Autumnal Equinox

The morning air is crisper and it stays dark until almost seven o'clock in the morning. I feel a strong pull to stay in my bed with the covers pulled up to my chin, warm and safe. I see the trees changing out their wardrobes, as I carry sweaters from one closet to the next. It is definitely becoming Fall. Autumnal Equinox is long past now, and we are into Hallomas. The light is growing longer and our shadows dance on the sidewalks until dinner time.

• Are you feeling the urge to go inward?
  
• To stay home and cook stew?
• To wear sweaters and leggings and pull out your Uggs?
  

Yes!!!! Me too. And so is Mother Nature. She prepares herself by deepening the caves and covering the ground. She knows winter is a long siesta for much of the natural world. And while it may seem unproductive, it is essential. The preparation for Spring is happening but in a way that is magical and unseen.

• How is that true in your own life?

• What is occurring naturally within you, without a lot of effort and energy?

We are all given this reprieve from daily frenzied activities. Do we pay attention to the inner cycle of life/death/rebirth? Are you aware that you are craving solitude right now? Are you able to slow down and be present to the divine within you? What will you be mulling over in the compost of your internal life this Fall?

Two Bird Sunset, #4878-20D

© 2011 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: February 16, 2011; Canon 20D; f/14 @ 1/250 sec; ±0 EV; ISO 200;
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM @ 252mm

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Fog and Myst

Dreams are soul excursions between twilight and dawn where I enter the collective deep interior with it's vast tunneling pathways leading me into my soul. The images, which can be strange, sacred, and at times scary, are essential opportunities to remember my fate and purpose. Some images lick at my heels like angered flames as I attempt to fly over them without injury. The point is not to avoid being burned; the point of purpose is to accept the invitation rather than avoiding the pain. The fire of purpose never goes out, even as fog or mist dampen the heat. The luminous fire constantly offers the essence of alchemical transformation.

I must be willing to step into the flames.

Mist and fog are elements that may cool the fire and confuse familiar terrain, however my feet know the way. My purpose and fate are embedded in my body. My DNA is encoded with ancestral myth and mysticism, which eternally urges me deeper into living my dream.

I call upon fog and Myst (mist) to cool the fire of my purpose. In Fall and Winter I tend to my hearth with a slow and simple fire. I have had enough of the towering infernos which burn too hot and too bright consuming all my energy. This is the season when fog and mist are welcomed partners. I am aware and I am embracing elemental change.

In the mist and fog I am given more time to contemplate what is emerging in the distance. It is this time between seeing and knowing that I choose to dwell today.

Goddess Sunset, #1040-7D

© 2011 James W. Murray, all rights reserved.

(click image for larger version)

Details: August 12, 2011; Canon 7D; f/8 @ 1/40 sec; —2 EV; ISO 400;
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM @ 135mm

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