As the days shrink ever smaller sometimes she seems to hold her breath as she rolls out towards the last light. Everything pauses for a moment as the sky fills with warm pinks, and the light folds itself into the clouds. Utter peace rolls out across the earth and the ocean in silent waves of stillness.
Some of the light settles in reflective pools, shimmering liquid gold among the velvet shadows of the gathering night. Still water mirrors perfect undisturbed reflections soothing the mind and soul of all who see. As above, so below, and the old magic spills out across the world.
Otherworld forests pour up out of the still lochs, bringing the colours of change into ours. From the heart of stillness comes change.
Even our breath pauses in its beauty, filled with wonder about what might follow. After the pause comes motion, rolling out once more in the opposite direction. Only on the threshold, between two directions, is the balance of stillness possible. Whenever you encounter it, drink it in, nectar from the Gods to feed our souls.
breathofgreenair 
Winters, cold and bright! That’s how I like them as well, Seonaid. As always, a lovely post with breathtaking photos….
Very kind, thank you…..and I’m delighted that we agree on winters:-)
So pretty!
Thanks Fi 🙂
Thank you for sharing these lovely pictures.
My pleasure, and thank you for reading and letting me know your thoughts 🙂
The colours and descriptions are so rich, Seonaid. I especially like the first two photos and the stillness of the sea. 🙂
Thanks Jo, those first two shots were taken on such a beautifully calm evening a couple of weeks ago….hard to remember with the current batch if cold, windy, wet weather!
This is such a special post! These are all so beautiful.
Amy, I’m delighted you enjoyed the post…..I was in need of escaping to somewhere still and quiet when I composed it 🙂
Wondeful light! 🙂
It’s all that lovely soft reflected light 🙂
such peace…such beauty…without the golden hues of now they could almost be summer shots
It’s so true, beach shots are almost timeless….it’s just the light quality which changes with the passing year. They are also surprisingly universal….beaches can sometimes be hard to place geographically as well as in time 🙂
so true and I am learning from you about such things too 🙂
I so look forward to your posts Seonaid, they never ever disappoint. Tha last photo is my favourite, in fact its one of the best ive seen for a good while, thank you.
Gilly that’s such a lovely comment, and I look forward not just to your wonderful posts, but these delightful comments too 🙂
So exciting a topic stillness. For as you put it so well, Seonaid: Stillness is Nectar from the Gods to feed our souls. Beautifully written.
Some of the images are almost identical to the pictures I took last Thursday of my beach forest 🙂
All the best,
Hanna
They were lovely shots Hanna, and I’m glad that we agree about the value of stillness. It’s such a nourishing thing to rest in stillness for a while 🙂
Ah what *magic lies deep beneath in those reflections …
Just so beautiful Seonaid .
Thanks Poppy, I’m always fascinated by reflections…..so many ways of thinking about them.
A lovely set as usual Seonaid – is that the ExxonMobil Mossmorran ethylene plant pumping out steam in the first picture (not very poetic, just trying to get me bearings 🙂 )
It is indeed, and if you look very closely you can see the Forth rail and road bridges miles up water, centre right.
That shot was taken very near the tee which over looks the sea on Gullane golf course……that might help your navigation 🙂
I’ve been thinking about how to capture “stillness” and it seems that nature always wins out in mirroring it back to us. These images do carry that very energy and calm our inner busyness just by looking at them.
It’s a beautiful thing, to come to that stillness within, and as you say nature offers us lots of help when she’s in a calm mood herself 🙂
I find the longer dark evenings help me too, I’m less inclined to feel I need to rush here and there. I can just light a candle or two and pause for a little while.
Once again, your photos and words have woven a magic spell, Seonaid. Lovely indeed. 🙂
I’m delighted the post enchanted you 🙂
Oh, wonderful photos and beautiful words. What a great post!
Glad you enjoyed it, thank you
Beautiful, beautiful…just what I need this stressful time in darkness. Thank you for always being there!
My pleasure, and thank you for your lovely comments.
Just five days till the darkest day, and then we head back into the light Anne Christine…..not too much longer!
The reflections in these Shots are beautiful, awesome pictures.
Thank you….there is something so intriguing about reflections…..
You have had some gorgeous weather lately. Absolutely love these shots: the colours, stillness on the beach and that intriguing reflection….
Thanks Paula, it’s been mixed weather….lots of grey warm days, and then sometimes the gift of a clear crisp day. I think Monday will be a good day for photos, but we’re in the middle of another wind and rain storm at the moment!
I loved the way the reflections of the trees on the left make the tres look as though they’re made of autumn leaves 🙂
Shame about the bad weekend weather. At least you get to see some day light during the week 🙂