Daily OM for September 27 ~ Seasons of Beauty

Seasons of Beauty

Aging Gracefully

by Madisyn Taylor

As we cultivate our life, our beauty becomes as much about what we are creating and doing as it is about our appearance.

We tend to associate youth with beauty, but the truth is that beauty transcends every age. Just as a deciduous tree is stunning in all its stages—from its full leafy green in the summer to its naked skeleton during winter and everything in between—human beings are beautiful throughout their life spans.

The early years of our lives tend to be about learning and experiencing as much as we possibly can. We move through the world like sponges, absorbing the ideas of other people and the world. Like a tree in spring, we are waking up to the world. In this youthful phase of life, our physical strength, youth, and beauty help open doors and attract attention. Gradually, we begin to use the information we have gathered to form ideas and opinions of our own. As we cultivate our philosophy about life, our beauty becomes as much about what we are saying, doing, and creating as it is about our appearance. Like a tree in summer, we become full, expressive, beautiful, and productive.

When the time comes for us to let go of the creations of our middle lives, we are like a tree in autumn dropping leaves, as we release our past attachments and preparing for a new phase of growth. The children move on, and careers shift or end. The lines on our faces, the stretch marks, and the grey hairs are beautiful testaments to the fullness of our experience. In the winter of our lives, we become stripped down to our essence like a tree. We may become more radiant than ever at this stage, because our inner light shines brighter through our eyes as time passes. Beauty at this age comes from the very core of our being—our essence. This essence is a reminder that there is nothing to fear in growing older and that there is a kind of beauty that comes only after one has spent many years on earth.

 

Daily OM

Depression Healing Ritual

Depression Healing Ritual

Go outside during the daytime and find yourself a large tree.
Oak is the best choice, but any large tree will do.
(Deciduous trees are better than evergreens for some reason; go figure!)
Place the palm of your projective hand (right if right handed,
left if left handed) upon the trunk of the tree and say something like this to the tree:
“Blessed tree, my brother (or sister) of wood, I am in great need of your healing.
I feel hollow inside, as my depression
grips at my very heart. I ask that you aid me, assist me in healing myself of this.
Please assist me to feel strong and solid
inside, assist me in being happy again.”
Now, sit down facing the sun and lean your back against the trunk of the tree.
As you become more relaxed, feel yourself melt into the trunk, becoming one with the tree.
Feel that you have become a branch, full of leafy foliage.
Feel the Sun beat down upon you. Drink in the Light of the Sun God.
Feel His Love fill you, pushing your sadness into the tree.
Fill yourself with the energy of the sun, and allow this to pass through you into the tree as well.
You are now part of the tree; you are the tree.
Feel the overwhelming Wisdom locked into your wood, your leaves.
Feel all that it is to be a tree.
Now, slowly, feel yourself separate from the tree, becoming human again.
Lean forward, and stand. Face the tree, and thank it. If you feel like it, give it a hug!
You and the tree are now one; you are the tree, and the tree is now you.
Love the tree, and care for it. The better the tree is cared for, the happier you will be in the long run!
And become one with the tree as often as you need to by performing the above ritual and enjoy!
If you ever need to move far from the tree, explain this to it, and give it back the woody feeling
inside, and it will give you back the human feeling it has.
When you move, find a new tree. Also, if you can, whoever moves into the place you
were in, if at all possible, ask them to take special care of this tree because it has meaning to you.