Woodspriestess

Statement of Faith

I have come
Earthpriestess
woodspriestess
nightpriestess

winter’s chill
bone deep
life solid
sliding
whispering
chilling

I have come
seeking answers

I have come
seeking questions

I have come
offering service

I have come
to know
and to be healed

I have come
to commune

to speak
and to listen

I have come
to find out
that which it is I need to know

How I may best serve

and how to keep my heart open
my mind free
and my hands loving

in Her service
in this time
and in the place
on this Earth…

(12/26/12)

In late December, I decided to maintain a year-long spiritual practice of “checking in” at the priestess rocks in my woods. I committed to spending at least a few minutes there every day, rain or sleet or shine, and whether day or night. I also decided to take a daily picture. My idea was to really, really get to know this space deeply. To notice that which changes and evolves on a daily basis, to see what shares the space with me, to watch and listen and learn from and interact with the same patch of ground every day and see what I learn about it and about myself. I want to really come into a relationship with the land I live on, rather than remain caught up in my head and my ideas and also the sometimes-frantic feeling hum of every day life as a parent and teacher. I started this practice on January first and have not yet missed a day (it is only February now, so I’m not yet very impressive!). I considered making a daily blog post to go with it, whether lengthy or not, and include the pictures I’ve been taking of the ever-changing space and what catches my eye, but decided maybe that was premature and perhaps added a layer of “have to” on top of the “want to.” I also considered that it might get boring to those who follow me here—“yeah, yeah, more woods and rocks, we know, you like them.” So, after keeping up the practice for six weeks now, I’ve come up with another plan. Starting in March, I’m going to do a thirty-day experiment in which I make a daily post/picture about my “woodspriestess” experience. Then, if that works and is fun and doesn’t bog me down and readers seem to like it, perhaps I’ll continue the project (I’m going to continue the daily practice, what is up for consideration is just whether or not I’m going to write about it).

A couple of days ago, on my way back home from the woods I found a rock lying right in front of me on a patch of moss like a “gift” of sorts. I don’t usually take things from the woods, but I felt like this one was for me to take and so I did. I made it into one of my polymer clay goddess figures and today when I went back down to the woods with her in my hand, I had the strong sensation…this…this is my statement of faith…