Pachamama de Msmsni, Roberto Mamani  Aymara

Navajo Weave, Art by Holly Sierra

Taos Spiral, Art by Sam Brown Tiempo, Art by David Ávila

Winter and the element of Air.

Prayers in the wind, all around me and within me.. Breathing love with every movement.

This season we embrace the element of air in the Medicine Wheel of the Maya, from the deep emotional currents of fall and the element of water. Breathing through our growing awareness as we continue this journey through the medicine wheel. The element of water in fall flowed into the element of air in winter, giving the opportunity to grow to master ourselves as emotional beings, all in order to be more receptive to great mystery.

In the wheel of our life cycles, winter is the place of the elders, those with white hair, the ancestors in the starts. It is a time to access deeply rooted wisdom, times of slower intentional movements and deep contemplation. This time of year the strong winds blow in Guatemala — a season of purification.

Water sources us as we build knowledge and grow the presence of wisdom in our lives. Inviting us to understand more deeply our place in the great web of life with each year that passes. Testing and inspiring us as we all grow from being children to youth, adults to elders, and if we wish, the keepers of stories and wisdom for the generations to come. We honor our ancestors in fall and now look forward for the promise of life we are here to give in winter.

In the northern hemisphere when the earth appears to rest in winter. Trees move their energy towards the ground — rooting, tapping and spreading in the soil to nourish themselves and the communities they live within. Mirroring its canopy with its root systems. Growing and attuning in invisible ways to communicating with all of life around it through symbiosis — even with our own exhaled breath. Our spirits can do the same at this time of year. Rooting and nourishing, working just as the trees do through winter. In our own unseen multidimensional ways when the nights are long and cold we too can tap into the strength of ourselves. Understanding how fragile we can be without that grounded knowing of our place, we can see through the dark where we may need care, movement, change and growth. If we focus we can emerge stronger by spring, embracing this time of darkness and all that can be accomplished through it.

The energies of winter can themselves be catalyst for personal growth and transformation when honored, or breakdown and collapse when neglected. Without any intention, we feel them. But with awareness and gratitude, it is a time we can ourselves more compassionately, honestly, and responsibly. Bringing fuel to our fire in spring through our own breath, offerings of presence, sacred smoke, fire, song and silence as we navigate. And through our altars and celebrations we can learn to truly receive the gift of life, tuning into the essential blessings of this time of year.

Winter is the season of seeing — and ancient rituals of scrying. Times of visioning that would take place in the home following the ancestral celebration times of fall. Setting a new altar around the winter solstice point of the longest night (and longest day for our kin in the south) to dedicate to seeing. Ceremonies for dreaming into the new year were ritual to look into the lunar year ahead. Warmed around a central fire and in connection to the flames as we celebrated the cycles of all we were completing. Individuals and whole communities would scry for a visions.

Winter is the time of making offering to see for the 13 moon dance of our existence ahead. We can find own connection to this as we set altars and adorn our homes this season. Welcoming in the dreams and visions we need to guide us on our path in ways that are authentic and warming for us. Insights for planning and protection as much as for preparation of the new possibilities emerging. This was the time when the harvest of our ancestors had to sustain life and the obvious natural consequences of every action would be accounted for. We gave gifts and burned away old grief, we rejoiced in fertility and honored all that passed that year. In essence we scryed to prepare for better outcomes and grow our understanding of ourselves. As we rooted, we visioned for our futures and our place the cycle of life for the generations to come. This time of year we are invited to look at all we carry and share out in this world. To count the seeds and stocks in our holding (both literal and metaphoric).

And then at the times that we most needed, we would work as community to keep each other warm and uplift the spirit. share with each other and stoke the flames of hope in our shared humanity. Like the seasonal process itself, where the light slowly builds and longer days of sunshine gradually awaken life to express itself upwards again from the roots. It is a good time to allow the energies of new life and inspiration build slowly within us so that by spring we will be bursting with readiness.

This Fall into Winter time of the year we remember the seeds of our own life and lineage(s), the ancestors that came before and the ones calling to us from the future and we pray that the things sprouting in our consciousness can be the source of emergence for new expressions, solutions and love in all forms and actions. May the content we’re sharing out this season be an inspiration to you and all your light, may you be well, guided from your deepest roots, nourished by the flowing waters of creation, strong, steady and beautiful!

Many blessing to you from the Heart of Earth Peoples United, may these offerings enrich your heart and home.