Thank you so much. Living in the U.S.at this time, I find that my grief and fear can be overwhelming. Today I was struggling and this meditation has helped me to recover my peace. My self care these days is going to the woods often with one particular friend. We sit for a few hours in silence, resting in the peace of the Redwoods, Oaks, Cedars. It is my saving grace. I have no idea how things will unfold here...I just cannot see a good end. But to be in the present moment, with my body resting against the solidness of an oak, really does restore my soul.
I cannot express how much relief I found in your Tea today! I have always loved Wendell Berry and Mary Oliver. I found peace in stillness, and I thank you!
Wonderful selection of poetry. 💕The Bishop of Washington - Yes! I thought she was very bold and brave, too! 😃 After our L.A. fires of the past 3 weeks, we finally got some much needed rain this weekend! 💙🌧️ Then this morning, the beautiful view of snow on the distant mountains! 🤍❄️ Thank you for the meditation. I imagine deer, birds, rabbits, squirrels, and all kinds of animals coming into the circle. 🌳 💛🦌🐦🐇🐿️🦋🦨💚
Despair thrives on helplessness. The best remedy for helplessness is to do something, no matter how small. Gandalf: "Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love." (note: this quote is not from Tolkein and doesn't appear in the LOTR novels but was created for the film by Peter Jackson)
This could not have come out at a better time. I have really been struggling with this. How isolating it can feel to be surrounded by people who don't feel the same empathy
Here in LA County, we have been literally on fire 🔥 for what feels like forever now; a few weeks back we couldn’t open the door without ash blowing in on the hot wind, the smell of smoke heavy in the air; no rain though we should be mid-rainy season. We never got an evacuation order, which is good since I wouldn’t have been able to; but the air is acrid within and without, full of fear and rage on many levels. It was everything to me that you read not one but two of my favorite poems for Tea (usually I’ve never heard them before), and that you mentioned the division between inner and outer worlds is illusory. Much of the natural beauty I loved here is ash now; lost to me forever in the outer world - but I saw it again on the path between my own Inner Grove and the OBOD Sacred Grove where I meet with all of you. It is transformed, yes; but it is never lost. This lesson repeated during the meditation, when I had a strange vision of running in panic through a wood, hiding behind a huge sycamore tree who whispered “I’ll keep you safe” and enfolded me into her trunk; the tree part of the meditation was clear in a whole new way, and when I stepped a little away from the sycamore I was in the Sacred Grove with everyone. I’ve never been so surprised by a sense of love and belonging as when you read the last line of Mary Oliver’s poem that I’ve loved for a long time. It brought me to tears of relief. I needed this Tea more than I even knew; and I came back today to start my day with it once more. I truly cannot be thankful enough. ❤
I was in Tucson for an appointment Monday and missed the live show, but I was thinking of you all, especially as I passed a place called The House of Bards and it had the Awen sign on it! (Music place, out of business now). I really needed to hear this today, on the new moon, as it lightly snows in Silver City for the first time in awhile. Things are scary here, and it is good to connect with you and find some respite.
I’m an activist but also follow some Druid practices. I believe the centredness during moments of meditation allows me to be more a more active participant in enacting change. I think there must be balance- grounding plus action. Otherwise it passivity
James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw, a member of the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) Nation, recently had an IG post saying, "Why would I want to cede any kind of that emotional sovereignty to anyone in the ceremony of my everyday life . . . I can't control those outside circumstances." He wasn't suggesting being unaware just not being reactive. Unfortunately people equate unemotional with uncaring - pushing people to greater & greater emotional outbursts to prove they care and if you don't (post, cry, scream, become depressed, etc) you must not care. I'm unsubscribing from that attitude. We all just saw the billionaire child crying hysterically about not being able to help her people being deported yet in the midst of fires everyday working people in Los Angeles immediately got to work.
We must not demonise emotions such as anger. It is a normal human response which propels us to take action. We are angry when our values are crushed. The answer isn’t to retreat
Thank you so much. Living in the U.S.at this time, I find that my grief and fear can be overwhelming. Today I was struggling and this meditation has helped me to recover my peace. My self care these days is going to the woods often with one particular friend. We sit for a few hours in silence, resting in the peace of the Redwoods, Oaks, Cedars. It is my saving grace. I have no idea how things will unfold here...I just cannot see a good end. But to be in the present moment, with my body resting against the solidness of an oak, really does restore my soul.
That was beautiful. I sobbed because I’m longing for world peace. I want harmony. Thank you for your beautiful words and meditation. Blessed be ❤
Magnificent and wonder-ful. thank you Phillip
Thank you for your post....💚
Lovely and much needed, thank you 💚
Thank you, I truly needed to hear this today!! My soul is recharged ❤
Thank you❤
Beautiful poem. Thank you so much for sharing that. I loved it.
Amazingly beautiful poems and meditation!
Blessings to all !
I cannot express how much relief I found in your Tea today! I have always loved Wendell Berry and Mary Oliver. I found peace in stillness, and I thank you!
This really touched me , will listen again , thank you ❤
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to sit with kindred spirits. Thank you for providing the space and the context.
Agreed
Thank you Philip. I loved the poems, perfect , and feel soothed and uplifted.
A very well done meditation as always, and looking inward I saw a standing stone circle of five stones.
Wonderful selection of poetry. 💕The Bishop of Washington - Yes! I thought she was very bold and brave, too! 😃
After our L.A. fires of the past 3 weeks, we finally got some much needed rain this weekend! 💙🌧️ Then this morning, the beautiful view of snow on the distant mountains! 🤍❄️
Thank you for the meditation. I imagine deer, birds, rabbits, squirrels, and all kinds of animals coming into the circle. 🌳
💛🦌🐦🐇🐿️🦋🦨💚
Thank you so much, Philip. The forest lifts my heart, as does poetry. 🌳
Despair thrives on helplessness. The best remedy for helplessness is to do something, no matter how small. Gandalf: "Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love." (note: this quote is not from Tolkein and doesn't appear in the LOTR novels but was created for the film by Peter Jackson)
This could not have come out at a better time. I have really been struggling with this. How isolating it can feel to be surrounded by people who don't feel the same empathy
Beautiful poems and blessings. Exactly what i needed, thank you. 🙏🤗
Here in LA County, we have been literally on fire 🔥 for what feels like forever now; a few weeks back we couldn’t open the door without ash blowing in on the hot wind, the smell of smoke heavy in the air; no rain though we should be mid-rainy season. We never got an evacuation order, which is good since I wouldn’t have been able to; but the air is acrid within and without, full of fear and rage on many levels.
It was everything to me that you read not one but two of my favorite poems for Tea (usually I’ve never heard them before), and that you mentioned the division between inner and outer worlds is illusory. Much of the natural beauty I loved here is ash now; lost to me forever in the outer world - but I saw it again on the path between my own Inner Grove and the OBOD Sacred Grove where I meet with all of you. It is transformed, yes; but it is never lost.
This lesson repeated during the meditation, when I had a strange vision of running in panic through a wood, hiding behind a huge sycamore tree who whispered “I’ll keep you safe” and enfolded me into her trunk; the tree part of the meditation was clear in a whole new way, and when I stepped a little away from the sycamore I was in the Sacred Grove with everyone.
I’ve never been so surprised by a sense of love and belonging as when you read the last line of Mary Oliver’s poem that I’ve loved for a long time. It brought me to tears of relief.
I needed this Tea more than I even knew; and I came back today to start my day with it once more.
I truly cannot be thankful enough. ❤
I was in Tucson for an appointment Monday and missed the live show, but I was thinking of you all, especially as I passed a place called The House of Bards and it had the Awen sign on it! (Music place, out of business now). I really needed to hear this today, on the new moon, as it lightly snows in Silver City for the first time in awhile. Things are scary here, and it is good to connect with you and find some respite.
I’m an activist but also follow some Druid practices. I believe the centredness during moments of meditation allows me to be more a more active participant in enacting change. I think there must be balance- grounding plus action. Otherwise it passivity
James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw, a member of the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) Nation, recently had an IG post saying, "Why would I want to cede any kind of that emotional sovereignty to anyone in the ceremony of my everyday life . . . I can't control those outside circumstances." He wasn't suggesting being unaware just not being reactive. Unfortunately people equate unemotional with uncaring - pushing people to greater & greater emotional outbursts to prove they care and if you don't (post, cry, scream, become depressed, etc) you must not care. I'm unsubscribing from that attitude. We all just saw the billionaire child crying hysterically about not being able to help her people being deported yet in the midst of fires everyday working people in Los Angeles immediately got to work.
We must not demonise emotions such as anger. It is a normal human response which propels us to take action. We are angry when our values are crushed. The answer isn’t to retreat
Whaaaat? 😅❤