Ivy creeps its way up a brick wall, sending out hairy tendrils that stick to any roughness in the surface. It branches out and grows longer. Slowly, it covers the wall with its lushness.
How can you send out tendrils of spirit to move yourself forward today?
Light a candle today with these words and intentions:
Even as the days grow shorter,
and our homes shrink smaller,
and our wicks burn lower,
and our will to endure flickers,
we light this [candle]
to kindle a flame of warmth
as a reminder
of the connection that draws us in
to a community that opens us up
in gratitude
for the breath in our lungs
and the love in our hearts,
for the gift of this day,
Alive.
-Amy Brooks
On this day of equal light and dark, we seek balance as the wheel of the year turns into fall (in the northern hemisphere) and spring (in the southern hemisphere).
How are you seeking balance today?
In the late summer garden, the abundant, bright flowers have become dried, brown seed heads. What once fed buzzing bees of many kinds now provides food for the goldfinches, whose bright yellow plumage reminds me that even the dull brown garden is still a source of nourishment.
What or whom are you nourishing today?
A reading to repeat a few times throughout your day:
To the refugee family seeking a safe place
For their children’s dreams, say:
I am with you in this.
To the trans teenager longing for a world
That accepts them for who they are, say:
I am with you in this.
To the black parents wondering when
Will the lives of their children truly matter, say:
I am with you in this.
To the lonely, the frightened, the dispossessed, say:
I am with you in this.
To the bullied, the battered, the broken down, say:
I am with you in this.
To the hungry and the homeless,
To the silenced and the shamed,
To the weary and the worried, say:
I am with you in this.
To all those for whom your
Disheveled heart is aching, say:
I am with you in this.
-Philip Lund
