"If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it invented romance." ~Bernard Williams
Happy beautiful and romantic June and Happy Summer! This is certainly a busy month with so many special holidays and events! On June 14, my husband and I will celebrate our 37th Wedding Anniversary and on June 22, our son celebrates his 30th birthday! Throw in Father's Day, Juneteenth, Pride celebrations, World Yoga Day, Mid-Summer's Day and the Solstice, and we've got ourselves a continual party!
I love the blooms of June! Along with roses and peonies, Irises are another of my favorites! I am especially fond of purple ones. Someone else who adores them wrote about their passion on a bench located on Moonstone Beach in Cambria, California. (see photo above). What a delight it was to encounter this on a recent trip! I, too, shall always love a purple iris. The top photo above is of some irises in my home garden which have a special meaning to me. They were given to me by a dear friend who passed away a few years ago. When they bloom, of course, I always think of him. His gift keeps on giving as I've divided them and shared them with several others.
Happy Birthday to everyone born in the fabulous water sign of Cancer the Crab! The sun will leave the sign of Gemini and enter Cancer on June 21. Time for lots of baths and swimming and spending time around the water, along with drinking lots and lots of water! I love adding watermelon and cucumber and other fruit to water, and I confess that I have an obsession with La Croix sparkling waters! Since the motto for Cancer is "I feel," another good serenity practice for this season is to play music that matches the way you feel. in order to keep the energy moving and avoid stagnation. I've also been practicing the "Wecome Prayer" by noticing unpleasant or invasive thoughts, feelings and emotions, and instead of trying to get rid of them, welcoming them first, noticing where I feel them in my physical body and then surrendering them to Spirit.
Another spiritual practice that a friend asked me to share is one that is helpful to empaths or introverts or people like myself who tend to absorb other people's energy too easily and often feel depleted by too much social interactions. I simply put my guardian angel to work by inviting them to accompany me during times when I have to interact with others. One could also ask for an ascended master like Jesus or Buddha, the Holy Spirit, ancestor or simply one's higher self. I've found this practice to be helpful but still have to work on building my trust in the presence of angels and believing that whatever transpires is for my highest good.
The popular song, "If I were a Fish" is a perfect one for us to sing in celebration of Pride Month. I especially love these lines:
"How lucky are we, of all the fish in the sea? You get to be you and I get to be me. Just let 'em be mean, we're as FREE as can be, To be the you-est of you, and the me-est of me."
Speaking of freedom, while we have the awesome celebration of Juneteenth commemorating the day when the last enslaved people in the States were informed of their freedom, we are also approaching the one year anniversary of the loss of reproductive freedom in the overturning of Roe v. Wade which had guaranteed the right to abortion. Thankfully, there are many individuals and organizations that are fighting to regain the freedoms we have lost. I am particularly appreciative of the faith based ones that remind folks that abortion rights are an issue of religious freedom and that abortion bans are in violation of the religious beliefs of millions of people. Some of my favorite include: The National Council of Jewish Women, Catholics for Choice, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, Blue Ridge Abortion Fund, Northwest Abortion Access Fund, Emily's List, Planned Parenthood, The Brigid Alliance, and Aid Access, Some other groups I admire are Move On, The Women's March, Everytown for Gun Safety, and The States Project, Donating to these organizations is my primary means of taking action in these scary times when we are witnessing so many attacks on our democracy and human rights.
In writing news, I am thrilled and honored to receive an endorsement blurb for my upcoming new poetry book from Dr. Annette Marie Sisson, Professor of English at Belmont University and author of "Small Fish in High Branches" (Glass Lyre Press, 2022). Here is a line from her note of praise: "In the Grip of Grace" is compelling poetry, adroit storytelling and keen memoir." She also shared with me that what she enjoyed most of all was the precision of language as the stories are told without superfluous words or needless complications, and with obvious love, but not excessive sentimentality. This last accomplishment is significant as I confess that I'm an excessively sentimental person, ha! I'm so grateful to Dr. Sisson for these kind and supportive words!
I expect to receive the galleys for "In the Grip of Grace" in the fall with pre-ordering becoming available in January and release of the book in May of 2024.
To wrap up this blog post, I want to wish all the fathers and father-like figures out there a very Happy Father's Day, especially the best father in the world, my dear Mr. Honey!
Have a joyful summer. Stay Wild, Stay Serene. Stay Free!
~Marianne, aka Wild Honey Blogger