It is only a few weeks until the Spring Equinox and like many of you my thoughts are turning to the changes, the growth, I want to see manifest in my life. But, just like with gardening I can’t expect to just go outside throw down some seeds and expect a glorious harvest come summer and fall. The first step with any garden is preparing the soil.
Granted, my own garden this year will be potting soil in containers, but in times past (as in in the times of my ancestors) I would’ve found myself outside digging and tilling and plowing. I would’ve spent hours turning hard packed unusable soil into a field ready for planting. Traditionally the dark moon is a period of quiet reflection, a time of releasing that which no longer serves to make room for the new to grow in your life. This time of year I tend to compare it to the work of clearing rocks and stumps from a plot of land, preparing it to be plowed. Back breaking work? Most certainly. Absolutely necessary? Definitely!
What needs to be removed from your life? What is getting in the way of the new beginnings you desire? These are not the more easily removed weeds – a yank and they’re gone, these are the more deeply embedded bad habits, challenging circumstances, old unhealed wounds. These are the things that we may need to dig deep before we are able to pull them free.
What work do you need to do in preparation for Ostara? What can you do to give your own seeds the best chance at taking root and growing strong?
Just some food for thought.
Blessings
Mama Kelly
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By Ron on Feb 23, 2009 |
I have been so amazed lately at the synchronicity of life lately, especially in spiritual matters. I have been thinking a lot about new beginnings the last few days, and here you are blogging about it.
Wednesday night during the new moon, we will be celebrating Losar, the Tibetan New Year. Just like any other New Year celebration, I am looking forward to a new start. At the center where my teacher is the resident Lama, they have been celebrating since last Tuesday with an 8 day ceremony which cleans out all of the bad karma and spirits from last year so we can start out new. Also, the first 15 days of the new year commemorate miracles that the Buddha perfomed, one on each of the fifteen days, and all postitive and negative karma is multiplied 100,000 times.
I’m going to do my best to start out the New Year right. I am working on digging out the weeds and dead plants from the past year and I am learining that the digging process can be quite painful, but it allows such awesome stuff to be planted in its place.
I wish you all the best in your reflections and renewal. One of the prayers that I say every morning has the coolest line in it and I’ll say it for you too.
“I entreat the hosts of victorious ones not to pass into final nirvana; rather, may they turn the wheel of the three collections of the dharma and the unsurpassable teachings.”
Great thought and wish for the new year!
Ron´s last blog post..Memories of Eight Months Ago
By Seewitch on Feb 23, 2009 |
Good thoughts for a midwinter morning. Yes, I too must take inventory of what needs to be tossed… internal, external. Time to clean out the old and get ready for a new beginning.
By Mama Kelly on Feb 24, 2009 |
I know little about Buddhism but find what I do know to be deeply beautiful and I have often considered visiting a local temple in my area.
I am taking to heart what you share about karma being multiplied for the next 15 days. I plan to go forward into the next weeks with a more positive outlook and work on, like you, digging out the weeds in my life and in my soul.
I appreciate your comments and presence here!!! Happy New Year Ron, may it be blessed for you.
By Mama Kelly on Feb 24, 2009 |
Seewitch
Especially right now with the state of the world I think more and more of us are examining what is truly essential in our lives and finding that there is much clutter to be cleared – physically, emotionally, spiritually, etc.
Blessings!