breathofgreenair

Abandoned Castle

Posted on March 3, 2014 by greenmackenzie

High on the Northumbrian coast sits this abandoned Medieval castle, its stone crumbling slowly back into the earth from which it was pulled. Built by the Kings cousin, one of the wealthiest men in the country, it was never inhabited by him. He was instead beheaded by the King, and all his lands and properties including this brand new giant of a castle were seized. It looks out mournfully through hollow empty windows across this now quiet, undisputed corner of England.

The name Dunstanburgh, hints at the long history of this site, perched high on this dramatic cliff top. The Fort of the Rocks, has been used and abandoned several times over the last 2,000 years, and clues have been uncovered from the soil of prehistoric pottery, Iron Age millstones and hearths from 100 BC and 200 AD. Even the Romans reused this site, leaving behind shards of pottery and a brooch, but they too moved on and abandoned it to nature and the elemental forces. Now the fields around the castle are filled with sheep and cows, quietly grazing, unaware of the layers of abandoned history and politics lying just below their hooves. Dreams were made and broken here, all returned to dust and the peace of earth.

Posted in ancient sites, change, history, mindfulness, nature photo, photos, travel, weekly photo challenge | Tagged abandoned, castle, decay, Dunstanburgh, England, medieval, nature, photography, postaday | 65 Comments

Spring Blades

Posted on February 27, 2014 by greenmackenzie

From deep in the cold dark earth, soft petal blades stir, cutting their path through the skin of soil. Soft as silk and sharp as thorns their colour lights the dark somber beds of late winter. Called into the light by the spring turn of the planet, they appear, dappled in moon dew, glistening in sun drops. Day and night they rise, a crop of purple spring blades, towering towards the clouds of life. The rushing wave of spring has begun, an unseen army gathering strength hidden in darkness.

Posted in art, change, elemental, mindfulness, nature photo, photos | Tagged art, earth, flowers, magic, mindfulness, nature, photography, poetry, spring | 49 Comments

The Suns Passage

Posted on February 24, 2014 by greenmackenzie

Do you know the tale
Of the passage of the sun
Far below our feet each night
Through the cold and dark of space?

Or perhaps you know the tale
Of the white horned deer
Who steals the sun away each night
In the branches of her horns?

Hunted by the hounds of day
Who pull her back to earth
They place her shining in the sky
And herald her rebirth.

Created in response to the DP writing challenge object

Posted in Celtic, elemental, mythology, nature photo, photos, poem, verse | Tagged Celtic, DPchallenge, magic, mythology, nature, photography, poetry, sun, verse, winter | 54 Comments

Fire times Three

Posted on February 22, 2014 by greenmackenzie

We stood on the edge of the land, with the Lammermuir Hills shimmering in a heat haze through the flames. The fire rose and sank, sometimes licking the sky itself, sometimes restlessly licking the bowl which held it. A cold still day was drawing its last breath, and the crows were returning wearily to the trees with their tales and visions. The bright flickering light drew us here to this spot, as fire has always done across the acres and mountains of time.

We came carrying the burdens of the year, and tended the flames, which yielded creatures of light and heat and smoke. Shapes and visions rose and fell within the bowl of fire, revealing tiny drops of wisdom, as the dead wood released the sunlight it had captured so long ago. Light which had poured from the sun long before any of us drew a breath, now warmed our skins, creating something new before our tired and thirsty eyes.

From the ashes new life rose, hungry for air and space to move. The crackling wood released salamanders and creatures of the flame, and they danced for our pleasure. All were transformed at the edge of the cauldron of fire, on the edge of the green hills, at the very edge of winter, by the flames of Bride.

See more stories in three takes at this weeks DP Challenge

Posted in change, elemental, mindfulness, mythology, nature photo, photos, spiritual, weekly photo challenge | Tagged change, elemental, fire, mindfulness, mythology, nature, photography, postaday, salamaders | 64 Comments

The Suns Cloak

Posted on February 20, 2014 by greenmackenzie

The suns golden cloak,
Hanging in winter branches.
Soon she will return.

Posted in art, elemental, mindfulness, nature photo, photos, poem, relaxation, verse | Tagged Haiku, mindfulness, nature, photography, poetry, shadows, sunlight, winter | 21 Comments

Pool of Earth

Posted on February 18, 2014 by greenmackenzie

Between the tangled limbs of old trees
Far down the known familiar path
We stumbled through shadows
And fell into light
Pulled on by the spirits
Dark pools of delight.

The shadows we saw
Reflected our faces
With tooth nail and claw
Our animal races
The gods of old let lose their wild tales
And above and below become one.

Posted in ancient sites, Celtic, elemental, mindfulness, nature photo, photos, poem, spiritual, unconscious, verse | Tagged druid, earth, mindfulness, nature, photography, poetry, Reflections, spiritual, verse | 41 Comments

Golden Treasure

Posted on February 16, 2014 by greenmackenzie

Deep in the ancient Hazel woods, lies a dark pool of water, fringed with golden tassels. Swaying slightly in the soft winter air, they glow brightly against the deep blue waters below. Hidden beneath the surface of the water the sacred salmon swim, teasing us with glittering scales from the watery other world below.

The hazel tassels ripple in the slight breeze, golden flags sent as a promise of the sun filled days to come. A signal of the truce drawn between winter and her short cold days, and the warm long days of summer which wait in the wings for their cue. Joyful to behold after the grey cloth of winter, this is priceless gold, lifting the spirits and filling us with hope.

True treasures of nature, these gold filled catkins will yield crops of sweet nuts, when summer dares to a close on the other side of the year. For now they dress the hazel trees in splendid cloth of gold, as regal as anything woven by man on a loom. Their brightness against the clear winter sky, a welcome surprise, transforming this secluded pool into a wonder of the woods. I can see the lingering breath of the delighted wood spirit who splashed this yellow paint with wild abandon and a wide smile. It’s contagious and I can almost believe that summer has arrived, until a chill wind bites me through my thick coat and woollen hat. Winter lives on but these golden treasures hold the promise of warmth, as they have for millions of years. Our ancestors were teased and inspired by the same golden tassels of the wild hazel woods in winter, and would return for the sacred nuts of wisdom when the seasons turned.

Find lots more treasures at the weekly photo challenge.

Posted in ancient history, Celtic, elemental, mindfulness, mythology, nature photo, photos, spiritual, weekly photo challenge | Tagged Celtic, hazel catkins, mindfulness, mythology, nature, photography, postaday, spiritual, spring, trees | 50 Comments

Winter Blush

Posted on February 14, 2014 by greenmackenzie

Soft apricot blush,
Stroked through seaside grass and clouds,
Winters inner glow.

Posted in art, elemental, mindfulness, nature photo, photos, poem, relaxation, verse | Tagged Haiku, Ocean, photography, poetry, scotland, seaside, sunset, verse | 51 Comments

Winters Bones

Posted on February 12, 2014 by greenmackenzie

We walked out along a line of Beech trees, and the low winter sun caught in our eyes, blinding us with shadows and glitter. The air was still as though the year was holding her breath, and bird song was scattered through the silence in crests and waves of pleasure. Between the long lines of tree cast shadows, warm bodied animals moved, camouflaged and almost unseen. Only the rustle of last years brittle leaves, and the hint of light on fur gave them away.

The giant aged trunks of the trees framed windows between them, looking out across the open fields into the white light of the winter sun. In the empty exposed folds of the field the shoots of this years spring burst through the soil like soft green week old stubble. But we stayed sheltered by the lines and bones of the trees which held the structure of the land, despite the changing seasons. Here between the shadows, between the trees, between the fields and the deep woods we stood, and in this space we found ourselves. Winter had stripped everything back, and it was easy to discover the shape of things here, among the clear winters bones.

Posted in elemental, mindfulness, nature photo, philosophy, photos, relaxation, spiritual | Tagged earth, landscape, mindfulness, nature, philosophy, photography, relaxation, trees, winter | 38 Comments

Me, myself and I

Posted on February 9, 2014 by greenmackenzie

I don’t take selfies, so this is as close as it gets!
A photo of me, taking photos of the waves…..taken by my husband.

There is something about taking a picture of myself which somehow doesn’t sit right within me. Recording moments of my life to show to others….why should that be any different to taking photos of what I see around me in those same moments? I think it’s the self focus which bothers me, I look out from my eyes into the world around me, not onto an image of myself within that world.
So isn’t it delightful when someone else takes a lovely shot of us when we don’t even notice. We see ourselves through their eyes for a moment, and within the world around us. As usual nature has transfixed me…..

See more selfies at this weeks WP Challenge.
See more yellow photos at Ailsas weekly challenge.