Join the harvest of hundred fields, hearty and tame
All going back to one single grain
Offer light to the coming day, inspire a child
Water the field, surrender to the earth
Water the field, surrender to the earth

I cannot get this Nightwish song out of my head. “Harvest,” from their current album Human :II: Nature, is an absolutely gorgeous tune filled with a sense of majesty and adventure. It speaks of our need to “water the field,” i.e. pass on our knowledge, love, etc. to those around us before we die and “surrender to the earth.”

Some people may think that’s a morbid topic, but I find it highly motivating. It reminds us that our time on earth is limited. Therefore, we need to be intentional regarding how we spend our remaining days on this gloriously beautiful globe. Will we squander our time pursuing things that really don’t matter such as a bigger house, or will be be good stewards of our abilities and resources and use them to change the world for the better?

During this time of year, when the veil is thin and our ancestor’s voices are the loudest, it’s a good time to simply sit and listen. Are we doing the kind of work we were destined to do or does the Universe have something else in mind? And if the Universe has something else in mind, how will we accomplish this? What resources and knowledge do we need to make it happen?

One technique to help us listen more closely is shamanic drumming. I did this with The Welcoming Circle at Asheville’s Raven & Crone last month. We began by casting a magic circle. (Use whatever technique works for you.) Then we sat in silence with our eyes closed while we listened to a recording of shamanic drumming (you can find those easily on YouTube). Our goal was simply to listen and see if the ancestors and powers that be had any wisdom they wanted to share with us as individuals. Everyone kept a pen and paper handy in case they needed to write something down. During this time it was my job to monitor the circle and make sure no unwanted forces/energies tried to break though.

After about a period of ten minutes (you can do this longer if you like) we stopped and I gave people the opportunity to share with the group what they experienced during this time and what wisdom they received. If they wanted to keep it to themselves, that was good as well. I was surprised at the diversity of responses and the depth of what strangers were willing to share with others. After we closed the circle and ended our time together, we all left with things we needed to ponder during the coming week.

I share this with you because I hope you will be intentional in the coming weeks in seeking out the wisdom of our ancestors and the Universe in general. You can do this by yourself or with a small group of trusted friends. I recommend you try the group process if possible because there’s something about those combined energies that makes this a powerful experience. The side benefit is that you will have people who can hold you accountable to see if you acted on whatever message you received.

As we make our way toward Samhain, don’t let these weeks pass you by without doing some kind of active listening. You may discover that you’re exactly where you need to be and are doing what you were called to do. OR you might be prompted to take a risk and embark on a new journey, spiritual or otherwise.

Let us all” join the harvest of hundred fields, hearty and tame.” What will we do to water the field before we surrender to the earth??? Only you can answer that question.

Blessed be!

Copyright ©2022 by David Taliesin, http://www.sabbatsandsabbaths.com