Gentle Stirring... The quiet whispering of early spring

Do you ever get an idea, an inspiration, and try to run with it only to find it doesn't come to fruition?  I think we have probably all experienced moments of pushing and trying to bring something to life only to eventually admit it wasn’t the right idea, or the right moment.

Sometimes it’s the gentle stirring, the quiet whispering of inspiration and new adventures and projects that are simply awakening. Not yet ready to be brought into life with effort and too much doing. This early spring energy in the Northern Hemisphere is warming the earth, is slowly igniting the fire and energy within. There may be one of two shoots appearing of the crocus, daffodil and snowdrop and yet there is a deeper stillness, the earth is resting too, waiting…

Listen to the landscape within

Within the resting and stillness, within the quiet there is a distinct hum, palpable stirring, a vibratory quality of potential.  A dynamic energy within the darkness and stillness. Can you feel it?  Can you imagine it?  The inner fire ignited and creation and inspiration begin to flow more readily … like a stream thawing from a winter rest.  No amount of effort would allow many crops, plants and flowers to grow at this cooler temperature and neither is our inner warmth, fire and rising energy perhaps quite ready to nurture and tend to some of the stirring projects and new ideas.

Further listening and awareness might reveal a need to tend to the deeper landscape and soil of our being, preparing for the seeds and growth to come. This is not the same as passively waiting and not putting in any effort, sustained effort becomes very necessary in alignment with this rising current and quickening flow later on.  For now do you need to take more care of yourself?  The inner landscape… your own physical, mental, emotional well-being and become as healthy and full of vitality as you can be?

Tending to our inner seeds

Perhaps you have already planted the seeds and they are building with the energy of attention and focus?  Perhaps they need more nurturing… what do they/ you need?  More love, more care?  More water?  More warmth and light?  Perhaps they need to be in the darker, cooler earth for longer and when the moment is just right they will begin to root and sprout?

​The necessity of the season... resting, allowing

This early spring energy of Imbolc is celebrated at the beginning of February.  Yet some years the energy seems to build sooner, and other years it is a little later.  Where are you within this awakening process? The ignited fire beginning to rise and the world around us slowly waking up?  Sometimes we can find ourselves pushing and rushing to forge ahead and try to do, create and bring things to life before the time is quite ready.  Can we linger longer, listen deeper and honour where we truly are?

Do you rush? I certainly have in the past, excited by the warmth of the sun breaking through and going into a quicker pace of doing.  Anticipating the seasons to come and missing the absolute necessity of this steady, gentle nurturing moment. Yet the coldness returns, the frosts, the darker days, a reminder to go slowly and more gently perhaps?

An invitation

I invite you to take a few moments, to get quieter and more still and listen to the earth and life around you?  What do you notice?  How do you feel in relation to this quality and to the listening itself?  There are no wrong answers, and sometimes there is no answer at all!!  Be in the enquiry.  There is no rush.  The whole process is slow and steady and unfolds and unfurls exactly as is needed.

You might like to take a gentle moment to recognise one or two seeds to which you are tending.  Do you, within you, have all you need to tend to these?  All the nourishment, spaciousness, support, resources, trust… Do these particular seeds still feel just right and inspiring, or do they need more time to bed in and build momentum; or to fall away completely to allow a more coherent and aligned vision and dream to form?

What do you wish to grow?

If you haven’t intentionally planted any seeds it can be a lovely time to listen into that which we want to create, become and put more time and focus towards.  If you could include one thing this year that would make a significant difference to your life what would it be?  

You can imagine planting the seed of awareness into the soil, into the earth and into the heart of yourself.  Then letting it be, letting it be received and be held by this deeper stillness and energy of pure potential.

You can write down and put away what you have seeded, to come back to at a later season when it starts to grow and need more care and sustained energy, awareness and effort to nurture and grow the seedling into a strong plant and then to fruition.  Keep in mind that some seeds are no longer needed and can be weeded and returned to the soil with ease and gratitude.

Gardening for the soul

If you like you can plant actual seeds and represent these in the outside world, to bring the unseen into the seen and to grow and care for the plants in real time.  Always trust your own knowing and what works for you most of all.

However you navigate this time I wish you the depth and steadiness of this gently stirring season.  I offer these reflections to possibly awaken the heart of your own knowing and to find the most useful and joyful way for you to keep growing with your truest dreams and visions.  May we let go of the unnecessary pushing and move into flowing with life and allowing sustained effort to be valuable and effective.  And may our seeds become strong, healthy, beautiful creations, adventures and projects ready and ripe for harvest later in the year.