I‘m writing to you through the gentle haze of golden white sunshine. My hilltop house faces south and, when the weather allows it, the winter sun peeks through the window at me in the afternoons. It doesn’t happen often just recently but it’s as if the clouds have parted especially for our moment of connection across this page.
Every now and then this sun is so bright I need to close my eyes – I smile as I do so, indulging in the warmth on my skin and the revitalising energy. I let the sun shine through every fibre of my being. As it passes through I feel it wash away my worries and concerns; I feel lighter, I feel pure. Goodness knows I needed this respite and I’m so glad to share this blessing with you because I think we could all do with letting go just now.
The river knows
There’s a very timely quote from Hopi elder, Thomas Banyaca, that powerfully illustrates how these challenging times are a profound opportunity with the impetus to move us forward as a stronger society of solidarity.
There is a river flowing now very fast,
It is so great and swift.
That there are those who will be afraid,
They will try to hold onto the shore.
Understand that the river knows its destination,
The elders say we must let go of the shore.
Push off into the middle of the river,
Keep our eyes open and our heads above water.
And I say; see who is in there with you,
Hold fast to them and celebrate!
At this time in history,
We are to take nothing personally.
Least of all, ourselves!
For the moment we do,
Our spiritual growth and journey comes to an end.
The time of the Lone Wolf is over!
Gather yourselves!
Banish the word ‘struggle’ from Your attitude and vocabulary.
All that we do now must be done,
In a sacred manner and in celebration.
We are all about to go on a journey,
We are the ones we have been waiting for!’
So what do you say we get out there into the water together and explore what we can do?
Action and non-action
We can stand up for what we believe in by joining (or forming) organizations and asking our local representatives for their support. If we do go all out, to protect quality of life, let’s make it worthwhile by actually living that life! Keep a look out for gaps in the clouds! Spend less time online and avoid the news for at least a little while every day. Enjoy quality time with family and friends, appreciate our children and shower them with love, meditate, get out into nature and have some fun!
Sustainable communities
We can build a brave new world of empowered, collaborative communities drawing on the unique resources of every individual. The small village of Feldheim in Germany and many communities across Scotland such as Gigha, Tiree and Westray are a testimony to this. They own and operate renewable energy installations in the places where they live and many are already investing income, from these energy projects, in community regeneration and growth. Our first step towards community sustainability is to get involved by maybe contacting our local councillors for advice or visiting our local community halls to see what groups and meetings are on.
Conscious consumerism
We can claim better control of our spending and keep money in our communities by shopping locally and supporting small businesses. What’s Mine is Yours [220917, £6.99] really broke the spell of the consumerist way of life for me, exposing the philosophy and history behind it and giving me a clear understanding of my own spending habits. Another notable book, Dare to Care (see page p.13), helped me to turn those habits around with ease and to put caring and compassion at the forefront of my money-making decisions.
Self sufficiency
We can live our lives with more independence. Just knowing that we can grow our own food, keep a compost bin and fix our own stuff (instead of chucking it out and buying more) gives us a sense of freedom and self control. Then of course we come back to using more natural energy which means us relying less on the grid. That’s not to say that we should move out to the sticks and go completely off grid … but we can if we want and that’s the beauty of it!
Virtues and love
We can stay true to our morals. When we fight something we feed it, it pays off more to counteract injustice instead, with acts of kindness and compassion. Spread the good feeling, replacing fear where we can with hope and support. Little acts of kindness make a big difference, a smile goes a long way and love conquers all.
Those who conduct themselves with morality, integrity and consistency need not fear the forces of inhumanity and cruelty
– Nelson Mandela
Outside the clouds are drifting back into view. Lit up by the sun they look iridescent like vespers of opal in the sky. Soon it will be Imbolc, the sun festival of love that marks the onset of spring. As our inner strength and passion resonates with the stirring vitality of nature, let’s let the light shine through and see how much it grows!
One love,
Louisa and all of the Cygnus family.
© 2013 by Louisa Mills facebook.com/onesouthwales
