Autumn's Fire

Mid-August, the days are a bit dusty, a bit hot, but in the mountains of North Georgia, the evenings and early mornings are cool, and fall touches the air slightly.  It is the turning of the wheel once more.   

The Celtic holiday of Lughnasadh (and cross quarter day on the wheel of the year) passed 2 weeks ago, and final harvest will be coming soon.

What have you harvested this growing season? 

What will you sow under to make your next harvest even more glorious? 

As summer draws to a close, maybe you wish to consider your plantings and what grew for you.  That will provide great clues for you, and the next planting time.

Home again!  It was a meaningful visit to Paradise, an ancient land where heritage is everything, and kindness is the everyday norm.  Equally wonderful is the Paradise in which I live:  rounded, soft mountain peaks; lush trees and foliage; sweet southern drawls; grits and black-eyed peas.

It’s great to go, to visit other cultures, learn new ways.  AND, I am always grateful to return HOME!!

Water, and the emotional realm, dominate here.  There is no escaping the beauty, and the power, of Water’s strength.   

Gaia, Mother Earth, presents herself in myriad ways on Kaua’i… from the smallest to the most complex, to landscapes that take your breath away.  No where have I ever felt closer to Her.  Our physical world holds so many secrets.

Some days are meant for sitting on the Lanai, watching the storm clouds chase the white clouds out over the Pacific.  As quickly as the pounding rain comes, it recedes again, leaving only the droplets on the Showering Rainbow Trees with any trace of the storm.

Today, I was sitting at the shoreline, listening to “Rhapsody in Blue” as the turquoise and teal waters of the Pacific rolled onto the sand.  The Forbidden Island (can only be visited by natives or by invitation) seemed a fortress a few miles into the ocean, guarding the comings and goings on the west side of the island of Kaua’i.

The second place is Kilauea Lighthouse. It’s a wildlife sanctuary for birds and whales.  The turquoise water comes crashing up to the point, spraying white foam, and reflecting the sun’s enormous strength.  Breathtaking!

Hanalei (of “Puff the Magic Dragon” fame), is an enchanted microcosm of life:  flooded taro fields; mountainous splendor; dazzling sunlight; and tourist spots! But even the myriad cars and bikini clad visitors cannot take away the majesty of this spot.

There seemed no better way to open this blog then with a bit of a travelog.  Hopefully, it won’t be like those friends’ travelogs that you have to sit through when your compadres return from the best vacation of their lives, and there are hours and hours of their experiences, who they met, and they are sure you want to hear every detail of their adventures snorkeling in the sea

We are in Kaua’i, HI, vacationing at a resort that puts us about 300 yards from the Pacific.   Of course, there are lots of tourists, but now and then,I can sneak off to a place to find myself alone with my thoughts and the Elements.  This is the place for that connection: earth, water, air, and the fire of the sun are just outside my door, and Spirit is with me.  So, I guess that qualifies as “spiritual.”

Two places have moved me to tears.  One:  the Weimea Canyon.  Called the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” it certainly is smaller then the GC that I visited 2 years ago.  But, for me, Weimea’s impact was unmistakable.  I guess the difference is that Weimea is covered with green against its red, red rock.  It’s more intimate, more personal.    More Spirit’s” second home” kind of feeling.