Patterns in Nature

When I take pictures in nature, I often look for where the light creates patterns and there is a rhythm between light and dark. 

I often see patterns repeat and speak to me through texture, color and form.

I have collected photographs that I have taken over the years that have eye catching details. When I placed some of these images together they began to tell a different story.  

Ferns from Hawaii, flowers from all over the world, a sea shell from my grandmother's collection, an abandoned  paper wasp nest, coral from Bimini. a turtle shell, tree bark with lichens,  peacock and turkey feathers, and the magic whale shark skin. 

The light is growing fainter and more golden now and I am delighted to catch this light in my pictures. 

As the season is shifting, the leaves are beginning to curl a bit and change color. 

The wrens have left their bird houses and the bay waters are deliciously warm. 

The cicadas are singing as I write this piece, they too have their own rhythm and patterns to their songs. 

One group sings, while another will pause, they go back and forth, like a symphony performing for the stars. 

The Peace of Wild Things

This past week I had several experiences that moved me very deeply. 

I began a three year program for health care professionals in healing trauma where I met many truly amazing people who inspired me. 

During the class, a small dragonfly landed on a chair in front of me. I watched it with great curiosity as it stayed still for a very long time. 

Later that day I went for a walk around a body of water in Southbury, Connecticut and photographed these lovelies. 

I was struck by their stillness and beautiful wings. 

This is the first time that I have ever photographed dragonflies.  

When I came home I read about the meaning of the dragonfly and was reminded that they are symbolic of prosperity, harmony, happiness and purity. 

They are also symbolic of life cycles and change,  joy and new light. 

 This lovely poem was shared on the second day of class by one of the students. 

THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS

by 

Wendell Berry

When despair for the world grows in me

and I wake in the night at the least sound

in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be, 

I go and lie down where the wood drake

rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron

feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things

who do not tax their lives with forethought

of grief. I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars

waiting with their light. For a time

I rest in the grace of the world, and I am free. 

Magic of the Day

~Find the seed at the bottom of your heart and bring forth a flower~

Shigenori Kameoka

La Luna

The moon was so beautiful this week and there were clear skies for new pictures. 

This one was taken on Saturday evening just before the full 'strawberry' moon. A tricky walk through  a sparkling audience of fireflies gave way to the entrance of Accabonac harbor.

These lovelies below, were taken in the fog on Sunday evening at Gerard Drive.

The moon is symbolic of Yin and as it was so close to the earth this week, I thought about how this Yin element was effecting us. The moon is the matron to the water and all of the sea creatures. 

It is the guiding energy of intuition and the feminine.

When I think about following intuition I think about following the heart and trying to step out of the chatter of the mind. This little saying sits on my desk,  I am not sure of the origin. 

"It's impossible" said pride,

"It's risky" said experience,

"It's pointless" said reason, 

"Give it a try" whispered the heart. 

La luna, the moon, whispered her encouragement and sweetness into my heart this week. 

And so did the moths.

A Language Older Than Words

At the moment I am reading a very powerful book;  A Language Older Than Words,

by Derrick Jensen. It has brought tears to my eyes more than once. He writes about nature, our relationship to it and our collective history of trauma.

There are times that I have to put the book down because it stirs something very deep within my core. There are sentences that make my heart ache with their truths, his words are polished, clear and direct. 

I have added Derrick Jensen's website to my 'sparkly people' list on my home page because 

his message is important.

I am about to start my three year training in Somatic Experiencing (a healing modality for trauma) in August and I wonder about how much of our collective traumas are acted out and imprinted on the natural world. The deeper that I go into the writings and context of Derrick's work, the more I see how these cycles of trauma have been carried on for many generations on so many levels. We have repeatedly dampened the natural world through our unconscious consumption and behaviors.
I am waking up, again.

I believe that the 'language older than words' is one that I know deep inside my soul. It is what the plants speak when we walk into a garden, or the trees sing when they are dancing in the wind. It is the gossip of the cat birds in the early morning hours,  the communication between colonies of mushrooms on the forest floor and the creatures of the canopies. It is a language spoken during my encounters with dolphins and whales in the open ocean.  I have learned that each part of the natural world has its own specific and perfect dialect, this form of communication is open for all of us.  

Derrick Jensen's work is encouraging me to speak with more confidence about what I see and experience through the lens of my camera. 

Just yesterday, the moth below visited my office window and stayed while I was giving treatment. The pen and ink illustration of moth antennae was found in an encyclopedia and all of these little treasures were found just outside my front door. 

I am inspired.

The Nature of Dampness

We have had incredible rains the past few weeks, the kinds of rains that drench the earth, make small rivers and encourage the growth of green plants and mushrooms everywhere. While everything is very beautiful and expanding with the new moisture, there is a lingering dampness in the air and the ground.
In Chinese medicine, this dampness in excess can become pathogenic.

As the heavens opened last night and the rain seemed never ending... I thought about adding a post on the topic of 'Dampness' from a different perspective. In Chinese medicine 'Dampness' is considered a 'yin evil' meaning that it can create internal imbalances and be difficult to eliminate. The greatest causative factor is living or working in damp climates or conditions. Diet can also cause internal dampness. The organs that are most affected by dampness are the Chinese Spleen and Stomach. Over a prolonged period of time it can cause what is referred to as 'bi-syndrome' or obstruction of the channels.
This pattern may appear in the Summer and appear as a lack of appetite, a feeling of leathery, heaviness in the limbs, poor digestion, oppression in the chest  and mental fogginess.
There are more specific patterns of Dampness that manifest in different ways, differentiated by Heat, Cold, and location in the body.
The past few days I have been giving a lot of moxa in my treatments to offset the dampness in the climate. Next, I will start suggesting some dietary modifications and herbal remedies for this especially moist season.

This morning, as I was taking my walk a white egret flew over my head. It felt like such an amazing gift to see one this far from the water of Accabonac harbor. It was flying over the oak trees! This is truly a beautiful and magic place. The rose in the picture is from Gerard Drive, one of my favorite places during all seasons of the year.

Once Upon A Time...

Once upon a time, in a woodland far far away, the rain fell for days and the winds blew in circles making the tree tops sway to and fro. After the waters receded the warm yellow sun finally reappeared. The peony flowers opened gracefully, the mushrooms grew very very tall, the ferns created gullies, the moths fluttered in the sunlight and the lady bugs leapt for joy.  

All of these lovely images are from the just outside my front door with the exception of the lady bug, she came from a local bay beach. 

More rain today! 

Enjoy.