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A white moon shining full and bright A silver path between the shores of night Magical beauty beguiling inner sight Welcome to a world of healing, love and light The sun is rising, life giving and bold, Glowing shores of dawn scarlet, rose and gold Breathtaking beauty flooding inner sight. Welcome to a world of full creative light. Iona Jenkins 2024 Following Samhain/All Hallows we entered the dark months. When the clocks went back, I experienced a strange sense of time standing still, a sense of no time, for two days until my body clock adjusted, always surprised to find it was earlier than I thought. These dark months can bring a sense of peace, of cocooning, which in today’s crazy world could be a blessing. And yet, although the daylight hours are short, nature continues to put on dazzling displays of light. I don’t profess to be a photographer, I use the camera on my phone to snap lighting effects that create a sense of wonder for me. I have to act quickly as the light can change in an instant. The magic lies in the moment when I become aware of my surroundings, the sights, sounds and atmosphere of this Welsh landscape I live in. My inner winter does not bring loss. The autumn and Samhain mark a time for letting go of that which is completed or no longer needed. The winter season can evoke images of breath-taking beauty. We can seek the hidden light, turn off the electric lamps, and the TV sometimes, to enjoy silence, or human conversation with the warm glow of candle lanterns on a dark evening. Winter is time of stillness, when the light of moon and stars is dazzling in icy skies, a time when the fire of inspiration heats potions of new ideas. I have a childhood memory of winning a prize for a primary school nature project. It was a Ladybird book with stunning pictures called What to Look for in Winter. I paid more attention to the cold season with its darker months and long nights from that very day. The sun begins its return to the northern hemisphere after the shortest day which marks the Winter solstice on 21st December. This is also part of the magic, the days slowly lengthening bringing birth, growth and new life as we circle towards the spring. There is much chaos in the world right now and people are suffering. Wales is not a war zone right now, so I count my blessings and send out peace. It’s not much, I know, in the current world situation, but as an ordinary human of a certain age it's the best I can do. Let’s see what magic we can find in winter and pass it around as we dance the circle into the next year.
The wheel is turning, the season changing A misty autumn door lies open before me As my path winds on to new stars birthing I am dancing the circle around and around. Iona Jenkins 2022  Passing through the seasonal door of Autumn Equinox, I sense a change in the air, as well as in the ground beneath my feet. The vibrant greens of summer may wither in grass and leaf, but in this dying, the landscape will soon be re-painted in a blaze of gold, amber, russet, ginger, taupe, crimson, dove grey and deep evergreen. And at the same time, there is a soft compassionate quality in the quiet sea outside the window of my apartment, glittering with morning diamonds from bright sunlight accompanying this autumn transition. The intense heat, and lashing storms we had in South Wales towards summer’s end have all blown away.  In Celtic tradition, autumn is located in the west on the wheel of the year with the element water, which cleanses and washes away. The Archangel associated with this direction is Gabriel. Autumn is a time for letting go, a time to surrender after celebrating the harvest, and stocking our barns in readiness for the dark stillness of the winter months. Autumn is a time when the Soul seeks to shed all that is worn out, just as a tree sheds its leaves to survive, to thrive and blossom again in the spring. It is also a time to reflect upon, and celebrate our achievements, in addition to acknowledging mistakes and regrets before casting them into the autumn winds, so we may move on, as the mist clears from wisdom learned, and our path continues. I have cast this years regrets into the ocean, and as I reflect upon my harvest, the fruits of my own labour I have gathered and stored, I see how the idea I turned into a book is now in its final stages of publishing, ready for its release in early December. My creation will soon be ready to take it’s chances, like a well-loved, nurtured child leaving the home of my inner landscape for the outside world of form. As I prepare for finally letting go, I make a wish that the words which flowed from my pen in that act of creation, may now nourish and inspire the lives of all, who choose to journey with me through its pages. And today, I have also opened a bag of new seeds, all ready for planting in good ground, to nurture and grow my next book. The quest for Creative Spirit continues, as the wheel turns, dancing the circle around and around. May all find personal inspiration and comfort in this new season. IONA To Autumn “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.” John Keats |
Iona Jenkins
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