Love Death.

Like a mother,

She grows large with you,

Awaits your arrival,

Readies her embrace.

From the star-shine blackness

And forever-time-void,

Death gives birth to Life.

Poem by Amanda Amos

Pregnant, a photo by Guillermo Fdez on Flickr.

Owls and the Art of Becoming

new beginning, a photo by Mara ~earth light~ on Flickr.

Sharp-beaked, death-taloned,

Ruler of the night

Soft-feathered, feral-scented,

Unfurl yourself. Take flight.

Wild Yourself

Eelus, a photo by Romany WG on Flickr.

Let yourself be other,
something wilder than you were,
growing, rooting, nesting,
‘til your flesh doth crawl with fur.

(Written by Amanda Amos)

You Have Permission

stillness of nature, a photo by AlicePopKorn on Flickr

You Have Permission

You have permission to say no.

You have permission to say yes.

You have permission to say anything you like.

You have permission to like the things you like.

You have permission to like the people you like.

You have permission to disregard what other people like or think you should like.

You have permission to sleep more.

You have permission to work less.

You also have permission to sleep less and work more. It's up to you.

You have permission to try new things.

You have permission to be bad at new things.

You have permission to try again and again until you're great at the things you love.

You have permission to leave.

You have permission to stay.

You have permission to find your own true home and carry it with you.

You have permission to feel anger.

You have permission to feel joy.

You have permission to feel.

You have permission to let go of anger.

You have permission to let go of joy.

You have permission to let go.

You have permission to give up.

You have permission to keep going.

You have permission to not know what you're going to do.

You have permission to be "too much."

You have permission to be not enough for someone else.

You have permission to be just enough for you and you alone.

You have permission to be yourself.

You have permission to not know who "yourself" is.

You have permission to take all the time you need to figure it out.

 

You have permission.

Written by Amanda Amos.

This post was inspired by The Goddess Guidebook's post titled "You Have Permission." Check it out here.

Fairy Houses

Today, Katie and I made our annual visit to check out the fairy houses in the woods at Latta Nature Preserve with our friends Catherine and Anya. As usual, the fairy houses were only part of the attraction of this beautiful landscape. The girls never fail to revel in nature, not wanting to leave, wanting to work on their fairy pool or castle just a little longer. I, too, find myself replenished after our journeys into nature. The feeling of calm and gratitude reminded me of one of my favorite poets, Mary Oliver, and her poem "Praying." Enjoy...

Praying

It doesn't have to be 

the blue iris, it could be

weeds in a vacant lot, or a few

small stones; just

pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don't try

to make them elaborate, this isn't

a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.