Marvelous. A word that holds the energies of amazement and wonder. Indigenous peoples who lived in close relationship with the natural world would not have been particularly amazed. While not at all mundane, the natural world was familiar to them. And this is possible for us. As we are culturally separated from the natural world, separated by our own contrivance, there is the opportunity to shift our relationship and become more intimate with the world around us. Intimacy. Into me see. There is the invitation to amazement.

Yes, there is the amazing beauty we behold. Yet there is more here. There are the energies that the natural world holds, energies that are manifest in the complex harmony and web of all life. The question becomes how to connect with them, how to be in intimate relationship with them. Of course there are many ways to do this.

In my Earth meditations I connect with each of seven distinct Nations. The ceremonial invocation of earth, air, fire, and water is probably familiar. However there are seven to consider in the whole of it: earth, air, fire, water, stones, plants, and creatures. In my spiritual tradition we name these nations Asha/Earth, Arrai/Air, Kata/Fire, Loma/Fire, Shoka/Stone, Prana/Plants, and Asharaji/Creatures. We name them Nations because they are alive just like groups of people. They have importance, value and deserve respect each in their own right. 

All the essences of the Nations
are in your spirit, mind, life and physical body all the time.
It is helpful to become aware of that, to bring yourself back to the truth,
and to let what was die and be reborn into what can be.
To feel the strength and ancient beingness
of the Earth, the soil, and all Life changes you.
Mukanda Dawe

In the next few blog posts, I invite your introduction to the Nations. To engage with their essences and step beyond our isolation from the marvelous.

Beannacht,
Judith – judith@stonefires.com