How can I learn to hold both life and death in my heart in a good yet grounded way?
This is a question I’ve been asking myself since my son passed away in childbirth March 2024.
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In this audio file you will find my ponderings surrounding birth and death in relationship to the time of The Spring Equinox.
Gazing at the cedar trees, their branches catching the late winter rain drops, I sat down to record this for you. Sitting with nature and getting quiet, watching the subtle changes in the seasons, noticing the rocks, water, and trees… grounded philosophical teachings often come through for me; and I find myself learning from one of our greatest teachers: Mother Earth.
Today I will share intimately about the balance between light and dark through the lens of Birth, Death, as well as offer reflections on the Buddhist teaching of ‘The Middle Way’. The words I share illuminate a perspective on stepping away from the very human experiences of polarization and bias, while intentionally (and imperfectly) moving towards a practice of holding all potentialities to the best of my/our ability.
Alongside this, there will be glimpses of Floyd’s cremation story which happened to take place on the Spring Equinox a year ago in 2024; illustrating the theme of death amongst life and life amongst death.
As the entire world sits in this sacred pause, the Equinox — be it Spring in the Northern hemisphere or Autumn in the southern — we are offered a moment to reflect on the symbols of balance in our world. For me, the one that comes to mind is the image of Yin & Yang; opposition and polarization being integral parts of the whole — for without one, the other cannot exist.
May we all learn to reverently hold the light and the dark; birth and death; togetherness and separation; compassion and suffering. This is the medicine of the Equinox. The wholeness that is (perceived) contradiction.
“Remember child that you are noble, for you come from the Stars, yet humble, for you are born from the Earth.”
In reverence,
Emma
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