‘Runes left by the Snowman’

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The post thaw Bonehill snowman

While there was a beauty, wildness and sense of pioneering spirit to being mostly snowed in for a month here at Bonehill, I have to confess to being simply relieved when it finally thawed. At our last Circle meeting, Joyce commented on ‘the runes left by the snowman’ and I think we were all struck by that sense of transition as the Cailleach of the Snows finally loosened her freezing grip and the very first soft signs of Spring began to show. We met on a gentle, misty day and spoke of the spring goddess Bride still veiled but glimpsed at last in the snowdrops and the pussy willow…also of the vibrant power of the emerging green growth and that strange mixture of the energy and vulnerabilty of new beginnings. I guess that’s rather how I feel here at Bonehill as this new retreat centre starts to grow into the world. There’s a both sense of purpose and power and moments of setback and uncertainty. To close, here are a few words from Mary Oliver, recently received (thank you, Kamini) for my birthday…

“It was what I was born for-
to look, to listen

to lose myself
inside this soft world-
to instruct myself
over and over

in joy
and acclamation.
Nor am I talking
about the exceptional,

the fearful, the dreadful,
the very extravagant –
but of the ordinary,
the common, the very drab,

the daily presentations.
Oh, good scholar,
I say to myself
how can you help

but grow wise
with such teachings
as these –
the untrimmable light

of the world,
the ocean’s shine,
the prayers that are made
out of grass?”