It's a small Celtic Garden in the back of beyond,
down an unmarked country lane,
definitely off the beaten path.
down an unmarked country lane,
definitely off the beaten path.
A treasure to be discovered,
not passed by or ‘happened upon’
in the normal course of travel.
not passed by or ‘happened upon’
in the normal course of travel.
The garden is dedicated to St Brigit,
the female patron saint of Ireland;
offering a counter balance to St Patrick.
The garden celebrates in plantings - and spirit -
the female patron saint of Ireland;
offering a counter balance to St Patrick.
the 4 seasons of a garden
and of a life well lived –
or squandered for that matter.
and of a life well lived –
or squandered for that matter.
We all get the same four 'seasons',
whether we grow into the length of each one or not.
whether we grow into the length of each one or not.
It was enchanting –
even in the rain.
and has returned home in my memory as one of the highlights.
all I could hear were the words of Macrina Wiederkehr
My bare feet walk the earth reverently
For everything keeps crying,
Take off your shoes
The ground you stand on is holy
The ground of your being is holy.
When the wind sings through the pines
Like a breath of God
awakening you to the sacred present
calling your soul to new insights
Take off your shoes!
For everything keeps crying,
Take off your shoes
The ground you stand on is holy
The ground of your being is holy.
When the wind sings through the pines
Like a breath of God
awakening you to the sacred present
calling your soul to new insights
Take off your shoes!
Take off your shoes of distraction
Take off your shoes of ignorance and blindness
Take off your shoes of hurry and worry
Take off anything that prevents you
from being a child of wonder.
Take off your shoes;
The ground you stand on is holy.
The ground you are is holy.
Take off your shoes of ignorance and blindness
Take off your shoes of hurry and worry
Take off anything that prevents you
from being a child of wonder.
Take off your shoes;
The ground you stand on is holy.
The ground you are is holy.
Take off your shoes. The ground you are standing on is holy.
I love the brokenness of it;
the whole, apparently shattered into pieces,
yet still held together by some mysterious unifying source.
It's only since I've been home that I've realized
it's the 'gaps',
the emptiness,
that holds the whole together;
the 'space in between' that allows for
the inhalation and exhalation of spirit,
a spirit that allows us to "live and move and have our being".
I'm so glad we found this treasure.
These words I know will ring true for many of my female friends.
In Brigit's Garden
Earthwoman listens to herself
She knows her own voice
She curves into the year
like a green shawl
She waits for her own
The blackbird hops between seasons
A snail moves at its own pace
through woven willow,
chimes spill out their own sound.
Earthwoman bends to the dark,
listens
and the earth tells her what
she needs to know.
the whole, apparently shattered into pieces,
yet still held together by some mysterious unifying source.
it's the 'gaps',
the emptiness,
that holds the whole together;
the 'space in between' that allows for
the inhalation and exhalation of spirit,
a spirit that allows us to "live and move and have our being".
I'm so glad we found this treasure.
These words I know will ring true for many of my female friends.
In Brigit's Garden
Earthwoman listens to herself
She knows her own voice
She curves into the year
like a green shawl
She waits for her own
The blackbird hops between seasons
A snail moves at its own pace
through woven willow,
chimes spill out their own sound.
Earthwoman bends to the dark,
listens
and the earth tells her what
she needs to know.
1 comment:
Love this post. I'm enjoying reading about your trip! Feeling like I should do the same sort of thing with mine but... Too busy around here to do everything I want! Ha. Love you! Em
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