Almost every morning at sunrise, I begin my day the same way we begin our Sunday gatherings in the Circle:  by facing the Four Directions and drinking in the limitless energy available in doing so. It's a rich and valuable process, but as with any ritual, there's a tendency for it to become rote with repetition unless it is examined periodically.  So I'd like to take this opportunity to re-visit my evolving understanding of how and why we engage in this practice.
 
We begin by facing East, the direction of Spring and the light of the rising sun.  The energy of the East reminds us that we are free to make a fresh start in each moment and invites us to plant seeds of intention for the day(s) ahead.
 
Making a quarter-turn in the clockwise direction, we face the South, the direction of Summer and the overhead light of the noonday sun. Doing so opens our awareness to the abundance, health and well-being always present in our lives.  It evokes feelings of gratitude, knowing that all our needs have been met and will always be met at every step along the way.
 
And now we turn to the West, the direction of Autumn and the setting sun.  In facing West, we open ourselves to the constancy of change and our willingness to be transformed.  We re-visit our willingness to live with our unanswered and possibly unanswerable questions.  To face the inescapable truth that even the brightest, richest day must surrender its treasures to the falling night.
 
And now we turn to the North, the direction of the cold winds of Winter and the darkness of night, teaching us to accept life's challenges and losses.  To face the Void and the inevitability of our own physical death.  Standing in silence and facing into the direction of the cold North winds, we acknowledge and accept that fragility while re-affirming our strength and divinity, too.
 
Turning once again, we spiral inward to face the Center of the Circle, the Center of our Being, the Middle of the Mystery, which is Spirit. We recognize that the Center contains the interactions of all of the elements in the Four Directions simultaneously.  Standing in the center, we realize that we are always being born, always dying, always living in abundance, always facing losses, always in motion, always standing still. Centered in this awareness, we feel our inter-connection with all of life and experience the peace of knowing:  "We Are One."
 
It's a powerful process, and I look forward to sharing it with you again sometime soon - maybe this Sunday.  I hope so.
 
With blessings,