yesterday two of my friends and myself went on a gathering bush walk early in the morning..... we went to gather O'Yarrarng or Old Man's beard so that we could make our own smudge sticks... I am really quite excited about this. I am going to use eucalypt leaves, the O'yarrarng and Lemon Myrtle to make my own instead of using the sage smudge sticks. I am finally feeling a connection with this wise and ancient land that I was born to this time... it is like I have finally found that part of myself that has been missing... as I peel the layers of my SELF I am discovering who I am... I know there will be desert times but I know now how to cope with them....they will be a time for me to reflect on how far I have come, a time for this new aspect of myself that I have discovered, to settle in to where it belongs.......so we started our walk....
up the dirt path to where the O'Yarrarng grows on the exposed cliffs of the Blue Mountains...
past views like this, up stairs and along cliff edges, like this.....
I was a little worried about snakes but I thought to myself 'no, face your fears'... so a quick plea to the elementals to keep the snakes away.. and I walked on... I didn't see any snakes so I am not sure if it was the elementals working for me or if it was me stomping through the bush! Our snakes here are poisonous and we have deadly King brown snakes as well as tiger snakes.. not fun to meet them on a bush track in the middle of nowhere. I would have asked St. Patrick but just recently I learned that he drove the Druids out of Ireland, not the snakes.. so I don't like him much at all now. We walked on,'til we finally came to the sacred place where it grows.....
we stood silently and asked permission from the elemental spirits.
Certain trees in particular places are said to be under the care and protection of the Sidhe. A lone thorn bush growing in an uncultivated field is often such a tree, especially if it is growing on a sharp hill slope. The site of each tree is important to the Sidhe. It must be growing within the banks of a rath (fort), inside a fairy ring, or in a rocky field of rough grass, especially if growing near to a large boulder or a spring. The sidhe will protect their special trees. If someone harms or disturbs the tree, they will suffer, often by becoming ill.
-Author Unknown
we gathered and chatted, talking about sacred circles and bonding... such a wonderful time.... I felt like an ancient woman... I guess I am. Once we had gathered enough, we said thankyou and made our way back along the path and I spied these: 
faery steps! I remembered Daisy & I use to talk about them all the time... I just had to go up and see what was there.... thinking how Daisy would have loved them... but I guess she was there with me....and I found these: 
these are exactly the same kind of 'seed pods' that I saw faeries in when I was a little girl... I stood in awe of them... remembering.
When I returned home, I placed my Old Man's beard in a bowl.. then made myself a cup of tea and reflected... and wrote some words down which I think could be the beginning of a poem:
deep inside
a knowing
unlocked by being as one
with our land
ancient memories stirred
by a presence standing beside me
pointing the way
not quite grasping
that wisp of wisdom
that I know is there
deep in my inner soul
today I am spending time in my garden... mowing the lawn and mulching some more. The cicadas are singing right this very moment.. taking me back yet again to my childhood....
*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~
26 comments:
I've been lurking about on your blog for a bit now. I absolutely love your writing and feel like we're on the same path right now in our lives...figuring out who we really are.
Your pictures of your walk were wonderful...I felt as though I were there.
Keeping sharing your soul journey...
I'm sure Daisy was there. Do you have a fear of snakes? I have a terrible fear of them. I don't have many fears but that is a big one of mine. It looks so beautiful.
xxx
Love all the pics. Sounds like you had a grand adventure. The seed pods almost look like jingle bells. Love Hugs and Blessings.
Thank you for the e-mail on fall.
I real like your picture of the blue mountain we have a range of blue mountains here by the Washington and Oregon border.
Enjoy your picture of the canyon we have something like that which our local Indians calls "steps"
All my life I heard about St Patrick driving the snake out of Ireland but later on I found out that he drove out the druids.
I'm not a big fan of snakes and we don't have any poisones snake here only if someone let one loose.
Little Mice gets to me.
Dear Robyn.
I have noticed that you are not blogging as much, but I am happy for you because you are being seduced by "Spring Down Under." As well, you are finding yourself to be, right now, in a truly wonderful place where you feel at home and at peace.
As Ecclesiates says (and The Byrds, LOL), we know that there is "a time for every purpose under heaven" and you are doing every thing correctly for you right now.
Blessings,
Julie
Wonderful day in the wilderness with your friends Robyn. What beautiful scenery you have in your country. Lucky lady!
The snakes should be scared of you! :0D
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
xo
Blue
I think one of your cicadas crossed our borders the other day, it's gone shy now but I heard it and thought it was early but then again it's been "summerish" hasn't it.
... I'm so happy for you that you are feeling a connection with this ancient country, just look at that magical view complete with fairy steps *!*
and I agree with ninnie, those seed pods do look like jingle bells, some caught my eye the other day too Smiles *!*
cicadas are out in full belt here today as its a warm and sunny day - so nice to hear them and know that summer is almost upon us. I do like your poem, and the fact that youre grounding in the earth around you and not 'floating' anymore. Its a good feeling to feel part of the world around us.
it sounds like a lovely day Robyn- out in tune with nature and not sat in front of a pc has to be good! let us know how making the smudge sticks goes!
Leanne x
'but something is shifting deep inside me and I don't feel the need to be blogging every day...'
miss*r go and see my blog please!
miss*r~you have mail!
Oh, It sounds like you had a wonderful day. I wish I could have gone on this adventure with you. I would have loved to climb the steps to see what was at the top. The smug stick sounds like something I would enjoy. I hope it brings wonderful energy to you.
So sacred that you are in touch with your inner child, nature and continue on your journey quest to the house of Sidhe. The poem is lovely.
xx
How much you have discovered about yourself and your world! There is such a peaceful feeling while visiting your blog and I love it.
You have such a wonderful old country.
It really calls to me but I'll never get there!
I enjoyed walking and learning from you! Thank you for reminding me that when I am over this painful virus I shall use the ~sage smudge stick~ to rid myself and my home of this negative energy! With the many kind words sent my way by the blogging community I have enough healing energy to get me back on my feet in no time.
Any suggestions Robyn as to how I should cleanse my home?..I was planing on just lighting the sage and walk through out the house.
hugs NG
P.S. I have no doubt that Daisys' spirit was with you on this important walk!
I wish so very much I could have gone on this walk with you. You transported me there...thank you, dear dear girl. You are doing so well, I'm proud of you.
[There were never any snakes in Ireland to begin with, and ole St. Pat, who wasn't even Irish, comes over and Christianizes the Irish...hmmm]
xoxoxo
Lovely post with beautiful photos. You sound much more grounded, it's good that you are making a connection with the land where you live. The lines you wrote are really good, I enjoyed reading them.
Oh I love the seed pods where you saw faeries as a child.
Such a sense of peace about this post.
pxx
Your poem is beautiful, Robyn! As are those faery steps, and the seed pods are wonderful - they look like little faery caps.
Glad you didn't run into any snakes ~*shiver*~
xox
Sure wish I could have gone on that wald with you. It looks beautiful.
Hugs, Connie
Beautiful pictures, Robyn. How cool to find the faery steps!
I would have enjoyed going on this walk with you. I love the smells of the countryside, and I imagine they would be quite different there. The poem you wrote is beautiful. I sense change in you, and it's all good.
Big hugs
xx
Thanks for taking part in the card shower. How awesome that Fran is going to be part of your post card sends!
This is weird Robyn because we have fairy steps too - if you look back through my blog archives to Monday July 24 2006 you will find an article I wrote about our local ones!
From the photo it looks as if your Old Man's Beard might be a kind of lichen - is that right? In UK we have Old Man's Beard too, but it is the fluffy white seed heads of the wild clematis, which is a very different plant.
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