Embracing Nature's Call

Here in Southern California rain is something we truly appreciate. Our average annual rainfall is about 14 inches and many years we receive less than that. So a rainy day is greeted with appreciation. I always thank the Water Spirits for blessing the land with the sweetness of water and for refreshing nature.

In the Dagara tradition of West Africa, this year is a Nature Year. Nature is about joyful expression and magic. It brings major changes at a personal and collective level. During a nature year we are encouraged to remove our masks and step into our true self. Sometimes this can require facing issues that have challenged us for many years but this is the year that supports us in letting go of core limiting beliefs and stepping into our soul’s longing, our true calling.

The example of Mother Earth and her expression through nature is key here. We must be in touch with our human nature while living with the elements of nature – water, earth, animals, plants. When we are connected with the rhythms of nature, we are in balance and see with all of our senses. Intuition is heightened and the importance of living in harmony with our neighbors and our self is brought into focus. There is an ongoing cycle of death and renewal in nature and if we apply this to our personal and family life, we can learn how to interact harmoniously with others. That’s the lesson and also the challenge!

Indigenous cultures throughout the world understand this connection between humans and nature. Rituals are performed to connect people with their inner nature. Nature unites our physical being with our inner spirit, our soul.

The same shift is going on in the world. In spite of outward appearances, the world is not coming to an end. America is not collapsing. We are in the midst of a great shift. This is a time of change and this evolution is essential to the process of global change. We are one. The world has much to learn through the challenges facing humanity but nature helps us remove old masks that no longer serve. Nature assists us in looking beyond what is visible and into the heart of matters, into the soul. As we move from a fragmented reality into wholeness, people and countries must shift. What is working? What needs to change? How do we release old patterns and stories that no longer serve the highest good and co-create new paradigms that move us into balance?

Humanity has much to gain by reconnecting to nature and Mother Earth. When we are in harmony with nature we are more deeply connected to our soul’s nature. Nature provides a template for human development, encouraging us to grow and transform into who we long to become. At our core, every human being has a unique and mystical relationship to the wild world and when we cultivate that relationship we mature into the adult we are meant to be.

  

What do you long for? Is it time to change jobs, receive training in an area that interests you, move to a new place, or end a relationship in your life that no longer serves the highest good? What is working well? What is not? This is the year to heed the call to your soul’s longing. Nature provides the template for coming into balance with your soul’s true calling. Listen with your heart. Allow all your senses to connect to nature and discover the joy that awaits you. It is time to bring magic back into the world.