Pamela Leavey

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Category: Mother Nature

Reflections: A Sacred Grove

Grove of Trees and Rhododendrons in Maudslay State Park

I wandered through the forest, lost and bereft, until I came across a sacred grove. The tree in the center was broken and battered like me, yet its form was that of a cross. Not unlike myself when I extend my arms up to shoulder height and hold them there. But I was too tired to stand there like the tree with my arms held aloft. It was no small thing just to be present most days, let alone holding a pose. So, I sat in the center of the sacred grove and I asked the tree for some of its strength.

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Food For Thought: Watching the River Flow

I sit at my desk mesmerized… The river has shifted its flow and is moving upstream with the force of the incoming tide from the ocean. Along the sides of the river, the water is rippling in an undulating motion as if trying to go against the movement of the upstream flow.

I am captivated by the flow of the river and its motion, seeming so unnatural a motion, to flow upstream instead of down. Yet, every day the river takes a trek both up and down stream, for I live on the lower end of the mighty Merrimack River, where the tides of the river shift with the ocean’s tides. The frigid temperatures of this day have created massive sheets and formations of ice, which stretch across to the center of the river. They are captivating to watch as they move past my vantage point at my desk window.

Merrimack River, Amesbury, Mass

I think of the river, in all of its guises, as part of me, in all of my guises. I am as changeable and impermanent as the river. I feel the cold hard edges of the ice jarring me from the inside, begging me to reach deeper into the depths of my own source that I might understand the very flow of life.

I see the forms of other life and substances caught in the ice, frozen for a time, creating more texture, forming more questions in my mind. Where did this branch come from? Where is it going? Who am I in the grand scheme of it all. (more…)

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Musings: The Path Less Traveled

hellcat dikeThe dike trail at Hellcat Swamp in the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge was opened for a week not long ago. As I walked the trail on the outer western edge of the Refuge, along the banks of the Plum Island River, I could feel the sun so warm and comforting on my back.

There was a special sense of peace felt there walking in this space that see when ever I make a trip to the Refuge.. I asked so often as I stop at Northpool Overlook, “what is out there?” (more…)

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Quote of the Day: Wendell Berry

I thank the Great Mother Goddess every day for this Earth and the profound connection that I feel to this Earth and the Mother. Today’s Quote of the Day is a favorite from the prolific fiction and non-fiction author, Wendell Berry. His nature writing speaks of my own thoughts and senses on nature:

WendellBerryQuote

The Earth sustains us. Please treat her with care.

Namaste… Pamela

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Musings: The Elusive Red Bird

Musings from my nature writing journal…

A cardinal flew across the road today as I was walking. It darted out from the trees and made a quick trajectory to the other side of the road, flashing its brilliant scarlet-feathered figure in a swift streak before my eyes. I became transfixed upon the stand of trees and brush that the cardinal had descended into, managing somehow despite its brilliant color to blend in to the colorful fall foliage. There it sat hidden in nature’s camouflage. And, I waited, patiently and quietly for him to emerge, ever peering deeper into the wood to catch a glimpse of him fluttering from limb to limb. (more…)

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Daily Affirmations: Gratitude for Life Through the Bounty of Nature

Today, I seek to recognize every blessing that comes my way, from the flock of geese who loudly proclaim their flight overhead, to the the sunshine breaking through the clouds at daybreak. I thank the Great Mother Goddess today, for these and all blessings found in nature. The colors of fall that permeate the scenery around me, the sparrows fluttering from bush to bush, I am grateful for all blessings that pass my way, today and everyday. In affirming my gratitude for life through the bounty of nature, I affirm my gratitude for all things great and small. In this, I proclaim, I am abundant.

sumac

Namaste… Pamela

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