At equinox time, when light and dark appear in equal measure, the Wheel appears in the seed mandala of a hollyhock. Though withered, its form is beautiful. The memory of a flower lingers, but the story now is of flowers to come.
As we enter into the darker half of the year here in the northern hemisphere, I welcome the wisdom of seeds, the work of the darkness. I think of the last lines of a Rilke poem:
. . . it is possible a great energy
is moving near me.
I have faith in nights.
Thank you for these beautiful thoughts and images, Cari.
Beautiful and profound wisdom. Thank you!
I’ve always loved Rilke but was not familiar with those lines. Perfect for this time of year.
I also think of this, from the Talmud:
For the unlearned, old age is winter;
for the learned, it is the season of the harvest.
— The Talmud
Michele, I love Rilke too. When I was looking for this translation, I came across a page with six different translations of this same poem. So very interesting. It’s at http://www.beyond-the-pale.co.uk/rilke.htm Thank you for the other quote, very nice!