Hope is the thing with feathers
As a child, I often used to write stories about flight. There were tales of flying horses, flying carpets and on occasion even flying dinosaurs.
I was reminded of this obsession recently when I started to notice feathers everywhere. This was all the more curious as the birds were nowhere to be seen. I could not remember the last time the goldfinches had visited my bird feeders.
It turns out that in late summer, many birds lose their feathers. This moulting takes place so they can develop their plumage for the colder season ahead. During this transformation, the birds hide away before emerging with new feathers ready for winter.
I was fascinated by how the birds retreat from view while they shed their old plumage. It is often the same with us humans; we benefit from a period of withdrawal before making a shift in our lives. Nature is a great teacher; we need rest periods to muster the energy to make a change. Plants have dormant periods before growth and many animals hibernate before periods of activity.
In a frenetic world, it can be hard to give ourselves the time and space we need to adjust to a change in our lives. By denying ourselves this germination period we deny ourselves the conditions to fully thrive.
As the summer fades, I am looking ahead to a transition in my own life. I wanted to restart my blog as part of my renewed commitment to writing in this new season. I hope that by sharing my journey I can help others in search of a calm, creative life.
Seeking inspiration, I took some time out in Arnside near Morecambe Bay. I watched as the sun glanced off the shallow waters of the estuary giving the sea asters a shimmering magical quality. In that moment, I was inspired to indulge my inner child and set to combing the bay in search of feathers. They symbolised what I wanted from this coming season, a sense of creative possibility, freedom and flight.
With a pocketful of feathers my heart felt light. After a period of rest I now feel ready to enter a new creative season and let my imagination soar.
Every time you notice birds or feathers I hope that you too will see this as an invitation for greater creative freedom.
What would make you feel lighter if you let it go? What do you need to do to prepare yourself for flight in the coming season?
