Tag: OCEAN
Oilithreacht

Oilithreacht

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The structure of the five day Celtic Spirituality retreat allowed gracious time to explore solo. Our group spent quality time together but many hours were spent on my own where I connected deeply with the land, sea and sky as well as the elemental energies of the special island of Árainn or Inis Mor, Ireland.

When the retreat was over most everyone of our group of twelve left the island on the 5pm ferry with the exception of one couple and me. I moved to a bed and breakfast near Killeany. After settling in I walked the 1.63 miles into the small town to meet them at the pub for dinner.

I left Joe Watty’s pub filled with good food and memories of companionship but ready to be by myself. Rain…cold rain…and wind caused me to pull the hood of my rain jacket close. For a moment I felt lost and lonely after several days of delightful connections. On that walk in the darkening night in the cold rain I felt like a Pilgrim beginning a new journey, happy to have the freedom but small, cold and alone.

But those feelings lasted only a few moments and lifted just as the rain stopped. I walked on with appreciation for new beginnings and anxious to spend the next two days exploring that end of the island.

One of the closing rituals we did in the workshop was to write a blessing for ourself, for the journey of our life. I share it as a blessing for all who walk the path of the Pilgrim, ever seeking deeper connection with the Divine….within and without.

May I allow the wind to guide me as I release the fears that keep me small.

May I embrace the beauty of my heart and know the home it creates for me.

May I dance with wild abandon in celebration of my Spirit.

May I leap upon the Sacred White Horse and journey with Her through star-filled skies, able to see into the darkness and call forth the dawn.

May I share freely of beauty through word, song and images as Nature calls me deeper into Her embrace.

May I honor the strength and courage within me and accept the help of others, both seen and unseen, in the fulfillment of my promise to Mother Earth.

May I dive into depths of the sea and listen with an open heart to the Voice of the Sea and Her creatures and share the message that longs for expression.

May I become intoxicated on the fragrance of the Rose that blooms within my heart and stagger in delirious dance ever-toward the Spirit that calls my name.

Oilithreacht….Pilgrimage
Beannachtaí

Beannachtaí

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The pilgrimage to Árainn or Inis Mor, Ireland brought such deep contemplation and expansion for me. The stories I could share are many.

Like the old man who stumbled and whispered his life story to me and apologized for it in a small cafe. He taught me how the story we tell and re-tell weaves the life we experience. We come to believe a personal myth that too easily becomes a permanent judgment we settle upon ourselves.

Or the story of walking up to the fort again at night under the half-moon. Stars were brilliant, wind soft and distant waves crashing kept me singing to that bass drum as I climbed. The moon glade on the sea was moving with ripples like a golden sea serpent and I sat in the highest section of the fort viewing the Milky Way as the sea sang 300 feet beneath me.

Those stories might appear later in expansion. But today, I want to share a blessing I wrote while on retreat.

May the beauty of your own heart rise above the filter of your mind to infuse your thoughts with peace, kindness and love.

May the strength of your heart give you courage to love openly and without requirement.

May the dreams held within your heart be given wings to transport them beyond doubt and fear.

May your heart open like petals of the most beautiful flower and may you drink deeply from the sweet nectar and become drunk on the fragrance.

May your heart know the precious gift of love given freely, expecting nothing in return.

May the life that longs to live through you be born through your magnificent heart.

Beannachtaí…Blessings
An Fharraige

An Fharraige

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Before breakfast I walked to the Sea. It was just out the guesthouse and down the hill past the cemetery and the pasture full of cows and lush, green grass. The rock wall opening had a slanted walkway that led to the sand.

Grass and flowers, then large strands and piles of kelp lay between me and the gently lapping waves. The tides on Árainn or Inis Mor, Ireland are 18 feet daily so there are great spans of beach covered every day with the clear, cold Atlantic Ocean.

I took off my boots and socks and rolled up my pants. I wanted nothing separating my toes and the sea. It was shocking how cold the water was but admittedly, it felt amazing on feet that rarely are confined by shoes and had been in boots for days. But 57 degree water for a tropical gal? Someone saw people swimming the day before but to be clear, it wasn’t me.

The soft texture of the sand–like flour–and the cold water was such a contrast. The sensory differences made my body rejoice. Laughter and song erupted as I played along the shore.

The colors of softest gray to creamy white were mixed in large ripples in the sand and their intertwining dance was so lovely it brought tears. Muted, mixed well yet distinctly different colors.

Perhaps our relationship with Spirit is like that. So much the same….One…yet the colors of our distinct beingness give way to patterns of such beauty.

When I feel lonely I will recall those sands and know that God and all of creation form such a lovely mosaic of creative amazement. Individually unique yet part of the same matter that is stars, sand and brown eyes through which I behold the beauty.

An Fharraige….The Sea.
Waves, Wind and Light

Waves, Wind and Light

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Generally when we have a hurricane nearby it’s wet, humid, hot with southern winds…give or take a few directional degrees. But Irma was kept to our east by a strong cell of high pressure with cool, dry air. When she roared up Florida’s west coast her counterclockwise winds brought a strong northern flow our way.

I rode my bike before sunrise Sunday morning and the waves and winds weren’t kicking but I knew, after looking at the forecast, that by Sunday afternoon we’d have a strong north wind and larger waves.

All day I dreamed of larger waves rolling in from the south and the strong north wind pushing their crests back. I envisioned spray flying back over the spine of the waves. And sunlight illuminating the spray…don’t let me forget that visual that knocked around in my mind all day.

Late afternoon found me back at the beach with my camera. A strong wind was blowing and sand was intensely moving creating a hefty sand-blast of my bare feet and ankles….and any exposed skin. Changing lenses was dicey. One grain of sand and ugh….

The light was beautiful for cloud photos but I arrived a bit too early for the effects of spray and light I hoped to capture. I played around one area of Gulf State Park beach and then, closer to sunset, went to the state park pier.

Clouds made the light rather iffy and certainly did nothing for the white foam and cresting waves. I took a few images of a great blue heron and played with wave shots at the pier. With the rather boring light I nearly gave up on my vision.

And just as I was turning to trudge back through the soft, white sand to my car, the sun broke through a low bank of clouds and a wonderland appeared before my eyes. This is what I’ve been waiting for, I thought. WOW!

I spent a while whispering words of gratitude for the perfection of the scene. No rain….dry, cool air…interesting clouds and oh yes, those majestic waves with their tops swirled back over their spines.

Eventually I lowered my camera and stood witness to the beauty, the convergence of waves, wind and light. It’s always nice to dive deeply into my happy place.