Happy May Day! I hope you find time to celebrate, even if just for a few minutes. You needn’t do much or go far … there’s a carnival happening just outside your door! Pinks and cotton white decorate the hedgerows and old town trees with fragrant blossoms, birdsong fills the air, bees zip from flower to flower while butterflies dance on the breeze. We are all invited to join in the celebration, even if it’s just with a smile of acknowledgement.
Appreciate and reciprocate
Nature instinctively expresses its vitality, its spirit, its joy. Whenever we take notice, a tiny seed is planted from which something very special can grow … something within us that amplifies the spirit of nature and puts a spring in our step. Our imagination is incited along with an instinctive urge to let that sparkling energy out into the open.
Messages from the birds
This spring I’ve noticed, more than ever I think, the presence of the birds. For example, the day I was asked to help proofread this issue of the Cygnus Magazine (it was my first time so please go gentle on me, if I missed anything!). My family and I spent a lovely day at St Fagans where a tame little robin had followed us from branch to branch, chirruping and cheeping sweetly, as we made our way through the enchanted woodland. It was quite synchronistic that I should end up working on this issue of the Cygnus Review later that same evening. The cover image bowled me over – a beautiful majestic heron! Messages from birds again! I was reminded that the article I’d written had been inspired by a bird, and I found references to birds, wings and feathers right through magazine including, of course, Claire Nahmad’s article about the sacred meaning of the heron and her book Angel Messages: The Oracle of the Birds.
I’ve been asking myself what message this presence of birds holds for me. May Day contemplations lead me to realise that the birds, along with the rest of nature, are teaching us the value of self expression.
What is your morning chorus?
We’ve talked a lot of One Love and spiritual alliance but how do we put this into practice, beyond intention and healing thoughts? I say that we are ready to take the next step in our evolutionary journey – to take all that we’ve learned, and all the value of everything we’ve faced, and to express it! We are eager to keep growing and learning; utilising our unique talents we can do so together! I’ve lost count of the people who have told me that they too enjoy writing and would love to write a book. Then do it! Why not?! The only thing stopping us is our own thoughts. Sometimes us aspiring writers imagine that published authors are in some separate, unreachable world – we tell ourselves that ‘maybe their message is more important’ or ‘I could never compare to that‘. We know that comparisons are irrelevant in truth though, don’t we? Just as there is enough room in this universe for your soul and Deepak Chopra’s to shine … so is there is enough room for your publication and his on the bookshelves. In fact, it was Deepak’s question, in Finding Joe, that encouraged me to write more.
‘Let’s say you never had to think about money, and you never had to think about time. With all the money in the world and all the time in the world how would you express yourself and how would that benefit the ecosystem, the larger web of being?’
Just imagine right now your name on the cover of your first book
Feels good doesn’t it? The amazing thing is that it’s a lot easier than you think and I have some great news to help get you started. You’ve been invited to attend the ‘Publish Your Book’ workshop, run in partnership with Alternatives and Watkins Publishing (one of the most experienced names in Mind Body Spirit publishing), on Saturday 11th May.
Between you and me it doesn’t matter what stage of the book writing process you are at, even if you haven’t written a word yet, this day will be invaluable to you.
At the end of the day you will know exactly what steps you need to take creatively and practically (you know, like that money and time thing Deepak mentioned). And the icing on the cake is that you will get to talk with very experienced people in publishing as well as other authors who have been exactly where you are right now and know how you feel.
Cygnus will be there and Alternatives have kindly arranged a special price for Cygnus members of 25% off! Just quote Cygnus when booking with Alternatives to get your discount (choose concession ticket when booking online).
Cygnus’ blog pages
Cygnus Books have always welcomed reader interaction and spiritual expression. They told me how disappointed they were to run out of room for the Chat Page in this issue of the Review and asked me to share the link to where you can read it on their blog pages instead. They are also keen to show you a really good article by Cygnus reader Louisa Crisp. The Cygnus blog pages are a great place to share your thoughts and feelings; I look forward to reading yours some time!
One love,
Louisa