Welcome February, The Season of Love (but isn’t it always the season for love?)
What is it about this month that invites us to contemplate Love? Is it simply the notorious February holiday that beckons for our attention on Love? Or could it perhaps be something deeper, residing in the collective Heart of humanity? As I sit here listening to the rain pitter patter on the roof, I am reminded of the totality of Love’s journey - the story of the Heart. (p.s. this piece of writing was channeled December 26, 2023, Kin 67, Blue Lunar Hand),
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There once was a man who lived alone in the woods. Now, according to society’s standards, he was considered somewhat of a hermit. He didn’t ever see much of a reason to leave. Venturing into the ‘outside world’ had proven to be too costly. “A lot of pain and confusion out there,” he would mumble to himself. “Better off sticking here where I know I will be fine.” Living simply alongside Nature, his days were numbered; tracking the time by the ebb and flow of the seasons. He had his routines down to a science, studying every inch of these woods like the ever-growing wrinkles on the backs of his hands. Tirelessly he worked on projects that he, or nature, created for him. Cutting fallen trees and stacking wood for the cold months, foraging for food, reinforcing the roof to his quaint little cabin - Everything seemed to be just right until one day though when everything changed…
Squuuaakkkk
A new sound appeared that perked up the man’s ears. “What was that noise? I’ve never heard such a sound!”
Out of the blue, right outside of the kitchen window of the man's little cabin in the woods, perched on the branch of an oaky-pine tree, was a big black, beautiful Raven.
Squuaaakkkk
The man rubbed his eyes several times as he could not believe what he was seeing. A bird of this measure had never before visited his little house in the woods. To what did he owe this treasure of Nature? The man surely was taken by surprise, and spent the remainder of that day watching the Raven and listening. Being a man of the woods, a little removed from societal norms, it was common for him to spend his days ‘doing nothing’ - just watching and listening. But it was in this act of ‘doing nothing’ where the man learned about the ways of Nature. As trees fell over, others would grow to take its place. As little critters would die, other larger animals would come to feast. Where the trees fell, bugs and insects would chip away at the wood, receiving nourishment and making space for more growth; mushrooms and microorganisms, worms, grubs, beetles, and the like. He saw how everything worked together to support the whole system. And with this knowing, the man became ever-more curious about his new arrival. “Raven, what are you doing in my neck of the woods? I’ve never before seen you here?”
Staring into the forest as the giant bird cawed and cooed, the man listened and watched.
I’ve come to carry you Home. It is your time, my dear friend.
The man was confused by what he heard. “Home? I am home though.” Surely this bird did not know what it was talking about.
I’ve been watching you for some time now; the way in which you cherish these woods. You must know them well by now, like the back of your hand.
The man thought of this strange reality; this bird that had been watching him.
Yes, my friend, just as you are the watcher of these woods, I, too, am the watcher from the skies. I carry the Heart of the woods with me as I soar over these trees. And it is in this soaring that I’ve come to understand and see that everything has its time and season. And your time is Now, my friend. This is your season.
Not fully grasping the situation at hand, the man jumped up from his seat near the window and began pacing around his little cabin. Staring around at all his belongings, which wasn’t much, he reflected back on his whole life spent here in the woods. “Is this really the end for me?”
Trusting in the wisdom of Nature, the man heeded the Raven’s message. As the bird continued to coo, the man quieted down his pace and began taking inventory of his life in these woods. Slowly but surely he was reminded of each precious moment; wandering the deer trails, climbing the hillsides, exploring the land, singing to the trees and then some. For this whole time he thought he was alone - little did he know until this very moment that he was being watched; being cared for by this bird. And in his reflections of the past, he began to weep.
Oh dear friend, why are you crying so?
The Raven loved this man very dearly. For years as he watched from the sky, he noticed how the man’s presence changed the woods, and he knew that his absence would, too.
“Oh Raven, I am crying because I love this life. I do not want to leave it just yet, especially now knowing that I have not been alone. To learn of your friendship from the sky; I wish I could have known you sooner.”
The Raven listened as the man recounted stories from his life. The Raven smiled because it too remembered these tales, from a birds eye view, and laughed and cooed.
It is beautiful to witness you now, so up close. For years I wondered what it was like to be you. Day in and day out, living life ‘alone’ here in these woods. I wondered if you loved your life. I can see now by the tears in your eyes and hear by your words and your stories that you very much indeed loved your life.
The man thought for a moment about the Raven’s response. Love. “Did I love my life? How does one measure Love?” These were big things to be thinking about right before the end.
Once more, the man stared out the window of his little cabin, eyes resting at a grove of stumps; trees that once stood tall and proud.
“You see that grouping of trees over there?” The man pointed towards the stumps off in the distance. “I remember the day those trees came down. I single handedly cut them one by one. After all was said and done, I sat here where I am now, and watched as the squirrels and birds came and went, and I wondered how many of them lived up in those trees. I wondered whose homes I destroyed and how different it must have felt for them. I watched and I thought about how different it felt for me. That part of the woods seemed…empty.”
The Raven listened as the man took a few deep breaths. The man was not accustomed to sharing intimately with another.
“It was only then when the trees were gone that I realized how much I enjoyed them being there. I missed them. Raven, what is that aching I feel in my chest?”
The Raven cooed in acknowledgment; knowing this feeling the man referred to.
Sounds like the Heart is speaking to you, my friend. Can I tell you a quick story before we go?
The man nodded his head and the Raven continued.
There once was a man who lived in these woods; woods he cared about very deeply. And little did this man know that every living thing in these woods cared about him too; the trees; the squirrels; the deer and the birds; even the worms, grubs, beetles and the like. All could feel the warmth of this man’s presence. All knew this man very well. The creatures of the woods learned his routines and habits; his likes and dislikes. The trees could even tell when he was having an off day. They would commune together, dying off at specific times so the man would have firewood for the winter; all working together to give the man ‘things to do.’ The man’s presence made way for a rhythm and a flow that the woods had never before experienced. Until one day when all that changed and it was time for the man to move on. A silence fell upon the creatures of the woods. The trees stood still; the birds song hushed; the squirrels and deer, bugs and insects, all remained quiet. They had gotten used to the man that lived alongside them, and now with his absence, they did not know what to do. Until one day a Raven, much like myself, showed up to investigate the silence. The creatures of the woods explained their confusion and sorrow over the man being gone. They had never before felt such a loss. The Raven, being a wise watcher, listened to the cries of the forest and knew to tell the story of the Heart.
Listen here, my friends - The Heart, beating wildly in our chest, is the empress of this land. She helps us to understand the comings and goings of this world. Her language is obscure only when filtered through the mind. So, let us not make sense but let us feel with our senses. The pain we feel is just a measure of the Love we hold for our dear friend. The Heart follows its own path, and it is when that path comes to an end is often when we realize the fullness of its Love. Let us rejoice in this Love.
The man looked at the Raven, eyes meeting in the middle; a slight smile grew across his lips. He stared back out towards the grove of tree stumps, scanning the woods for any squirrels or deer; friends. “So, this is Love?” The man asks the Raven, not really looking for an answer as he already knew, judging by the mist in his eyes and the warm feeling in his chest. “This is Love,”
Dear reader, how do you know it is Love?
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“Love is patient, Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
“All you need is love. Love is all you need.” - The Beatles
Home is where the heart is; as long as I am in my heart, I am always home. - El
“If it doesn’t have a beat, it’s not from the heart.” - My father, MAJNUE
P.S. Love = Self
To know love is to know thyself.
