Spring Blessings

Blessings of this new season to you and your cherished loved ones.

Have you considered the rituals and practices that you hold close, especially during the transition of seasons?

For me, it has been the practice of relating to the water spirits. I am cultivating a relationship with the river Puntledge. I was called to do this practice by my wise and kind ancestral guides. My simple ritual has been to sit a few minutes each day and listen. It has been a sweet practice, thus far. It is becoming clear to me, that my closest council now includes this river spirit and I feel much gratitude in my heart for this listening.

I went away for four days to visit my dearest friend on Cortes Island and I missed sitting beside the river. When I returned to my sit spot, I felt the river in my heart, as a song. To belong in the hearts of more than my best friends is new for me. This way of relating is anchoring, invigorating and is providing breadth to my daily life. It fills my heart with joy, in ways that I only dreamed that belonging was possible. I know this relating will continue to deepen, just like most relationships do for the rest of my living life on Earth and beyond. For this, I am excited in my bones!

What I am most fascinated by though, is how my relationships with human folk has become more, shall I say forgiving? regular sized? compassionate?

I am noticing how I had placed more weight on relationships with humans vs the animate world. Even though, I’ve had a relational practice for a while now, it is changing to also include the way I inhabit the animate (earth, water, fire and air). I am allowing the animist relating practices to take up real-estate in my day-to-day living in a larger way.

AND it is changing  the way I breathe and inhabit my body.

I am noticing what pace is natural for me, how to stay rooted to my own heart. I am also learning the process of being an interconnected species. I am considering the relationship between the waters in my body and the water spirits of the river.

In these moments, there is a feeling of intimacy that is palpable. 

I am sitting with this, how can relating with the spirit of water bring me into closer relationship to my own spirit? What does this reciprocal relationship look like? 

I am holding wonderment as my curiosities speak like flowers to each other and I feel rested inside of myself for the braiding that is taking place in this moment.

Right place & auntyhood

My whole heart is bursting! I just spent two whole days with my niece (by choice). It has me deeply reflecting on the role of aunties in communities.

Growing up, I had lots of aunties. I loved being doted on and seen through the eyes of different people. Since moving provinces, I’ve noticed that I miss the intimacy of being among familial community that existed in this way. I didn’t know I secretly longed for this, till I was anticipating Rosie’s visit.

When I went to my brother’s wedding 5 years ago, I had a sweet encounter with an aunty. It took her a minute to recognize me because it had been a while since our last visit. She was able to reflect the changes she saw me with tenderness, pride and happiness. She celebrated me in that moment, in a way that I didn’t know I needed and I will always cherish that.

When I see Rosie and the little person she inhabits, it brings me joy. We play together and when I am silly with her, she says “Silly Masi”. When she is bubbling with joy because we are doing something fun, she will declare “ I really love you, Masi”. I love the way she expresses herself and her parents have taught her so well, how to do this.

She joins me in drawing her dreams in the morning, speaking to the river, and listening to stories of my aunties as I massage her little toes.

We read three books together before she goes to bed and when the lights are turned off, she will ask me to tell her a story of my own. This is my favorite part, because I don’t know the story that would come through me. I am usually listening for my ancestors to guide here, which they do lovingly!

I sent my aunty Sheila a message recently letting her know just how much I value her and thanking her for the memories we’ve made together. She reflected on the unconditional love of her own aunties that she misses and loves so much. She was grateful for my message that meant the world to her and would forever treasure our precious moments.

I wholeheartedly welcome holding joy to witness Rosie and ( my 3 other nieces and nephew) grow and inhabit their right place in this world. I am holding in my heart what it means to be ushered into the responsibilities of this aunty role. I feel so grateful to be part of these little humans’s lives.

Ancestor relating.

I’ve taken to drawing my dreams as I wake. I use pastels as my medium and allow images to be expressed on the paper in front of me. I lean into my senses, my fingers reach for the colours. The images build upon themselves. I allow the images to speak.

A cool thing happened yesterday. I was reading to my niece at night, as I opened the storybook, I noticed a similar peculiar image that I recognized from the drawing I made in the morning. It made me excited. I love when the dots connect and the communication flows from the dreamscape into the waking world!

I am sharing below a writing piece that feels like this image I drew after waking. I am working on my secondary lineage on my mother’s line and these words are resonant of that journey.

The veil lifts so I can see the path ahead of me beaded with flowers. The smell beckons my heart forward, bringing me to sweetness, innocence and possibility. The heavy garb of burdensome stories falls of my back like it never belonged. It is replaced by iridescent wings of silk that are soft. My smile is widened, my heart ripples open so expansive that I no longer shield the love that pours through me. I learn to yeild my sword of wisdom. It stays in its sheath, till it is needed in my palms and I trust this. These are the glimpses when the veil lifts, this is the moment I am taken to.