The Dark Is Rising - Sign of the Light…. Imbolc…..From ‘Emergence’ Magazine - ‘From Dirt’….. Fear…..
by Bernie Bell - 08:01 on 02 February 2023
The Dark Is Rising - Sign of the Light….
‘The mark was a circle, quartered by a cross.’
Carved on one of the stones of the Ring of Brodgar, Orkney….but when?
One year, to the day, after the events of what became known as ’9/11’, we came across this memorial on the sand at Skaill Bay – the centre stone had scratched on it, simply………Sept. 11th 2001
In 2010, there were a couple staying at a holiday cottage on the Bay of Hinderayre, just down from where we live. The man has a deep love of stone and each day he made little sculptures by simply balancing stones. He held the stone, waited 'til he got the perfect point of balance, then let the stone leave his hands.
As Mike took a photo of this little triangular stone, balanced beautifully on the edge of the sea wall, something happened with the light. This pic. is exactly as Mike took it, not messed with in any way. Can you see the orb with the cross in the middle?
******
PS
Friend Wendy emailed to say….
“Wonder if you know that the symbol carved on the stone at the Ring of Brodgar is part of the seed pattern for the classical labyrinth, see photographs from my wonderful book ‘Labyrinths and Mazes, The definitive guide to ancient and modern traditions’ by Jeff Saward."
It all adds to the weave....
******
Quoting Will….. “You and Mr. Dawson and John Wayland Smith.” …….. “Wayland?” Will said, perplexed. “That’s an odd name. That’s not part of John’s name. What made me say that?”
“Minds hold more than they know” the tall man said.
Mike and I had a holiday in Oxfordshire years ago and visited Wayland’s Smithy….. http://www.stone-circles.org.uk/stone/wayland.htm . We’d had terrible food poisoning for a few days before. Mike was given strong messages, then wondered if that was how we were supposed to be for visiting there – purged– maybe the old folk did that, way back, on purpose? Maybe.
Just ramblin’ - again.
********************************************************************
Imbolc…
Imbolc is also known as St. Brigid’s Day and I’m reminded of my sister, Reene, making St. Brigid’s Crosses to place around the house.
Imbolc
I am growing from dark to light,
Feel stirring earth beneath my feet,
Raise star-filled eyes to where Brighid rides
White swan across the Milky Way,
Returned, from her grim sister,
To brighten the lengthening day.
Lady of Earth, with crocussed gown,
Lady of Air, warm breath kissing the ground,
Lady of Fire, in my soul and hearth,
Lady of Water, trickling and flowing, melting
Winter’s cold heart.
Healing hands, herbs from the land,
New growth and hope, all around,
These are her gifts,
Our spirits to lift,
Her love and her truth to be found.
By Wendy Alford January 2010
******
Imbolc
Imbolc is for buds and budding
a rumbling expectation
under our feet
listening to birdsong
breathing in and in
exhaling with the wind
seeing and
feeling the potential
in everything
Wendy Alford Imbolc 2022
*******************************************************************
From ‘Emergence’ Magazine - ‘From Dirt’…..
By Camille T. Dungy
“As she prepares to plant Cherokee pole beans—descendants from beans carried on the Trail of Tears—Camille T. Dungy reflects on the insistent thriving of seeds.”
******
Seeds can lie dormant for a long time. Sometimes things turn up in our garden, inexplicably - we have no idea where they came from. Sometimes they’re there for a few years, then disappear again. Sometimes they stay year after year. Sometimes they move about the garden. We just appreciate them for what they are.
*******************************************************************
Fear…..
We watched a recorded episode of ‘Quantum Leap’ – the one in which Sam leaps into a Klansman ( Ku Klux that is). A very hard thing for Sam to deal with – being a good man. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0681132/
As the story progressed I was thinking – it’s fear and power on one side – fear and powerlessness on the other side. But both sides are prepared to do wrong things because of their fear, and the hatred that produces.
As usual, I started to putter about how far back did the ancestors of the Klansmen go – they weren’t Native American people, they were mostly from Northern Europe. ‘Red necks’ were called red necks because they were fair skinned and the sun burnt the back of their necks when working in the fields.
I doubt that there were many people of Southern European origin in the Klan.
A big difference is – those folk chose to go to America – some because they had to leave their homeland due to war or intolerance, but many emigrated through choice. The people from Africa were taken to America entirely against their will when it served the economics of America to do so.
To quote Reginald D. Hunter…”Give me your tired, your poor – as long as we can send some brown ones back when we don’t need them no more.”
I know, I know – this has all been said before – but watching that episode of Quantum Leap brought it to the fore again - just how much intolerance is based on colour. Come from Northern Europe – with fair skin - lose your native accent – and you’re ‘one of us’. Keep your colour and the white folk talk about ‘coloureds taking over’. That phrase was used a number of times in the programme – ‘We can’t let them take over’. Take over what?
This episode was set in the 1960’s – but it’s still there, it’s still happening. There are laws in place to stop it – America has had a brown President – but it’s still happening – intolerance, prejudice, un-equal treatment based on colour.
This is just me, ranting – there’s nothing I can do about it except ask folk, in all situations, to be aware – watch out for intolerance and prejudice in themselves, and ask themselves why it’s there.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intolerance_(film)
********************************************************************
Here’s one I made earlier….. https://theorkneynews.scot/2020/04/11/holding-on-in-hard-times/
Add your comment
