In The Belly

SoulCards(c) Deborah Koff-Chapin

I dance in joy among the green 
where fairies fly yet are not seen, 
where as a child I used to go 
to play with moss and rocks . . . to know. 
Here within the green I see 
the truth of what's become of me, 
and some of this is crisp and fair 
while other parts are stripped and bare. 
How do I light the glow within? 
How do I start, begin again? 
She picks me up and twirls me 'round 
and we sashay upon the ground. 
Not the surface portion, no, 
deep within is where we go. 
And see the greening, waiting peace, 
among the gnomes who toil for a piece 
of gold, they mine Her treasures to share with us 
in love and harmony and trust. 
Not the gold of glittering cold 
but the warm molten glow 
of souls who grow and shine 
. . . yours and mine. 
She twirls me 'round and we laugh, 
She lets me fall into Her lap.
Goddess pure and loving, strong and full, 
and from within I feel Her pull. 
I kick up my heels in joyous dance 
and fling out my arms embracing chance.
I feel Her in the greening below, 
waiting, we are One beneath the snow. 


From within lies all the wisdom, 
love and truth I need in this life, 
I open and Her waters 
wash away all strife, 
for it only stays if I do cling, 
so I shall lift my voice and sing! 
All awaits me now--and then--
as I feel Her singing begin again! 
This cycle of birth and death is reflected every second in me 
and in Her gifts of Nature if mine eyes do see. 
Really SEE. 
This is the moment--now. 
To awaken and ask--how? 


"Seek and ye shall find." 


Open and She is here.


The storm twirls outside, crazy laughter of the wind, 
and burning cold within the frigid air, 
the crystals falling like the sparkles of a million 
snow-globes all shaken at the same time, 
a blanket deepening yet within and below, 
far beneath the stark white snow, 
we dance in our rooms of warm brown and gold, 
hugging the seeds, feeling no cold, 
dropping nourishment bit by bit, 
rocking them in the roots 
of ancient beings who share their wit 
without hesitation. 
All around a softening as the dancing calms, 
the party lighter, as we rest in the pause, 
and I feel Her always, 
see Her aura in my reflection in 
the newness of life waiting to be born--again.


____________________________
After I began writing this morning, I realized (although I already knew it on a deep level) the significance of this day--Imbolc . . . "in the belly."

A beautiful cross-quarter day to celebrate the spark of pregnancy. What a perfect Soul Card I drew (blindly, as always) to represent this day and to remind me of all that lies within just beneath the surface waiting to be born.

And, ever the curious soul, I googled to see if I could learn something fresh about this day. Sure enough, I came across what this day means to many New Englanders at BeliefNet.com:

Here in New England, where I have lived since 1967, the land now lies under two feet and more of snow, with another snowfall due in a few days. Yet if you know the land beneath the snow, this is perhaps the most *formidable* of all the four cross-quarter days. The old Yankee saying about this day runs: "Half your wheat and half your hay / and you may yet live till the First of May." (thank you to the commenter Rober Mathiesen for this; the entire post was informative)

I had never really thought of this day as "formidable" but now I can clearly understand how it could be! Not only from a physical survival aspect, but also for my soul . . . how can I birth anything in the Spring if I haven't spent time nurturing that which I wish to manifest into creation?

With these thoughts in mind, I'm off to brave the snowstorm and make a ritual offering of milk to Gaia!