Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Just a few things I Learned in Ireland...

Ireland has more colors of green than any box of crayons.

Hospitality and Ireland could share one definition in a dictionary.

The ancestors are alive and well.

The ground holds the presence of times gone past. If you listen closely, the wind will whisper secrets into your ears. If your heart is open, no words are necessary.

St. Brigid's fire burns as bright today as in her own lifetime.

The womb of the earth is safe and whole and dark and lovely.

The future guides us into the present. The past greets us and the three become the Holy now.

Holy cow - is there any doubt?

People are generous at heart.

Guinness is most satisfying by the 1/2 pint.

A sip of Irish cream makes a fine dessert.

There is NO potato famine in Ireland today.

Stone bridges do not yield. They are made for crossing and honking your horn doesn't mean someone will hear it.

There are portals between worlds: gates - pathways - doors come in all shapes and sizes. Stone, air, wood, water. And in all colors - forest green, stone gray, sea blue, red of fire, yellow, green, orange, blue, white and black.

The killeen are alive and well in the soil of St. Mary's Church.

There is a great orchestrator in the cosmos. Just listen and you will hear the next step.

"May the stars light your way and may you find the interior road forward." - traditional Irish farewell

photos © lucy
Glendolough
St. Brigid @ her well
Holy Cow - Dowdstown
St. Saviour Church window

10 comments:

Abbey of the Arts said...

What a great post lucy, a wonderful expression of the heart of your experience. The one speaking to me most right now is "The future guides us into the present. The past greets us and the three become the Holy now." So glad I got to journey with you. Love, C

Maureen said...

What a delight to read your post. It is so evident that you carry Ireland in your heart.

kigen said...

Welcome home, Lucy. This first Ireland post is scintillating! On the photos: expanded the stone window at the bottom first, sat down there and stared out from the Cloisters. I kissed your holy creature and could almost smell the dankness in its hair, then knelt before St. Brigid, with her torch and shepherd's crook and begged for her blessing. Finally even in the mist and rain, sweet Glendolough greener than green! ((-:

Tess said...

Yippee, you're back! I've been selfishly waiting for you and Christine to return, to continue the Ireland conversation.

I love this post, even the stone bridge part.

Anonymous said...

lessons well lived...

Dianna Woolley said...

I LOVE the pictures and your narrative - very inviting and soothing! Welcome home to blogland - I missed you and your thoughts.

xoxoxo

Kel said...

so I'm every shade of green :)

Dianna Woolley said...

I came back again this a.m. just to view the pictures again.....WW looks a lot like Ireland this a.m. - not quite so green but misty/foggy.

Barbara said...

Makes me wish I had a drop of Irish blood in me so that I could live out of this earthy, rich spirituality. So glad to have your postings back!

Kayce aka lucy said...

hey C - yes, that line holds MUCH meaning for me! look forward to continuing the journey with you :-)

maureen - in my heart it is!!

kigen - thank you for your beautiful time of worship at these holy sites. you have captured their essence indeed!

tess - ever have so many words that you are rendered speechless? i adored reading your recap of our few days together!!

mud honey - thanks for stopping by and saying hi. i love knowing who's reading ;-)

SS - i only have about 400+ more photos, so glad you are enjoying them. xoxo

kel - that's a LOT of green!!!

barbara - the irish are VERY generous so i'm sure they wouldn't mind you sharing even without a drop of blood ;-)