Poppy Magic 🐞 (04.06.23)
First of all, a warm welcome to Dondi, our newest Thrive Circle member! We're in the discovery process together, of what helps us thrive in life. These weekly emails contain 'Magical Seeds' for reflection and practice. I'm usually inspired by the processes that happen in nature, in our community or in my personal life.
On my two-week pause I've been captivated by the mystery and magic of the poppy... It's a bright red flower that often grows at the edges and hedges of agricultural land. They are abundant all around our house, and I've been harvesting them to make herbal teas with. I see them as a vibrant metaphor for The Way of the Wild Soul. The red represents our soul and life force. The splash of bright colour as individual expression amongst the larger crops symbolises our unique individuality for me. The short-nature of their life, bursting into bloom, abundantly attracting insects and then disappearing within a few days, reminds me that time is precious and it's my responsibility to carefully choose how to use it.
In one of my meditations I felt our community was sitting in a poppy flower, held safely in the silky-papery container of leaves, cross-pollinating, sharing, connecting, celebrating the dream of life to the full (including the descent and return from the underworld). Poppy asked us - Dare we fully step into our own life and live the only life that we can truly call our own? Dare we stand for what we believe in, like the witches of old, at the edge between community and the spirit worlds, riding between dimensions?
Reflection & Practice
This week's invitation is to go out in nature, and find something that symbolises your unique soul life for you. It can be anything that calls you. They often say: "leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories..." But I think we can make an exception for a carefully selected seed pod, a leaf harvested with respect, a stone or shell, a bit of sheep wool on a fence... Then reflect in meditation or in your journal, if this represents:
something you are meeting for the first time?
something that went missing along the way and that you want to call back?
something you are called to bring forth in life?
....
These questions have their origin in the shamanic practice of soul recovery or soul retrieval, and we can bring more of our soul home everyday, through the choices we make and the actions we take. You can use the reflection sheets in the Easy Reference section of your Magical Seed library, and please feel free to share your insights in the Art of Thriving topic in the community!
Qi Gong starts again!
For those of you who participate in the Qi Studio - classes recommence again tomorrow, so hope to see you sometime this week. We'll be moving into the Summer series, and dive into Crane and Monkey movements to optimise our inner fire and heart health:
Monday 9-9.30am Moving Mystic 30 minutes
Tuesday 9.30-10.30am Kordate Krijger 60 minuten in Dutch!
Wednesday 7.30-8.15am Core Champion 45 minutes
Thursday 18-19pm Wise Warrior 60 minutes
(if you're on the Art of Thriving Network, you can switch to the Qi Membership from within your portal. This document explains how).
It was so nourishing to have some deep-time off, and now I feel equally blessed to 'come back online' again... Looking forward to continue our 'weaving'.
With summery wishes,
Eline
For Your Diary
The next Circle Meetings (in Central European time):
Tuesday 13 June: 19.30-20.30
Monday 17 July: 19.30-20.30 NEWLY ADDED
Convert to your time zone with World Time Buddy if needed.