Crossing the Threshold

Death Midwifery, Green Burial Education, Seasonal Celebrations, Rites of Passage, Eco-Spirituality, Pagan Spirituality, Earth-Centered Spirituality. Nora Cedarwind Young's journal about these topics and more. www.thresholdsoflife.org

Name:
Location: Olympic Peninsula

I am a Death Midwife and Green Burial Educator. Committed to opening hearts and minds to the ways of the Eco-Spirituality Path, Pagan and Wiccan faiths. I am the first Eco-Spiritual-Pagan Clergy at my local Hospital and am committed to helping others open hearts and minds to my loving, ethical and responsible spirituality that is based on the seasons and cycles of nature and the phases of the moon. I love nature, especially the shores of my Northwest home, my husband who taught me love and trust are possible, my four children and soon to be grandchildren. My community is a true part of what makes me whole, as I see the value of chosen family or tribe, the people who will go through all experiences toghether without judgement, through our commitment to each other, my chosen tribe is the blessing that many people know through a large extended family. We keep each other accountable, supported and we educate each other with our gifts. I am committed to educating myself and others about the choices they have in this life, and the value of preparing for whatever choices we make. Love to homebrew beer and smoke wild salmon. Feast of the sea on the beach..that is living!

Monday, July 17, 2006

Standing on my Threshold.

It's been an amazing week here on my beloved Lummi Island. This place where I brought my children and we all healed from some of life's heaviest hurts. Her natural beauty and sacred privacy has offered me and many folks I know the healing and solace we all seek in such a place as this. From the daily view of the young buck that grazes in the yard, to the momma eagle and her young sitting in the cedar snag while watching the salmon return home to their northern waters...I've seen the Orca too, both on the south and west side of the island, on two different days. Excitement and joy fill the hearts of those that see them. As I go out for my daily walk I also grieve for this place, as so many homes have been built, so many more cars, so many people that no longer wave to everyone, or relax and drive a comfortable pace, so many people are in such a hurry these days here!

I have had this week to reflect on launching my blog, and finally as I stand on a threshold of my life that has me truly seeing the spiral of life, I am so motivated to let it all begin now. I have lost a dear friend this week. No one is able to give a correct or sure diagnosis of his illness, brought on by diabetes, but many doctors and hospitals could not truly say what the cause was. His wife a Reiki master and incredible massage healer realized his quest to return home in peace, no more poking or prodding, and finally asked the doctors to let him go to the place of summer days and apples..... I supported her in this process, understanding that not all of us want heroic efforts or expensive tests that only continue the pain of both the patient and the loved ones watching the process. He passed, free of fear, knowing he was returning to a place of peace, that his life on this earth was done...he ws truly loved and he will be truly missed. He was a dear and beloved friend and like myself, my good friend Glenn loved a deep belly laugh. He kept me laughing for hours whenever we were together. He was sure to note I was easy to wind up with laughter and he could really work it. He was a trickster and played too many to mention practical jokes on my youngest daughter. She too misses our muse, our trickster, our true bard of the sacred laugh.

On the same threshold, I await the birth of my first grandchild. My lifeblood continued through the gift of my daughter and her incredible husband. Such a divine gift to see your childrens children..I remind her that even though it is hot these July days, you cannot pick the fruit from tree without waiting for it to be just right. That makes for the perfect harvest. Every day baby stays inside her lungs develop strong and healthy. As I had a July delivery for my daughter and her twin brother, I have told my daughter many a hot day pregnant story. We have had a lot of laughs and encouragement laced phone conversations this week.

So I stand on this threshold, loss and life. Yin and Yang. Birth and Death. This is what the true thresholds of life are. We all embrace them differently, but it is my intent as time passes that we may all plan for our death, just the way most people prepare and plan for birth. Since we know death is inevitable, lets work together to make this experience for those that love us and remain when we are gone easier. I will offer you resources and tools to consider the best way to embrace this reality of our time here on earth. Nature teaches us all living things will pass. I will help teach you how to prepare for this experience.

Lastly, thanks to my sistah Joanna Powell Colbert for her birthing my website and encouraging me and blessing me on my journey. What a gift it is to have a sister that has made this new step into technology so comfortable. Check out her talents at www.gaiantarot.com and remember she does awesome web design too.

I look to hearing your comments and thoughts. Let us prepare for all the thresholds and share our wisdom.

Love and blessings from the threshold,
Nora

5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Congratulations on the beautiful new website, Nora! You are doing important and sacred work!
Many blessings,
~Kelli

9:04 AM  
Blogger Jade L Blackwater said...

Greetings Nora! I am a visitor from Joanna's Gaian Tarot artist blog - welcome to blogging! I look forward to reading your thoughts.

I am sorry for the loss of your friend, but glad to know that he has found peace, and moved on to the next great adventure!

Good thoughts,
JLB

10:12 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Welcome to the blogsphere!

1:02 PM  
Blogger Inanna said...

Welcome to the Pagan blogosphere, Nora. I came here via Joanna's blog. I'm very interested in your work and look forward to reading more. One of my favorite things about being a Pagan is our beliefs about death.

6:55 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Welcome to the blogging world! I came here via Joanna's site, which I've been visiting for - oh, years now. x

3:46 AM  

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