A balancing point
Light emerges from the dark
Blossoming new life
(c) Emma Major

Building our circle
East: God of East, the sunrise and breath of life, the very air we breathe
West: God of the West, cool refreshing rains refreshing dry and thirsty lands
South: God of fire and warmth, bringing abundance, fanning the flames of love
North: God of the rich dark earth where seeds of life lie buried and dormant
Air, water, fire and Earth, we build our circle of our seasons, the circle of our lives, the circle of God around us and within us
Blossoming New Life
Read “Prayer/Walk” poem by Malcolm Guite and the invite people to walk and find signs of Blossoming new life.
A hidden path that starts at a dead end,
Old ways, renewed by walking with a friend,
And crossing places taken hand in hand,
The passages where nothing need be said,
With bruised and scented sweetness underfoot
And unexpected birdsong overhead,
The sleeping life beneath a dark-mouthed burrow,
The rooted secrets rustling in a hedgerow,
The land’s long memory in ridge and furrow,
A track once beaten and now overgrown
With complex textures, every kind of green,
Land- and cloud-scape melting into one,
The rich meandering of streams at play,
A setting out to find oneself astray,
And coming home at dusk a different way.
Light in the Dark
Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
John 8:12
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
I have a couple of options for how you might like to respond to these bible passages.
You can stay here in the circle and pray, perhaps for light into the dark places in the world
You can take photos of light in dark places around the garden – where can you capture a photo of light?
You can create a picture from the things you find around the garden eg fallen sticks, leaves, seeds etc. Please don’t pull up whole flowers but perhaps a petal would be OK.
Balance
Let’s settle ourselves, walking or sitting or even laying down if you’d like. Breathe deeply and feel yourself balanced as part of the whole world.
What can you see, hear, touch, smell?
Blessing
(By Emma Major)

As spring blossoms
May you slowly emerge
Balancing the dark and light
In your body and soul, heart and mind
Knowing you are never alone
God is with you, shining a light of hope
To guide you
As you make your way
Slowly, Calmly, Peacefully home
Amen