In the Every Day

Mundane: before 1850…

mid-15c., mondeine, "of this world, worldly, terrestrial," from Old French mondain "of this world, worldly, earthly, secular;" also "pure, clean; noble, generous" (12c.) and directly from Late Latin mundanus "belonging to the world" (as distinct from the Church), in classical Latin "a citizen of the world, cosmopolite," from mundus "universe, world," which is identical to mundus "clean, elegant," but the exact connection is uncertain and the etymology is unknown.

Latin mundus "world" was used as a translation of Greek kosmos (see cosmos) in its Pythagorean sense of "the physical universe" (the original sense of the Greek word was "orderly arrangement"). Like kosmos (and perhaps by influence of it), Latin mundus also was used of a woman's "ornaments, dress," which also could entangle the adjective mundus "clean, elegant." (online etymology dictionary)

{earthly, clean, noble, generous…kosmos…mundane…}

This is a flavour of my relational experience with a Grandmother Willow Tree.
She has lived along the Bow River for many seasons. Her form has changed, been irrevocably altered, her branched legs broken and traveled down stream.

She’s been pissed on by young boys, had skulls, malas, prayer ties and rice paper art strung amidst her leaves…
This Fine Old Woman has weathered, protected, tucked in, precious bodies, bones and blood, life and death.

She appears in the “mundane” spaces of a small trail, bridged by paths, fruit bush, next to moss, stones and water.

{Not everyone recognizes her secret ways that are in plain sight.}

This “mundane” Beauty requires a softening gaze, gentle breath within the rib basket, our embodied form as a prayer wheel connecting ‘head’ with ‘heart’,
…a slowing of form and approach.

When people ask me for a therapy referral, I often want to send them there…or to a rivers edge where they might meet another tree or stone or mossy covering that would meet their experiences with kindness, presence, challenge and pure love, pure Nature…just as they are, we are.
The brilliance of a billion year old stone to soften the bones upon; to meet one with deep stillness, doing nothing and everything, being & sovereign, right there, that now, in the moment.

I have heard it said that:

{Love tells me I’m Everything…Wisdom tells me “I’m” Nothing}

…and if Matt Licata offers kindly and correctly that “The Path is Everywhere”…then the Mundane, Kosmic & Mythic, Every Day Grandmother Willow Way is The Path I’m on - so glad for you to weave in a bit together this day.

Thank you for reading and reflecting.

Would you: Go Shining as you already are!

From Love Always & All Ways,

Deirdre