Women In-Spirit

      In a childhood photograph my Mother walks on a beach with her arms full of wind-dried sea grasses. With her gentle smile and her tousled blond curls peeking out from the hood of her coat, she exudes an aura of relaxed vitality. My brother and I, bundled in coats and hats, cheeks rosy pink from the wind, lead the way that day upon that wide, empty beach. I can still hear the seagulls screaming above the thundering surf of the Atlantic, feel the sharp wind slap, taste the salt on my lips. My pockets were assuredly filled with treasures; seashells, pebbles and bits of driftwood all polished smooth by the sea. And I remember how the ocean made me feel wide inside, open and wild, free and alive but also inextricably connected.        Mother loved to tell us stories of her childhood especially her early years growing up on the ocean; of being a mariner scout or when she and Grandpa were rescued by the Coast Guard one fateful fishing trip. She would look out to sea with a wistful look i

       At this writing we are just in the 'dark of the moon' phase before Thursday's New Moon. The night sky is dark as there is no solar reflection off the face of the moon. Within three days a new crescent sliver will appear. Psychically this is a time ripe for inner retrospect, for deep listening. I usually find that I am tired mentally and physically and am instinctively introspective by this phase each month. Considering that we are also in a mercury retrograde I am especially so. It's time to honor and make space for extra rest, for journaling, and for spending time reviewing the past month. Somewhere under this veil of darkness there is something that unsettles me, something I need to hold and release. Holding on to it weakens me, so now is the time to circle round that wound casting it into the light of healing and forgiveness.       This particular pathway The Forgiveness of Light, #34,   falls then at precisely the right time. Some years back I was inspired to