Meditation: May 19th, 2025

"The ancient ones knew that change and constancy are not opponents but lovers, each bringing gifts to the other. The river remains a river precisely because it never contains the same water twice."

Physical Setting & Preparation

Position yourself where you can witness both stability and change in the natural world—perhaps near a tree with established roots but new seasonal growth, beside water that maintains its course while continually flowing, or in a garden with perennial plants sending up fresh shoots. If possible, bring two symbolic items: something that represents enduring stability (a stone, a piece of wood) and something that represents continual change (flowing water in a small container, a feather that moves with the slightest breeze). Settle into a comfortable position with good posture that allows both groundedness and freedom of movement.

Opening Invocation | Fosgladh

Air an naoidheamh latha deug de Chèitean
On the nineteenth day of May

Nuair a tha maireannachd is atharrachadh a' coinneachadh
When permanence and change meet

Mar an abhainn a tha an-còmhnaidh an aon abhainn
Like the river that is always the same river

Ach a' sruthadh le uisge ùr gach mionaid
Yet flowing with new water each minute

Tha mise cuideachd eadar seasmhachd is gluasad
I too am between steadfastness and movement

Feel the balanced energies of mid-May surrounding you. The world exists in perfect tension between constancy and flux—trees add new growth while maintaining their essential structure, bird territories remain fixed while the activities within them constantly change, seasonal patterns repeat yet never exactly the same way twice. In this season where nature demonstrates the partnership between stability and change, we work with the emotional states of serenity and restlessness—two seemingly opposite yet perfectly complementary responses to life's perpetual dance of renewal.

Body of the Working | Corp

Mar a' chreag sheasmhach air taobh na mara caochlaidich
Like the steadfast rock beside the ever-changing sea

Mar a' ghealach a dh'atharraicheas a cumadh ach nach caochail a nàdar
Like the moon that changes its shape but not its nature

Mar sin tha beatha—pàirt seasmhach, pàirt ag atharrachadh
So is life—part stable, part changing

On this nineteenth day of May, we explore the twin energies of serenity and restlessness that together create life's perfect rhythm. In the natural world around us, these apparently contradictory qualities exist not in opposition but in sacred partnership, each giving meaning to the other.

Serenity and restlessness—the twin responses to existence's fundamental nature.

Sìth-inntinn—sàmhach, stèidhichte, a' gabhail fois ann an tùs
Serenity—quiet, established, resting in source

Mì-fhois—beothail, sùnndach, ag iarraidh fàs is atharrachadh
Restlessness—lively, eager, seeking growth and change

Feel serenity arising within you—the calm centeredness that finds peace in what endures. This is the steady presence of the mountain that remains while clouds come and go, the quiet confidence of the oak that stands through countless seasonal cycles, the deep tranquility of the lake's depths unmoved by surface waves. Allow this serenity to settle into your core, creating a sense of unshakable stability beneath life's constant fluctuations.

Now, feel restlessness awakening alongside serenity—the dynamic energy that seeks growth and renewal. This is the creative impulse of the sprouting seed pushing upward, the eager exploration of the deer following new spring growth, the bubbling excitation of the stream dancing over rocks. Let this restlessness enliven your awareness, creating a sense of possibility and movement that prevents stagnation.

Ann an sìth-inntinn, tha mi a' lorg fois ann an tùs
In serenity, I find rest in source

Ann am mì-fhois, tha mi a' lorg beatha ann an atharrachadh
In restlessness, I find life in change

Còmhla, tha iad a' cruthachadh dannsa iomlan
Together, they create a complete dance

Allow both emotional states to exist simultaneously within you. Notice how serenity without restlessness can become stagnant complacency disconnected from growth. Observe how restlessness without serenity can become anxious agitation disconnected from foundation. Together, they create true wisdom—the balanced engagement with life that neither resists necessary change nor abandons essential stability.

The Deep Working | An Obair Dhomhain

Mothaich don anail—a' gluasad, ach an-còmhnaidh anail
Notice the breath—moving, yet always breath

Mothaich don chridhe—a' bualadh, ach an-còmhnaidh cridhe
Notice the heart—beating, yet always heart

Mothaich don inntinn—a' smaointinn, ach an-còmhnaidh inntinn
Notice the mind—thinking, yet always mind

Anns na h-atharrachaidhean, tha seasmhachd
In the changes, there is constancy

Anns an t-seasmhachd, tha atharrachadh
In the constancy, there is change

If you brought symbolic objects, hold them now—first the stable one, feeling its enduring quality, then the changing one, appreciating its fluid nature. Notice how each contains elements of the other—the stone slowly changes through weathering, the water maintains its essential nature despite constant movement.

Visualize yourself as a mature tree in mid-May. Your trunk and major branches represent serenity—the stable structure that remains consistent year after year. Your new leaves and seasonal growth represent restlessness—the dynamic expansion that responds to changing conditions. Neither aspect contradicts the other—they are necessary partners in your continued existence.

Feel serenity in your lower body—the pelvis, legs, and feet establishing stable connection with the unchanging ground beneath. Feel restlessness in your upper body—the chest, arms, and head engaged with the changing world around you.

Tha sìth-inntinn is mì-fhois mar freumhan is duilleagan
Serenity and restlessness are like roots and leaves

Na freumhan sàmhach fon talamh
The roots quiet beneath the earth

Na duilleagan a' dannsadh sa ghaoith
The leaves dancing in the wind

Ged is eadar-dhealaichte iad, tha iad mar aon
Though different, they are as one

Now imagine that you can sense the Earth Mother's ancient rhythm beneath you—the primal balance of stability and change that has sustained life for billions of years. With each breath, feel how she maintains perfect equilibrium between constancy and renewal. Her basic patterns—the cycling of seasons, the circulation of water, the exchange of gases—remain consistent while their specific expressions continually change. Neither rigid fixity nor chaotic flux would sustain her complex systems—only the sacred partnership between stability and change makes continued evolution possible.

Bring your awareness to places in your life where serenity and restlessness meet. Perhaps in relationships, creative work, spiritual practice, or life transitions. See how the Earth Mother teaches that these qualities strengthen rather than undermine each other—serenity providing the stable foundation that makes healthy change possible, restlessness preventing the stagnation that would ultimately threaten stability itself.

A' Mhàthair Thalmhainn, teagaisg dhomh an cothromachadh seo
Earth Mother, teach me this balance

Eadar fois is gluasad
Between rest and movement

Eadar a bhith is fàs
Between being and becoming

Ann ad ghliocas, gheibh mi rithim na beatha
In your wisdom, I find the rhythm of life

Rest in this integrated awareness for several breaths. Feel how serenity and restlessness naturally complement and regulate each other when given conscious attention—serenity preventing restlessness from becoming anxious, restlessness preventing serenity from becoming stagnant. This is the dynamic balance exemplified by all thriving natural systems, from the tiniest seedling to the mightiest forest, each embodying perfect partnership between stability and growth.

Afterthought | Smuain Dheiridh

Take a moment to contemplate:

How might consciously cultivating both serenity and restlessness create more sustainable approaches to life transitions and growth? What wisdom does the Earth Mother offer about honoring both that which should remain stable and that which must continually change?

Closing Blessing | Beannachd Dheiridh

Buidheachas don Mhàthair Thalmhainn
Gratitude to the Earth Mother

Airson sìth-inntinn a bheir dhomh neart
For serenity that gives me strength

Airson mì-fhois a bheir dhomh beatha ùr
For restlessness that gives me new life

Gun robh an cothromachadh seo annam
May this balance be within me

Mar a tha e anns gach nì ann an cuairt nan ràithean
As it is in everything in the cycle of seasons

Beannachd leibh, a spioradan an àite seo
Blessings with you, spirits of this place

Gum bi both seasmhachd is fàs eadarainn gus an coinnich sinn a-rithist
May there be both stability and growth between us until we meet again