Earth, Fire, Water, Air. The primary elements of this world are raising their collective voices. From intense hurricanes, to flooding, earthquakes and raging fires, the earth is bringing her own intensity to this time and moment in history. The ripple effects of these experiences go out across the globe not only through the media but also as the ripple – and sometimes storm – through our own emotional landscapes.
It seems that as a collective body of humanity we are in days of intensity. The question that I find myself asking is:
“How ought I/we to live?”
In contrast to the lives of so many who are being directly affected by the events of this month, my life seems very simple – the falling leaves of autumn, the reaching out of neighbors, the cat that crawls into my lap for affection, and the deep experience of compassion for lives lost and crazy acts of senseless violence. In the midst of these moments all I know is to breathe in and breathe out, keep my heart open and listen for the impulses of action and rest. I neither walk away from or walk into lives that are not mine – I wake up each morning and live my piece of this planetary unfolding with as much thoughtfulness, beauty, kindness and alertness as I can. And I trust that this is enough.
As we each let the still and silent wellspring of our Being guide us to our own answers, we join together in a collective blessing for all that is unfolding.
With much gratitude for each of you,
Peri & Barbara