Discovering the Sacred in Everyday Life

My book A Cup of Sunlight, is taking off. A Women's group is now working through it on Monday nights, and there is a resurgence of energy for this title.

When I feel under under pressure, or there are too many tasks on the lists, I find that returning awareness to the sacred is a way of restoring energy and connection. I am currently practising taking a deep breath before doing anything new, and making sure I stay present.

There is so much to observe in this burgeoning season. The elements are wild, but the earth is warming, receiving seeds and plants with gladness. Outside the trees, in full leaf, are waving in the wind. So much green as we approach Flowering and Saprise/Beltane/Green Day. So much to celebrate.

Spring Planting

Carrots love tomatoes, says my companion planting book. I've just planted Roma Italian tomato seedlings, and sown a row of carrots alongside. Carrots help peas as well. My sugar snap peas, planted a few weeks ago, are climbing nicely up their bamboo stakes. Warm coastal Auckland soil, rich and black. I've found organic sheep pellets at Mitre 10 Mega Store.

Labour weekend is the traditional time to plant seedlings: beans, lettuce, courgettes, corn, tomatoes. Seeds of peas, lettuce, rocket can be sown straight into the soil in warm areas. So satisfying to plant seedlings in spring and watch the plants growing so fast in this wet, warm season.

Sap Rise, Beltane and National Green Day

I’m reflecting on this season of ‘Sap Rise’, as I call it in my book Celebrating the Southern Seasons. It’s a time of high sexual, creative, greening energy. The ancient Celtic festival of Beltane was celebrated at this point midway between spring equinox and summer solstice. In the southern hemisphere Beltane falls on October 31.

For some time I’ve dreamed of this date becoming National Green Day, when we wear something green, or maybe a sprig in the buttonhole, and when we do something for the earth: maybe plant a tree, clear rubbish or weeds, create a garden.

My dream is contradicted by the dark energies of Halloween, based on the old Celtic festival of the dead. This festival falls on April 30 in the southern hemisphere, but the commercial world has imported it thoughtlessly to coincide with the northern hemisphere calendar. Sometimes I fantasise about having sprigs of green ready for the children who come around trick and treating. I offer each sprig with a smile, and say, ‘in our hemisphere, it’s actually spring and the Green Festival.’ It’s tricky though; I don’t want to make the children wrong, but at the same time I do object to this misalignment! Maybe I could find a green treat for them, as a graceful way of synchronising with our southern hemisphere season.

What ideas do you have? How can we celebrate this peak of greening, the lusty energy of full-on spring?

Add a comment (click comment, and then sign up for one of the ‘profiles’ that comes up in the list. Google is easy to do, or maybe you are already signed up for one of them. Then write your comment). I’d love to gather ideas about this.