2014 Solstice Greeting
Every year since Solstice 1984/New Year’s 1985, the Grandmothers have blessed me with words and an image for a holiday greeting card. I would then send these out to friends, family, clients and those former clients who still keep in touch. Some years the Grandmothers’ transmission (as I’ve called it since the beginning) has arrived as early as May or June. Yet, more often, the words and image arrive during my annual ten-day birthday retreat. I’ve never counted on this gift even though it has continued to arrive every year since 1984.
In earlier years, I’d hand-copy the text and color the image on each of the 60 to 100 cards I’d mail out. One year I graduated to having them printed at an offset print shop. These days, I do a hard-copy paste-up master and then reproduce it my self on acopier at our local print shop. (I’m not yet willing to do it all on the computer, sigh.)
Almost always, the texts reflect some learning/message that’s been a central theme in my journey that year. People receiving the cards frequently marvel at how synchronous the message is for them at just that moment: Grandmothers’ magic, for sure.
In this year of resting-on-my-laurels (as it were) and not being taken on (or open to) any new inner or outer adventures, it was no surprise that nothing arrived from the Grandmothers during my retreat. It was a little disappointing, though, that for the first time in 30 years, no card came. Oh, well, I thought, the card stock, envelopes, stamps and updated address labels I’d prepared as always for-just-in-case would simply be there ahead of the game for some future year. I let go of any hoping.
Then, as I was out taking a walk this past Saturday afternoon, words just fell into my head! I hand-wrote the rough draft – just as it had come to me – in a journal I keep just for these transmissions. With only a couple of edited iterations once on the computer, it was ready to go. Later that evening, the Grandmothers had me back into that journal receiving the image to go with these words: soooo exciting and such a surprise.
Sunday (yesterday) evening, in the midst of preparing for my Tuesday trip to Florida for my last (and beloved) aunt’s 93rd birthday, I was nudged into a jaunt to a 24-hour Kinko’s in Ventura to refine and size the image. Back home, I gleefully put together the paste-up master. I was totally thrilled!
In the middle of my work-day today, a cancellation gave me break time to head to our local print shop to check the master – it reproduced perfectly – and to print out the 100+ copies I need to send out this year (and a few for inventory at the local bookstore that carries my notecards). I feel sooo blissed and blessed!
So here it is in its electronic version along with wishes for a gentle, sweet and nourishing holiday season and New Year.
Card Text:
When the way forward
Is not yet visible,
Hold your precious self tenderly.
Embrace the not-knowing
With gentle compassion;
Calm the worrier-within
With soothing tales
Of earlier fallow seasons
That led always to blossomings forth.
Dare not to clutter the empty time
With the noise of busyness for its own sake.
Whatever may be germinating deep within
Needs open, quiet space in which to grow.
Dare not to push the process,
It will take as long as it needs to take.
Pushing disrupts the organic flow.
Practice patience; cultivate stillness.
Commit to radical trust.
Your deep self/Spirit
Will lead you always
To the right-for-you next step
Just exactly when you’re ripe
To move ahead.
