Of Ice and land

In the winter months the life force of the land goes deep within. The sap of the trees moves down into the roots, and the surface of the earth is cold and damp. The flow of the creek slows down as ice spreads an army of still-life crystals over any trickle which dares to hesitate. Suspended then for all of winter the ice remains until the warmth of the returning sun can generate enough heat to penetrate its glassy hold.

A winter season of the creative soul may be triggered by the events of the natural world, or it may follow its own intrinsic cycle. In that time of darkness it can feel as though all light is lost - that the warmth may never come again. In a really tough winter the creative source may appear to have withdrawn so far into the core that there is little hope it will ever emerge. The cycle may come on suddenly and last for a week - or perhaps the onset  may be imperceptible, and it will grip at the heart for years at a time. 

Just like the earth, when the cold cycle of the creative spirit retreats into the inner world, the surface is abandoned, frozen into a white death of silence. Look closely, listen carefully, lay your hand gently on top of the frozen waterfall, and you will feel the force of life beating strongly as the ice water courses through the veins of the earth, surging powerfully beneath the rocks and shiny dark crevasses within the falls. As the earth withdraws its life force to regain its strength and escape the harsh and damaging frost, so does the creative soul.

Seasons of plenty can't go on indefinitely. The cycle of giving must be balanced by the natural cycle of replenishing. As the earth comes out of darkness the light and warmth return, bringing with them the energy which triggers a new cycle of harvest, of health, of happiness. Allowing the creative spirit time to withdraw into the darkness of winter gives the soul permission to rekindle, reflect on the inner life, and burst out in spring, teeming with new ideas and energy. Go on the journey in the knowledge that a new richness awaits when the inner work is complete. Don't cease up in the presence of ice.