Deoch Mass 9-25-2019

The land was primed for a rich harvest after the first planting. Each seed explicitly chosen and sewn unerringly straight in virgin ground, rich with the potential of untapped nutrients.

As expected, the first harvest grew full. Bounty flourished from every sprout and the people wanted for very little. Some now call it the Golden Age. Enabled by the one who planted the first seed and continued by those that reached unimpeded toward the Light.

But no field ever remains isolated… they cannot. Their nature is not so idyllic; they must open themselves to the winds of change to survive and to grow.

And so it was done. The winds came and carried new seeds that planted themselves outside of the neatly ordered rows. Many balked at the disorder and the new types of sprouts that grew.

Still, the winds continued. The once orderly field that only grew perfect golden fruit now contained a rainbow of colors, not only new kinds of fruits but also vegetables of all varieties...and, inevitably: weeds. There was an exodius of those that refused to tolerate it.

The work of the harvest was no longer simple and the bounty no longer effortless. Each new, unique type of sprout needed a different path to reach the light. It was work that not everyone willing to do. Many sprouts languished and never produced because they weren’t cultivated.

Those that were fostered by the first planter grew fewer, but some adapted and taught old ways to newcomers. And from these: many tried to encourage the growth of these new sprouts. The harmony of the golden age was all but gone but even the chaos of colors that the field had become provided a harvest of its own.

If it had continued like that; it wouldn’t have been so terrible. It wasn’t perfect but there was beauty in what it was.

However, the harvest that was once robust and plentiful slowly became sparse and withered… stagnation. Sprouts still grew but most never discovered reason to flower.

The once bountiful harvests faded away. Many people tried to place blame for the state of the field. Endless chatter of who did what and who did not. The simple truth is that there was plenty to go around.

The field now sits largely fallow, a place where beautiful things once grew abundant. But the soil is ripe for new planting. It always has been. But it requires effort from those willing to see it though. Nourishing new sprouts, encouraging their growth, and helping them find their unique way upward toward the Light.

If enough walk this path, it becomes a new tradition. Something that is repeated and passed on. It is this tradition that has been missing: the one that returns the fields to bounty.

 

Deoch Mass 9-18-2019

It is an honor to stand here, giving praise to Deoch once again.

May you embrace that which makes you an Aisling, the gift of Deoch and the Inspiration that you have fostered within yourself.


This is the path that we walk to cleanse our mistakes:

Admission; learn a lesson
Apologize; forgive yourself
Move forward to the future.

In our time here in Temuair, we have all made mistakes. Many of those come with a Scar of Sgrios. A reminder of those times we slipped up and got dragged away from the realm of the living. The price for our salvation; a bite from the God of Death rendered from the very core of our being.

Sgrios’s Scar is a reminder of that mistake. Rarely do we get hung up on mistakes like these, because of how deceptively simple it is to cleanse away and continue with life.

But there are many other mistakes we make that do not provide such a persistent reminder to walk the path. Mistakes that are not always as easy for us to cope with, those that hurt those closest to us and even sunder the confidence we have in ourselves. These kinds of mistakes bring scars of a different nature. Scars on the psyche, not so easily cleansed.

However, like the simple ones, we work through these mistakes in the same manner: Reflect upon them, apologize to others, forgive ourselves, and finally continue on.

But it is not always a simple path to walk. Sometimes we go through these steps slowly or not at all, stubbornly allowing our pride to hold us back. I have learned well just how powerful that feeling can be in the face of my very own mistakes... to which there has been a great deal during my time in Temuair, especially in my younger Deochs.

But disarm pride by reminding yourself that the path isn’t walked to hold us to account for our mistakes. That is done regardless of our actions. This path, instead,offers freedom of the mind. A release from the burden that we hold on ourselves because of our mistakes and their consequences.

Find inspiration from Deoch and in yourself to always walk this path whenever you make a mistake, no matter what it is. Cleanse the scars that are heavy upon you and move forward, ready for what’s next.

Deoch Mass 9-11-2019

I only have some short words this double-moon… perhaps ones a bit cliche, but thoughts on my mind all the same.

It is common to hear about the importance of appreciating the people in your life while you are able. But even still, it is likely all of us have felt that pang of regret when our chance to partake in someone’s knowledge and kindness has passed.

There is a great deal of grief and sadness in that kind of regret; a panic that overcomes the body and mind. But it is a regret that slowly fades away to the realization that those who have passed on leave countless impressions upon us.

Like a library full of books that have only received a cursory reading; these left impressions are a treasure for reflection and meditation. Those old books on a second reading can reveal new insight from old experience. Hidden wisdom, affection, and humor; things we did not fully see or understand the first time around; shown in a new light.

It is in this way that the people who have left impression upon our lives stay with us. We are always able to pick up an old book from our shelf and look for something new, long after the author is gone.