Endless Mystery - Rod MacIver

The deep, important journeys of life involve endless mystery.
The source of the cohesive disequilibrium of the universe  -
the disharmonies that combine to create harmony, the depths
of our inner worlds and the hidden belief systems and
mythologies, unique to each of us, that guide our lives
without us knowing it, the beauty of the natural world and the
search, individual to each of us, for the courage to manifest
the beauty within, to evolve, to change.  And the somewhat
contradictory search for inner peace.  We search for harmony
with our inner world, and sometimes find it, then, once again,
lose it.  And then of course the ultimate mystery of death and
the implications of that mystery on the true nature of life.
On living that life...

Rod MacIver

Heron Dance

 

I learn by going where I have to go - Roethke

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.
I learn by going where I have to go.

We think by feeling.  What is there to know?
I hear my being dance from ear to ear.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Of those so close beside me, which are you?
God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,
And learn by going where I have to go.
Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how?
The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Great Nature has another thing to do
To you and me, so take the lively air,
And, lovely, learn by going where to go.

This shaking keeps me steady.  I should know.
What falls away is always.  And is near.

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

I learn by going where I have to go.

Theodore Roethke

Original title - "The Waking"

~

Photo - Mystic Meandering

 

Open the Window to Your Soul...

Open the window to your Soul..

Let your Soul breathe;
enclosed and encrusted too long
in the musty air
of an unlived life...

Listen to the birds calling to you,
just outside the window of your Soul.
Hear the sounds of Nature thriving with Life!
And the silent steps of the neighbor's cat
walking the fence - stopping to peer in at you -
through the window...

Open your eyes to the magic of Life being lived,
just outside the window to your Soul...

Breathe in the Living Cosmos that enfolds you here...
Feel the Soul wind caressing you - vibrating your Heart.
Hear the voice of "The Mystery" whispering -

Come - Play!

Open your window!

Come alive again!

Mystic Meandering
May 6, 2022

~

Photo - Mystic Meandering

 

Wonderment

Night of Northern Lights video

Be sure to click on the square icon in the lower right hand corner
after you start playing the video for the full screen affect.

~

...I don't know what gladness is or where it comes from, this splitting
open of the self.  It takes me by surprise.  Not an awareness of beauty
and mystery, but beauty and mystery themselves, flooding into a
mind suddenly without boundaries.  Can this be gladness, to be
lifted by the flood?

This is something that needs explaining, how light emerges from
darkness, how comfort wells up from sorrow.  The Earth holds
every possibility inside it, and the mystery of transformation,
one thing into another.  This is the wildest comfort.

Kathleen Dean Moore
From: Wild Comfort: The Solace of Nature

~

How can you explain the mystery of the inexplicable?
You can only surrender to it...
My "medicine" - my wild comfort - is
the wonderment and splendor
of the Infinite Cosmos
It soothes my soul...

MM

Seek The Mystery - Ken Kesey

The answer is never the answer.
What's really interesting is the mystery.
...seek the mystery instead of the answer...
I've never seen anybody really find the answer.

They think they have, so they stop [seeking].
But the job is to seek mystery, evoke mystery...
Plant a garden in which strange plants grow
and mysteries bloom.

The need for mystery is greater than the need
for an answer.

Ken Kesey 
author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Winter's Light...

And yet, though we strain against the deadening grip
of daily necessity,
I sense there is this mystery:

All life is being lived.

Who is living it then?

Is it the things themselves,
or something waiting
inside them,
like an unplayed melody
in a flute?

Is it winds blowing over the waters?

Is it the branches that signal to each other?

Is it flowers
interweaving their fragrances,
or streets
as they wind through time…

Rainer Maria Rilke
from: Book of Hours

~*~

Yes, we are still in Winter here! J
March is our snowiest month,
along with temps in the 60’ and 70’s!

Top photo: Snow on Trees color inverted…

The photos below were taken by my husband the morning after,
out the back window...

  How magical the pristine beauty that emerged….

”The Mystery” is here,
everywhere,
in everything,

*as* everything…

In looking into “The Mystery”
there is a sense of intimacy.
There is only
deep, deep Love

reflected back…

In the deep Womb of the Heart
there is a song…
It is sung with tenderness
for every heart that aches
from its imagined separateness
from The Beloved…

Sit in deep Quiet and listen
until you hear It…

~

Verses under photos
Mystic Meandering

Goosey Goslings ~ ~ ~

Feeling a little lack-luster this week, I decided to cross the bridge today at a local park to see if the gardens were in bloom, only to find this lovely surprise - no flourishing gardens – but Canadian Geese and their goslings!  

Truly, we live with mysteries
 too marvelous to be understood.

How grass can be nourishing in the
mouths of lambs.
How rivers and stones are forever
in allegiance with gravity
while we ourselves dream of rising.

How people come
from delight
or the scars of damage,
to the comfort of
a poem…

Let me keep my distance,
always,
from those who
think they have the answers.

Let me keep company,
always,
with those who say -
”Look”
and laugh in astonishment,
and bow…

Mary Oliver
from Evidence

When we are free of mental concepts
and our senses are awake,
the sounds, smells, images,
and vibrations we experience
connect us with all life…

It is not my aliveness
but simply
life…
unfolding and intense,
mysterious and beautiful.

By meeting the changing dance
with radical acceptance

we discover our intrinsic
belonging
to the whole…

Tara Brach
from: The Buddha Is Still Teaching
by Jack Kornfield

Companions on the Road...

I took you all on an “expotition” with me today, as Pooh Bear calls it. You were my companions on the road, not looking for anything in particular – just exploring nature. I thought you’d like to see where you had been :)

We arrived at one of my favorite places along an old agricultural irrigation canal.

We saw the majestic cottonwoods bared by winter and the stately evergreens lining the path, as we crossed the walking bridge over the frozen canal onto the path, knowing we were entering Sacred space, the realm of Nature. We noticed a single hawk silently spiraling overhead, and a flock of Canadian Geese called out as they made their way over the field for several passes before they landed, winding lower and lower until final touch down. (Unfortunately we couldn’t capture those pictures ;)

The dirt path, about 12 feet wide, was snow covered and muddy in places, giving off the wonderful pungent odor of wet earth that says Spring is not far off. As we walked in the slippery mud it made that funny gushy, sticky, sucking sound under our feet. So we hugged the edge of the path to keep from slipping in the muck…

The ponds and canal were still frozen, or partly frozen – waiting for the thaw; the frosted ice on this one slowly melting away from the edges, returning to its liquid form, as the canal waited for flow to return.

A multitude of birds where enthusiastically chittering and chattering in the low branches at the edges of the pond as we walked by…. Chickadees, Red Wing Black Birds, Magpies, Finches. I wished I had brought the tape recorder… Fletchers and Woodpeckers made their hollow pecking sounds on old dead trees – all in a magically syncopated chorus. We stood silent, watched and listened, aware of the sound and movement of Life, breathing in its Aliveness. Then someone spotted a tree with 3 large nests.

We were excited to find this old cottonwood fallen across the canal, bottom exposed. And like curious children we all wanted to clamor on it to get a better view inside – but there wasn’t enough room for us all to fit – no shoving please… So we just peeked in the hollow to see what we could see – one at a time.

We gathered around this bench by the trees to take a break, the eldest ones sitting, of course. :)

We listened to the Silence of Nature and its Rhythms. Then meandered on again, taking more pictures of the partially thawed ice on the canal, and a bridge that crosses over to a small private farm.

We had a good ‘expotition’, we field explorers of Life, companions on “the Road,” having a shared experience called "life", discovering the ease of simply being and the Mystery of Life living through us all. Thanks for coming along. I was, and am, graced by your Presence - in spirit…

“We shall not cease from exploration.
And the end of all our exploring
will be to arrive
where we started
and know the place
for the first time…”

TS Elliot

"The Beloved's" Romance...

Absorbed in Nature,
the natural world,
we remember
that we are
embraced by
”The Beloved.”

Experiencing Nature
*is* experiencing “The Beloved”
experiencing ItSelf *as* Life.

Experiencing Nature
is experiencing the Formless
becoming form, taking shape,
*as* Formlessness;
the ineffable Nature of Being…

…the Beloved morphing Itself
into “mere” form…

Saying ~ here, look, see ~
*See* ME…

Offering the invitation to open to
the Nature of Being…

Offering the gift of
*seeing*
*hearing*
*awareing*
*experiencing*
~ Beingness ~
experiencing ItSelf
as an owl,
as a tree,
as the sunset,
as me,
as
‘B’

…all conduits of “The Beloved’s” Love
romancing life…

And who is “The Beloved”?

The Form and the Formless…
The Every-thing-ness of Existence,
calling to us to play in
”The Beloved’s”
Divine Play…

Calling to us to remember “The Beloved’s”
embrace
and be absorbed
by
”The Beloved’s”
Love…

Reminding us
through
Nature
everyday
that
we
*are*
”The Beloved’s”
Love…

The
True
Romance


And what is “The Beloved’s” Romance?
To be in love with Life
To feel ALIVE *to* Life
To play *with* Life
To Dance *with* Life
in the
Dance of Existence…


Look beyond the surface of “things”
as they seem;
this “mere” humanness,
this “mere” existence,
to the Essence
of
”The Beloved…”

Life in love with ItSelf…


*See* into the *Nature* of “things,”
and Romance with “The Beloved”
will blossom…




Mystic Meandering
copyright
January 24, 2012


“B” is my husband :)

"The Beloved" - as I use it here, is the luminous,
ever-present Presence that animates
all life;
that *is* Life,
not a separate entity of being...

Twilight Owls...

I wish I had a better picture for you, to show my two very enchanting experiences this week with two different owls in our neighborhood, but you’ll just have to trust me. All I have to show for it is this silhouetted picture of a small owl. That would be the little dark blob in the photo of the tree. :) The other one was a huge Great Horned Owl perched in our next door neighbor’s tree, very close to our house. There is such a sacred feeling to be able to view wildlife in a residential neighborhood like this (besides rabbits, squirrels and hawks). And if I hadn’t been out on my walk I would not have seen the smaller owl. In fact I nearly missed it…

As I walked down the sidewalk my husband approached from the opposite direction in the car, as he was coming back from errands. He stopped, we briefly spoke, and I continued on my walk. However, I realized I had the garage door opener, and turned around and headed back. I waved to him to show that I had it, and he started walking towards me. Suddenly he started running towards me, which I found strange. I thought maybe we were going to have one of those magical romantic moments in slow motion that you only see in the movies. And I waited – but no – my mistake…

As he reached me and I handed off the opener he said to me – “Have I got a surprise for you” – peaking my intrigue – a surprise?! And he couldn’t wait until I got home?! After all we had just talked. But he just had to run to tell me now?! With a look of innocent wonder on his face, he pointed up at a tree across the street and said - “There’s your owl” – as if presenting me with a gift. He was - the gift of awareness, the gift of seeing what I had previously missed, and the gift of childlike amazement seen in his eyes. Priceless. He meant it was the owl we thought we had been looking for since hearing it last Summer.

I am hard of hearing and hadn’t heard the soft, gentle hoo-ing when I passed by this owl just a moment before. We both stood in amazement, and of course I whipped out the camera, and managed to get a few shots before it spotted us and suddenly flew off – which I almost missed because I had the camera in front of my face! We stood together for a moment marveling. My husband turned and walked back to the house, and I turned and continued on my twilight walk – in joyful wonderment at such a “romantic” moment -with the owl that is. As I walked, I marveled at the Mystery of Life living ItSelf all around me, in sunsets, and moon risings, on the ground, in the trees, and the winged ones that perch in them…

After I got back from my twilight walk the next evening, where you can be sure I was searching the trees for another view, my husband heard an owl hoo-ing close by. So we went out to look for it and followed the sound. We knew it was very close. It was dusk, but light enough to see the image against the liminally-lit sky. And with binoculars I could tell it was a Great Horned Owl, with its characteristic ear tufts, and a white neck ruffle – like a wise old judge from the Forest. It hooed a few more times from his perch high up in a cottonwood, seemingly unaware of our presence, and then quietly flew off with its elegant and swooping wide wing span. I do believe it was the Great Horned Owl that we heard last Summer and Fall. And maybe the smaller owl we saw the other night was the female version, as this is the beginning of their mating season. Ah ha! Romance *is* in the air! I am falling in love with Nature!

I am strangely comforted knowing that this incredible world of nature is just outside my door, teeming with Life. I am enamored with the idea that I may be living in Winnie the Pooh’s Hundred Acre Wood and haven’t even realized it – till now. So much goes on in nature all the time that we’re never really aware of, unless we put ourselves in a position and frame of mind to really *see* it… And to think that I don’t have to go off into the wilderness somewhere and wait for hours to spot it! I can’t imagine that I’ve missed all this beauty all these years by not paying attention and not being out at this time of day – the liminal time, where the subtleties of Life reveal themselves.

Last October we recorded and posted the mysterious sound of the owl that had been visiting so often at night. I thought I’d post it again here. Enjoy the lullaby :)

“small stone”

Small hoo-ing, coo-ing owl
sitting in gnarly branches
silhouetted in dusky light…

Swoops off to other perches,
other haunts,
leaving the echo of
her mysterious hooes
behind…

Awakens imagination…

The Joy of Spontaneity

Last Friday I was surprised by unexpected joy – aliveness – an inner dance of Light and lightheartedness. Unfortunately I haven’t had time to write about it until Now :). I felt an inner excitement that I know all too well comes and goes, just like the sad feelings, or any other for that matter – but I was delighted and amused by this feeling of spontaneous joy rising. Honestly, sad to say, it doesn’t happen that often. I do not have what might be considered a “joyful” outlook on life. :) In fact my mother called me “the dark cloud” most of my childhood. So an effusion of “joy” is not normally expressed here – we were not a band of “joyful souls.” There was a darker cloud that loomed over us, and it wasn’t mine. But I’ll spare you that story. Suffice it to say, there wasn’t an environment that nurtured joy. So when it arose within me I *knew* it had to come from a place of pure Being deep within.

It seemed to me that by honoring and giving space for the sadness to express the day before, it freed the space up for joy to spontaneously arise. I think the same is true with all our shadow aspects – our “darker” feelings. When they are acknowledged and recognized, it frees them, releases their hold on us, and opens the door for the heart to play - spontaneously…

Everything became spontaneous; every action, every idea, thought, movement – eliciting a sense of joy. I spontaneously went for a 2 hour walk at 12 noon, which I never do; didn’t think about it, just did it, and rediscovered a new place to walk and take pictures. I had driven over to my “regular” walking path, but there were two huge dump trucks blocking the road to the parking area, and many cars were already trapped there, waiting for the trucks to move, so I decided not to chance it. Feeling a little bummed that my moment of joy was about to wane, I spontaneously remembered there was a little park right near our house. So I went there, with anticipation and curiosity.

This inner joy thrived in my new surroundings as I walked down winding concrete walking paths through a small, tree-filled park with a small pond, manicured gardens still in bloom. As I strolled along with my new friend, Joy, taking it in, I spotted a big yellow and black butterfly fluttering around one of the round gardens that happened to be quite fragrant. I have no idea what those little pink flowers are, but they were potent. I tried to get a picture, but the butterfly’s wings just kept fluttering and “he/she” wouldn’t sit still – of course. She was just doing what a butterfly does – thoroughly enjoying herself. She moved from flower to flower and I’d chase after it trying to capture “the moment”, leaning into the flowers as far as I could, camera extended, to get the right shot, and she’d move on to the next blossom, and me with her - trying to keep up with her joyful dance. I was in the moment *with* her – completely focused, although having trouble keeping the camera focused on her. Somehow magically I managed a couple of fairly good shots! The dragonfly was more cooperative, as I caught him resting on a stem.

I thought of how contemplative photographers must be soooo patient, so mindful, so still, just waiting for just the right moment to snap the shutter; skills I have yet to learn – particularly patience and contemplative photography. I was having too much fun playing with Joy to be patient! I completely lost myself in the experience, in the fun of it, in the presence of nature’s joy. Life should be like this everyday – a nurtured sense of natural Joy! For some I know it is… It is our natural state of Being after all… But it seems to come more naturally for some…

Even in this new Now today - new day, new feelings - I remember how I *in*-joyed the experience whole-heartedly – spontaneously. Spontaneously knew when it was time to leave, and spontaneously went about the rest of my day – in an uncontrived, natural state of joy... I could say my entire being was purely joy-ing that day. :) Yes, I know, it’s called enjoying… I did that too…

Remember Joy!

Hibernating Land...

Frozen Earth bound in time,
preparing for the thaw,
allowing flow and movement
to regain rhythm and rhyme…

Frozen streams of frosted glass
crystallize the sun;
forming lances of light to illuminate
the path,
through this natural prism,
opaquely wrapped.

The silence of the hibernating land
speaks in loud whispers
through the trees;
crying soul-callers of the sky
fly in comfortable bands,
sounding the homing call,
kindredly clanned.

Come Home
Be Free...



Mystic Meandering
copyright
January 1998


photo - sun through frost on window
Feb. 2010

An Owl Story...

There’s something about hearing the hoo of an owl at night that makes my heart coo…

Around 5pm on Thanksgiving evening I was sitting at my desk, reading blogs :), when I heard the gentle, rhythmic hoo-ing sound of an owl. I could tell it was close. My curiosity got the better of me and I went from window to window to see if I could find where the sound was coming from. I thought for sure it must have been on the roof. B thought it was in one of the neighbor’s trees. We felt like we at least located the general direction it was coming from, so like a couple of kids, we decided to go looking. We went around to the side of the house where the hoos echoed between our house and the neighbor’s like an echo in a canyon. As we walked, the dry leaves cracked under our feet. We were afraid we’d scare it away, so we stopped and just listened. Again we heard the strong, rhythmic hoo-ing sounds. In the distance we also heard the faint hoo-ing of 2 other owls. All three calling out to each other in the darkness… Magic was underfoot… Well that and the cracking leaves… We tried again to move closer to the sound…

I’m sure the owl spotted us, even though we couldn’t spot it, because the hoo-ing stopped. Darn…

In our curiosity and need to pursue it, we evidently scared it off. If I had just stayed “inside”, silent and listening, I could have enjoyed the mysterious sounds a little longer – but the innocent desire to attain the *experience* called me out of stillness… Hmmm – interesting…

Pondering the experience in “The Cave” last night produced this…

Song of night,
the mysterious owl’s gentle hoo,
echoes its call:
pay attention,
listen,
don’t move…

In stillness
the owl *sees*,
acutely aware of
the slightest move,
the faintest sound;
everything perceived…

Silent in its night flight,
only the sound of its call,
dissolving in thin air -
appearing and disappearing…

Awareness, awareing it all…

This morning at breakfast, B said what he heard was a pattern in the hoos of the owl. Morse code to be exact… Yes, the Mystic and the Analyst – both poetry in motion, heard differently. He said in the rhythm of the owl’s hoo-ing he heard the Morse code sounds for the letters: E-U-T-T, which he translated for himself to mean: Experience Ultimate Transformational Tranquility… In other words, he said:

Be at Peace…

The call of Nature…

~~~~~~

Reflections...

Had wonderful rain late last night and 3 rain storms again today. We don’t get a lot of rain here so when it comes I feel inspired, refreshed and renewed.

My sister didn’t need me to come today, so I took advantage of the “time off” and decided to go for a walk in nature along a canal and open space area. I took my camera.

As soon as I got about half way over the foot bridge that crosses the full flowing canal at this time of year, I automatically took in a deep breath, as if my body knew I was entering another realm – the peace and tranquility of Nature. I snapped a few pictures of a tall branchey Cottonwood against the crisp blue sky (future blog photo), and then proceeded down the wide path that parallels the canal. I was met by a woman dressed in pink being pulled along by what appeared to be an all white German Shepherd dog. She had seen me snapping pictures of the bright yellow dandelions along the side of the path (which didn’t come out well) and she stopped to comment on that. She told me that she was from France (I could hear an accent), had lived in Brazil most of her life, and had spent 25 years in Washington DC. She didn’t appear to be that old to me!

She commented on the beauty of the wild flowers (do dandelions fit into that category? I thought they were weeds) and the cherry blossom trees, while her dog sniffed at me. The dog was not interested in our wildlife conversation and so started pulling the pink lady away while she tried to continue the conversation. I actually started following *her* so I could hear what she was saying… She finally gave up and just said –“Have a nice day.” I returned the salutation, turned and went on – snapping photos – appreciating her friendly gesture and connection.

Up around the bend were my favorites – a couple of Canadian Geese. The geese are nesting now. Eggs had been laid on a high cement piling in the middle of a wildlife refuge pond (picture not clear enough to show you). As I walked I could smell the pungent fragrance of pine and a small crabapple tree in bloom, and stopped there to snap a picture of a bee pollinating (future blog photo).

All along the path there were puddles from the morning rain. Near the end of my walk, close to where I turn around and head back, I spotted a particular puddle (above) with the reflection in it. Not shadows. Reflection. It was like peering into a different realm. What an amazing gift from Nature! I was fortunate to be able to capture this because on my way back the sun was too bright, and the light just glared off the surface, obliterating the reflection… Hmmm – there must be meaning in there somewhere…

Here are 2 more reflection pictures that captured my eye from the wildlife refuge pond.

They caught my attention because they made me wonder, what is real and what is illusion? And how do we know the difference? It seems one is just the reflection of the other – but which one… Ah – the Mystery of Nature… :)

They predict more rain tomorrow and Saturday! Oh boy! I’m giddy!