By Elizabeth Egan
“Signs capture the abstractions of the human condition and create a bridge between the realm of spirit and the realm of form.” —Denise Linn, The Secret Language of Signs
As a middle school ecology teacher, I have come to learn a thing or two about the mysteries of our beautiful planet, and the wisdom it embodies. My journey has been both fascinating and humbling, as I have come to a deeper appreciation of the delicate balance between all that surrounds us. Uniquely, as I learned more about the mysteries of nature, I developed yet a deeper reverence for the Universe and the Divine intelligence that seems to be at the center of such wonder.
Through the blending of the scientific and spiritual, I believe a magic language exists, a language that speaks quietly yet true, and I believe nature uses this to guide us through the great transformation of our spirit and the evolution of our lives.
We can learn to trust the guidance the spiritual realm offers through the symbols of nature if we learn how to interpret the signs. Like any language, it takes a bit of time and persistence in developing yourself to fluency, but the beauty of it is that nature will match you in willingness. It is as if the secrets to the spiritual world are encapsulated within the expressions of nature in all its glorious forms, and it only takes a willing spirit to tap into all that it offers. An answer to all the wonders and worries of the human experience can always be heard within nature’s gentle whispers.
The Sunflower and the Monarch
Countless lessons are encoded within the natural world, but perhaps none more so than in the stories of the sunflower and the monarch.
Both start out their lives in a humble state, yet they carry a sacred promise within. When you look at a sunflower seed, it is hard to believe such a small thing could transform into one of the most majestic standing flowers. As a seed it offers food to birds, and other creatures, and so carries out one possible niche in the ecosystem. However, if embraced by the earth, and given sufficient water, sunlight, and time, this flower grows to mirror back a reflection of the very energy source that gently called it into form. Having transformed into such golden beauty, it has become something more; the expression of its highest form of being. It is only through this transformation that the flower can now contribute further to the world in which it finds itself.
Similarly, the monarch starts its life as a tiny egg located on the underside of a milkweed leaf. After three to eight days, it hatches as a caterpillar that is disproportioned with a head much larger than its body. From this point on, the caterpillar’s main function is to eat and to grow. It spends all of its time taking in as much as it can, eating leaves and growing, all in preparation for the great metamorphosis that is to come. As we know, the monarch butterfly is the grandest of all butterflies and is the quintessential symbol of transformation. Once the butterfly emerges from its chrysalis, it too fills a completely different niche in the ecosystem, and as it inherits its wings its greatest form of being emerges.
These examples hold a secret within them, and show us that we also are on a path to our greatest form of being. There are many changes that occur in life, but like both examples, we must learn to surrender ourselves to the ways and to the timing of the spirit of nature.
We hold within ourselves a programming for greatness. We too have a sacred promise deep within. As these symbolic teachings show us, it is only when we transform to our greatest capacity, that we are able to offer our immensity to the world. Let us then take our lessons from all around. May we surrender to our greatest form of being, and in so doing, change our role and the composition of the world.
As the sunflower seed becomes a plant, it offers a multitude of seeds to consumers as well as oxygen, changing the composition of the atmosphere. The caterpillar could never eat a sunflower seed, yet in the end, the two find themselves entangled in a dance of symbiosis. Gently, as it faces the golden sun, the flower bows reverently in the gentle summer breeze offering its nectar and a place to rest. In return, the monarch willingly spreads the flower’s pollen, sealing the promise of two new generations to come.
Elizabeth is a 6th grade science teacher, Reiki Master, and spiritual singer-song writer with a passion for learning and teaching about the infinite nature and wisdom of the soul. She has spent her life singing in spiritual settings, and last spring released her first album, INSPIRED, in which most of the songs were self-composed. You are welcome to visit Elizabeth’s blog for inspiration, thoughts, prayers and meditations any time at www.spiritlightandlife.wordpress.com.
Blessings for Earth Day
Blessings
O bountiful benevolent Earth
On this day we honor you for all you freely give.
May your waters flow in peace,
And cleanse you with renewal.
May your trees stand tall and proud,
As they offer life to all who inhabit you.
May blessings of love and gratitude blossom far and wide,
As we enter your season of rebirth.
As the sun shines its warmth ever stronger by day,
May we all be ever mindful
Of the blessings you relentlessly endow.
And may the hearts of all you sustain
Beat with reverence for you
always
—Elizabeth Egan