Mother Earth’s Beauty – Soltahr Tiv-Amanda, MA, LPC

Blessed Bees!

Many of us have been watching the decline of the bee population with great consternation, and it’s getting more crucial all the time. I was planting near an already flowering plant that should have been abuzz with happy bees. I counted 4.

I grew up with bees in our old family home here in Colorado. In my childhood home, we actually had a hive living in our chimney. Yes, I was stung a couple of times, but really, they were just being busy, doing their little (actually their BIG) bee things, and I’d just gotten in the way. They particularly loved the rose bushes that were on a fence that we shared with our neighbor Mrs. Raider. They also dug on the lilac bushes that surrounded our yard.

Some folks say, well, there’s too much to be done, it’s not a simple fix. We know that. Others have said, well we see plenty of bees all the time. Wow, really? What is different about where you are? And, others might realistically say, I’m allergic to bees, I can’t do anything about it. What we do know is how far bees travel, it’s not necessarily possible to personally meet the bees, but simply caring about them, and their decline. I am most grateful to them for the many luscious fruits, veggies, plants, beautiful flowers, and medicines that they keep going for us humans. I am often moved to tears when I see them and think about how hard they work for us…

I guess I’m asking, what is one thing we each could, or already are doing to save our blessed bees? Would you be willing to share websites you’ve seen, or any ideas you might have? Maybe if each of us did just one small thing or whatever we feel we could take on, to make a difference, we could affect change. I’d like to read whatever we’ve got…Share please? This is no time to pretend this isn’t happening…

Spring!

And so it begins…And the Earth Mother is greeted warmly and lovingly as She is waking,

and the creatures of morning sing their songs joyfully at Her and their return. Our hearts,

minds, and bodies are gleeful in anticipation of growth, change, and transformation–as

within, so without–from seed, to bud, to flower to fruit. We plant our dreams in hopes

they will come to fruition…Spring has come, Spring has come!

The Wonders of Mother Earth

A little over a month ago there was flooding here in Colorado. It was truly amazing to see the levels of devastation that sister water can cause. In some places, she simply swept people and their houses away. Some of my friends were displaced, I talk to them about how overwhelming life feels for them now, trying to dig out from what was done to their homes, and doing the work of putting their lives back together.

Downstream, the rest of us didn’t get hit so hard, though within a few days after, we could still see how strong the rivers were running, and how high. I took some pictures at a couple of my favorite walking places. You can see how fast the rivers are running, and a few days ago, while they’ve calmed down, it’s easy to imagine how sister river can simply get so full that she becomes a torrent, widening and racing along, destroying everything in her path, and even carving out new paths for herself as she goes. We have no choice but to bow to her power–though it is hard. While we are humbly bowing to her power, we begin to understand the way of things–we understand that water, fire, earth and air are what connect us to Mother Earth and to each other…