I had the incredible opportunity a few weeks ago to spend five days in Canyon De Chelly – a very incredible and sacred land in Arizona. Guided by members of the Diné tribe who take care of the land, I cannot explain the depth of power that this trip held for me. Surrounded by people who I did not know but who I grew to love quickly, and surrounded by the majesty of mother nature, I was able to move closer to myself and my spirit.
Connecting to my own spirituality has always included aspects of nature. One of the reasons I was so hesitant to move to the Los Angeles area and one of the reasons I have found so much joy being in the foothills of La Crescenta. But of course the opportunity to immerse in nature does not come as often as I would like so this trip to the canyon was such a wonderful gift.
In my time there I was able to sit in complete stillness for so long that the chipmunks and birds came right up to me to see what I was all about. I was able to hear the incredible calls of a red tail hawk, ravens, and an owl. On this special land I was able to listen to my own intuition and give her as much time as she needed to talk. This time and space allowed me to guide myself through a much needed release ceremony, examine old wounds that are still present, and move closer towards tending to and healing those wounds.
As we come upon Samhain (pronounced Saw-when) and the turn towards the darker days of the year, we are called to connect more to our spiritual selves and our intuition. The darkness calls for us to find stillness and quiet so that we may hear what our intuition has to say. Our intuition is considered strongest in our “dark” part of the cycle – the new moon, our menstruation week, and winter! While we are often given the message that these times are the “bad” parts of any cycle, the truth is that they are most powerful. These parts of our cycles allow us to turn inward and we hold some very amazing power inside of us. So don’t be afraid to lean into the stillness and to lean into yourself!
Samhain traditionally brings a “thinning of the veil” between us and the spiritual world. I encourage you to take some time to reflect on what this time of the year means for you, or what it could mean for you. Perhaps you take some time to explore how you will hold onto your sense of self as we delve into the chaos of the holiday season. Filing that proverbial cup is never more important than as we dive head first into the next few months that call so much energy from us.
To support you on awakening the spirit, here are some journal prompts to honor this time of year:
- How does it feel to sit in stillness? When you are still, what thoughts or feelings come up for you?
- What guidance can connecting to spirit provide to you? What are you looking for?
- How do you know when your intuition is speaking? What practices support you in connecting with your intuition?
However you have come into our lives, or even if we have yet to meet in person, we are so grateful for the universe bringing us together. When we tend to ourselves and our spirits, we tend to each other better. When we allow ourselves to be guided by intuition and knowing, then we find ourselves guided to those people who we are meant to be with.
So looking to the months ahead, we wish you stillness and peace and connection with yourself. Because you are worth it.
Xo,
April & Lena