The new day has broken. My alarm set for 5:30 am to catch the sunrise, I awake with excitement. My sleep has been deep and refreshing, a sense of anticipation and opening. My dreams speaking to me of the waterfall of Grace. Gratitude to the Ancestors, to my Angels and Guides, and to the Well Keepers for the privilege of tending the Well for these precious 24 hours fills my heart.
“…they said we will cup our hands around each heart”. This is a work of love, a work of healing, a work of transformation starting with my own being enabling the support for the transformation of others, and the transformation of the earth. This is Agape love in action. I ask for blessings from Quan Yin, the Goddess of Compassion and marvel that Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the environment, has called me to Serra, this beautiful Franciscan retreat perched high on the hills overlooking the Pacific to the west and surrounded by the Santa Monica mountains. On this sacred land, enveloped with the beauty of the more-than human plants, trees, birds and animals, and infused with the energy of the invisible world, I hope to be faithful to the task.
The day unfolds. I walk the Way of the Cross. Here are symbols of surrender, of scorn, of shame and sacrifice yet replete with the the hope of redemption and restoration. Told through the lens of Christianity, it is clear to me that this is not a story relegated to any one religion or belief system, but is that of the human journey… of the energies of the struggle between the masculine and the feminine, the toxic and the healthy, of empire and subjugation pitted against service and solidarity. I am moved to tears as I ponder how these various themes have played out in my life. The thought comes to me: “How can I tend the Earth if I do not tend, at first, to myself?”
As I wander through the expansive grounds, along walking paths, into the Grotto and Angel gardens, the plethora of plants, trees, within wild and curated spaces speak loudly yet gently of interbeing. Thanks to my trusty app, Seek, I identify Pigs ear, Weeping Fig, Peacock Flower, Shagbark Hickory and Bear’s breeches. Delighted to stumble upon a large wild Bird of Paradise bush, I sense my late husband’s blessing. Turning the corner, I see a thriving Olive tree and stop to pray for a permanent ceasefire in Palestine. Every area of the grounds provides a stunning backdrop for reflection, meditation and relaxation.
In the afternoon after a delicious lunch and a refreshing nap, I head to the Labyrinth. Walking in, I put words to that whose time has come to be released, purging as I speak the thoughts and emotions which are to be let go. Being alone, I am able to sit in the Center and breathe deeply, taking in the beauty all around me and a sense of expansiveness and new interior spaces ready for infilling. With walking out comes the commitment to a daily practice that will incorporate this dance of emptying and refilling.
At Sunset, the sky erupts in a spectacular canvas of deep orange, pink and purples. A gusty wind begins to blow which sweeps me to my feet and into a dance of prayer and praise. The day of tending is coming to an end, soon to give way to what will be my 69th birthday, and the beginning of the year that will make me a septuagenarian.
As i prepare to hand over to the next Well Keeper, I am filled with gratitude. This day of silence, of reflection, of revelling in the beauty of Nature, and the interconnectedness of all, has been such a gift. The only story that I can honestly tell is my own. Allowing myself to hear, see and touch the lessons that were waiting for me, I would like to believe that through the interconnected Web of Life, the sensed and tangible benefits with which I was gifted, rippled out into the world.
Blessings and love to all of you my Well Keeper Sisters,
Suzanne 💚
Happy Birthday beautiful one. I too believe " that through the interconnected Web of Life, the sensed and tangible benefits with which I was gifted, rippled out into the world. " I rest in the reality where this is so; I know it by its peace. I am with you and so many other in this thread who walk in the verity of their own experience. Grateful for you beyond measure.