Solstice Blessings

And so, the longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere has passed...  an indrawn breath... a pause... and the year exhales, continuing it's journey around the wheel... the sacred circle...

The morning looked miserable & cloudy so no chance of seeing the moon rise... I sent out my wish that it would be lovely to catch a glimpse, but thinking there was really no chance I wasn't really looking. All of a sudden the moon was there through the trees... a tiny gap in the cloud! I whispered my thanks....

This crescent moon is waning towards the darkness... following the circle of birth and life and death and rebirth.... riding the clouds towards dark moon... a time of introspection and re-assessment, before readying to re-emerge....

The point of moon-rise is moving closer to the point of sun-rise, almost converging..... and just as the winter solstice signifies emerging from the darkness, the clouds dispersed.... rapidly... as the solstice dawn reached out, pushing away all traces of lingering darkness...

I welcomed the golden light into my being as the sun threw tantalizing beams to bounce off the remaining clouds.... light flooding the sky.... I feel so thankful for this sight... for being here, now... feeling the energies in the woods as i waited, swaying to the rhythm of an invisible drum...

Crows made their way  across the wood behind me, and a wren scolded just yards from my feet. A lone magpie seemed to bounce along the tree tops..... (i think you'll like the next pic, rose!).... magpies long tail can be a bit unwieldy at times & he took a moment to find his balance... the centre-point that we too must find to keep our balance in this world.... magpie... black and white... light and dark, night and day... or so he seems...

A fitting message on solstice morn... for magpies feathers have an iridescence, an extra sheen... transcending mere black and white... as this sunrise is about more than night and day...

A spectacular sky as the sun breaks past the horizon... i give thanks for the sun that shines on us all... and i wonder which horizons i can break past too....

Wishing you all the best, whether your year is turning towards light or dark.... may you have a wonderful journey wherever it takes you xx

Sharing with Skywatch

angel's breath

is it just the breath of angels

that keeps the sun up in the sky?

Step Into a Cloud

Dramatic sunsets continue to catch my attention...

the intensity of the colours, the shapes of clouds...

the burning orb that is our sun, 

casting light that is both constant & ever changing.

Only a week ago the the sunset was to the left of those trees. 

Don't you feel that you could step right into this cloud... 

on the way to some other dimension?

Expand you mind and step inside...

feel the wonder of creation...

Is that an arm that curls round to keep us safe as we ride the air?

Or is it a path to slide down, then jump to the cloud next door?

Like the curl of an ocean wave... but more dreamy...

safe in our arms, we bring you calm

exhale those troubles & tensions,

 breathe in a sense of freedom...

be blessed by the breath of a fiery sky,

that gently soothes your burdens...

How inviting does that look? (especially if you click & enlarge it)

A portal... a dreamscape... a view through your mind's eye...

or simply beautiful pattern & colour?

No wonder that man is continually fascinated by the skies & beyond

For more wondrous skies take a trip in the clouds to

Thank you to all who take part & share their views

ps... skywatchers may like the next post too!

Desert Sunset?

One of the reasons I wanted a 'proper' camera was that my compact didn't always capture 'true' colours in sky shots... now, my new one may be capable, but the operator has much to learn! After the success of my last sunset, perhaps I was a little trigger happy... in my defence dinner was about to burn! However, it was one of those 'happy accidents' and I ended up with a gorgeous desert sunset in the north of England... except the trees might give me away!

It was nowhere near this dark.... but perhaps if I hadn't confessed, you wouldn't have known. I do love the dramatic effect though. It set me off thinking about perception again... the way we see things, or don't... comparing the camera & image to our minds & thoughts.

There is an infinite stream of information out there, both in the physical world and beyond that can flood our minds, as light floods into a camera... the aperture & shutter regulate the amount, which we can take control of manually, or leave on the automatic programme. When we are born we come with automatic settings that regulate the amount of information (light) and how we process it which gives us the picture we have of the world. Of course, none of us have exactly the same programme, and our settings are altered by the  upbringing & experiences that we have. But at some point we have the choice of switching to manual.... of taking control of our attitudes & action... of changing the way we see things or react.

We can open our own apertures & be more open to information or energy. We can adjust our own shutter speeds of judgement & analysis... etc etc. But it is the combination of settings that gives the picture, and sometimes it appears better or worse than, or at least different from what is really there... maybe that is why some people see no reason to change, others are never happy, some always are.

So, I'll keep tweaking those settings until it becomes instinctive & see the beauty in every scene....

Thank you to Skywatch Friday

go visit for some wonderous sights!

Sunset

How beautiful are these sunset clouds? In fact, 'beautiful' is far too tame a description... there is something much more powerful about them beyond mere words. And the contrast between the between those at the top and the lower, distant sky.... but if I could zoom in on those, they would have more amazing details in relation to the sky beyond. Neither one would be a more accurate or real portrayal, neither would be the full picture, just a snapshot of a given aspect at one moment in time....

Even looking at the bigger picture isn't the full picture; how could it be? That's something way beyond our capabilities or imagination... but it helps to put things in context in relation to what we see or know. I never cease to marvel at the sights that nature gifts us, and whisper silent 'thank-you's' (actually, often out loud) so many times in a day, it would be impossible to count. 

Just shifting my gaze a couple of inches brings an entirely different vision, connected to the first but calmer & more muted, just as spectacular in it's own way... Just an inch or two of movement where I stand equates to miles on the horizon... how far in deepest space? How far up is that cloud and how deep are the ripples we see in it? I'm sure someone knows, but I am content to wonder and just gaze upon it's face.

Whether we look scientifically or spiritually, whether we search with reason or intuition, we see from where we are standing... from one angle at any given moment... exploring & learning about the mystery that we are a part of. Each little shift in understanding, each tiny step or leap in comprehension might only seem like an inch, but how many miles does it equate to in the recesses of our mind, or the vastness of our consciousness? How far might it reach? How far could it travel along the strands of the web that connects us?

I thought that first cloud looked like it could be upside down... so I cropped it & turned it... makes a landscape out of a skyscape don't you think?

you stroll around the landscape of my mind

and peruse my inner vision

you brush your hand through scented thoughts

and scatter dust from inhibition

you take a sip from my well of love

and gaze at the paths i've travelled

you look through my eyes at the skies ahead

and polish a cluster of stars

you pick up a memory that weighs in my heart

and skim it over life's rivers

you reach for a cloud lit up by my sun

and turn it in your palms

 you smile as you turn it upside down

to sail in an eternal ocean of wonder

 plenty of amazing photographs over at 

thank you to the organisers & the participants

Snowdrops... Fragile Beauty

Beautiful aren't they? 

A mass of snowdrops in the old orchard 

they've been there for years,

 multiplying over time.

  Maybe a bit like our thoughts in they old grey matter... 

or emotions...

Sometimes the big picture is enough, but zoom in for a closer look...  

appreciate the finer details...

identify one area (thought, idea, emotion, problem etc) to focus on...

Notice how some are slightly more open... 

and if we look closer some are nearly still closed...

 some are in full bloom (ready to pursue, work on, deal with)...

 some need a little more time... 

a bit of coaxing (a bit more effort, consideration... healing...)

From another angle... wow! 

Sometimes we need to look at things from another perspective,

turn things upside down to see what we have been missing...

little details... clues...

Would we have seen that sky behind

 if we only looked at what was obvious in front of us?

The background... the past... 

something that coloured our judgement, affected our emotions...

How often are we carried away with the bigger picture, 

caught up in a mass of thoughts or feelings, 

whether it be enthusiasm or despair?

Pause... wonder.... look.... and really see...

Caught in a storm they're beautiful...

we are beautiful...

you are beautiful...

Even in a downpour...

because of it.

We may bow our heads to weather the storm,

we may look or feel extremely fragile...

but those raindrops will run off our backs...

let them cleanse and heal...

'cos even on the greyest day

be inspired by their fragile beauty...

seek another perspective.

the clouds are just a background,

highlighting strength and beauty within.

Outdoor Living...

Fancy a relaxing bath? Panoramic views to enhance your pleasure!

Or perhaps you would like to invite a friend for a romantic bathing experience?

And when you're done, dry yourself off, take a seat & watch nature tv... 

plenty of channels to choose from, there's terrestrial telly...

and you don't even need a satelite dish to get sky!