I really need to find another time of day to write these posts. Most nights, I enter into the blogging space somewhat tired and spent from the adventures of the day. I try grasping all the thoughts which have floated through my mind from the early morning "simple presence," to the drive into work listening to my latest audiobook, to the many interactions with the people in my workspace, to conversations with J, the run as the moon rose, finally settling onto the couch and then. . .this.
The vernal equinox takes place in about 50 minutes according to earthsky.org: the earth spinning and now tilting on its axis, pushing us in the Northern Hemisphere toward earlier mornings and later nights, encouraging growth to sprout from tree limbs and garden patches. It is the moment of *almost* equal day and night with the sun rising due East and setting due West.
One woman wrote about Persephone as the patron goddess of this cycle of moving from "death" to "life." When I read her post, I remembered a poem I wrote in divinity school for "Pastors, Poets and the Kingdom of God" class. Persephone was the subject and the professor chided me for creating such an abstract poem - but he harped at me often about unvieling myself in some authentic way. He saw the cheery demeanor I used to navigate my world, and he knew no one was "that happy all the time." I was insulted at his reaction to the poem as I quite liked it, but he was spot on about the "gloss of cheer" I wore.
Persephone as an archetype encourages balance, though. Balance between the darling, gleeful rush of crocus, daffodil, redbud, cherry blossom and the flaming maple red and aspen gold of fall. Balance between giving birth and burying detritus - between the rush of youth and the rhapsody of elders. As the goddess who descends to Hades (and the underworld) taking all the beauty and variety of the world with her, leaving the pall of white to cover the earth - then returns to Olympus (and her mother) and the bounty of springtime and harvest ensues.
This is the Earth's cycle, but it is also ours - living on the spectrum of polarities - at times closer to Hades, at others, Olympus. And if we are lucky, we live most of our time near the season which pleases us most. Which brings us back to Ecclesiastes and a "time for every season."
I, for one, am glad it's spring.
PRACTICE
Lectio Divina: Read the following passage through after a few deep breaths and pay attention to any word or phrase which sticks out for you. Read through again and pay attention to anything further you notice about the word/phrase and how it applies to you. Read through again and spend time in prayer with the word/phrase asking God what you need to understand/know/do with the word/phrase (i.e., How might God be guiding you? What needs your further action? Where may your understanding need to be changed or expanded? How may this impact your relationship with someone else?). End with a time of thanksgiving.
Ecclesiastes 3:18-22, NIV
18 I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. 19 Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath[c]; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”
22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work,because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?
No comments:
Post a Comment