Crafting Poetry One Syllable at a Time
Today is the first day of summer!
Last Christmas, my husband and I made the decision to no longer celebrate Christmas – at least not in the commercialized way the holiday has morphed into. Instead, we now celebrate the Winter Solstice. The exciting part of making this decision is that we now get two holidays! The Winter Solstice and the Summer Solstice!
This year, our solstice celebration will be celebrated on International Fairy Day, June 24th. I have a wee medical procedure scheduled for tomorrow, so it made sense to wait until the weekend. I don’t believe I have any Irish heritage, but I claim it by my name – Colleen. Today, I am going to do my version of a nature meditation on Amergin.
ThoughtCo.com shares the history of Amergin:
“Amergin was a leader of the Milesians, one of the ancient tribes that conquered Ireland around 1500 B.C.E., removing the Tuatha de Danaan from power. One of three Druids who spearheaded the takeover, Amergin is referred to as the First Druid of the Gaels in the Irish Book of Invasions.
Thought to be the oldest poem in the Irish language, Amergin’s song is lyrical and narrative, evocative of the strength and power of Ireland itself. Poets and bards enjoyed high status in early Celtic society, and Amergin’s song (which is actually a collection of several pieces) reflects that hierarchy, as well as some of the core beliefs held by the Druids and their people.”
Here is the song of Amergin shared in a quote from Amergin.net:
I am a stag: of seven tines,
I am a flood: across a plain,
I am a wind: on a deep lake,
I am a tear: the Sun lets fall,
I am a hawk: above the cliff,
I am a thorn: beneath the nail,
I am a wonder: among flowers,
I am a wizard: who but I
Sets the cool head aflame with smoke?
I am a spear: that roars for blood,
I am a salmon: in a pool,
I am a lure: from paradise,
I am a hill: where poets walk,
I am a boar: ruthless and red,
I am a breaker: threatening doom,
I am a tide: that drags to death,
I am an infant: who but I
Peeps from the unhewn dolmen, arch?
I am the womb: of every holt,
I am the blaze: on every hill,
I am the queen: of every hive,
I am the shield: for every head,
I am the tomb: of every hope.
Song of Amergin translated by Robert Graves, from The White Goddess, Faber and Faber Limited, 24 Russell Square London WC1. It appears here under the principle of Fair Use.
From Wikipedia there is another translation of this poem:
“In her Gods and Fighting Men (1904),[2] Augusta, Lady Gregory translates The Song of Amergin as such:
I am the wind on the sea;
I am the wave of the sea;
I am the bull of seven battles;
I am the eagle on the rock
I am a flash from the sun;
I am the most beautiful of plants;
I am a strong wild boar;
I am a salmon in the water;
I am a lake in the plain;
I am the word of knowledge;
I am the head of the spear in battle;
I am the god that puts fire in the head;
Who spreads light in the gathering on the hills?
Who can tell the ages of the moon?
Who can tell the place where the sun rests?”[3]“
As I begin to read The Song of Amergin, I decide to take a mindful approach when I recite this poem as part of my meditation. I want to think about how the words apply to me today in my life.
To begin, I lit an orange candle (click HERE to learn what the different colors represent) so that the power of positivity can flow into my life. I stand with my feet on the ground and my hands raised to the sky.
I read the words and concentrated on the answers and different meanings of the last three questions:
Who spreads light in the gathering on the hills?
Who can tell the ages of the moon?
Who can tell the place where the sun rests?
I felt my spirit soar as I ended my meditation. This experience fills my heart with joy. I feel peace and contentment in my place in the world today.
I welcome the new season of summer and look forward to the bounty that this time of year bestows on my family.
Here are some ideas:
Have your friends over and celebrate with a bonfire or a barbecue
Take a walk in nature and be mindful of the magical beauty around you
Dance in the moonlight and feel young again
Read a great book
Celebrate family and friends
Celebrate the season and experience the magic
Thanks for stopping by to celebrate the Summer Solstice with me! ❤
Reblogged this on A Mindful Journey.
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Enjoy this, beautiful, blessed solstice! ❤
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Thank you, my friend. I thought of you immediately this morning. ❤ Hugs and blessings coming your way! ❤
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Happy summer Solstice Colleen. 🙂
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Thank you, Marje! Happy Solstice. Will you be doing anything fun to celebrate? ❤
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Hi Colleen, David and I sat out in the garden for most of the evening. It was lovely. Earlier in the day I met a friend for coffee. Altogether, an enjoyable day. Hope you enjoyed it too. 🙂
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Beautiful, Marje. Happy Solstice. 😘❤️🌈
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Thank you Colleen, happy Solstice to you too. 🙂 x
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This is a lovey idea, Colleen.Happy summer Solstice an I hope all is well with you. I too dislike what Christmas has become; I may take this idea on board. Thank you.x
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You are most welcome, Judith. We love it. It has more meaning. ❤
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A very good post. I enjoyed reading it. Thanks for sharing!
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You are welcome. I’m glad you visited. ❤
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You are welcome!
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Great suggestions and meditation. Happy summer solstice, Colleen and all!
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Thanks, Olga. Happy Summer Solstice. The fairy blessings are flying through the stratosphere! ❤
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Interesting poems on the Druids, and such lovely suggestions for celebrating Solstice. Hope you are having a great day 🙂
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Thanks, much. It has been a fabulous day! ❤ Happy Solstice!
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A lovely post, Colleen, my Irish eyes are smiling! Too hot in California to celebrate the longest and one of the hottest days of the year outdoors. Yay air conditioning!
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LOL! I know. It’s hot here too. We had a dust storm blow through a bit ago. I’m inside. I’ll wait until this weekend to celebrate when it’s cooler. ❤ Happy Solstice! ❤
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Have a wonderful solstice Colleen.
xxx Massive Hugs xxx
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Huge hugs back to you David. Happy Solstice. ❤
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Happy Solstice…and I really like your idea of Christmas as well !!
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Happy Solstice, Van! It was great. I’ll post more on Saturday. ❤️
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Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
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What a great idea to celebrate the solstices.
Happy Summer Solstice!
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Thanks, Marie. ❤️
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Reblogged this on firefly465 and commented:
a wonderful post. Happy Midsummer
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Both translations are beautiful. They remind me of Native American chants. Cultures that appreciate the earth. (K)
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Great comparison. ❤️
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What a great post, Colleen, and wonderful way to celebrate the longest day and usher in the season. I spent the day in the garden loving up the plants. Nothing spectacular, but full of appreciation for the nature around me. Happy Summer!
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That sounds perfect. It’s the communing with nature that is the most fulfilling! Happy Summer Solstice! 🌸🌹🌸
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Happy Solstice. I love your pictures.
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Happy Solstice, Viva. 🌸🌺🌸
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Marvelous! Belated solstice blessings to you Colleen.
I tried (actually still do, just don’t talk about it) to do this. But all the relentless “Christmas” at work… accompanied by the utterly thoughtless questions of my coworkers. Imagine all the millions the government has spent on “diversity awareness” training, and yet the employees are still only vaguely aware of the existence of religious diversity, and utterly dumbfounded when confronted by the existence of someone who doesn’t celebrate Christmas. Then there’s the derision and judgement of the associated “bad person” bull$#!t…
Cheers and hugs.
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PS, I was focused on Crystal’s surgery for the next day. So my own solstice blessing was that she came through with flying colors, and is doing remarkably well today. Still waiting for the test results.
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YES! I am thrilled that she has responded to the surgery and healing. Those test results are a nuisance. I’m waiting for some of my own… ❤
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LOL! I’ve battled this my whole life. In my 20’s I chose Buddhism as my path toward enlightenment. I’ve been the strange person forever. This was a natural move for us. We had a great laugh over being “Pagan Buddhists!” LOL! People can be small minded. I share more about my life on my blog than I ever did in real life, so I understand your position. No matter. You can celebrate with me anytime. Happy Summer Solstice! ❤
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Bright blessings, my friend. Wishing you wellness re the test results. Huge hugs.
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Thanks, Teagan. Hugs back at you, my friend. ❤
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