the seeds of winter
By Amanda Briody
the seeds of winter
a curtain is being lifted, the curtain of winter.
the curtain of closed eyelids.
slowly spring awakens.
within us and around us.
more daylight, more warmth.
slowly, and then more quickly.
the buzzing underneath the surface is intensifying.
potential is potentiating.
within us and around us.
of all the seeds scattered, some are taking root in the soil of your being.
some of your dreams are demanding to become reality.
when the time is right, they will push up and out of you.
they will find a way.
they will sprout.
these dreams don’t have to live in the clouds. they don’t have to be extravagant and grandiose. it could be as simple as a change brewing inside of you or perhaps it is a revelation from your own depths or a need gone unmet for far too long. a new hobby, a new way to spend your time and energy, a new friend. it could be quitting your job, moving, breaking up with a friend or lover, making space, or bravely joining a new movement community. pay attention to the tensions in your being. your body, mind and spirit. this tension is the intensifying pressure being built up inside a seed. what is asking to be different? what is asking to take root? what is asking to be created? to be made manifest in the light of day? to flower and bear fruit? to be aired out? to change?
this intensifying energy is known as “anger” in five element theory. and it’s a natural sign of spring. anger is not a negative emotion unless it is acted upon in a negative way. anger is asking you to do something differently. it is making you aware of a need that has gone unmet for far too long. it is asking you to tend a new seed or a new garden. if we don’t listen to nature’s wisdom, that intensifying pressure will go somewhere else. down and in. festering, compounding, infesting. we can be so resistant to change even when we know it is good for us. it’s scary to show up differently. it’s scary to answer the call to action. to greet your anger lovingly and say, I hear you and I’m going to take care of this. in the spirit of benevolence, pay attention to what is stirring within you, bring your gifts out into the world, up and out. not down and in.
in our solar calendar, we are still in the midst of winter; but according to the chinese lunar calendar, february 5 marked the beginning of spring. turn to nature, your backyards and parks, and the little beds around the tree-lined streets and you will see that spring is already taking root. the daffodils, crocuses and even some tulips have started to answer the call to action of the “anger” inside of them, the internal pressure building. and their response to that call is not to bury their feelings and implode. no. they are sprouting, bringing their gifts into the world. you may not be ready to sprout just yet, you might be an iris or a peony. it’s not about the timing, it’s about the inner tending. the real spirit of spring is to rise up and out differently than you ever have before. full of hope, aiming for joy, powered by the potential of your winter, the wisdom of your own insights.