Photos above are of Rose in the Hill and Dale Park, enjoying the buttercups.
Once my mentor told me that I should be like the hen, who is hatching eggs, when it comes to my spiritual life. Like a mother hen, when she leaves the nest, she continually references them, and goes flying back if needed, if some inkling tells her they need her attention now. As children sometimes we might see a hen, flying back to her nest, barely skimming the ground, in a great hurry, making frantic chicken noises. In the same way, I was to continually keep on connected terms with my inner life, God, soul etc.
Below are photos of Rita and Roy Nelson’s three hens. They are well loved. They started out, the hens, with a pecking order, but now are totally agreeable with each other. And they lay fresh eggs daily.
Growing up on a farm, chickens were always close at hand. I still struggle with it today, trying to get it. The nearest I come to it is to focus on my reactions to things, notice what I am thinking in the moment, and run back to ground zero, to keep safe what I am trying to build in my heart, in my personal nest, to grow the seed of love up into a flower that grows more seeds of love, one hundred fold.
At the party someone talked about the experience they had with love when a teen, thirty years ago. It became a touchstone for them, because in that moment they realized without doubt that we already love one another. It never left the heart of that person. It came with much danger for the person, that climbing up the other way, but gratefulness for the experience. I was grateful to hear about it.
Goddess of the seeds
Finally, it was my job sometimes to close in the hens at night. Because of the fox stories, it was a terrifying event. My parents sometimes sang about the fox. “Oh John, John, John, the grey goose is gone, and gone to the den-no den-no…” My fear was that I would end up in a fox’s “denno.” It usually was dark by the time they remembered that the hens needed to be shut in. Creeping out in the dark, finding the big and little doors was always electrifying. Coming back in to the house I would become airborne over the slight rise, in an effort to escape the imaginary fox.
She was a little afraid of the fox
So I am left with figuring out how this relates to my Spiritual life. Recently, I made a proposal that was shot down by the other party. I went into a “rose cloud” about this. I wrote an email. Luckily it “disappeared” just before I sent it.
At the heart of the matter
I needed to consider that I am meeting myself in this disagreement and it is in this moment I can admit the shadow in the situation, after some vision of myself, bossy, in control, crossed my mind from the left. I am running into the situation as they have something to give me or teach me. I have something in my own way. Like realizing that my shadow thinks I could take over the situation, foolishly thinking it is mine to manage.
The pictures below were taken in Hill and Dale Park in Harrisonburg. I like to hang upside down at this exercise station to see things from the other side. The view of the redbuds across the way was not bad either.
That running back to the nest is like checking in on what I am hatching, what I am thinking. Other avoid us in this unclaimed shadow.
On the other hand the other person feels the spirit of love sent out, as I breath out good will, reference a place in the breathing chest that holds love. The ground itself is affected by this love and starts working with us. It is not a case of putting up with the other person but a case of sending out compassion, love, helping them, considering their shoes. It becomes a new spirit that lifts them and us into happiness. It is a different flow. To protect what is real in me against what is not. To be in the business of building community, inside and outside.
Song of Love from the Rose
You are a seed of love
In your deep dark earth
Kick away the dead heads
Water it starry dew
Warm it with passion
Between the upper and lower
Fires
Breath air into it
Set the embers off
Charm it
Raise it into your heart
Shape it how you like
No end of flowers
You are your own seed of love
Love it up
In Lovemaking
Pour it into the food
Write it into your stories
Hand it out in helping
Walk with Love
Your are your own seed of love
Charm it
Raise it
Shape it how you love
No end of brightness
In your flowering love.
Conclusion
If you want to fight with your own shadow, instead of the other shadows all around about, then consider working on your dreams. Get your self out of the fox’s den.
I love hearing a few dreams from the same person. If you have a growth on your back, as big as a birthday cake, then you can consider that the sweetness you insist on is now a problem. If you are resussitating your child, in your dream, you can consider that what you are doing almost killed off a sweet innocence in you.
Claiming the worst in me lets others off the hook. The rejected corner stone in us is admitting our shadow, that is, our faults and failings.
A feeling coming out from the chest, through the arms is all that is needed. Bypassing the head, breathing, praying and silence is marvelous for such chicken problems.
I can be reached on the contact tab on the home page. I look forward to hearing from you soon to hatch some dreams.
Rose Longworth Counseling 