It was a blessed Spring Equinox!

Sunset at Masset

My heart holds it close,

Aches with its beauty,

When I reach the crest of the hill.

The sky is stained with colour,

Only nature can produce,

Primrose, aqua, turquoise,

Umber, magenta, cerise

And a ribbon of blue

Greets the watcher’s eyes,

With a pillar of green on either side.

And on the breast of the rushing tide

Lost bits of driftwood gallantly ride

The inlet now has changed its hue.

And rays of gold come seeping through.

Then down where the lighthouse

Holds silent reign,

Beams of riotous glory

Are reflected again.

~ Viola Wood ~

I was so incredibly blessed to be in Haida Gwaii for this years Spring Equinox.  Besides immersing myself in natures raw coastal oceanside beauty, some of my family and I attended a traditional ceremonial potlatch and pole raising. This was hosted by the ancestral Chief “7idansuu” of the Eagle Clan, the renowned Haida artist Jim Hart, along with his wife Rosemary, adopted by the Raven clan, my cousin, who I’ve had the privilege to grow up with.

This bittersweet occasion was also to say goodbye to their son, my children’s childhood friend, a cousin, and a dearly loved family member. Challenges with mental health took him from us far too young and through all the sadness over this pain searing tragedy, and then being forced into a pandemic isolation, we finally were able to gather to honour and celebrate him. We stood as witnesses to the entwinning of the dichotomous cultures he was born into.  We felt so privileged to be permitted to partake in this sacred indigenous experience amongst their unique community and family.

Spring has been a perfect time to mark both this significant end and a new beginning.  As the season’s transition, we are asked to let go of the introspection of the darker days and move into spring energy, which exhibits resilience, strength, and perseverance to move forward.  As the Haida elders washed his special engraved argillite memorial stone, ceremoniously pouring water around the base, to symbolize the end of the tears for the past, the sun began to break through the thin veil of clouds, letting us know that his spirit was with us from the beyond.

Listening to the beat of the drums that walked us toward his final resting place, I couldn’t help but be spellbound by the majestic bald eagle that was soaring by us over the nearby ocean inlet. The air was crisp, and the spring bulbs his mother had planted in the fall were bursting upwards through the earth where his body had been laid to rest.  As we continued to observe the family pay their final respects a feather wafted in front of me in the breeze reminding me that healing of tragedy, loss and a broken heart takes courage, even if we have to dig for it. 

“Spring’s first heartbeat honors winter’s last breath”.

~Angie Weiland - Crosby

It takes several years to prepare for a potlatch of this magnitude: fishing, baking breads and pies, creating and obtaining gifts and meals for all the generations who come together to celebrate.  There were newborn babes in arms as their mothers danced, and elders being looked after by the children and teenagers. The community formed such a loving hallowed space for his human form to depart and the celebrations that followed was a moving act of generosity, sharing and renewal. Clans from all over the island came for 2 full days to dance, perform, sing, give names, and share stories.  On day 3 we all pulled on the ropes that were tethered to the 60-foot-high totem pole that this young man had worked on as a protégé carver and then was finished by his father, Jim, and a team of his fellow carvers in his honour. 

Nature continued to speak to us throughout our week in Haida Gwaii.  Exploring the shell and agate stone covered beaches, walking on the trails of the Rose Spit peninsula, Towhill and Naikoon parks, we continued to find beautiful shells, forest faces, heart shapes and signs letting us know that life is far more boundless than we could ever imagine.  Haida culture see’s nature as the energy of infinite spirit. They have traditionally lived amongst the supernatural’s for many thousands of years.  The forest and sea spirits are busting to tell you a story that is always being expressed through the signs they send us. Meaningful messages are there if you pay attention. 3 Rainbows broke over the Hart’s home the day they raised the pole for Jim’s father, which is how their house got its name.   Every moment in nature is closely paid attention to as a message from the energy world. 

Carl “Tllgidgaaya” Hart’s mother (my cousin), Rosemary was in Deep Cove 8 years ago when she got the news that her son was gone.  She had just seen a rare sighting of a pod of whales in the bay.  In Haida culture it is believed when you see whales they are coming to guide someone to the other side.  The night they laid him to rest Rosemary saw the northern lights in Old Masset for the first time.  During the potlatch they danced all the stories but the one with the 2-fin whale in his honour, which now sits on his memorial plaque in the centre of the pole was particularly special. Having spent a week immersing ourselves in this ancient way of communicating with spirit energy we were not surprised when we got a sign from Carl that he was with us by giving us a show of the of the northern lights with the 2 fins in its glow.

“Hope springs eternal”

~Alexander Pope

Let new tissue grow over old hurts and take fresh hope.  Spring is when nature reinvents itself. Its energy is about clearing away the obstacles of the past, to feel lighter and more joyful.  It has been a great privilege to have been part these special days of ceremony where the Haida people showed me our deep connection to this world and beyond.  I witnessed the death rites of passage that has allowed the beautiful soul of Carl to be set free from the obstacles of his past so he can embrace a new beginning.  For those of us left behind we can remember that the Equinox is a time of balance between light and dark and when we bring back the light into our hearts, we can see people and situations with new eyes.  By taking in the light, we can achieve greater balance and harmony.  We can start fresh and allow space for the new to enter our lives. 

Cleaning up our own energy, clearing away the blockages of the past, feeling lighter and more joyful is what springtime is all about.  Like the tiny, green shoots that sprout through the newly thawed ground, the energy of this renewal with its infinite possibilities are with you and all around you.  Approach spring as though it is the first time you ever experienced it – the first time you ever saw a flower, a tree growing, a bird flying. Open your heart to love, to beauty, to clarity.  Make your spirit bright like the colors of nature.

Go for a walk on the earth to awaken your connection to the natural world. Feel Mother Earth waking up. Tune into nature and feel yourself becoming aware and alert. Be aware of what’s happening around you. Fertilize and water your spirit and allow an unfolding of the petals of your heart. 

It’s time to put some spring in your step, spring in your food, spring in your mind and heart and spring into your life.

~ Love Becca ~