Meditation: May 25th, 2025

"The ancient druids understood that on the threshold of summer, the earth holds her breath in perfect balance—a sacred pause where the seeds of spring and the fruits of summer dance together...."

Physical Setting & Preparation

Find a place where you can sense the abundance of late spring—perhaps near flowering bushes or trees, or where wild grasses grow tall and seed heads are beginning to form. If possible, position yourself where you can hear birdsong and feel gentle breezes against your skin. Bring a small vessel of water and a pinch of soil to represent the elements. Sit or stand with your spine aligned but not rigid, feeling both rooted through your lower body and open through your upper body. Remove shoes to allow direct contact with the earth. Begin by placing your hands palm-down on the earth beside you, then slowly turning them palm-up on your thighs or knees, symbolizing your readiness to both receive and offer.

Opening Invocation | Fosgladh

"Air an latha seo de Chèitean, tha mi a' gairm air spiorad an dà shaoghail." On this day of May, I call upon the spirit of the two worlds.

"Tha mi ag iarraidh beannachd na Màthar Talmhainn, banrigh gach beatha." I seek the blessing of Mother Earth, queen of all life.

"Eadar beanntan agus gleanntan, eadar muir agus tìr, eadar gealach is grian, tha mise." Between mountains and valleys, between sea and land, between moon and sun, I am.

"Fosgail mo chridhe don ghliocas a tha falaichte anns gach anail." Open my heart to the wisdom hidden in each breath.

Become fully present to this specific moment on May 25th. Feel how the earth has tilted decisively toward summer, yet still carries spring's freshness. Notice the particular quality of growth around you—the lushness that speaks of spring's accumulated momentum, the forming seeds that hint at summer's coming fruition. The light has a distinctive character today—neither spring's tentative brightness nor summer's bold intensity, but a luminous clarity unique to this threshold time. This exact confluence of energies will never again exist precisely as it does now.

Body of the Working | Corp

"Tha mi mar chrann eadar nèamh is talamh, mo chasan anns an ùir, mo cheann anns na speuran." I am like a pillar between heaven and earth, my feet in the soil, my head in the skies.

"Tha m' anail a' measgachadh rium fàileadh na talmhainn agus guth na gaoithe." My breath mingles with the scent of earth and the voice of wind.

As you settle into deeper presence, become aware of a feeling of serenity arising within your being. Like a lake whose surface has grown perfectly still, there is a spacious calm that allows clear reflection of both sky above and depths below.

"Tha sìth a' tuiteam orm mar dhrùchd madainn." Peace falls upon me like morning dew.

Allow this serenity to spread throughout your body. Feel it as a gentle cooling behind your eyes, a soft release in your shoulders, a deepening of your breath into your lower belly. The natural world embodies this serenity in countless ways—the unhurried opening of a flower, the patient flow of water over stone, the steady rhythm of tides responding to moon's pull.

"Ann an sàmhchair, tha mi a' cluinntinn fìrinn mo chridhe fhèin." In stillness, I hear the truth of my own heart.

Now, notice how your serenity is accompanied by a sense of courage—a centered strength that rises from your connection with both earth and sky. Like a tree that stands firm through changing seasons, you feel an unwavering presence that is both gentle and powerful.

"Tha misneachd ag èirigh annam mar a dh'èireas a' ghrian thar nan cnoc." Courage rises in me as the sun rises over the hills.

Experience this courage as a warm, steady flame in your solar plexus, a subtle straightening of your spine, a quiet confidence in your capacity to meet whatever comes. The natural world exemplifies this courage through the seed that breaks through hard soil, the sapling that grows straight despite obstacles, the river that finds its way around or through whatever blocks its path.

"Mar a sheasas a' chreag air latha stoirmeil, mar sin mise." As the rock stands on a stormy day, so do I.

Allow these two energies—serenity and courage—to weave together within your being. They are not opposites but complementary aspects of balanced presence. Your serenity gives depth to your courage; your courage gives substance to your serenity.

The Deep Working | An Obair Dhomhain

"Eadar an t-sìth agus a' mhisneachd, tha gliocas a' Chèitein a' bruidhinn." Between peace and courage, the wisdom of May speaks.

Close your eyes and visualize yourself standing in a flowering meadow that slopes gently toward distant hills. Late afternoon sun bathes everything in golden light, creating long shadows that reach toward the east. Mother Earth rises to meet you through the soles of your feet, her ancient presence flowing upward through your body like water rising through the roots and stem of a flower.

"Tha an talamh a' bruidhinn rium tro mo chnàmhan agus m' fhuil." The earth speaks to me through my bones and blood.

Feel how your serenity connects you to the vast, abiding presence that underlies all of existence—the deep peace at the heart of being itself. This serenity is not a state you create but a reality you recognize, like remembering your own name after temporary forgetting.

"Ann an sàmhchair, tha mi a' tuigsinn nach eil a' ghaoith a' gluasad, ach na duilleagan a-mhàin." In stillness, I understand that the wind does not move, only the leaves.

Mother Earth whispers that true serenity is not escape from life's movements but presence with them—the capacity to maintain contact with the unchanging depth while fully experiencing the changing surface. Like the lake bed that remains undisturbed while waves dance above, your essential nature holds steady amid life's fluctuations.

"Mar a chumas an loch a dhoimhneachd fo uisge caochlaideach, mar sin tha sìth nam airgead." As the lake maintains its depth beneath changeable waters, so peace is in my core.

Now, feel how your courage connects you to the creative, expressive force that moves through all of life—the capacity to stand firmly in your truth while remaining responsive to changing circumstances. This courage is not aggressive force but aligned presence, like the tree that neither yields its ground nor resists the wind's dance.

"Tha mo mhisneachd a' toirt orm seasamh dìreach, ach chan ann an aghaidh an t-saoghail." My courage makes me stand straight, but not against the world.

Mother Earth reveals that authentic courage arises not from opposition but from connection—from recognizing ourselves as expressions of the same life force that moves through all beings. Like the wave that draws its power from the entire ocean, our individual strength finds its source in our participation in the greater whole.

"Tha mi làidir chan ann leam fhèin, ach mar phàirt den talamh." I am strong not alone, but as part of the earth.

Feel the healing power of Mother Earth harmonizing these energies within you. She teaches that serenity without courage can become passive withdrawal; courage without serenity can become brittle force. When balanced, they create the perfect state for authentic presence—remaining centered while engaging fully.

"Eadar sìth agus misneachd, tha mi a' faighinn mo sheasamh fìor." Between peace and courage, I find my true stance.

Let this wisdom illuminate your understanding of the season. May 25th embodies this same dance between serenity and courage—the world poised in perfect balance between receiving spring's gifts and courageously stepping toward summer's fullness. Neither clinging to the familiar nor rushing toward the unknown, but standing at the threshold with both calm presence and brave readiness.

"Mar a chothromaicheas an talamh eadar fois agus gluasad, mar sin nì mise." As the earth balances between rest and movement, so will I.

Afterthought | Smuain Dheiridh

Take a moment to contemplate:

How might the integration of serenity and courage transform your response to life's challenges and transitions? What becomes possible when you approach difficult situations with both peaceful centeredness and courageous presence?

Closing Blessing | Beannachd Dheiridh

"Gun robh sìth an talaimh annad." May the peace of the earth be in you.

"Gun robh misneachd nan cnoc leat." May the courage of the hills be with you.

"Gun robh do chridhe soilleir mar loch air latha ciùin." May your heart be clear as a lake on a calm day.

"Gun robh do sheasamh làidir mar darach aosda." May your stance be strong as an ancient oak.

"Gun robh an cothrom eadar sìth agus dànachd a' fuireach annad." May the balance between peace and boldness remain in 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.

Touch the pinch of soil to your forehead, acknowledging the wisdom of earth. Pour a few drops of water onto the ground as an offering of gratitude. Press your palms to the earth, then bring them to your heart, carrying the earth's blessing within you. Take a deep breath before returning to your day, carrying the balanced energies of serenity and courage as guides for navigating all of life's thresholds and challenges.