Watery Wonder
on the other side of the Fall equinox (in the Northern Hemisphere)
Happy Fall Equinox, my friends!
I feel water’s energetic return as last week’s Flux becomes this week’s Flow.1
A celebration of water at Kinship2:
Thoughts about photography and the elements…and a question:
In what ways does the flow of water around us and within us make us feel alive?
A swirl and swim, fluidity courses through, nourishing and cleansing.3
Two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. An equation.
But what, in fact, is the essence of water?4
Water’s many faces call:5
“Come…let’s reflect, refract and shape shift together.”
So let’s dive in, dear friends,
and see where the waters take us.
If there was ever a time for action, this is it.6
Thank you, as always, for sharing your time and this space with me.
With gratitude for you being you,
Lyn
PS: Think rain where it is dry, and calm where there is deluge.
PPS: It’s always wonderful to hear from you. Please leave a comment if you are so inspired.
PPPS: It is at this confluence of water, sand, and the morning light that our beloved dog, Calvin (2009 - 2024) found the most joy. It has been almost a year since he died, but it seemed like a good moment to honor his joy.
Take care.
In the Celtic tradition, the fiery heat of summer gives way to water, a symbol of life, wisdom, purification and transformation. Water is considered a sacred conduit to the Otherworld where rivers, lakes, springs and wells are divine gateways to other realms, places for rituals, healing, and gaining spiritual insight. I particularly love that historically, women often guard these sacred sights. There are many sources of information about this element, including AI. But here are a few sights I found of interest:
https://the-wild-soul-tribe.com/role-of-water-irish-rituals-sacred-wells-healing-waters/
https://heritageireland.ie/2024/03/women-water-and-wisdom-in-celtic-mythology/
Also, as part of our year-long exploration of the Elements, The Kinship Photography Collective begins its celebration of Water this week.
The Kinship Photography Collective is a collaborative group that explores different themes each year. In 2024, the theme was “Between Bodies”; From Spring Equinox 2025 (Fall in the Southern Hemisphere) to Spring Equinox 2026, the theme is Elementals & The Elemental Life. Each season we focus on a different topic. Air, Fire, Water & Earth.
It is a privilege to have access to clean water, not just for swimming, but for everything. In celebrating it’s many faces and in leaning into its essence, I hope to inspire deeper respect for and attention to this fragile resource.
Essence = Quiddity: In her most recent post on The Gusset, my sister, Sarah Swett, refers to the word Quiddity. She likes words. As a matter of fact, she’s spent years weaving them and has now produced a book teaching how to weave letters. It’s really cool. But I digress.
Quiddity, besides being an unusual word, means the inherent nature or essence of someone or something.
The Many Faces of Water is an essay by Mark Riegner published in Elementals, Volume 3: Water produced by the Center for Humans & Nature.
This deepening of my practice began when I first joined Kinship in early 2023. This call to explore the elements, though, has come at just the right time. Summer’s heat, which called me to pause, feels long ago. Last week I started getting up at 5:30 each morning to write and then, after exercise and breakfast, I get to work, exploring ways to let my images speak.
I know, I said this last week too…For me, that action involves truly showing up, not just to 13 Tons of Love, but to the fullness that is this time of year. While not in school, I feel the pull of a school year’s schedule, organizing my day into ‘periods’ of work balanced by time for play. It’s been almost a year since we moved into our new place. We are settled, at last.
Beautiful!
What a photo. Lifting the dripping hem. Half submerged. Glorious. Brilliant. Amazing.