Meditation: May 24th, 2025
"..the days when spring yields to summer were seen as gates between worlds—moments when the ordinary becomes extraordinary, when the fruit of possibility hangs ripe upon the bough of the present."
Physical Setting & Preparation
Find a place where you can witness the meeting of elements—perhaps where earth meets water, or where open space meets forest edge. If possible, position yourself where you can feel a gentle breeze and see both near and distant horizons. Bring a small token from the natural world—a feather, stone, or leaf—to hold during your meditation. Remove footwear and allow your bare feet to make direct contact with the living earth. Either stand with knees slightly bent and arms relaxed at your sides, or sit with your spine self-supporting but not rigid. Begin by taking three complete breaths—each inhale drawing in vitality, each exhale releasing whatever separates you from this present moment.
Opening Invocation | Fosgladh
"Air an latha seo de Chèitean, tha mi a' seasamh eadar na saoghail." On this day of May, I stand between the worlds.
"Tha mi a' gairm air Màthair na Talmhainn, banrigh nan ràithean." I call upon Mother Earth, queen of the seasons.
"Eadar an t-earrach a' falbh agus an samhradh ag èirigh, tha mi a' faighinn neart." Between the departing spring and the rising summer, I find strength.
"Fosgail mo chridhe do na seallaidhean a tha falaichte bho shùilean àbhaisteach." Open my heart to visions hidden from ordinary eyes.
Become fully present to this specific moment on May 24th. Feel how the earth has traveled almost two full months into spring, with summer's threshold only weeks away. Notice the quality of growth around you—no longer the tender green of early spring, but the robust, confident growth of a season coming into its fullness. Listen to the particular songs of birds who have now established territories and mates. Feel the air that carries both spring's lingering coolness and summer's approaching warmth. This moment will never be repeated exactly as it is—it exists now, perfectly itself, in the turning of the great wheel.
Body of the Working | Corp
"Tha mi air mo chuairteachadh le beatha ann am pailteas." I am surrounded by life in abundance.
"Tha gach luibh is craobh a' seinn òran an fhàis." Each plant and tree sings the song of growth.
As you settle into deeper awareness, become conscious of a feeling of fascination arising within you. Like a child discovering a world of wonders, there is a magnetic pull toward the intricate details of existence unfolding before you.
"Tha mo shùilean a' fosgladh do mhìorbhailean beaga gach latha." My eyes open to the small miracles of each day.
Allow this fascination to spread throughout your being. Feel it as a pleasant heightening of your senses, a natural inclination to lean in and look more closely, a delightful suspension of ordinary concerns as your attention is captured by the world's beauty. The natural world constantly invites this fascination—the perfect spiral of a fern unfurling, the complex architecture of a spider's web, the exquisite geometry of a flower's opening.
"Mar a choimheadas pàiste air saoghal ùr, tha mi a' faicinn le sùilean glan." As a child looks upon a new world, I see with clear eyes.
Now, notice how your fascination is accompanied by a sense of empowerment—a strengthening awareness of your own capacity to affect change, to participate fully in life's unfolding. Like a seed that has gathered sufficient resources to break through soil toward light, you feel the potency of your own being.
"Tha mo neart a' dùsgadh, mar bhristeadh na grèine thar nan cnoc." My strength awakens, like the breaking of the sun over hills.
Experience this empowerment as a vertical alignment through your body, a gathering of energy in your solar plexus, a quiet confidence in your movements and thoughts. The natural world embodies this empowerment in countless ways—the sapling growing straight despite obstacles, the river carving its path through stone, the heron standing poised before perfectly timed action.
"Mar a sheasas a' chraobh dìreach, a freumhan domhainn, mar sin tha mise." As the tree stands straight, its roots deep, so am I.
Allow these two energies—fascination and empowerment—to interweave within your consciousness. They are natural allies, each enhancing the other's gifts. Your fascination keeps your empowerment connected to wonder; your empowerment gives your fascination purpose and direction.
The Deep Working | An Obair Dhomhain
"Air cùl an t-saoghail a chithear le sùilean, tha saoghal eile a' feitheamh." Behind the world seen with eyes, another world waits.
Close your eyes and visualize yourself standing at the edge of an ancient oak grove. The late afternoon sun filters through leaves, creating shifting patterns of light and shadow on the forest floor. Mother Earth rises to meet you through the soles of your feet, her ancient wisdom flowing upward through your body like sap rising in the oak.
"Tha an talamh ag innse dhomh dìomhaireachdan an àma." The earth tells me the secrets of time.
Feel how your fascination connects you to the dimension of wonder that permeates existence—the recognition that the ordinary world is, in fact, extraordinary when perceived with attention. This fascination is not mere curiosity but a form of relationship, a conversation between your consciousness and the consciousness embedded in all things.
"Le ioghnadh, tha mi a' cluinntinn cainnt nan duilleagan." With wonder, I hear the language of leaves.
Mother Earth whispers that fascination is a form of love—the desire to know something deeply, to attend to it fully, to receive its unique being. When we approach the world with fascination, we recover our original relationship with life, seeing through eyes unclouded by assumption or agenda.
"Chan eil mi dìreach a' coimhead air an t-saoghal ach 'ga aithneachadh." I do not merely look at the world but recognize it.
Now, feel how your empowerment connects you to the creative force that flows through all natural systems—the capacity to shape and be shaped, to affect and be affected. This empowerment is not domination but participation, like the tree that both responds to its environment and helps create the conditions for others' flourishing.
"Tha mo chumhachd fèin mar phàirt de chumhachd mòr an t-saoghail." My own power is part of the great power of the world.
Mother Earth reveals that true empowerment arises not from separation but from connection—from recognizing ourselves as expressions of the same creative force that moves through all living beings. Like the wave that is simultaneously itself and the ocean, our individual power finds its source and purpose in the larger whole.
"Tha mi ag èirigh mar dhuilleag air a' chraoibh mhòir na beatha." I arise like a leaf on the great tree of life.
Feel the healing power of Mother Earth harmonizing these energies within you. She teaches that fascination without empowerment can become passive spectating; empowerment without fascination can become blind force. When balanced, they create the perfect state for authentic participation—engaging with life's wonders while contributing our unique gifts.
"Eadar ioghnadh agus gnìomh, tha mi a' lorg mo shlighe fhèin." Between wonder and action, I find my own path.
Let this wisdom illuminate your understanding of the season. Late May embodies this same dance between fascination and empowerment—the world captivating us with its beauty while inviting our active participation in its flourishing. Neither merely observing life's unfolding nor forcing our will upon it, but joining the collaborative creation.
"Mar a chothromaicheas an talamh eadar foillseachadh agus cruthachadh, mar sin nì mise." As the earth balances between revealing and creating, so will I.
Afterthought | Smuain Dheiridh
Take a moment to contemplate:
How might the balance of fascination and empowerment transform your participation in the world? What becomes possible when you approach life with both wonder at its unfolding mysteries and confidence in your capacity to contribute meaningfully?
Closing Blessing | Beannachd Dheiridh
"Gun robh do shùilean daonnan fosgailte do iongantasan an t-saoghail." May your eyes always be open to the wonders of the world.
"Gun robh do làmhan làidir ach caomh, deiseil airson an obair a tha romhad." May your hands be strong yet gentle, ready for the work before you.
"Gun robh thu comasach air a bhith nad neach-amhairc agus nad neach-dèanaimh." May you be capable of being both observer and maker.
"Gun robh an cothrom eadar ioghnadh agus gnìomh a' fuireach annad." May the balance between wonder and action remain within you.
"Tha mi taingeil don Mhàthair Thalmhainn airson a gliocas." I am grateful to Mother Earth for her wisdom.
"Slàn leat, a Mhàthair mhòr, gu ruige an ath choinneamh." Farewell, great Mother, until our next meeting.
Hold the natural token you brought to the meditation in both hands, acknowledging its gift as a messenger between worlds. Return it to the earth or carry it with you as feels appropriate. Press your palms to the earth in gratitude, then bring them to your heart, carrying the earth's blessing within you. Take a deep breath and slowly open your eyes, bringing the balanced energies of fascination and empowerment back into your daily life as guides for engaged presence.