The Magic of the In-Between
This weekend in the Wheel of the Year we mark the celebration of Lammas which in the Northern Hemisphere represents the first harvest. It is the halfway point between Summer and Autumn. It is a time to celebrate all that we have done to nourish all of our work and intentions that we are harvesting the fruits of. And an acknowledgment, as well as, a preparation for the upcoming time of things going fallow, releasing and resting. I consider it an in-between space and a bridge between one time and another. It is also another opportunity to really be in relationship with what I have done (or not done) in these last few cycles, and getting truthful about some things I "thought" I wanted do, ran the experiment and found that some things really did not bring me joy. That is OK. And if you have felt that yourself when you got down to the "doing" of the goals and intentions, give yourself permission to let it go. Ask yourself, does this bring me joy? And if not be willing to let it go or ask what needs to shift in order to bring joy to it. If it does bring you joy do more of it.
Because isn't joy the whole point?
And with all of that said, for me personally, I have felt in the in-between for a much longer period of time than this particular seasonal cycle. And I feel like many of us have. The last 18 months of the unknown has been quite a liminal space to be in. And for me has been a continuous asking of the question, "what wants to emerge from me?" And the answers keep shifting based on a lot of "surprises" in my personal life; in fact, the answers change daily. A lot of the unexpected has happened, some things I will share more on as time goes on. But for right now suffice it to say that what I am experiencing is exactly why I teach women to not get over-attached to goals and intentions. Because we are ALWAYS in the mystery. All we can do is show up to what life is offering on a day-to-day basis. Ask how we can be of service to ourselves and all beings, how we can bring more joy into our lives, and how we can walk in grace. This is a daily practice, and when we do that, when we treat our goals and intentions as experiments with endless possibilities for outcomes, and when we make the choice to treat every moment as sacred, we set the conditions in the present moment to create the future. But we can't control the future. If you take nothing else from the last 18 months it is that Universal truth. Everything can change in an instant. And you can choose to resist and fight it, lament over the past, or embrace the present, find the gifts in every moment, and through your presence create your unpredicable future.
The in-between can be at once a confusing and a magical place of the unknown. It is a bridge between what was known but is no longer and what is in the mystery and yet to come. Making the choice to stay in the in-between for as long as it takes to receive the wisdom you are meant to carry forth (and what is ready to be left behind because the bags are too heavy) rather than cross over too quickly is an act of patience. And the secret to this is to remain open and curious. This is where the magic happens and we are able to create a future that is so much more exciting than the one we create if we run across the bridge because we are afraid if we take too long it will collapse. Or we are afraid time will pass us by and we will miss something. You won't; trust me. The view from the bridge is expansive and elevated. And we never truly know what is on the other side. So embrace where you are now and sit in the wisdom that exists within you and when you get to the other side you will be better prepared for whatever greets you.
The invitation is to spend some time this weekend celebrating your harvest, and for the gardeners, you may actually be harvesting the fruits of your labor. And also get quiet and spend some time considering what you are willing to leave behind in order to lighten your load on the journey across the bridge.
Love and Light,
Dina