"The wisdom of the ancients lies not only in the stone circles and sacred texts, but in the language of rain upon leaves, in the song of wind through branches, and in the silent knowing of your own heart when it beats in rhythm with the Mother Earth."
Physical Setting & Preparation
Find a place where you can sit beneath a tree that is coming into full leaf. Position yourself with your back against the trunk, feeling its sturdy support against your spine. Spread your legs before you in a comfortable position, allowing your hands to rest palms down on the earth on either side of you. Feel the dual connection—the vertical link through your spine to the tree rising above you, and the horizontal link through your hands to the earth spreading around you. Take several deep breaths, allowing the scent of new growth and earth to fill your lungs. Listen to the sounds around you—birdsong, rustling leaves, perhaps distant water—and let these natural rhythms begin to synchronize with your own heartbeat and breath.
Opening Invocation | Fosgladh
"A Mhàthair na Talmhainn, air a' cheathramh latha fichead den Ghiblean, tha mi a' tighinn thugad fo sgàil na craoibhe seo."
"Mother of the Earth, on this twenty-fourth day of April, I come to you under the shade of this tree."
"Mar a tha an t-earrach a' gluasad a dh'ionnsaigh làn neart, tha mi a' sireadh do ghliocas anns gach duilleag ùr."
"As spring moves toward its full strength, I seek your wisdom in each new leaf."
"Air an latha seo, fosgail mo chridhe do bheatha a tha ag èirigh timcheall orm, agus mo spiorad do na faclan a tha a' ghaoth a' cagarsaich."
"On this day, open my heart to the life that is rising around me, and my spirit to the words that the wind whispers."
Become aware of the awakening world around you—the steady surge of sap rising in the tree against which you lean, the unfurling of countless leaves above your head, the stirring of insects and small creatures in the soil beneath your hands. This is the quiet miracle of spring approaching its zenith, the ancient promise being fulfilled once again in countless green revelations.
Body of the Working | Corp
"Anns an earrach seo, tha mi mothachail air m' inntinn a tha exasperated, sgìth le duilgheadasan is dragh a tha a' tilleadh."
"In this springtime, I am aware of my mind that is exasperated, tired with returning difficulties and worries."
"Ach tha mi cuideachd a' faireachdainn mi fhìn uplifted, air mo thogail suas le bòidhchead agus beatha ùr."
"But I also feel myself uplifted, raised up by beauty and new life."
Allow yourself to acknowledge the exasperation that you carry—the frustrations that cycle through your thoughts like persistent rain clouds during spring showers. This exasperation is not a failing but a natural response to the challenges of life, just as the tree sometimes bends under the weight of wind and rain. Notice how your breath might become shallow when you connect with this feeling, how your shoulders might tense or your jaw tighten.
Now turn your attention to the uplifting energy that also dwells within you. Feel how your heart naturally expands when you witness the beauty unfolding all around, just as leaves unfurl to catch the strengthening sunlight. This uplifted feeling creates spaciousness in your chest, lightness in your limbs, a natural straightening of your spine against the supportive tree trunk.
"Mar a tha a' chraobh seo a' giùlan an dà chuid na stoirmean a thàinig is am blàths a tha an-dràsta ga beathachadh, tha mise cuideachd a' giùlan duilgheadasan is aoibhneas."
"As this tree bears both the storms that came and the warmth that now nourishes it, I too bear difficulties and joy."
"Agus mar a tha a' chraobh a' togail a geugan a dh'ionnsaigh an t-solais, tha mo spiorad uplifted ag èirigh os cionn gach exasperation."
"And as the tree lifts its branches toward the light, my uplifted spirit rises above every exasperation."
The Deep Working | An Obair Dhomhain
"A Mhàthair na Talmhainn, teagaisg dhomh mar a chothromaicheas mi mo exasperation le mo uplifted heart, mo sgìths le m' aoibhneas."
"Mother of Earth, teach me how I may balance my exasperation with my uplifted heart, my weariness with my joy."
"Cuidich mi a thuigsinn nach eil ann an exasperation ach sgòthan a bhios a' gluasad thairis, a' toirt uisge dhomh airson fàs."
"Help me understand that exasperation is but clouds passing over, giving me water for growth."
"Agus fosgail mo chridhe don uplifted energy a tha ag èirigh bho bhith an ceangal riutsa agus ri beatha ùr an earraich."
"And open my heart to the uplifted energy that arises from being connected to you and to the new life of spring."
Visualize yourself becoming one with the tree against which you rest. Feel your spine extending downward into roots that reach deep into the earth, drinking from underground streams of nourishment and stability. These roots anchor you through all weather, all seasons, all fluctuations of mood and circumstance.
At the same time, feel your consciousness rising upward into branches that stretch toward the sun, adorned with fresh leaves that transform light into life. Your awareness extends in all directions, like these branches, receiving both the nutrients of the earth and the energy of the sky.
Your exasperation is like the weathered bark that bears the marks of storms and challenges—not a flaw but a testament to resilience and endurance. Your uplifted spirit is like the new growth that continually emerges, regardless of past difficulties—an expression of the inexhaustible life force that flows through all beings.
Neither state is permanent; both are part of the natural cycle. The wisdom lies in recognizing their transience while honoring the gifts that each brings—the strengthening that comes through challenge, the renewal that follows endurance.
"Anns an aonarachd seo, tha mi a' faireachdainn an cothromachadh eadar an talamh a tha a' cumail mo fhreumhan agus an speur a tha a' beathachadh mo dhuilleagan."
"In this solitude, I feel the balance between the earth that holds my roots and the sky that nourishes my leaves."
"Tha an aon bheatha a' sruthadh tromham a tha a' sruthadh tron chraoibh, tron fheur, tron osag."
"The same life flows through me that flows through the tree, through the grass, through the breeze."
Feel the Mother Earth supporting you through the ground beneath you, while her life force rises through the tree at your back. She holds both stability and growth within her being. Her wisdom teaches that there is no contradiction between acknowledging hardship and embracing joy, between recognizing challenges and rising above them.
You are never separate from this wisdom. Your exasperated mind is her weathered strength. Your uplifted heart is her renewable vitality. Both are expressions of her love, both are pathways to healing.
Afterthought | Smuain Dheiridh
Take a moment to contemplate:
How might the tension between exasperation and upliftment actually create the necessary conditions for your most authentic growth? What wisdom might you discover when you learn to honor both the weathered bark and the new leaves of your experience?
Closing Blessing | Beannachd Dheiridh
"A Mhàthair na Talmhainn, tha mi a' toirt taing dhut airson do ghliocas agus do leigheas."
"Mother of Earth, I thank you for your wisdom and your healing."
"Tha mi a' tuigsinn gu bheil m' inntinn exasperated agus mo chridhe uplifted nam pàirtean de dh'aon bheatha iomlan."
"I understand that my exasperated mind and my uplifted heart are parts of one whole life."
"Mar a thèid an t-earrach air adhart, cuidich mi a' cumail an cothromachadh seo."
"As spring progresses, help me maintain this balance."
"Bidh mi a' cuimhneachadh gu bheil thu a' gabhail a-steach an dà chuid, agus nach eil fìor neart a' tighinn bho bhith a' seachnadh duilgheadasan ach bho bhith ag èirigh thairis orra."
"I will remember that you embrace both, and that true strength comes not from avoiding difficulties but from rising above them."
"Tha mi a' tilleadh don t-saoghal le tuigse nas doimhne air mar a dh'fhàsas mi tro dhùbhlan is aoibhneas le chèile."
"I return to the world with a deeper understanding of how I may grow through both challenge and joy together."
"Mar sin bitheadh."
"So may it be."
Thanks for this, Wendy!!! 🙏🙌💜