It is so hard to sit down and write this morning. There is so much happening outside my porch. We have had some days of soaking rain followed by warm sunny days and everything in the garden is growing with the aspiration to become a jungle. I know I should be out weeding but I don’t want this summer season to get away from me before I speak to you about the direction of the south on the medicine wheel. I figure that the weeds will not go away but instead will grow taller and I won’t have to bend down so far to pull them up. Ah, the joys of rationalization.
On the medicine wheel you will find the season of summer in the south. The sun is high in the sky at the time of noon leading me to use the color yellow for the south. The south is all about abundant growth in all realms. The plants are shooting up and expressing their growth in luxurious foliage and gorgeous flowers. The humans are represented by children growing into young adults. It is the place of the heart and reaching out to the world around us with the eyes of a child, full of wonder and awe. There is an abundance of food and light which leads us into a feeling of trust that our needs will be met. Fire is the element of the south. Our animal in the south is usually a trickster spirit. Many people use coyote but I use rabbit here in the east. Do you remember all the wonderful Brer Rabbit tales? One of the ways to stay centered in our hearts is to lean into all of the sensations that surround us. Summer is a great time to do this. What do you taste – cold sweet watermelon? What do you feel – a light summer breeze cooling your sweaty body? What do you hear – the sound of buzzing pollinators? What do you smell – the scent of new mown hay? What do you see – the glint of the sun on the river? Whatever you are feeling, please, do stop and enjoy this abundant time of the year to the fullest.