Hello and welcome to this episode of The Natural Way,
A series of the Wisdom Path.
A set of seasonal reflections and meditations bringing you the medicines,
Messages and symbols that would have contributed to the survival and existence of your ancestors.
We are connecting you back to nature,
Back to the natural way of living,
Being and developing.
In this episode I invite you to take a seat in front of the hearth.
The hearth is a symbol of warmth and comfort.
And you may think or believe that we are moving away from the cold as we begin to see the signs of spring emerging,
The snowdrops and the crocuses,
The light evenings,
The sun appearing in the sky.
But this is your invitation.
When you sense the urge to speed up,
To run away with yourself,
To become once more absorbed in the hustle and the bustle,
Take a place,
Take a seat in front of the hearth.
Warm your hands,
Warm your heart and allow these moments of quiet contemplation and reflection.
For you are not yet ready to emerge fully.
It's okay to take your time,
It's okay to take this time to warm yourself within,
To allow the nourishment that takes place there,
To allow yourself to be wrapped up in a blanket of salvation,
Soothing,
Calm and quiet notes of stillness.
And all the while you can hear the birds singing in the trees and the quiet meander of the salmon as it swims upstream on its way to its spawning.
You can hear the sounds of the coming months,
But you do not need to ramp up your energy.
You do not need to keep pace with the fast and modern world.
You can gaze into the flames of the hearth,
Allowing that connection,
Allowing yourself to see the dancing flames which may form pictures,
Visions or shapes or more symbols for you to notice.
The different colours of the flames as they mix between the yellows,
The oranges,
And if you look very carefully the blues and the greens,
The sound of the crackling of the twigs and branches,
And you add more fuel onto the fire,
And this is as though you are adding more fuel to your reserves,
Adding more that can be drawn upon in the coming months,
When you can be more active,
When you can be more playful,
When you can be more visible,
So that you have a healthy reserve of energy to draw upon.
Giving you the option to turn down how much energy you use or turn it up again at the times when it is necessary,
But not to remain in a state of flat out.
This is not an energy that serves,
And the warmth of the hearth is allowing you to glow from the inside out,
It is allowing you to be patient,
Almost as though you are mesmerised into this spot where you cannot move yet,
Because you are held in a trance-like state as you observe the flames,
No two moments are the same,
So you allow yourself to be present with the flames,
With the fire,
And you allow the woody,
Ashy smell to transport you to places of bonfires,
Sat around in community,
And this is what the fire,
The hearth,
Reminds you to cultivate,
The place where people gather,
The place where people can converse and share and support,
And bring their wisdom and their generous homemade gifts,
Their gifts from nature,
Their gifts from their homestead,
Lovingly prepared,
Gifts of foraged food,
Homegrown produce,
A sweater that's been knitted,
A wooden spoon that's been carved with love,
Everything contains an element of love and kindness,
And this warm glow of the hearth reminds you of that connection,
That connection that is so needed,
That connection that helps to keep your fire alight,
When we help each other,
When we help community,
When we help family,
When we help friends,
When we help colleagues,
It's also a moment to count your blessings,
To have this place where you can warm yourself before the fire,
Where you feel safe,
Where you feel held,
Where you are supported,
Both in the world outside,
And in the unseen with the support of your guides and ancestors,
And you may imagine them sat beside you,
At the hearth,
Before the fire,
Sharing a hot drink,
Or a piece of toast,
With hot butter,
Or toasted marshmallows,
Homemade biscuits,
A slice of delicious,
Rich fruitcake,
A bowl of warming soup,
And you are all at once nourished,
Your soul is nourished,
And you feel happy,
Full,
Content,
And grateful,
And you also are observing the precious objects that maybe sit around your hearth,
On top of your hearth,
By the sides of it,
Utensils,
Pots,
Ornaments that again have been passed on from generation to generation,
Maybe they aren't in your physical possession,
But you see them clearly,
You share the energy of the people that have gathered here before you,
It brings a smile to your face,
And a connection to those people who are no longer living,
But who guide you in spirit,
And for today,
As the fires begin to die down,
And there is just the gentle clicker of the smallest flame,
You can leave the hearth,
To do whatever is next for you,
Whether it is to make your way to bed,
Or continue with the task you started,
But it is at this pace that feels right,
And you bring your attention back to the room you are in,
Allowing yourself to become present in the room,
Present in your body,
Feeling the soles of your feet on the floor,
And allowing yourself to gently move in any way that feels good to you,
And opening your eyes when you are ready.
Thank you for listening to The Natural Way.
