The Trail Teller

Soon, via sacred mountains near San Francisco Bay, we’ll be exploring Freyja’s journey to the realm of the dwarves.  When I read this poem today, written by Patricia Riley, it seemed very gonfiabili per bambini much to represent the kind of thinking  that would  occupy Freyja’s mind space  as she dared  such a journey.  I wanted to share it with you, sending thanks also to Ocean, whose Deaf Pagan Crossroads is a frequent source of inspiration.

I am including an excerpt here – the full poem can be read on their site.

Imagine a Woman by Patricia Lynn Reilly

Imagine a woman who believes it is right and good she is a woman.

A woman who honors her experiences and tells her stories.

Who refuses to carry the sins of others within her body and life.

Imagine a woman who believes that she is good.

A woman who trusts and respects herself.

Who listens to her needs and desires,

and meets them with tenderness and grace.

Imagine a woman who has acknowledged the past’s influence on the present.

A woman who has walked through her past.

Who has healed into the present.

Imagine a woman who authors her own life.

A woman who exerts, initiates, and moves on her own behalf.

Who refuses to surrender except to her truest self and to her wisest voice.

Imagine a woman who names her own goddesses.

Read the rest of the poem on their website. and imagine your own possibilities.

It’s light from below, rising to the surface.  Creamy yellow flowers, very close to the ground, are wreathed by pale green leaves. When Footsteps of Spring bloom, they bring to my mind Persephone rising from the underworld, foretelling of spring, her golden hair spread on the surface of the earth before she’s completely returned to human realms.

What would she see that might entice her to come out? On the fields of San Bruno Mountain, other flowers are already beginning to dare the weather.  Fragile pink-white blossoms of manzanita gonfiabili near the mountain’s summit present themselves.  Here, where such endangered species are protected, each year’s new blooming is a gift.  She might also see wallflowers, a reminder of the centuries when people carried these luxurious blossoms.

Maybe she would see YOU, out and about on the green slopes of San Bruno or elsewhere on the mountains surrounding San Francisco Bay.  Connect with  MountainWatch.org to find free guided walks on the mountain – or contact Ginny Anderson (650-323-4494) to arrange a hike with friends involving shamanic journeying with Plant People on San Bruno. Or, come join us for a Mountain Meditation on Mt. Hamilton, February 28 from 12pm to 4 pm.

Twelfth Night is around the corner, ending the Christmas season with a bang. It’s a time when the Lord of Misrule turns the world upside down – as if you haven’t noticed that taking place! No year has quite been like this one – now this is the final night of such upheaval – and afterwards,… all things return to “normal”.

So put away the holiday decorations, and start the Wheel of the Year turning. Time to notice what the Lord of Misrule has been up to – remembering the flings, the exuberance, the indulgences we’ve seen or taken part in during this time of Misrule. Wild while it lasted, and now comes the morning after!!

Pop The Cork

Let’s look at what has been. On Twelfth Night (January 6) enjoy the best of it – open the champagne, remember the high times – enjoy dancing and laughter, stories and jokes. Let the lightning strike as you realize ways the Lord of Misrule has fooled us— separate out the threads of creativity, of hüpfburg peace, humor, compassion and joy that will become the fabric of what the new year will bring.

And if you’d like the plant people to guide you in this quest, meet me at Joseph Grant Park on Mt. Hamilton, on Monday, January 17. Check out the Mountain Meditation listing on the website, and email me to reserve a place in the event.