Written by: Hilde Goris, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Easter is the day when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ's Light. As most of us know by now, many Christian festivals are founded on celebrations of turning points in nature. Christmas is the darkest time of winter; from that moment on, the days begin to grow longer again, and the light returns. An important moment for us humans is because the plant world again starts providing again abundant food. Christmas is the feast of the birth of light because it is the day after the darkest day. Then, when you see the eggs of Ostara again, you immediately know which Christian feast we are talking about: the Resurrection from the Death of Jesus Christ. Ostara is the feast of fertility and the rebirth of nature after the winter dormancy.
In the Scandinavian countries or Canada, it is even more striking how little light there is even during the day in winter. You may think then: "You can turn on the light, can't you?” Yet it is more than that: we humans are not separate from nature. Our bodies also still go into winter mode, and we suffer from the darkness, which winter brings us. For example, I was in Sweden in November, and I noticed the difference from degree of the light at home. It was impressive. When nature is so prominent in your life, you can't help but still live with nature and the seasons.
In Estonia and Latvia, for example, you also still see many ancient customs, which are related to nature celebrations. The sap flow of the birches, for example, announces the beginning of spring. Birch sap is very commonly drunk. In our Germanic cultures there were also such customs: have you heard of the old custom of burying an egg in the field in spring in order to make it fertile? It was done because the egg is a symbol of fertility!
Have you been outside much these Easter days? Sometimes the weather isn't fantastic yet, but nature has already come out of its winter mode. The tulips are coming out of their bulbs, and the first spring flowers, dandelions, and dogwood are already blooming on the roadsides. All your senses will tell you that spring is coming. The birds are singing their spring song, you can hear it right away. They also start building nests, and laying eggs! It smells different, it sounds different, and you too get spring fever! You become decidedly happier, and you also feel the impulse to start spring cleaning or working in the garden. We want to be a part of it too, of this spring!
And you know what? You ARE a part of it! The bright colors associated with Easter represent the fresh spring green and spring flowers! And throwing open the windows, of course, we do that because we have been inside a lot and there has been little ventilation! The freshness of spring makes us happy and cheerful! Still, you probably feel that you are sweeping away more than the dust. Even in us humans, some of the life force in our body cells remains stagnant in winter, and it is released again in spring. This spring, more than ever, it is important that you use this life force for something that is really important to you in life.
You have this freedom of choice simply because you are a human being. And again, doesn't that sound haughty and conceited? I agree that humanity has been using that free choice downright badly for many generations. As humans, our ancestors and we have used our free will to place ourselves above all other living things, exploiting not only the animals but also the plant world. We have tried to bend nature to our will. That is precisely why that free choice is important for each of us. Because you and I, as human beings, are alchemists. We can create something new by our conscious choice.
Alchemy is originally a branch of natural philosophy that explores matter and tries to decipher the riddle of life itself. You've probably heard about the search for ways to make gold or find immortality. What if you really chose this spring, for that which is gold in your life? What if you really chose this spring, something that contributes to life, so that you connect with the great source of life, the endless power of planet Earth, which keeps on living new cycles of life? Multiple ice ages she has survived, she just starts from scratch again and again. Every morning a new day, every month a new full moon, every year we see a new spring coming. And what if you chose this spring, the real gold in your life? And use the life force that starts to itch at the bottom of your body cells wisely?
No one can tell you what that real gold is, because everyone is born under a different star sign, in a different language or religion, and in a different family than you. But the intention is for you to live that part of life that you are. Are you the trumpet or the flute in the great melody of life? Are you the water flowing through the wild river or are you the sun shining for everyone? Are you like a bear who is just now awakening from hibernation, are you like the chickens who lay eggs all winter long, or are you like the wolf who gets more cubs when there is much mortality in the wolf population? Are you the ballerina, the cobbler, or the fireman? What do you think is important in life? What are your values? What makes you happy?
These are very basic questions. As a human being you really have free choice, and what you think and what you do every day becomes a reality. You are the alchemist, participating in the creation of 'gold'. You have many kinds of 'gold': nature care, unity consciousness, friendship, sustainable economy, animal love, feminine action, self-care, astrology, and nourishment for heart and soul... What would you give your life for and what do you think really needs to change in our world?
The first step you take in that direction is to step outside. Stand on your two feet in your garden, in the woods, or on your patio. Sniff out spring, even when it's raining. Look at the tiny leaves that are becoming visible just above the ground. Go cycling, walk by the sea, sit in the sun, and feel how you are part of life. No one has asked you to fight an exhausting battle, it is perfectly "human" to do so but "unnatural”. Connect with life first, because not only is life itself your compass and you may just follow your nose. You can follow your intuition and that which makes you happy. Life is also a source of strength. Those two bare feet on the ground? And your ears listening to the birds and making your heart sing because it is spring? That's where it starts. THAT experience of spring allows life to conspire to let your gold flow naturally into your life.
Yes, you have the strength to do that! Look, smell, step, dance, pray, honor, listen, and turn your head to the sun and the wind through the trees. Whether you’re artist, coach, or politician, but also as an elderly helper, household helper, math teacher, cab driver, order picker, cashier, adolescent, farmer, actor, truck driver, hairdresser, package delivery service, technician, team leader, lawyer, mother... As a human being you do possess that power. You do have that choice, even if it seemed this winter that you just had to keep doing what you "had to do”. Easter as we celebrate it in Christianity is based on Passover, the feast in which Jews commemorate the Exodus from Egypt, the ending of slavery. A wonderful time to choose again, to choose yourself, to choose consciously. You are FREE to choose your next step.
Hilde Goris, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Hilde Goris is a leader in team training, connected leadership and personal transformation processes for entrepreneurs. She helped thousands of individuals and groups to restore the flow in their professional and private life. Her approach is no-nonsense and to-the-point : for sure she will make you smile ànd laugh! She is a skilled trauma healer, breathwork practitioner, systemic healer, creative therapist, and has a profound knowledge of the cycle of life and northern shamanic practices. She is wel respected by indigenous shamans for her ceremonial work. Her teachings about 'Natural Adaptive Leadership' are a team adventure: 'Organisational resilience as a survival skill for Economic Storms'.
