This came at a perfect time for me, being four years into an infertility journey. Infertility is interesting and unique in how the pain deepens and retreats and resolves and comes crashing back, how there is no way out and the whole effort is driven by a most innate love. The Oriah House quote is perfect for this moment, in this context: "Let what you love find you. Be faithful to it. It will teach you how to live." Thank you!
This is beautiful and so wise, Karen. Have you read Francis Weller's "The Wild Edge of Sorrow?" It's some of the best grief writing on nature I've ever encountered.
I love these quotes, thank you Karen. I will also pray for your community and that your voices will be heard to protect the land and all who live there. It's just heartbreaking.
Karen, your post both broke my heart and soothed it. That's life in a nutshell, isn't it? Although it does seem that we live in an age where we have to deal more constantly with grief and with nostalgia for deep connections. Thank you, as usual, for heartfelt and beautiful words.
Your fears are so similar to my fears. I live near a brackish tributary. I bought a home here, because the trees, water, and birds bring me peace, and they help me remember myself. Unfortunately, the trees which house bald eagles, owls, and so many birds are threatened by yet another development. I too worry for my bird friends. The landscape will change drastically. I hear you. I see you. I understand. Let’s hope love wins.
Feb 19, 2023·edited Feb 19, 2023Liked by Karen Davis
Wow- I do remember writing both of those quotes, but had not thought of the differences between them. It feels like the "find something you love" one is directed at the active (dare I say, younger) seeker-in-me. Later I discovered it was as much or more about a willingness to "be found" as it was about trying to "find" love. And nothing makes us more vulnerable to the inevitable death and change of incarnational reality than love. Of course, there is a particular grief (tinged with anger) that accompanies loss that is chosen (like the changes some want to bring to your area). What can we do- but fight to save what is worth saving; love what is here, now; let the loss break our hearts open, feel the pain, the grief and the despair- and get up tomorrow and do it all again, fueled by the small joys and deep loves. Sending prayers that wisdom and love may triumph.
It hurts my heart to think of those bulldozers. Hoping you and your neighbors can prevail! I appreciate how you talk of learning "to hold interpretation and messages a bit more lightly. To let them develop on their own." I find this is so key!—to being able to dance with the images, with the universe. Keeping the feet light, not latching onto "this means that" kind of thinking. Which, after all, is just the mind's way of staying in control, when what the heart really wants is dancing. Speaking of dancing, I wonder if the lake and the trees have any ideas for how to stop the landfill?
I really related to your story this morning and amazingly I was looking at the Tarot card deck on my bookshelf and wondering if I should keep them since I really don't know how to use them. Aside from that, here in Chico, developers are trying to build on 1400 acres of beautiful, pristine, oak woodland. The citizens of Chico are fighting it. We have managed to obtain over 8,000 signatures with the hope of putting it on the ballot so the people can vote for or against. Audubon and other nature organizations are suing the developer for lack of studies on wildfire management, water resources and native plant habitat. I have hope, but it takes a village. I hope your community stands up against the destruction of the habitat you love. Best to you.
Wow… I hope and pray they do not put that landfill in😳🙄🤦♀️🤬🤬🤬. They would be complete idiots if they do…. Some politicians are so unscrupulous and money/power hungry. I love your 2 quotes from Ohriah👍❤️
Hi karen and thanks for your words this morning even though it was quite distressing. it is distressing. its sooo distressing that our violence perpetuates on the land.
and its pervasive this violence, it underpins how we nourish ourselves on all levels - something I understood within a permaculture mindset, that agriculture is based on opportunity from disaster, the flood, the volcano, the fire...these all lead to an arising of new life and our agricultural methods mimic these extreme events to create food security which has led us here to this strange life of profit and endless growth. It took me a while but when i felt deeply into it i could feel the underpinnings of violence that has been our social footprint for so long. Taking land, eradicating everything on it so that we can control what belongs. without the wisdom of the volcano, the flood or the fire. All the dominance of man without the sacredness of nature and we somehow feel we know better.
I stand with you in saying no to landfills and fields demolished and I stand shoulder to shoulder with knowing that this means that I might have to change or be changed - the tower- that I might have to look at my convenience, my complacency and my relationship to resources. to know that I might not have the right relationship to my resources that honours the kind of world i want to be in agreement with. that I might be doing it wrong -the X wands - and that for the burdens not to be mine to carry, I might have to lay them down. I might have to say that this way does not belong to me. That my heart and love for myself and my community, that my ability to hold drama without being in the drama - the queen of wands- is because of my heart led wisdom.
I see you as such a queen of hearts, sharing the beauty and love you have for this amazing world. it blesses all of us and I hold an image of your lake, protected and whole for all the sentience there that you wonderfully share with us.
I'm so glad you picked up the tarot again. In this year of the rabbit, deep intuitive wisdom is forefront of our sill set and the tarot as been speaking so clearly in the readings that i do for my peeps.
This came at a perfect time for me, being four years into an infertility journey. Infertility is interesting and unique in how the pain deepens and retreats and resolves and comes crashing back, how there is no way out and the whole effort is driven by a most innate love. The Oriah House quote is perfect for this moment, in this context: "Let what you love find you. Be faithful to it. It will teach you how to live." Thank you!
This is beautiful and so wise, Karen. Have you read Francis Weller's "The Wild Edge of Sorrow?" It's some of the best grief writing on nature I've ever encountered.
I love these quotes, thank you Karen. I will also pray for your community and that your voices will be heard to protect the land and all who live there. It's just heartbreaking.
Beautiful post. I will be praying and lighting my candles for your beautiful sanctuary to remain intact!!! 💜
Karen, your post both broke my heart and soothed it. That's life in a nutshell, isn't it? Although it does seem that we live in an age where we have to deal more constantly with grief and with nostalgia for deep connections. Thank you, as usual, for heartfelt and beautiful words.
Thank you.
I love your writing; I’m glad it found me!
Peace and Love KD,
DK (lol)
I love vulnerability in this post
Your fears are so similar to my fears. I live near a brackish tributary. I bought a home here, because the trees, water, and birds bring me peace, and they help me remember myself. Unfortunately, the trees which house bald eagles, owls, and so many birds are threatened by yet another development. I too worry for my bird friends. The landscape will change drastically. I hear you. I see you. I understand. Let’s hope love wins.
Wow- I do remember writing both of those quotes, but had not thought of the differences between them. It feels like the "find something you love" one is directed at the active (dare I say, younger) seeker-in-me. Later I discovered it was as much or more about a willingness to "be found" as it was about trying to "find" love. And nothing makes us more vulnerable to the inevitable death and change of incarnational reality than love. Of course, there is a particular grief (tinged with anger) that accompanies loss that is chosen (like the changes some want to bring to your area). What can we do- but fight to save what is worth saving; love what is here, now; let the loss break our hearts open, feel the pain, the grief and the despair- and get up tomorrow and do it all again, fueled by the small joys and deep loves. Sending prayers that wisdom and love may triumph.
It hurts my heart to think of those bulldozers. Hoping you and your neighbors can prevail! I appreciate how you talk of learning "to hold interpretation and messages a bit more lightly. To let them develop on their own." I find this is so key!—to being able to dance with the images, with the universe. Keeping the feet light, not latching onto "this means that" kind of thinking. Which, after all, is just the mind's way of staying in control, when what the heart really wants is dancing. Speaking of dancing, I wonder if the lake and the trees have any ideas for how to stop the landfill?
Every piece of this is so gorgeous. I love the idea of holding messages “lightly”
I really related to your story this morning and amazingly I was looking at the Tarot card deck on my bookshelf and wondering if I should keep them since I really don't know how to use them. Aside from that, here in Chico, developers are trying to build on 1400 acres of beautiful, pristine, oak woodland. The citizens of Chico are fighting it. We have managed to obtain over 8,000 signatures with the hope of putting it on the ballot so the people can vote for or against. Audubon and other nature organizations are suing the developer for lack of studies on wildfire management, water resources and native plant habitat. I have hope, but it takes a village. I hope your community stands up against the destruction of the habitat you love. Best to you.
Wow… I hope and pray they do not put that landfill in😳🙄🤦♀️🤬🤬🤬. They would be complete idiots if they do…. Some politicians are so unscrupulous and money/power hungry. I love your 2 quotes from Ohriah👍❤️
You have such a way with words Karen. I miss our talks. Your mind & heart are so beautiful.
+ wow these photos are insane!!
Hi karen and thanks for your words this morning even though it was quite distressing. it is distressing. its sooo distressing that our violence perpetuates on the land.
and its pervasive this violence, it underpins how we nourish ourselves on all levels - something I understood within a permaculture mindset, that agriculture is based on opportunity from disaster, the flood, the volcano, the fire...these all lead to an arising of new life and our agricultural methods mimic these extreme events to create food security which has led us here to this strange life of profit and endless growth. It took me a while but when i felt deeply into it i could feel the underpinnings of violence that has been our social footprint for so long. Taking land, eradicating everything on it so that we can control what belongs. without the wisdom of the volcano, the flood or the fire. All the dominance of man without the sacredness of nature and we somehow feel we know better.
I stand with you in saying no to landfills and fields demolished and I stand shoulder to shoulder with knowing that this means that I might have to change or be changed - the tower- that I might have to look at my convenience, my complacency and my relationship to resources. to know that I might not have the right relationship to my resources that honours the kind of world i want to be in agreement with. that I might be doing it wrong -the X wands - and that for the burdens not to be mine to carry, I might have to lay them down. I might have to say that this way does not belong to me. That my heart and love for myself and my community, that my ability to hold drama without being in the drama - the queen of wands- is because of my heart led wisdom.
I see you as such a queen of hearts, sharing the beauty and love you have for this amazing world. it blesses all of us and I hold an image of your lake, protected and whole for all the sentience there that you wonderfully share with us.
I'm so glad you picked up the tarot again. In this year of the rabbit, deep intuitive wisdom is forefront of our sill set and the tarot as been speaking so clearly in the readings that i do for my peeps.