“Look!”
My mom stopped short on her way to the clothesline to admire a cardinal perched on a snow-covered branch. No matter that it was freezing cold and no matter that she was dressed in her short-sleeved work dress. No matter that the clothes were fast hardening in the basket, making it impossible to hang them up to dry. In that moment, the world stopped and the red songbird was what mattered. Her smile penetrated the cold, went right into her heart and jumped into mine.
This little scene repeated itself countless times and in all different seasons. My mother alerted all my senses to the smells, sounds and sights of beauty. It is through her eyes that I first learned to look into the mirrors of nature. It is her voice that calls to you now through my writing.
We are a large family—nine children—then recently emigrated from Holland to Canada and the transition was challenging. Each day was driven by hard work. Since my job was to help in the housekeeping chores, I learned to see through my mother’s eyes.
When I left home, I stayed on the narrow path of hard work for many years and forgot my mother’s call until one day another songbird penetrated my heart. The loon’s call woke up my spirit. I changed my course and began my journey of self-discovery. These writings reflect those learnings.
As I enter the second half of my life (post 50), I realize that few women were fortunate enough to have a mom who alerted them in the way my mom did. Many, many women are burdened by the cares of daily life and have closed their eyes, ears, and hearts to the very sights and sounds that would nourish them.
My journey has taken me through a deep transformational process. Through my spiritual path, I was taken into Nature to heal and learn. Now as teacher, guide and mentor, I work with many women. I see their hunger for “beauty.” I feel their need for healing, for the blessing of spirit, and I know there are simple ways to experience this.
In Journeys into the Mirror, you are invited to pause a moment, “Look!” No matter how burdensome your day. No matter how many your chores left to be done. No matter how weary you are.
I’ve don’t have to travel to faraway places to see “beauty.” We don’t need to take workshop after workshop to find “blessings.” These are available to each woman right in her own backyard.
JOURNEYS INTO THE MIRROR is intended to alert you, inspire you, and support you to see, to feel, and to know yourself. Each entry in this Journal is an invitation to look into the mirror of nature, of life, of your own being to catch glimpses of beauty and know you are blessed.
What do I mean by the mirror of something?
Women look into the mirror often—several times a day. Some are compulsive, worried; few are admiring, endearing; and many look without seeing. We spend an inordinate amount of time, energy and money concerned about our external beauty—without apparent satisfaction.
We fix our hair, check for wrinkles, pull unwanted hairs, and, goodness me, let there be no streak or smear or embarrassing messes. Most gaze only at the surface appearances. Most are concerned only about what others will see and what they will think.
Some look to see themselves—without this look there is little self-awareness of how they are present in the world. Few of us actually gaze a little deeper—few take the time to connect to who is really looking into that mirror.
It has been said, “The eyes are the mirrors of the soul.” We know this depth when gazing into the eyes of our beloved. We recognize this truth when we hold a young infant and feel the wisdom of eternity gazing back at us. But do we see it when we look into our own eyes? Do we dare SEE our own SOUL?
So often, we blind ourselves with projections of expectations, emotions held over from unresolved past experiences and false beliefs that cloud our perceptions. When we look in the mirror, our eyes are glazed over, veiled so we cannot see/feel the Truth. We glance when no one is looking. We turn away when the reflection is objective and clear. And so we walk into our day with our burdens intact and our old beliefs unchanged.
JOURNEYS INTO THE MIRROR invites us to look and see—to really see and get to know who it is that is looking in the mirror.
In this blog you will be invited to look into nature as if it were a mirror.
Each reflection will be given a song to hear or an image to ponder. Each reflection will include a suggestion for how to engage with it as a mirror of self-reflection.
Each reflection will offer you opportunity to journal and listen to your own inner awareness and knowing.
Nature, our Great Mother, is calling us. Take a moment now to stop your busy-ness and listen. Open your heart and let the smile of recognition nourish your inner beauty. In this way you will be blessed this day—and you will be a greater blessing to others.
I offer Journeys into the Mirror in gratitude to my mother and in honor of our Great Mother.
Excerpted from “Journeys Into The Mirror” Written by Janneke Koole
#DTMMS #DeerTribe #Heal #Change #Grow #SharingKnowledgeThatWorks #SweetMedicineSunDancePath
