Meditation: May 9, 2025

"When we seek wisdom only in words, we miss the oldest teachings—written in bark and stone, whispered by wind through leaves, flowing in the silent language of root and mycelium beneath our feet."

Physical Setting & Preparation

Find a place where you can see the sky while being surrounded by growing things—a garden, forest clearing, or meadow. If you must be indoors, position yourself near a window with plants nearby. Bring a small vessel of water and a handful of soil or sand. Remove any jewelry and place your bare feet on the earth if possible. If indoors, remove your shoes and feel the floor beneath you. Before beginning, gently massage your temples with small circular motions for several breaths, then place your palms over your eyes for a moment, allowing your vision to rest in darkness before opening to the meditation.

Opening Invocation | Fosgladh

Air an naoidheamh là den Chèitean,
Nuair a tha 'n saoghal làn beatha ùir,
Tha mi a' tionndadh ri gliocas nan sìontan,
Ri seinn nan eun, ri anail na gaoithe.
Tha mi a' fosgladh mo chridhe don t-saoghal,
Mar a dh'fhosglas an talamh don uisge.

On this ninth day of May,
When the world is full of new life,
I turn to the wisdom of the elements,
To the singing of birds, to the breath of wind.
I open my heart to the world,
As the earth opens to water.

Body of the Working | Corp

Feel the world alive around you as the season deepens toward summer. The days have lengthened noticeably, calling forth more growth, more expression, more vibrant interaction between all living things. The rhythms of early May pulse with increasing momentum, like a stream swelling with spring rain.

Tha gach lus is craobh a' bruidhinn,
Ma dh'èisteas sinn le cluasan fosgailte.
Tha gach clach is allt a' seinn,
Ma dh'èisteas sinn le cridheachan ciùine.

Every plant and tree is speaking,
If we listen with open ears.
Every stone and stream is singing,
If we listen with quiet hearts.

In this moment of attentiveness, allow yourself to recognize a feeling of confidence arising within you. Like a tree firmly rooted yet reaching sunward, there is a natural assurance in being your authentic self. Place your hands on your chest and feel this quiet strength—not dominating or forceful, but steady and self-assured. Confidence is the earth's natural state—standing in her truth without apology or doubt.

Yet within this confidence, notice also a sense of humility pervading your being. Like the mighty mountain that still needs rain to nourish life upon its slopes, there is a recognition of interdependence, of being one part within a greater whole. Lower your hands now to touch the earth or floor, acknowledging this grounding awareness. This too is the earth's wisdom—expressing her full nature while remaining in relationship with all other expressions of life.

Tha mi làidir mar a' chraobh,
Gidheadh tha mi ag aideachadh mo cheanglaichean.
Tha mi a' seasamh ann an tìr mo fhèin-fhios,
'S mi fhathast 'nam phàirt den t-saoghal mhòr.

I am strong like the tree,
Yet I acknowledge my connections.
I stand in the land of my self-knowledge,
While still being part of the greater world.

The Deep Working | An Obair Dhomhain

Now, hold the vessel of water in your hands. Look into its surface—perhaps reflecting sky, perhaps clear to its depths. Water embodies both confidence and humility. It flows with unwavering purpose toward its destination, yet shapes itself to every container, adapts to every circumstance.

Your confidence is not separate from the earth's own assurance. Every seed that pushes through soil, every bird that builds its nest, every river that finds the sea—all express a fundamental trust in their own nature and purpose. Feel this natural confidence in your body—not as arrogance or superiority, but as harmony with your essential being.

An misneachd a tha mi a' faireachdainn,
Chan e uabhar no mòr-chuis a th' ann.
Is e fiosrachadh mo fhìrinn fhèin,
Mar a dh'aithnicheas a' chraobh a nàdar fhèin.

The confidence I feel,
Is neither pride nor conceit.
It is knowledge of my own truth,
As the tree knows its own nature.

Your humility, too, mirrors the earth's deep wisdom. The greatest mountain is still shaped by rain and wind; the mightiest oak depends on microscopic fungi among its roots; the fiercest predator needs prey to survive. This is the healing power of relationship—not diminishing your strength but contextualizing it within a web of interdependence.

Now take the handful of soil or sand and slowly pour it into your vessel of water. Watch how they interact, how they affect each other, how neither remains unchanged by the encounter. This is how confidence and humility dance together in a balanced being.

An irioslachd a tha mi a' faireachdainn,
Chan e laigse no giorrag a th' ann.
Is e tuigse air mo cheanglaichean,
Mar a thuigeas an abhainn a h-àite san t-saoghal.

The humility I feel,
Is neither weakness nor timidity.
It is understanding of my connections,
As the river understands its place in the world.

Feel both confidence and humility alive within you, not as opposing forces but as complementary aspects of wisdom. Like inhale and exhale, they create a natural rhythm of self-expression and receptivity. The Mother Earth demonstrates this balance in every aspect of her being—powerfully expressing her nature while remaining in constant relationship with sun, moon, and stars. In this integration lies profound healing.

Afterthought | Smuain Dheiridh

Take a moment to contemplate:

How might your confidence actually deepen your humility rather than diminish it? How might your humility enhance your confidence rather than undermine it?

Closing Blessing | Beannachd Dheiridh

Gu robh neart na talmhainn annad,
Gu robh gliocas nan uisgeachan leat,
Gu robh misneachd nan craobhan gad chumail,
Gu robh irioslachd nam beanntan gad theagasg,
A-nis agus gu bràth.

May the strength of the earth be in you,
May the wisdom of the waters be with you,
May the confidence of trees sustain you,
May the humility of mountains teach you,
Now and forever.

Before you leave this place, pour your vessel of water and soil onto the earth as an offering. Carry with you the understanding that confidence and humility are not opposed but allied—together creating a balanced way of being that honors both your unique nature and your place within the greater tapestry of life.