June's arrival, sooner or later pulls us outdoors with a seasonal shift in weather and a collective spirit that offers more time to roam beyond our usual scenes and routines. Even if your work seems unrelenting, the collective spirit fueled by the sun's light and warmth pulls us outdoors. As one of my favorite lines from Larry Morris' poetry sings, "June is the Joy of God." Somewhat different than exploring what brings you satisfaction and smiles, the emphasis here is the Joyfulness of Creation itself.
Today I include a picture of a June discovery that burst into view for me on Friday. It was hiding in a nearby garden. (picture below) A quick online search suggested it was some mixed variety of an unusual succulent known as a brain cactus. This immediately sparked all sorts of questions in my mind about patterns that repeat in a variety of life forms (more than 'art imitating nature', nature 'imitates' itself). The brain cactus was a sudden reminder: While we, as aspects of the Divine, delight in our own human creativity, the Joy of God includes our wondrous delight of discovery. No matter how long we have lived, and how much we have traveled and experienced, we cannot possibly grasp the fullness of this Earth. We have more than enough for a life-time of discovery, without going further than our own well-known living space, our neighborhood, our circle of relationships and territory. When we add the power of creativity to constant discovery, our possibilities are endless.
This Sunday, life calls you to a new discovery. If you are caught in yesterday, you might miss it. The life-renewing joy of discovery might not pierce through a haze of emotions, if your mood is shadowed by disappointments, frustration, argument, despair--in your personal situation or in any given week's sobering events. Shake it off this June Sunday. Is life really limited to a constricted, well-worn personal space? Even if you cannot, for one reason or another, move outside it, let go of your boundaries and open to whatever pulls your attention right where you are. In the links below, 12th century Hindu poet, points to the Absolute in the white jasmine flower, and the "oil in the seed'; American poet, Mary Oliver (1935-2019) directs us to a path of discovery as we actually enter "what presents itself continually"--gifts from the Joy of God. (Susan Nettleton
Link to Mahadevi: http://poetry-chaikhana.com/.../Treasureinth/index.html
For Mary Oliver: https://poetryconnection.net/.../have-you-ever-tried-to.../