Always behind....

  I went with a very dear friend recently to a lovely little place near her home, a rather weedy and lily pad covered small lake. She wanted to do a guided shamanic journey, and this was a quiet (if you ignored the cars on Hwy 100 some distance away) natural sort of place. A heron flew above us twice. I watched fish eat water bugs, saw tiny fish near the shore, and listened to the wind rustling the leaves above our bench.
  I was very upset by the cigarette butts and beer cans strewn about. I am going to go back this week and clean it up, and work on breathing in a natural setting. There are maybe more quiet places in the city where I could be, but the water there, all murky and weedy, teeming with life, with the lily pads floating serenely on top, just seemed to speak to me. I hadn't found a real water feature near me that spoke to me, until this past Saturday. When I was part of a group called Nigheanan Brighde, we were to find a water/natural area to take care of and get to know. I was never able to do that, either because of time, family situation, or just plain not sure of what to do.
  Now that I am not in a 9-5 job, I have time to do such things (if you don't count all the family duties I have!), and slowly, but surely, I am getting around. Which in a way is sad, since in December we are moving to the east coast area, and I will have to do this all over again. I found my Grove these past 2 years, and other Druid things have fallen into place, and now I must uproot... I am profoundly sad about all of this. I understand the necessity behind what we are doing, and in the long run it is good for our family. But I am sad that I have my roots here, and I will be forced to try to grow them in unfamiliar soil. Luckily my Grove family is going to keep me from losing touch with them, and with the study group I will have that tie back.
  So, part of this past weeks homework was to find a natural spot and commune with it. I will now be able to do that on a weekly basis, and will be content with what I have for now. It is good.