Fallow Time

© Copyright Richard Hoare

Talking with a friend of mine recently, I mentioned that I had felt myself in a low period. Not depressed or upset. The term that rose into my consciousness: fallow.

I thought about what I knew of the word; mostly from years of living in farm country. Driving around the region where I live, I noticed fields left fallow. The term settled deeply into me. What does it mean to be fallow?

I decided to investigate the term 'fallow.' Encyclopedia Britannica online told this origin story of its usage: "...in Europe and the Middle East in early times, arable land was divided into two field or groups of fields; one group was planted to wheat, barley, or rye, while the other was allowed to lie fallow until the next planting season to recover its fertility. After cropping, the first group of fields was turned to fallow, with the livestock permitted to graze on the stubble and enrich the soil with their droppings." From dictionary.com: "not in use; inactive."

That spacious, blank feeling I was having had all the sense of being fallow. I didn't feel particularly generative. Nor did I feel particularly lost or adrift. Something was bubbling within. Not being the time for productive growth does not mean there is no growth.

The image I chose shows a fallow field; one that is not in use. Yet it is not barren. Often we choose to name this growth weeds. Experience informs me that any seed growing within offers unique experiences. Sometimes I need to allow the free growth rather than focussing my energy on a more direct route.

What are the weeds that grow in your fallow time? What gift do they bring you? How does being fallow help your creativity? How do you feel during a fallow season?

Gift of a New Year 2015

Happy New Year 2015!

Approaching the New Year, I spent much time with family. The holidays overflow with busyness, preparations and plans for gifting and gathering. It's rarely clear what is the true focus of this madhouse time.

Now that 2015 has arrived, things are slowing down. The roar of arriving planes has lessened. The pre-holiday sales have given way to post-holiday sales to get rid of holiday items. Homes are settling back into routines free of visitors and parties.

This is the time to take a breath and consider what gift you want from 2015. What is possible? What is needed? What is wanted? What can expand, contract, allow in your life? What corners need clearing? What dark spots need lighting? What calls to be released? to be accepted? to be healed?

2015 holds much in store. Set the intention to look for the gift. Breathe. Open to the beauty, health, love that is being carried in on the New Year. Search your heart for what is most important and ask for the gift. The New Year waits to hear your request. Open to the Gift.

What do you want from the coming year? Do you have a wish list? What is your intention? How can 2015 provide you with support? Can you open and accept the gifting?

Snake's Gift

I walked out my front door the other day to find Snake had left a gift on my rather small concrete stoop. Although it was a simple garden-variety snake, I was awe-struck seeing the skin sitting there. In the 20+ years I've lived in this house, this has never occurred before.

Snake is about transformation and transmutation ~ life, death, rebirth. All in all, it's about change. The coming year promises to be one of change, of letting go of old ways, of rebirth.

Snake sloughs off it skin as it grows. It sheds and leaves behind what no longer serves, what no longer fits, what has become limiting.

Finding Snake's skin reminds me to let go of what no longer serves my soul's purpose. It's not about berating myself for having the skin to shed in the first place. Sometimes what I've come to rely on, to take for granted, to expect, is fitting too tightly. I need to be willing to shed and to leave behind what I find myself clinging to with the most rigid force. The skin is going to split, I'm outgrowing what it is holding in. Like Snake, I need to trust the instinct that leads me forward to the place where I have room to grow into the transformed and transmutated person I am becoming.

What animal has left gifts for you recently? What do you need to give up, pass on, let go? What other gifts come to you from what the animal world? How do you find the time and energy to work out those gifts?

Five Herons in Two Days

With two days of rain in the area, the ground's wet ~ around here that means a near-reclaiming of the wetlands. On the patch of grass next to the on-ramp, there was a heron standing there watching traffic pass by. There were two herons in another low spot that often turns to swampland this time of year. Two herons stood in a field ~ also reclaimed wetland. There may have been another one or two that I saw as well; these stayed in my memory.

In the Animal Wisdom Tarot, the themes for Heron are Inner Vision, Trust, Timing, Balance and Resolution. The message of Heron is "Take time to feel deeply and choose wisely."

Most notable in the inner vision of the herons over the past two days is their absolute Presence. Each one stood solo, looking around, awake, aware. The sense of Presence and Balance and Rightness was tangible with each one. They reminded me of my own need to stand in balance and presence. Like the heron, I am called on to stand alone even when with others, to be aware of and awake to my own dance and my own path.

What animal has crossed your path recently? What message is that animal speaking to you? How do you manifest the power and gift of that animal?

Shaman of Courage

The Shaman's Oracle ~ J. Matthews & W. Kinghan

As I focused on the coming week, I asked the question: What do I need for the coming week? What quality would serve me best?

And so I drew Courage. One facet of a Shaman's being is to dream the world into existence. Those dreams take courage. Courage to move forward in time. Courage to release what is no longer needed. Courage to step into one's power. Courage brings many, many gifts with it.

The image on the card is like a shadow dancer. It has hands that are over-sized to capture and to defend. From its hip comes what looks like another hand ~ or a weapon. On its head are horns. It is wavy, tall and strong and looks as though it could carry one into the future.

What need do you have for courage? What are you willing to let go? What is calling you forward? How will you dream your future?