Here we are at the beginning of August, transitioning into 'late' summer, an actual season in its own right according to the Chinese 5-element system. It calls for a return to the soil, to the grounding and nourishing energy of Mother Earth and indeed the Pu’erh tea, as this is what reigns supreme at this time of year.
It aligns with the beginning of the harvest season, harvesting meaning ‘to gather in’ the most useful and richest parts of what we need to be healthy.
For me, I’m keen to harvest the energy of joy.
I have just shared a life-affirming week touring the Irish countryside in a camper van with one of my dearest friends. Not only was Ireland delicious in every way- great hikes, great food, stunning scenery, great lakes and an excuse to visit some of our old friends, but it offered up all the soul food a human being could need.
The reason I know this to be true is because everyone we met seemed pretty content.
We travelled through the less populated counties as I wished to connect to the land my family grew up in- Louth, Meath, Cavan. The landscapes were both tranquil and exhilarating and very ancient. The people we came across were so proud of their homeland and so willing to share its stories and sacred places, inviting us to join them in hearing the whispered wisdom of the Earth.
We did a pretty comprehensive tour from the mountains of Wicklow to the stone circles of Meath. We walked the incredible Giant’s causeway and indulged in the divine landscapes and coastal views of Donegal. People would wave at us as we passed them in the van, they would share new places to visit on our next trip, every single person welcomed us with a smile and some chat. I awoke every morning with a sense of peace that transcended my everyday busy to-do-list brain. It didn’t need to be searched for within me, it was just there.
Our last activity was to cold water swim in the chilly Irish Sea. Our practiced friends (they do this daily!) took us to a beautiful spot on the outskirts of Dublin and in we went- helped by a pre-plunge hot chocolate. As we were drying off and preparing to leave we saw 2 porpoises playing just meters away from us. As someone training with a shamanic school, it would have been remiss to not look up the spirit meaning of such beautiful beings. As it turns out they call to our more free-spirited nature and symbolise both harmony and joy, so such an auspicious sighting presented the perfect spirit animal for our trip.
So if you are feeling the need to cultivate some more joy energy in your life, I say head to Ireland and breathe it in as joy is there in every breath, in every wave, in every porpoise and in every cup of tea.