The King, Grackles & the Blessing of Drizzle

Friday Offerings #1

Welcome to this new Friday space 😊

Something Beautiful

Whilst eating our (really good) vegan burgers, an infant at the next table bumps his head and begins to scream¹. His mum comforts him - taking him into her arms, holding him close, and gently carrying him up and down the tree-lined path next to the café.

Her little one slowly recovers from the shock of pain, and settles.

I am grateful to have witnessed her patient love for her child. I also marvel at how many times I would have been comforted in this way - at how all of us were comforted, even if our parents failed at many other things.

In that moment it feels like this mother made an offering not just to her little one, but to all of us.

Something I Learnt

It has been an emotionally difficult week.² A few people around me have had extreme parts of themselves ‘up’. These have triggered wounded and defensive parts inside me. It has been difficult for me to hold on to my truth, to remain patient and kind, and to work out where my boundaries should be.

When this sort of overwhelm happens, it can be hard for me to know what to do. It’s as if I’m looking through a misted car windscreen at a misty crossroads. Which direction should I go in if I can’t even see anything? I can’t see because my various parts are doing their best to keep me steady, and in the process they are totally clouding my clarity.

What I did was ask for help from outside. I could have asked the Buddha, or a good friend, or nature. On this occasion I pulled a Tarot card. The card (the King of Wands) reminded me to “..lead [my] life with intent, vision and a long-term view.” It reminded me that I already have what I need to step into leadership, and that I don’t need to “waste [my] time on activities or relationships you believe will lead nowhere.”

When I get stuck in my head, I can remember that there is more to the world than the contents of my head, and that wisdom might be more likely to pierce my self-protective layers if it comes from outside. It did.

Something I Received

This week Scott Chaskey, who gave me permission to use his poem in my Earth Prayer project, sent me his book from America. It was a gift that he went to the trouble of paying for and packing up his book to send to a stranger. It was a double gift that his words are beautiful ones, grown from soil and from love. They are already nourishing me. Tears came as I turned the first few pages.

As the beechnuts ripen, and the irresolute cold that is the hint of winter comes, starlings and grackles arrive in these island woods, in a cloud of wings. ~ Scott Chaskey

Something Else I’m Doing

I’m fifteen days in to my year-long twice-a-day prayer-for-the-Earth project - I just wrote an update here. One of the things I’m learning is:

⭐ It is very good for my soul to sit in town in the weather for ten minutes of silence - the delicious heat of late September sun, the kiss of a cool breeze, the blessing of drizzle.

Also that the first day of reading a poem out loud to nobody in the middle of town is really scary, but by the third day it isn’t scary at all 😊

Something I’d Like To Know

What makes writing here at Going Gently really special and lovely is YOU.

Some of you read and appreciate what I write quietly, which is great because you are there and I know that you are there. Some of you press the like button, which is great because it helps my writing to spread. Some of you leave comments, which is great because I get to hear about your lives and learn things and build a scrumptious two-way connection.

In the spirit of learning from you, my invitation today is that you leave me a comment including something you would like to pass on to me (and others). This could be a phrase you read or heard, a lesson you learnt or relearnt this week, a book or song you’ve enjoyed, a feeling you’ve been carrying and could do with sharing, a quote, a link to a picture or photo or video…

I hope I haven’t stymied you by setting the parameters too wide because I would love to receive lots of things! Click below to make your wee offering.

(And if you want to, do let me know what you think of the new Friday format too…)

Well, there we go - your first Friday Offering! I am handing it over with a slight blush and a hope that you like it (look what I painted at school today).

Have lovely days.

& go gently!
Satya <3

PS As an attempt at practising what I preach, I take four weeks a year away from Substack. This gives me a break from writing, and it gives you a break from me 😉 Next week we’re going to the seaside with the little dogs, and so I’ll be back on the 26th. See you then!

1. This is NOT the beautiful bit.

2. Don’t worry if you know me ‘in real life’ as I often write these in advance and so the difficult day or week is long gone by the time you come to read of it.