Daffodils, Ducks and Dragons

How was your Easter break?

We were blessed with ten days in Scotland, most of which we spent in nature.

We have come back reenergised, and I am inspired to write to you about our trip.

First, who knew that the Scots love daffodils so much? Big yellow bunches were everywhere: in gardens, by the roads, even in some fields! I suppose they're hardy enough to withstand the cold and wet springs, and their brightness contrast so beautifully with the moody skies, almost like vegetal sunshine ☀️

Beyond their resilience, I've learned that daffodils are also a symbol of hope and renewal. They herald a new season, a return to vitality after the long winter.

Are you feeling a surge in your own energy, now that the days are warmer and longer? Or are you on automatic pilot, being conditioned to a 24/7 performance all year round?

Then there was the day when I met Lady Duck 🦆 It was one morning at the beach by the loch, where I had started glass panning for Earth Day. She was very inquisitive and unfrazzled by my presence, it was super clear that I was the stranger! She came to inspect me and what I may have for her. 

A couple of hours later, she waddled up the steps to the back porch, looking in, so I decided to give her a few breadcrumbs. She hoovered them at lightning speed whilst Lord Duck was snoozing, bobbing along the shallow waves. 

Fast forward to the evening and Lady Duck found us on the other side of the beach, where we were enjoying the sunset with a drink. She appeared as smoothly as ever, showing me how easy it was for her to dive and have the water glide off her feathers so effortlessly. She came to the shore and started rummaging for food on the beach. I caught this image of her then, and zooming in I could see her confident and relaxed smile.

This Lady Duck looks to me like she’s totally nailed it! As a mallard, she's making the most of her natural gifts, being as much at home in the water as she is in the air. At the same time she's adapted to the presence of humans and knows a thing or two about making herself known by quacking at us for food 😀

She got me thinking: how can we be more like Lady Duck, grounding ourselves in our natural gifts every single day, whilst learning to adapt to our ever changing world?

And then there were the Dragons 🐉. We were climbing down from our walk to St David's Well, when I started noticing carvings on the rocks by the path. They were images of dragons, one of a head, one of a full bodied animal. Now where was I? Daffodils, St David, Dragons, was I being transported to Wales?? 

As the story goes, Sir David Menzies was a local 15th Century laird who renounced his wealth to go and live as a hermit. He lived near the caves where the Christian Saint Cuthbert stayed and used the stone pool for nightly immersion and prayer.

The dragons carvings are modern, yet they echo the long standing myths and legends surrounding the area. With its towering cliffs and craggy slopes, it would have been easy for our ancestors to imagine Weem woods inhabited by malevolent creatures and demons.

The myths of the western cultures use the Dragon as a symbol of chaos, sin and destruction. Slaying the dragon becomes a metaphor for overcoming evil and restoring order. People in England celebrated their patron saint yesterday: St George's story typifies the hero overcoming evil, the dragon's defeat leading to the conversion of people to Christianity.

Now look over to the East, where the Dragon is seen as a benevolent force, a wise and auspicious being perceived as a master of transformation.

Isn't that a great example of how everything is a matter of perspective? And as mythologist Joseph Campbell suggested, is slaying the dragon merely a psychological metaphor for conquering our own ego and inner chaos? 

Daffodils, Ducks and Dragons are to me more than a few highlights of an amazing trip, they are great lessons from the natural world.

I hope you've enjoyed reading this and that you too can carve some time to reflect and see what you can draw from these little stories. 

This leaves me with one thing, a reminder that I am hosting an online session next week to introduce my mentoring services for young adults. Drawing lessons from Mother Nature are included, among other tools. If you or someone you know would like to attend, I'd love to have you with me during the live! And if you can't be there, I will send the recording shortly after. 

Until then,

Shine your Own Light,

Sylvie