The folktale of the Selkie combines the bitter and the sweet - a hauntingly relevant message for modern souls. To journey through this myth is to witness the whole of us: the one who leaves; the one who betrays herself for safety, love and belonging; and the one who remembers and returns. Who among us sees the whole — the wild, the wounded, and the wonder within? The quiet work of soul-tending and wild becoming is rarely honored in a world that fears what it cannot tame - yet it is the truest kind of magic.
Read MoreThe Pilgrimage Against The Current: A River Tale of Return & Resilience
It is not just humans who tell stories. The annual migration of herring up the Mystic River, Massachusetts, tells a story about resilience, persistence and trust in intuition. An ancient wisdom arises from the soft splashes and flickers of silvery blue gray, it is the landscape speaking reminding us to persist amidst challenges. In the words of Robin Wall Kimmerer, ethnobotanist and bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, “The land is the real teacher. All we need as students is mindfulness.”
Read MorePhoto of a gorgeous scene from the North Woods Lake Umbagog and Androscoggin River region where I spend several; days each summer immersed in pristine wilderness . . . .along with all the rustic charm and quirks and inconveniences that come with truly getting off the grid! Every corner of this lush landscape carries the spirit of Sky Woman, from the Haudenosaunee creation story of Turtle Island—North America.
Sky Woman’s Seeds: A Myth to Grow What Matters
What if creation wasn’t just something that happened once, long ago—but something we’re still a part of? In this reflection on the Haudenosaunee story of Sky Woman, I explore themes of reciprocity, balance, and the quiet power of tending what we love. With insights from Robin Wall Kimmerer and Ilarion Merculieff, this piece is a love letter to the enduring relevance of ancient myth for our contemporary moment.
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