breathofgreenair

Tidal Reflections

Posted on June 6, 2013 by greenmackenzie

Twice every day the tide rolls in and out of this bay in Plockton. It changes the landscape, and the scenery almost beyond recognition, between high and low tide. It also changes the angles at which the boats float or rest, giving us some lovely degrees of contemplation.

My favourite time is when the boats begin to come aground, as the tide slips away from under their keels. It leaves the masts pointing in some wild and dramatic directions, which in turn makes for some very artistic reflections. Combine this with some sweeping clouds and the results can be mouth watering.

You find all sorts of objects washed up and stranded on the shoreline as the water recedes. Most will be washed back into the sea as the tide rises again, but some are large and here to stay. Like some unexpected things which are washed into our lives, some of these surprise objects make accidental pleasant features. We might not have chosen the circumstances we find ourselves surrounded by, but the new angles and surprises sometimes combine to form a beautiful pattern which we would never have created deliberately.
It’s worth taking time to notice and wonder about the reflections in our lives, and the surprises which might just turn out to be beautiful. Not everything worthwhile comes by design. Sometimes the accidental is the best composition, but only if we are open enough to notice it.

Posted in mindfulness, nature photo, philosophy, photos, spiritual | Tagged beaches, boats, mindfulness, nature, philosophy, photography, scotland, spiritual | 51 Comments

The Sanctuary of Applecross

Posted on June 1, 2013 by greenmackenzie

There’s a tide licked bay which looks West towards the Hebrides. Filled with pink sand , and cupped in the hands of the high mountains. It’s soft warm breezes blow thousands of miles across open ocean, from the Caribbean, before whispering their tales through these trees. People have lived here since the mist first lifted away from the sea. Wave after wave have ‘discovered’ its gentle peace, and the Celtic monks named it Sanctuary, for six miles in all directions. Recently this beautifully carved sign has been placed to mark the Holy Well, which runs as fresh and sweet as ever.

The water springs, beneath dappled shade, from a tiny moss clothed arch in the hill. It tumbles full of laughter down towards the sea, through a sugar sprinkling of wild flowers. Passing beneath the single track road it spills back into the light and onto the salty shore through an ancient stone structure. Well worn steps have carried pilgrims feet thrice down and across the waters perhaps for a thousand years. The old iron hoop which held the chained drinking cup is still embedded in the stone, but the vessel itself is long gone. Now you need to take your three sips from your own cupped hands, but the water tastes as good and clear as it ever did. And remember to leave a blessing, a flower, a shell, or crystal or silver, in thanks of natures healing bounty.

If you follow the hillside path back towards Shore Road and its cluster of houses, you’ll pass another newly carved sign. Part of the seat of a stone built bench, this is a beautiful piece of local history in poetry. It is carved in Gaelic too, the language in which it was written, and it flows more beautifully in its mother tongue, but for the sake of the wider world I’m posting the English version. Written by a MacKenzie ancestor.

If you look behind and above you, while you rest in the hollow of the sanctuary, you will see the tall limbed trees reaching ever sunwards. Their slender trunks shimmering silver white against an achingly blue sky, like soft arms thrown heavenward in prayer. And the sky answered their prayers with vibrant green clothes, newly spun in spring. The ocean travelled breeze comes to rest, whispering through these delicate leaves, held cathedral high above our heads. It soothes and softens our bodies as we rest, hidden in the hollow, away from the demands of the world. Only the sky and the sea call for attention here among the silver trees. Rest for a while with me and just breathe, letting go of all the thoughts, coming back into the nature of your soft body among the trees.

Deep peace of the soft green earth to you,
Deep peace of the strong limbed trees to you,
Deep peace of the holy well to you,
Deep peace of the sun warmed breeze to you
Here in the hollow of the sanctuary, on the western edge of the earth.

You can see lots more posts about signs at the Weekly Photo Challenge: The Sign Says.

Posted in ancient history, ancient sites, Celtic, celtic prayer, green walks, history, mindfulness, nature photo, photos, poem, spiritual, travel, weekly photo challenge | Tagged Applecross, Celtic blessing, history, holy well, mindfulness, nature, photography, poetry, postaday, scotland, spiritual | 51 Comments

Ocean Spell

Posted on May 30, 2013 by greenmackenzie

Moonlight lapped the deserted shore as she slipped the once familiar furs over her cool skin. Her whole body released the tension she had held these past nine years. Her breath slowed as the oceans rhythm flowed once more through her salty veins, and she answered that deep yearning which had pulled her back to the shore, over and over. Her fur yearned to be wet, so she stepped into the inky waves.

In the first dive she undid the ropes which had bound her to the land, wrapping her skins in a dark hiding hole. With the second she released her bitter anger at the man who had trapped her and held her captive, removed from her true nature. He had loved her in his own strange land bound way, and seemed never to notice the deep wounds she suffered. With the third dive she let go of the heart ties to her children, leaving them and their earth-filled blood to their father and his people.

She looked back from the sea towards the stone house they had shared. The bed where he had told her she was beautiful, and where their three children had arrived screaming into the air. After a while their bodies had adapted and she no longer needed to dip them in the well to soothe their gasping breath. Those stone walls had been her prison, and now she had the freedom of the ocean once more.

She swan deeper and further into the restless sea, through towering forests of kelp drifting softly with the shifting current. Moonbeams left dappled patterns in the water and she swam with fierce delight through their shapes. She carried nothing here, there were no endless chores and demands, only the water on her skin and the fire in her tail. Suddenly she paused, remembering her mermaids purse, the only possession she had ever held before her feet were bound to the earth. The memory drew her back to the shore.

It’s tiny soft pouches held the treasures her seal father had given her. It was her ocean luck, and her link with her old nearly forgotten life of freedom. She crept softly over the stones on the shore and held it close to her heart. All was well, all was where it should be. She slipped once more into the salty waves, never looking back. All that she left on earth was a strange marking carved into the stone where she had stood when she transformed back into her Selkie form. You can still see it today if you look closely among the stones on the shore.

Don’t look back at what might have been, rather seize what you have in your grasp today, and make the best use of it you can. And if you find yourself gazing over moonlit waves beware of the oceans call, for the Selkies take earthbound souls beneath the waves just as readily as we have taken them onto the earth.

This was written in response to the Weekly Post Creative Writing Challenge. See more moonlight transformation stories by clicking the link.

Posted in Celtic, change, elemental, mindfulness, nature photo, philosophy, photos, spiritual, thoughts | Tagged Celtic, change, myths, nature, photography, postaday, scottish, Selkies, stories | 54 Comments

Through the Mountains

Posted on May 27, 2013 by greenmackenzie

We travelled North, up through the mountains which make up the rugged heart of Highland Scotland. The further we travelled the smaller we felt, until we were tiny specks of life in the midst of stone hills.

Winter was still clinging to the last mountain tips.

Then spring burst through, and the birch trees on the lower slopes glistened with drops of green. Fresh leaves for the new season were shimmering in the sun, barely covering the branches. The landscape seemed to be breathing itself back into life. The spring greening of the glens had begun.

Beneath an impossibly blue sky, green was returning to the land of the high mountains. We were witnessing something far bigger than our own tiny lives, and it was breathing life back into my own winter tired bones.

Connecting to natures rhythms can reconnect us to the deep core of our selves. These huge mountain landscapes, and their raw elemental power can draw us back into our senses, and into life itself. We can see the true nature of life as we make our way through the stillness and mystery of the high mountains.

Posted in elemental, mindfulness, nature photo, philosophy, photos, relaxation, spiritual | Tagged growth, mindfulness, mountains, nature, philosophy, photography, scotland, spiritual | 50 Comments

Bluebell Bonanza

Posted on May 26, 2013 by greenmackenzie

I had spent weeks trying to get a beautiful shot of bluebells in sunshine, then we left Edinburgh and headed up North for a 10 day break. Look what we found in the field the hour after we arrived. A sea of bluebells bathed in glorious sunshine.

Molly was perfectly at home, and recovering nicely from her surgery. Even she couldn’t believe how many bluebells were here. The warm sun has pulled the lush grass from the earth, and the air was full of the calls of cuckoos. Away in the background the ancient trees which line the brae are covering themselves with gorgeous green foliage. Still not quite thick enough to hide the shape and form of their branches.

As Molly runs towards the camera she steals the show, but look behind her at the background. The crags fill the space between earth and sky with their weathered stone forms, and the ocean glitters enticing us to walk forwards into the landscape.

I find I’m not sure where to place my focus, surrounded by all this spring beauty. The bountiful bluebells are ringing in the air, calling for attention. Molly is full of energy and joy, demanding to be played with, and the background of stunning hills and trees and grass waits patiently to be noticed.

Taking my time to sink through the layers of energy and beauty I finally rest within this lush landscape. There is nothing to be done other than notice and open my awareness to the earth and her wonderful show. It’s all here only briefly, before passing away, making room for the next wave of life to wash through. So I lie on the soft green grass for a while, melting into the background, and feeling the silence of wind in grass and bluebells. Finally, just as I stop looking, there they are right in front of me. I find this happens a lot in life. When I stop chasing things, there they are already, patiently waiting for me to notice.

You can see lots more photos with the theme of background at the weekly photo challenge.

Posted in dogs, elemental, mindfulness, nature photo, photos, spiritual, weekly photo challenge | Tagged bearded collie, bluebells, dogs, mindfulness, nature, photography, postaday, scotland, spiritual | 75 Comments

Springs Abundance

Posted on May 23, 2013 by greenmackenzie

Spring is bursting nature at the seams
Abundance spills endlessly
Petals discarded with each breath.

Posted in mindfulness, nature photo, photos, poem, relaxation, spiritual | Tagged Haiku, mindfulness, nature, photography, poetry, scotland, spiritual, spring | 21 Comments

Rock Carvings

Posted on May 20, 2013 by greenmackenzie

If you follow the curves of the River Esk a few miles upstream from my home, you’ll find these water carved rocks. Huge blocks of iron rich stone, thoughtfully cut by the passage of water and time. The easiest softest route travelled over and over again as though the rain developed a habit.

Here in this soft dell the sunlight warms the stones which have been shaped and placed by mans hands. Taken from their earthen beds, split with wood and steel, and then laid into rows to rest once more.

These are the outer walls of Roslin Castle, perched high above the red river, built into the exposed rock bed. Ice and rain and wind have polished and picked at the man made structure, softening its sharp edges, rubbing it gently back into the earth. Yet most of the stones stay, content with the place they have been given.

Far below the river pours through its gorge, cut so deeply into the rock, that it splits the land clean in two. Molecule by molecule the water drops have scrubbed away the hard stone as though it was soft butter. Each splash follows the one before, along a route which has been carved by habit. The river rocks are smooth and polished by the repetition.

This crystal has been cut so that light dances in rainbows from its faces. Liberated from its dark home beneath the earth it now hangs from a holly branch, enticing us forwards along the path with its glittering light.

And here it is, the rock carved with wishes and dreams. Each mark begs for life’s pattern to be changed, cut into a new shape.
This is something we all have the power to do, if only we realise. The habits we follow, the routes we take with our thoughts and actions, can become deep habits, seemingly impossible to change. However if we focus our intent and cut a new route we can change anything we choose. First we have to notice what we are doing. We have to slip out of autopilot and begin to notice these habitual choices we make. Mindfulness can help us to become aware, so that we have a choice, rather than blindly following old habits. Drop by drop we can carve the rocks in our lives into smoother softer shapes, until it feels the way we wish.

Posted in ancient sites, elemental, mindfulness, nature photo, philosophy, photos, spiritual | Tagged change, magic, mindfulness, nature, philosophy, photography, relaxation, Roslin, spiritual | 26 Comments

Woodland Awakening

Posted on May 18, 2013 by greenmackenzie

There’s a soft earthy path which winds away into the wild woods. We can walk together along its soft curves, deeper and deeper into the trees. Here we can escape our worried thoughts, moving closer and closer into a vibrant awareness of the sensory world around us. We can escape our busy minds and chose to reconnect with the stillness and truth of our bodies.

Our skin feels the warm touch of sunlight, and cool patches of shadow, drifting beneath the trees. While birdsong enchants our ears with its layers of sweet notes, spilling down from hidden branches. If we allow ourselves, our whole awareness can rest on these beautiful sensations, leaving no room for thinking and its troubled circles.

Wild garlic tickles our noses with its strong presence, calling us over and over to look down at its beautiful white stars.

Everything around us is infused with fresh lime green light, filtered by the baby beach leaves overhead. Even the waves of sound from the outside world, feel fresh and soft in the heart of the wild woods.

The forest floor reaches up towards us with her soft green fingers, uncurling themselves towards the sun. They are awakening after a long winter sleep.

Between the ferns, the tinkle of bluebells calls us ever deeper into nature, and into our senses. Blue bells filled with light, swaying in a soft spring breeze, help us escape from everyday thoughts and distractions. If you listen you will hear the tune, calling us away from the distractions of the world, and back into connection with the earth.

Waves of flowers are waiting to break on the soft woodland banks, like spears of blue asparagus. Life is awakening in the wild woods, and we can choose to hear its call and awaken too, escaping from the sleep of a disconnected life. Our bodies are the best routes back to ourselves, and the feeling of being alive in this moment. Will you follow me, and escape back to yourself, deep within the heart of spring?

see more photos about escape at the weekly photo challenge.

Posted in change, elemental, mindfulness, nature photo, philosophy, photos, spiritual, weekly photo challenge | Tagged bluebells, life, mindfulness, nature, philosophy, photography, postaday, relaxation, spring, woodland | 53 Comments

Burst of Wild Garlic

Posted on May 16, 2013 by greenmackenzie

Starlight blossom dances in the wild woods.
Spring sun glitters
Through it’s shockingly lime leaves.

Posted in elemental, mindfulness, nature photo, photos, spiritual | Tagged magic, mindfulness, nature, outdoors, photography, poetry, spiritual, spring, wild garlic, woodland | 17 Comments

Tuesdays Edinburgh – Around Paisley Close

Posted on May 14, 2013 by greenmackenzie

Today’s collection of Edinburgh photos are from around Paisley Close, on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, or High Street. Despite the fact that this area had some of Scotland’s worse slums back in the 19th century, nowadays it’s all very pretty and rather upmarket.

Paisley Close was the site of a disaster, in 1861, which saw two, 250 year old houses collapse completely. The falling masonry crushed to death 35 people who lived here. This high number was due to the chronic overcrowding which was prevalent in the slums at the time. When the firemen approached the rubble to begin clearing it away they heard a young lads voice shouting to them. “Heave away lads I’m no deid yet.”

The tragedy and survival are remembered in the stone carving above the archway into the close. I always think about our human capacity to survive despite the world tumbling around us whenever I pass by. The McIver boys frail human voice echoed through the piles of destruction and pulled the firemen onwards towards an eventual successful rescue. Neither gave up, and as a result something precious was saved from the heart of terrible loss.

This precious gold which we can uncover from the heart of our own deep losses, sometimes adds beautiful highlights to an emotional landscape which may have been painted grey by grief. I find this is good to remember whenever I feel despair sweeping darkly through my life. Choosing to be mindful of life even in the midst of death or loss can help to bring us back to a balance between the two.