Captured By a Horse…
“The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and fire.” —Sharon Ralls Lemon
Never having grown up “horse crazy,” I’m a bit surprised at my fascination with the Lunar New Year’s celebration today of The Year of the Fire Horse (making its first reappearance since 1966).
Mardi Gras today, Ash Wednesday and Lent’s arrival tomorrow, a solar eclipse that occurred this morning, and so much more to dive into; yet, I’m captivated by a mythical horse and its role in Chinese Astrology which I know little about.
Perhaps my imagination is fueled by the freedom and fierce spirit the idea of a “fire horse” conjures up and that feels so vital to harness and ride through these turbulent days where freedoms long taken for granted are being threatened.
“In riding a horse, we borrow freedom.” — Helen Thompson
What captures your imagination or calls to your spirit right now? Whether it’s the Year of the Fire Horse, the immersion into the Lenten journey, or giving of your time and energy to elections and other external efforts to make a difference, trust that you are being guided to what feeds your soul and enlivens your spirit (and thus make a profound difference in this world in your own unique way).
May you be blessed by the transformative spirit of the Fire Horse calling you forward into whatever captures your imagination and heart.
Its Essence…
“The essence of Horse Spirit is freedom. It is a noble and resilient force, with limitless energy at its core.”
―Lawren Leo
We Will Remember
Friday, February 20th marks the 8th anniversary of the passing of our beloved founder and Spiritual Amma, Jean Springer. Still in the hearts of many, her wisdom continues to guide us.
“Lent is a time of intentionality and of attentiveness. As I sit with people who want to “come back to God,” I am aware their return is written within their lived experiences. For one person, it is to find her voice and begin speaking the Truth she knows. For another, it is to return to his physical body and commitments to respect and care for its health and wholeness. And, for another, it is to find ways of being fiscally responsible for her present and future well-being.” ― Jean Springer
How to Triumph Like a Girl
I like the lady horses best,
how they make it all look easy,
like running 40 miles per hour
is as fun as taking a nap, or grass.
I like their lady horse swagger,
after winning. Ears up, girls, ears up!
But mainly, let’s be honest, I like
that they’re ladies. As if this big
dangerous animal is also a part of me,
that somewhere inside the delicate
skin of my body, there pumps
an 8-pound female horse heart,
giant with power, heavy with blood.
Don’t you want to believe it?
Don’t you want to lift my shirt and see
the huge beating genius machine
that thinks, no, it knows,
it’s going to come in first.
―Ada Limón, from Bright Dead Things.
Note: This poem and other wonderful options we didn’t have space for can be found in a deep dive into horses and their impact on poetry at dverse.com (Running with Horses).
