Two Coho salmon are moving gently in the creek flow. They look about 20 or 22 inches long--giants in this small creek. We can see the female's white tail flipping softly to keep her even and stable in the current. The male hangs behind, flashing his bars of bright red, chasing away a competitor who swims by.  

Every so often while the female flops onto her side, makes quick wiggling movements, and digs her redd--the gravel nest where she lays her eggs. We see silt drifting downriver in the current. I am incredibly excited to be witness to this momentous event: the beginnings of new life, the ending of her cycle (she will die after all her eggs are laid), and the sense of endless renewal.  

There is a great peacefulness in the moment. The small creek with its riffles, gravel bars, and smooth flowing water after the rains welcomes these salmon back to their birthplace, the creek where they hatched two to four years ago. Redwood, Alder, Kingfishers, and Varied Thrush surround the salmon's home. Sun sets early behind high banks, and winter chill descends.

Because I have wanted to see spawning salmon for so long (20 years!) and because their wild beauty moves me deeply, I think of poet Mary Oliver's question, "What will you do with your one wild and precious life?"  

Dreams and Burdens

If you are feeling burdened by all the things you have to do in your life, all the obligations that keep you from doing what you dream of or love: Stop!  

This is a perfect time of year to go inward, cuddle up by the fire, and let yourself dream. Float through your fantasies of travel or book-writing, doing the art-making you always put off, or creating a job you'd love.  

Let yourself imagine all the details of one dream or project that would make you happy. Concentrate on the vision, not the barriers. Let yourself feel it in your body and see yourself doing whatever it is. The more you can dream and vision, the easier it will be to manifest.

How You Stop Yourself

Most of my life I've been very good at finding and augmenting barriers, so I speak about this with authority.  

Every single time you focus on what stands in your way, you are feeding your own despair and discouragement. Choosing the same old pattern costs your nerves, your values, and your self worth. You are disempowering yourself!

Every single time you shift back to your vision, you are feeding possibility. Like the dark, wet earth nurturing the seeds of spring wildflowers and the unfurling acorns of young oaks, you are nurturing your own beginnings.

Where your attention goes, your energy flows.

Step Into the Light

Joseph Campbell reminds us, "The black moment is the moment when the real message of transformation is going to come.  At the darkest moment comes the light." And this is where we are: in the dark time, the cold and wet time, the time of hibernation--and the time when we light candles and trees to remind ourselves of the light.  

The sun has already begun its return journey to the longest day. As you begin to notice the light returning--we "see" it about two weeks after the Solstice--take the opportunity to reflect on all the ways your life has flourished in the last year. Notice, too, the aspects of your life that still remain in the dreary dark. Think of what you want to light up as the new year begins, and light a candle for that, have a sacred fire, or make some other ceremony to feed your light.  

And if you are not sure how to move and shift your energy in the ways I am describing, or want to build your energy skills, join us to learn the tools of Energy Alchemy. Stay tuned for an online class this spring!

Blessings of the dark and the light,

Meg Beeler/Earth Caretakers 

Copyright 2015