Oasis

Recently, I went to an area waterfall that was on our list to see. It had been raining quite a bit the day before, so we knew there should be a pretty good flow that morning. We had a nice drive up without a lot of traffic and since it was early enough, found the parking lot empty. What a great surprise! However, as soon as we stepped out of the car, something felt a bit off. Moving along the path that began to snake into the trees, the feeling grew. I tried to reach out to the spirits of that place. No one answered. There were no eyes upon us. No birds. No squirrels. It was only the bare trees standing silent witness as we respectfully made our way through their sentient presence. That was when my husband finally spoke, “It’s like this place is devoid of energy.” He picked up on it too. Looking around, I found the evidence to back it up. Utility sheds. Power lines. Metal junction boxes and wires hung on poles near the trees. Our comfort comes at the price of nature, something we quickly forget about. Although the trail was kept clean and clear with new benches facing the river, it felt like the spirits had scattered to find another place to thrive. Maybe they did. Maybe they just wanted to be left alone as another human trespassed on their land. Asking the land and trees what I could do for them, I did not receive a response. Was it something that I could not humanly understand? Perhaps. They were not talking, at least not right now. I felt sad. My heart ached. There was an empty feeling in my belly that I couldn’t place. Was I projecting my own uneasiness? I was not sure. I let my mind wander a bit and allowed it all to detangle from me with the sound of the waterfall not too far ahead.

Like all our walks, I started to fall behind so I could try and feel the energy of where I was. When I looked back, there something in the river behind me. It was a little difficult to make out at first but once it drifted out from behind a fallen tree, there she was. A beautiful swan gracefully swam on the river’s glasslike surface. She took my breath away. It was a picture-perfect image that will forever live in my mind. To my left, I could hear the roar of the waterfall. Before me, I could see the river’s current picking up a little speed from when we first began our walk. To my right, this beautiful, otherworldly creature slowly sailed back and forth from one side of the river to the other. She held no worry. She held no fear. She simply was.

In my mind, I called out to her, offering a hello. She swam closer. We spoke of beauty and the dance of life. There were no words. It was only emotion tangled in what seemed like disjointed memories. Reflecting back, they weren’t disjointed at all. At one point, she raised her wings as if to fly, but was it only to stretch or snap me out of a rush of fear and perhaps to calm my heart a bit? Was I projecting again? Taking a breath, I settled back into myself as well. Still, she swam. On her surface, she was the epitome of beauty, grace, peace, and ease. But what was beneath her surface? Below the waterline, I knew her legs were kicking in the cold, icy, river water of January although I could not see them. I only got to see the awe-inspiring beauty that she is. We all have things hidden beneath the surface where only we can explore. That is difficult enough. We cannot see what is below each other’s waterlines, let alone expect to. My friend then dunked her head and when it was raised, she slowly turned and began to depart. I thanked her for the heart-felt exchange and watched her disappear around the bend. Once out of sight, I exhaled, and thanked her once again for the exchange and insight before making my way towards the waterfall.

The rest of the walk was quiet and reflective. There was a stillness that embraced me after sitting by the waterfall. The rush and the power of the water still roars in my ears. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it left a mark on me. I didn’t want to leave the rocky ledge I was sitting on. It was amazing.

There was another unexpected spot along this trek that took me by surprise. Just at the end of the loop, right before we linked back to the trail to the parking lot, we came into a large swath of land that was growing into a new pine forest! There were hundreds of baby pine trees all around us. They were all different sizes, but the tallest ones were about heart height on me. That is not an exaggeration at all. I actually giggled out loud at that realization. Pine is a symbol of immortality, resurrection, and fertility. It is an evergreen that reminds us that we too, have a spirit within us that is also forever. We can grow and evolve as humans and with Pine, we will be sheltered in their protection where we can learn to heal and allow its sap to draw out the past hurt, trauma, and pain, making way for forgiveness and renewal. What a perfect reminder at the turning of a new calendar year or at any point in our lives. We too, can grow anew and thrive in places that some may deem unlikely. I sensed a theme walking with me on that hike.

This adventure hit me more upon reflection than it did while it was taking place. Yes. I did connect and experience things while I was there, but it was the act of allowing it to filter into me that set these thoughts in motion for you this morning. We all have experiences every day of our lives. Sometimes, we keep them superficial. Other times, they weave their way into us, deeper than we expect. This spiritual alchemy can change how we think and perceive other experiences in our future, if we allow it. The exchanges can become little oases in our lives. They give us the sacred space to drink in the wisdom, healing, and nourishment that we never knew we needed, much like the lush, watery pools in the desert. Maybe the swan’s message was to remind me that magick is everywhere. Maybe she was there to show me that the magick was happening and I couldn’t feel it because the path that I was walking on reminded me of my own scars that I transferred onto the land and the spirits of that place. Maybe part of the message from the Swan was the simple reminder that magick and divinity are seen and unseen. I am here today, telling you this story to share the experience I was given. Magick is everywhere. It is in the hidden places and sometimes in plain sight. Divinity is woven right alongside of it too. It is there for those with eyes to see and ears to hear – whether we think we have it or not. And sometimes, it is as simple as a single swan appearing on an overcast day in a place where many may have forgotten such magick. The same can be said for the magick and divinity within ourselves. I think this was nature’s way of saying what can be an oasis to us, may be a mirage to another. However, it is up to us to decipher what we deem to be an oasis for ourselves.

Be well today and I hope you are able to rest within your personal oasis.

Renee Bedard ~ The Whispering Crow