STABILITY
I love this poem by Rumi. You can find the whole poem in Rumi Revealed: Selected Poems from the Divan of Shams. It speaks to that natural high you experience when you move beyond the concerns of this physical reality and any ego attachments. Some call this state experiencing the true essence of Love, Bliss, Spirituality, God, the Universe, or the Great Mystery. It is that flow state when you are doing work you truly love, and you lose track of time. In it, you can forget about false perceptions that “everything is wrong” or there is “never enough.”
This is my favorite stanza from the poem. It is interpreted slightly differently in Rumi Revealed, but this is the interpretation that most resonates with me.
All your wavering
is due to the longing to be stable!
Look for instability
until you become stable.
We often avoid what we fear to such an extent that we end up pushing too hard, frustrated in the opposite direction. The friction and tension this causes pushes what we want away and keeps it at bay.
INNER TRUTH
Starting something new!
I took this picture a few weeks ago while kayaking on a lake by my home in GA. Loving these little signs of spring, growing light, and energy!
BOUNDARIES
The beautiful tree in this picture with early red flowering buds is a Red Maple. Not only are the tree’s spring flowers red, but its petioles, branches, and seeds all show varying degrees of red. Maples are the most popular greening tree species in the United States. Maple trees help bring balance to our yin and yang sides. When these energies are in balance, our intuition is sharper, our creativity is more vital, and we are healthier. Spending time around the maple tree also activates the chakras in the arches of the feet, which helps us stay tied to the energies of Mother Earth and connected to nature and her rhythms.
PATIENCE
I took this photograph of the beautiful fall leaves in Georgia during a hike this week. For now, I am grateful to live in a house with a stunning natural landscape. The backyard slopes down to a small community lake. You can see the top portion of the trees that line the lake from our first floor, and watching the leaves slowly and patiently change colors over the last two months has been a daily treat.
The leaves gradually started falling. Their descent is constant at times and reminds me of snowflakes falling from the sky.
CATERPILLAR
I photographed this Yellow Woolly Bear Caterpillar while walking at the park near my home. It inspired me to learn more about these fuzzy insects.
CATERPILLAR MEDICINE-
Metamorphosis is the magic inherent within insects, and it's how they teach us about life. We tend to have a flight or fight response to challenges. We judge ourselves or blame others when we encounter obstacles instead of realizing they are just part of the process called life. Like the caterpillar who has no idea how to be a butterfly, the process of metamorphosis requires surrendering to the process and faith in uncertainty, all while making space for something new to emerge. It's not an easy undertaking. Life itself goes through the same four stages a caterpillar experiences- Fetus (egg), Birthing/Childhood (caterpillar/larva), Adolescence (pupa), and Adulthood (adult butterfly). Everything we dream of creating in life has to go through these same four stages. Within the metamorphosis are the keys to creating and manifesting. Like caterpillars, all ideas and creations begin as an egg.
The final stage is the one we often avoid or rush through. It is a painful one for the butterfly. Within the chrysalis, the newly formed butterfly is tender, so to break through the hard protective layer, the butterfly must push, wiggle, and force against the hard shell. It takes fighting for the new life it's painfully built to emerge as the beautiful new winged creation it's become.
The caterpillar's journey reminds us that we are never the same and that the process our creations take is rarely the one we imagine. That force and often pain are also the power of creation.
DRAGONFLY
This week I found a magical spot on the shore of a little lake I live by that is filled with dragonflies in the late morning. They rarely hold still long enough to photograph, but I got lucky and was able to capture this beautiful male Widow Skimmer. It belongs to a group of larger dragonflies named King Skimmers.
My goal with each Word Fuel Art Piece is to combine nature and words in ways that fuel the readers' own creativity and inspire them to connect to themselves through connecting to nature. For this piece, the magic of Dragonflies and their color inspired me.
SACRIFICE
The cypress tree encourages us to explore the sacrifices that we are making in our life. It guides us to a greater awareness that sacrifice doesn’t always have to involve pain and suffering. Especially when sacrifices are made for someone or something we love, they can bring about unexpected changes and benefits we could not have imagined.
WORD FUEL ART NOTES:
PHOTOGRAPH - I photographed this beautiful Atlantic White Cedar while exploring Skidaway Island State Park, about 30 minutes south of Savannah, GA.
TREE MEDICINE - The Atlantic White Cedar is actually a cypress. Its leaves are very aromatic, with a distinct, cedar-like scent. Songbirds and white-tailed deer use these trees as food. Cypress trees are resistant to water decay.
DUALITY
WORD FUEL ART NOTES:
Photography: I took this picture of the majestic Live Southern Oak at Forsyth Park in Savannah, GA.
Plant Medicine: The Live Oak got its name from the fact that its foliage is evergreen, which is not the case with other oak species. When given enough room to grow, their sweeping limbs plunge toward the ground before shooting upward, creating an impressive array of branches. The majesty of an oak tree radiates an aura of calm strength. Oak trees provide strength to everyone and remind us that true strength is also gentle.
RISE
WORD FUEL ART NOTES:
- I took this photograph during a hike near Strawberry Reservoir. It’s nestled high in the Uinta National Forest of the Wasatch Mountains in UT. I grew up visiting it and rediscovered how much I loved hiking there as an adult. It’s a great place to clear your mind when you need to get unstuck and start fresh.
Fun Fact- The water in the reservoir exceeds water quality standards, and its tributary streams are an ideal spawning habitat. Approximately 60% of the cutthroat trout in the reservoir result from natural reproduction. #planetearth
EARTH
WORD FUEL ART NOTES:
- I photographed this Japanese Maple Tree at a little-known gem in the heart of Buckhead, Georgia, Blue Heron Nature Preserve. I literally stumbled on the preserve this week and fell in love with their goal to enhance the 30 acres of natural habitat entrusted to the nonprofit organization. The Blueway Trail is critical to its mission of creating a personal experience with nature.
- Japanese maple trees have been considered a symbol of grace. Associated with the peace and serenity of the world's elements, Japanese maple trees represent balance and practicality. They are called kito in the Japanese language, which means calm, rest, or at peace.
MIRROR
WORD FUEL ART NOTES:
PICTURE- I took this picture at the Chatham County Wetlands Preserve, about 30 minutes from Savannah, GA. This beautiful Heron was sitting on a bridge waiting for me when I pulled into the parking lot.
HERON MEDICINE- Herons are often confused with cranes. One easy way to identify them is their neck. A crane holds it's next straight, and they are usually shorter. When a Heron flies, its head is folded back in an S-shaped loop. It is said that this S-shape reflects the innate wisdom of being able to maneuver through life. It also represents the archetypal energy and the innate wisdom to follow your own path or self-determination. In this way, its medicine inspires each person's unique artistic expression and gives a glimpse of the artist's soul.
COLOR BENEFITS- Lavender is a color of perseverance and determination. Wearing, meditating on, or surrounding yourself with Lavender helps guard against unwanted influences and reminds you to save some time for yourself. Much like Heron Energy, it is enchanting and empowering.
INACTIVITY
WORD FUEL ART:
PICTURE- I took this photograph of a newly planted Lily Magnolia at Forsyth Park in Savannah, Georgia. These trees easily tolerate fumes and grime from cities and thus are often found in city parks.
FLOWER MEDICINE- Magnolia Tree energies help to strengthen and activate the heart chakra and help facilitate the alignment of the heart and your higher intellect. It reminds us to be true to our ideas and our heart even when under pressure.
COLOR THERAPY- Green is soothing, restful, and nurturing. It provides balance and restores body, mind, and spirit, making it a perfect addition to your home or workspace for Spring. It is the color of nature and symbolizes GROWTH and abundance.
