soul? And shared with all those loving hearts to come.

If that is the case, then there’s certainly much more cause for consideration – a cry for mindfulness within every aspect of our being.

And, lending proof to that age old adage that we’re all accustomed – in other words, what we think we become.

Though, in this case, it may become the  legacy for our children.

Isn’t it interesting what nature will reveal when the mind is finally willing to know?

Watching the Dragonfly Breathe.

“Deep in the sun-searched growths the dragon-fly
Hangs like a blue thread loosened from the sky:
So this winged hour is dropt to us from above.
Oh! clasp we to our hearts, for deathless dower,
This close-companioned inarticulate hour
When twofold silence was the song of love.”

– Dante Gabriel Rossetti

My darlings, did you know that you could watch a dragonfly breathe?

It’s true, I saw it myself this morning, just as I made my way out the door. There, as still as a lotus against the pond, was a shimmering glint of morning light – nearly imperceptible to the human eye.

I paused to watch for a moment or two – captivated, at first by beauty; then, spellbound by the miracle before me. How easily it might have been missed, masked by the rush of our self-imposed busyness.

And yet, here it is – this masterpiece of opalescence resting peacefully against my windowsill, reminding me to…

Just…simply…breathe.

Could there be any more beautiful a message from this, my ‘dragonfly yogi’…

Dragonfly from Andy Holt on Vimeo.

Miracles on the Ocean’s Floor.

“The sea is emotion incarnate. It loves, hates, and weeps. It defies all attempts to capture it with words and rejects all shackles. No matter what you say about it, there is always that which you can’t.” ― Christopher Paolini

My darlings, did you know that 94% of life on earth is aquatic? Though, sadly we’ve only just begun to explore this magical mystery below.

In fact, we’ve better maps of Mars than we do these oceans of Earth. Strange, as I’ve often marveled at the striking similarity between our deep seas and outer space.

And yet, they are our most powerful, life-giving force.

Underneath the surface exists marvels inconceivable to man—mountain ranges 35,000 miles long with peaks towering far above any land-based mass.

Oh, and I haven’t even begun to describe the greatest light show on Earth.

In this video, David Gallo shows jaw-dropping footage of amazing sea creatures, including a color-shifting cuttlefish, a perfectly camouflaged octopus, and a Times Square’s worth of neon light displays from fish who live in the blackest depths of the ocean.

To Some, Just a Simple Leaf – While, to Others Simply a Masterpiece.

[blockquote source=”Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature”]“The happiest man is he who learns from nature the lesson of worship” [/blockquote]

To some, just a simple leaf – while, to others, simply a masterpiece.

Tell me, darlings, what do you see?

From artist, Lorenzo Durán who painstakingly crafts these wonders on a ‘canvas’ lovingly provided by nature. These intricate illustrations were mastered after many months of trial and error, with artist Durán working diligently to preserve the integrity of Nature’s canvas.

Most of the leaves are collected in the area nearest his home in Guadalajara, Spain – with each representing the very heart and soul of Mother Earth.

And, can you believe all of this began watching a caterpillar nibbling a leaf?

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