☘️ The Spiritual Read: An Irish Blessing

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This Sunday we are reminded of St. Patrick, but St. Patrick’s Day is not just a day for parades, costumes, and celebrations; it is also a day for reflection, blessings, and gratitude.

This month, I’ve included inspiring content around the idea of blessings, including John O’Donohue’s moving poem, Beannacht, curated articles on the power of blessings, an amazing writing practice called Ae freislighe, book recommendations on blessings and Irish folklore (we can’t leave the fairies out on a day like today), and of course book love, your soul poems. and the Last Laugh.

Enjoy these reminders of the power of blessings for your body, mind, and spirit and for the peace and harmony of the world.

Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona duit

☘️ Poem of the Month: Blessing

This month, enjoy this moving poem by Irish poet John O’Donohue.

Beannacht / Blessing

On the day when
the weight deadens
on your shoulders
and you stumble,
may the clay dance
to balance you.

And when your eyes
freeze behind
the grey window
and the ghost of loss
gets into you,
may a flock of colours,
indigo, red, green
and azure blue,
come to awaken in you
a meadow of delight.

When the canvas frays
in the currach of thought
and a stain of ocean
blackens beneath you,
may there come across the waters
a path of yellow moonlight
to bring you safely home.

May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
may the clarity of light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours,
may the protection of the ancestors be yours.

And so may a slow
wind work these words
of love around you,
an invisible cloak
to mind your life.

~ John O’Donohue

☘️ Your Soul Poems

Please enjoy these beautiful haikus shared by our Spirit Space community. They reflect the blessings of the earth in its many forms — powerful, present, and magical.

Sodden sunless days
An eternal weight of rain
Blossoms fully praise
Swelling flame within
Cosmic sparks in boundless night
Unite souls therein
— Jane Butterworth
Birds sing songs of bliss
Enchantment twists and tangles
Ivy of the mind
Golden yellow shines
Light expands beyond the hills
Morning joins with night
— Jennifer Hill

Do you have a poem or creative writing piece you’d like to share in The Spiritual Read?

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☘️ Book Love

I got this lovely photo and comment from Cindy @lovemybooks2020 after she read Till Death Don’t Us Part

After losing my mom unexpectedly in 2018 to a catastrophic heart attack, her "signs" to me were bountiful, well-timed and heartwarming. 🌹 I found feathers laying in unexpected places when I was missing her. I always see numbers that are specific to her (i.e. 556 was her address and I see it on clocks, on receipts, etc.). But I especially love the red cardinal that visits and sings to me every morning.❤️

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☘️ Writing Practice: Irish Poetic Forms

Ae freislighe is a traditional Irish poetic form. It’s a quatrain with multi-syllabic end rhymes. The rhyming can be quite intense but also challenging and inspirational. Play with the form; you’ll be amazed at how it helps to shift you out of routine ways of thinking. Have fun!

Guidelines:

Quatrain stanzas (4-line stanzas). You can have as many as you like.
7 syllables per line
Lines 1 and 3 rhyme - the rhyming word that rhymes has 3 syllables
Lines 2 and 4 rhyme - the rhyming word that rhymes has 2 syllables
The first and last word or phrase called the dunadh repeats

Here’s a sample from Rowan at yeahwrite.me

The Barrow Downs lie in mist,
The wreathing wisps grasp the stones,
Call me now a pessimist
But this cold reminds of bones.
Long ago they fell beneath,
Dark the shades that crept within,
Heavy gold they shall bequeath,
Entrapping weight to stiffen.
Why did we stop, unthinking?
Now my plaintive cry resounds,
Answered only in clinking,
Far beneath the Barrow Downs.

SHARE YOUR AE FREISLIGHE ON SPIRIT SPACE

☘️ Curated Articles on Blessings

The Dalai Lama on Blessing

When the positive qualities of your mind increase and negativities decrease, that is what blessing means.

Counting Your Blessings Can Improve Your Health

Practising gratitude can enhance mental and physical wellness.

A Prayer to Be of Benefit

Buddhist student Kaitlyn Hatch wanted a prayer specifically designed for our divided, trying time, so she wrote her own.

Giving Blessings

When a blessing is invoked, it changes the atmosphere.

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☘️ Recommended Reading

To Bless the Space Between Us is a compelling blend of elegant, poetic language and spiritual insight to offer readers comfort and encouragement on their journeys through life. John O’Donohue, Irish teacher and poet, looks at life’s thresholds—getting married, having children, starting a new job—and offers invaluable guidelines for making the transition from a known, familiar world into a new, unmapped territory.

From renowned Irish folklorist and writer Lady Gregory comes the myths and legends of pre-Christian Ireland, overflowing with giants and heroes, maidens, battles, and brave deeds. The haunting love of Diarmuid and Grania, the epic war fought over the White Bull of Cuailgne, the enchanted world of Tir Nan Og, and the boyhood deeds of Cuchulain and Finn Mac Cumhal are just a few of the forgettable tales in this superb collection.

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☘️ The Last Laugh

Till Next Time

That’s it for this month! Check out my website for available appointments and upcoming events. Follow me on social media (links in the footer) for weekly tips and updates on impromptu gatherings. See you next month!

What did you think of this month’s The Spiritual Read? What would you like to see included next month?

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