Still, Still, Still…

By Hedy Minten, Retreat Attendee & Circle Member

On Christmas Eve, I deeply felt the absence of my mother and father who had both passed away in 2017. As I reflected on Christmas with them as a child, I recalled how my father had always made such an effort to make Christmas a magical time for us. I remembered an Austrian Christmas carol that my father often played. I found it on You Tube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1WHNcnHo4A and played it as I sat looking at our Christmas tree and then out my living room window.

The night sky was bright with the light of the falling snow. It looked and felt so magical. I felt as though the world was being blessed. The snow was falling thickly that night, and the winds were blowing the branches of the trees. As I sat watching, and listening to the song, a quiet stillness enveloped me. I felt the deep love of Spirit surround me. I then noticed an evergreen tree in the distance, and in its shape, I saw the profile of my father. In his arms he held what appeared to be a baby. The wind was moving the branches in a way that he looked like he was speaking or singing to me…as a baby. I felt his deep love for me…something he always had a difficult time showing me when he was alive. It was such a gift of love that I received from him through that stillness, through that tree, that night.

I love journeying through visualizations using my imagination. I find it a very powerful tool to help me connect with Spirit. The visualization I will guide you on now has been inspired by the lyrics of that song and what I experienced that magical evening:

Still, still, still
One can hear the falling snow
For all is hushed
The world is sleeping
Holy Star its vigil keeping
Still, still, still
One can hear the falling snow

Dream, dream, dream
Of the joyous day to come
While guardian angels without number
Watch you as you sweetly slumber
Dream, dream, dream
Of the joyous day to come

Still, still, still…the night is quiet and still. Snowflakes are falling softly. See yourself standing with all of the circle to which we all belong on a snow covered hill. It is night. A forest of trees surrounds us slightly below the hill, but the top of this hill is bare and open to the sky. The night sky is bright with the light of the falling snow. The snow is thick and soft. As you lift your eyes, you notice the abundance of snowflakes. It looks and feels so magical. You feel as though you are being blessed. Blessings of love and joy playfully land on your face, your arms. Feel the coolness of the flakes as they touch your face and melt into your skin.

Feel the deep love of Spirit surround you. The trees in the forest are speaking this night. Hear their whispers and see their beautiful dance as they sway in the gentle winds. Your eyes fall on a particular tree. Notice the kind of tree it is. Is it an evergreen, or leafless deciduous tree? Branches like Bones dancing. Or evergreen boughs gently swaying? As you watch this tree, suddenly you see it take on a shape that has meaning for you. Perhaps it takes on the shape of an ancestor or animal, a bird or something or someone else. As you watch intently, notice that it is speaking to you in a form that you understand. A message through movement or sound, or words. What is its message to you?  The message, whatever it is, comes from a place of deep love for you…you are loved… deeply loved. With this divine love comes also great joy. All is well. Our circle stands strong, held in this loving, joyful embrace…we are ready to do our work.

Grab our Guide: Connecting to your Heart’s Wisdom

Are you seeking to cultivate a deeper connection to your heart's wisdom? Grab our guide here.  Stay subscribed for more heart-centred, nature-based practices to help nurture your connection.

GET GUIDE

A copy of our Wisdom in Nature Guide is on its way to your inbox.