Meditation on Awakening Joy
Physical Setting & Preparation
Find a quiet space where you can feel the earth beneath you. If possible, sit outdoors where you can observe the first stirrings of spring. If indoors, position yourself near a window where you can see the sky. Have a small bowl of fresh soil or a potted plant nearby. Feel the cool air of early spring on your skin.
"Like the autumn leaves that fall, our sorrows too are part of nature's cycle, nourishing the soil of our spirits." — Wendy
Opening Invocation | Fosgladh
Màthair na Talmhainn, dùisg mi
Mother of Earth, awaken me
Ann an là ùr seo san Mhàrt
In this new day of March
Mar a bhriseas na blàthan tro'n talamh
As flowers break through the earth
Bris tro mo chridhe le aoibhneas
Break through my heart with joy
[Visualize the ground beneath you beginning to warm, the first green shoots pushing through the last patches of snow. Feel the stirring of new life beneath the soil.]
Body of the Working | Corp
Tha mi nam shuidhe air do bhroilleach
I sit upon your breast
A' faireachdainn do bhlàths a' dùsgadh
Feeling your warmth awakening
Mar a thàinig an t-earrach gu sàmhach
As spring came quietly
Thig aoibhneas gu mo chridhe
Let joy come to my heart
[Feel the energy of the earth rising through your body. Notice how the days grow longer, how the birds return with their songs. Let this natural joy fill your being.]
The Deep Working | An Obair Dhomhain
Tha gach sìol a' briseadh
Each seed is breaking
Gach freumh a' sìneadh
Each root stretching
Mar sin tha m' anam ag èirigh
Thus my soul rises
Le gàirdeachas an earraich
With the joy of spring
[Imagine yourself as a seed breaking open, your own joy spreading like roots through soil. Feel the Mother's strength supporting your growth, nurturing your happiness as she nurtures every growing thing.]
Afterthought | Smuain Dheiridh
Take a moment to contemplate:
How does the joy of spring's awakening mirror the awakening of joy within yourself? Where in your life are new possibilities breaking through, like seeds through soil?
Closing Blessing | Beannachd Dheiridh
Beannachd na Màthar
The Mother's blessing
Air mo chridhe 's air m' anam
Upon my heart and upon my soul
Mar a dh'fhàsas na lusan
As the herbs grow
Mar sin fàsaidh m' aoibhneas
So shall my joy grow
Gus an till mi do d' uchd
Until I return to your breast