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Despite our recent snow flurries here in the Northwest, we are on the cusp of spring. The quality of light is shifting, melting the blue winter haze that coats the horizon and shifting into a lighter and brighter tone. Despite the cold yawns of the wind, we can look to the sky on a sunny day and feel it gently warm our face. This morning I stood outside with my eyes closed and just felt the brilliant mixture of the cold rising up from the ground and the warmth rushing down to greet it, as if to gently coax nature to open her sleepy eyes and come out to play.
The energy of Wood is rising, bursting forth, breaking free from the frozen ground and birthing something new. It is the fascination with possibility, newness, and what the future may bring, that drives Wood’s energy. It is the energy of creation, that impulse throbbing through our veins, urging us to try again. It courses through Mother Earth’s soil and penetrates our entire universe. It is the energy of Eros, the impulse of evolution, the passion to explore, the movement of life.
As I contemplate the essence of Wood, I find myself struck by many things. Wood speaks of vision, future, planning, and decision making. It evokes frustration in us when an obstacle blocks our way. I recall the moments when I’ve been so transfixed by the desire to create, the desire to write, the desire to paint, the desire to run, that I lost all concept of time and self reflection. In these passion-drunken affairs I feel as though I am melding with something much bigger than my little self, little amber holding the brush, or whatever it may be. From this experience, I can now understand why so many people say they were inspired by or moved by God. However, I leave the topic of God to another discussion board, what I am most interested in is the energy that drove such actions. As I understand it, this is the energy of Wood. Had I run out of paint, or broken a shoelace, surely frustration would have formed.
The last thought that has been steeping in my mind lately is the art of paying attention. I think there is a beautiful and intimate intertwining between Wood energy and paying attention. I say that it is an art to pay attention, because like art, anyone can do. However, to transform art into a breath taking masterpiece, it takes attentive awareness and much practice. To pay attention is like to focus the lens of a camera. If we simply pick up the camera and start shooting whatever comes into view, we may end up with some lovely photos. Likewise, if we simply bumble along through life, we may indeed have some lovely experiences, deep insights and live a satisfactory tale. However, if we focus the lens we find that there are actually different depths to observe. We can zoom in or zoom out; we can capture a single tiny blade of grass or an entire field. Through discernment we can include the most captivating elements, we can decide what to include and what to leave out. As I endeavor to pay more attention to life and my experience in it, I am finding that what while I have always been paying attention to something, my awareness has only begun to scratch the surface of what is really to be seen. I am looking forward to finding that which lies beneath… more on paying attention later.
The energy of Wood is rising, bursting forth, breaking free from the frozen ground and birthing something new. It is the fascination with possibility, newness, and what the future may bring, that drives Wood’s energy. It is the energy of creation, that impulse throbbing through our veins, urging us to try again. It courses through Mother Earth’s soil and penetrates our entire universe. It is the energy of Eros, the impulse of evolution, the passion to explore, the movement of life.
As I contemplate the essence of Wood, I find myself struck by many things. Wood speaks of vision, future, planning, and decision making. It evokes frustration in us when an obstacle blocks our way. I recall the moments when I’ve been so transfixed by the desire to create, the desire to write, the desire to paint, the desire to run, that I lost all concept of time and self reflection. In these passion-drunken affairs I feel as though I am melding with something much bigger than my little self, little amber holding the brush, or whatever it may be. From this experience, I can now understand why so many people say they were inspired by or moved by God. However, I leave the topic of God to another discussion board, what I am most interested in is the energy that drove such actions. As I understand it, this is the energy of Wood. Had I run out of paint, or broken a shoelace, surely frustration would have formed.
The last thought that has been steeping in my mind lately is the art of paying attention. I think there is a beautiful and intimate intertwining between Wood energy and paying attention. I say that it is an art to pay attention, because like art, anyone can do. However, to transform art into a breath taking masterpiece, it takes attentive awareness and much practice. To pay attention is like to focus the lens of a camera. If we simply pick up the camera and start shooting whatever comes into view, we may end up with some lovely photos. Likewise, if we simply bumble along through life, we may indeed have some lovely experiences, deep insights and live a satisfactory tale. However, if we focus the lens we find that there are actually different depths to observe. We can zoom in or zoom out; we can capture a single tiny blade of grass or an entire field. Through discernment we can include the most captivating elements, we can decide what to include and what to leave out. As I endeavor to pay more attention to life and my experience in it, I am finding that what while I have always been paying attention to something, my awareness has only begun to scratch the surface of what is really to be seen. I am looking forward to finding that which lies beneath… more on paying attention later.
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