Cheryl Lafferty Eckl's Blog, page 3
March 3, 2020
Transformed by Éire
Éire will transform you, if you let her. For she is more a presence than a place. Was this poem a real event or one imagined? I honestly don’t remember now. We Shall All Be Changed Come walk the beach … Continue reading →
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February 26, 2020
A Gift from the Word Gods
Bealtaine (pronounced be-yowl-thin-ah) is one of the “corner holidays” still celebrated in Ireland, April 30–May 1. In 2018 was fortunate to be at the Parknasilla Resort on Kenmare Bay in County Kerry, Ireland, for the festival—which I marked by attending a truly transformational retreat for writers led by people who are now dear friends.
The poem below says it all. One of my favorites from Sparks of Celtic Mystery.
At the Writers Retreat
Bealtaine’s fires burn double
To purge old winter’s dark
And light the way to springtime’s green
Where Imbolc’s three-month lambs frolic
And May Day’s festivals mark
Exuberant new life for young and old.
Inspiration sparks afresh,
Each view across the bay or estuary
An invitation to plant seeds of thought
In imagination’s fertile ground,
To raise up word flowers
Waving their bright-hued blooms
For attention from passersby
Whose hearts they hope to gladden.
Creative fires burn bright at Parknasilla,
Fed by geniuses who loved the place,
Leaned into its fecund quiet
Until Nature’s luxuriant empathy
Filled them with such passionate insight
The only way to live was to write
Till they were empty vessels
Begging to be filled again.
So were we also sparked,
Ignited by a bardic spirit,
Nourished by the pleasing
Sound of pen on paper,
Urged to freely splash
In creation’s risky tributaries,
Until we, too, should find a seat
In the company of literary mightiness,
If even for one precious moment,
One brilliant phrase of prose or rhyme
That flashes into the mind like lightning
A gift from the word gods who live on—
Beside the waters of Kenmare Bay.
Read more about the book, Sparks of Celtic Mystery.
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Minded by Immensity
The Burren is an
astonishing landscape in County Clare, in the West of Ireland.
Studies show that woodlands once were present here along with a thin
layer of top soil that was worn away by glaciation and erosion.
Appearing at first glance like a barren moonscape, the mild climate
supports Artic-alpine and Mediterranean Basin plants side-by-side
with many rare Irish species. The Burren has one of the longest
growing seasons in Ireland.
The limestone pavement, as it is
called, makes for some tricky hiking if you happen to be in the
company of intrepid Irishmen, which I was in 2012. Erosion has
created deep crevices that are hidden by the rich grass. Not for the
faint of heart or unsure of foot, as I discovered.
When I do poetry readings, this poem is one of the most popular.
In Relation to Silence
You’ve never heard a thing
Till you’ve stopped on a mountain
That’s all cracks and hollows
And listened to the sound
Of your own suspicion
That you would not find your way.
You’ve never listened in your life
Like you did today—
Desperate for a prompting,
A sign of the passage through,
Only to stumble into the miracle
Of a fellow traveler’s helping hand.
Your well-tuned heart
Brought you to this place.
Now listen for a new song
Playing in the silence
Of unpeopled landscape,
And know yourself as eternally
Minded by the immensity
Of your own life.
This poem is from Sparks of Celtic Mystery. Read more about the book.
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Listen. Do chants of the Old Ones beckon?
Ireland’s Ancient East holds some of
the most dramatic heritage sites in the world. One of the most
intriguing is Newgrange. Built at least 5,000 years ago, the interior
remains dry.
In 2009 I experienced what it must have
been like for the builders to rest inside the total darkness,
imagining themselves as seeds being planted in the Earth, awaiting
Spring’s soft rains and warming sun so they might come to life once
more.
Wonders
What did the builders of Newgrange
call their masterful creation?
Womb of the Mother?
Sacred vessel of Earth’s treasures?
Blessed house of life and harvest?
Step inside and feel the presence
of deep conviction
and faith in seasons turning
brought about each winter
when Solstice sun
runs straight down the passageway
that never was a tomb or house of the dead,
despite symbolic ashes in side basins.
Only vitality shines here to bring again
fertility and springtime blooms
planted in the darkest dark
as seeds must be
else they will not see the light of day
come Imbolc and Bealtaine.
Triple spirals mark the portal,
as sentinel stones keep watch
telling all who cross this threshold
that mystery abides within.
What transpired is long since lost,
buried in green Éire’s lore and soil
whose memory would speak to those
whose ears are willing to be quickened.
Listen when the lights go out.
Do chants of Old Ones whisper,
beckoning you to pray once more
for new blessings from the land?
Five thousand years is not too long
for their voices to still echo
down monumental corridors
of wonder.
I marvel as I walk away—
how could mere farmers moving rocks
build on such a massive scale
to mind the Earth
as she kept them and their families
nourished body, mind and soul
high atop the River Boyne?
[image error]
This poem is from Sparks of Celtic Mystery. Read more about the book.
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May 17, 2019
A Beautiful Joy: Reunion with the Beloved through Transfiguring Love
Intensely bright—you can hardly look at the pure white radiance spilling into your room. A figure appears, holding out a welcoming hand, inviting you to step into the Light.
Will you accept the invitation? Will you reach out now and take the hand of Love’s Spirit that calls you beyond a veil of separation that is not real?
Love beckons. Love illumines. Love strengthens. Love initiates you into its deep mysteries. Love changes your world when you least expect it.
When you allow, Love makes all unlike itself pale and fall way. In Love’s tender care, you are transformed into the highest expression of your True Self—the Beloved. When Love leads the way, you can be united with your soul’s other half, the twin flame you have known since the beginning
Join Cheryl and Stephen Eckl as they share the joy they found in their journey of reunion through transfiguring Love.
May their intimate conversations between worlds—conveyed in stories, poems and sublime meditations—bring you comfort, hope and encouragement to say Yes! when Love calls.
Your introduction is beautiful. A warm, candid invitation to the reader to delve open-heartedly into the journey that you have both embarked on. Its practical and pragmatic supernatural tone resonated with me. As does its honest joint offering.
Dónall Ó Héalaí, Founding Director of Celtic Consciousness
Contents
ISBN: 978-0-9970376-9-2, 142 pages, illustrations, trade paperback
Available now online or your local bookstore can order via Ingram.
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February 6, 2019
Sparks of Celtic Mystery: soul poems from Éire—a mystical journey
I am thrilled to announce the publication of my latest collection of poetry – written during and following my travels to Ireland 2009 – 2018.
Thirty-six new poems invite you to immerse yourself in the spirit of the land, the language, the people who have made my Celtic adventures memorable and inspiring—and with their goddess, Éire, who gave her name to the Emerald Isle.
My love of Ireland began as a child and has only grown stronger as I’ve spent time in this luminous place. In truth, my connection with Éire has deepened with each visit.
In publishing Sparks of Celtic Mystery, I am fulfilling a long-cherished dream of sharing my deep affection for Celtic culture with fellow travelers and with those who hold a fond place in their hearts for this ancient isle that invites life-changing exploration of both inner and outer landscapes.
May your life be blessed by the spirit of Éire,
Cheryl Lafferty Eckl
PS: The cover photo is one I took of the Three Sisters Peaks from the ring forts on the glorious Dingle Peninsula.
Cheryl Lafferty Eckl’s “Sparks of Celtic Mystery” is an awakening work, pure and simple. She has found her home in the ancient, powerful ideas of Celtic mythology, and has used it to inform her life and her journey. By reading these profound words, your journey, too, will be transformed. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is luminary.
—Brandon Thompson, ecstatic poet & teacher, author of From the Back of a Thirsty Camel
Read more about the book.
ISBN: 978-0-9970376-4-7
Paperback, 120 pages
Enjoy more poetry at The Poetess Corner.
Click on the link below to order. Your local bookstore can also order through Ingram.
The post Sparks of Celtic Mystery: soul poems from Éire—a mystical journey appeared first on Cheryl Eckl.
Just Released! Sparks of Celtic Mystery: soul poems from Éire
I am thrilled to announce my latest collection of poetry – written during and after my travels to Ireland 2009 – 2018.
Thirty-six brand new poems invite you to immerse yourself in the spirit of the land, the language and the people who have made my Celtic adventures memorable and inspiring.
My love for Ireland began as a child and has only grown stronger as I’ve spent time there with the land, the people and their goddess, Éire, who gave her name to the Emerald Isle.
In publishing Sparks of Celtic Mystery, I am fulfilling a dream of sharing my deep affection for Celtic culture with fellow travelers and with those who hold a fond place in their hearts for this ancient isle that invites life-changing exploration of inner and outer landscapes.
Read more about the book.
ISBN: 978-0-9970376-4-7
Paperback, 120 pages
Learn more about my other books, videos, articles and poetry at www.CherylEckl.com.
Click on the link below to order. Your local bookstore can also order through Ingram.
The post Just Released! Sparks of Celtic Mystery: soul poems from Éire appeared first on Cheryl Eckl.
December 27, 2018
Hope for the New Year
“Morning Star” is one of my favorite images, an except from Alphonse Mucha’s “Moon & Stars” series. She always speaks to me of Hope and a poem that appeared one night to share the sky with brilliant stars.
Hope
Hope flew in on starlight,
a gift of renewal,
energy and joyful anticipation
of adventures yet to come;
the stuff of dreams,
promises of love and faith
that the best of our intentions
will bear fruit.
Somehow with hopeful hearts
it matters less that futures are invisible,
as travelers we go map-less
into the dark,
trusting we will find a lamp,
the moon will rise,
and daylight will remain inevitable.
Hope is a grace that tells us
we are mission-born,
endowed with native worthiness,
possessed of gifts unique and fine,
beloved by Spirit for our self,
each one a gem in Beauty’s crown.
There is a unity in hope
that fosters heart connection,
encouraging us to reach out
to those we know and others
we have not met till now,
to connect with land
and sea and sky
and all the creatures
that call them home.
In Hope we feel ourselves
at one with life,
believing it will always be thus,
until an ill wind blows coldly through
closing our hearts to what might be,
engendering fear,
causing us to lose the precious gift of Hope.
For like a child or pet or plant,
Hope must be nourished,
watered and fed.
A myth exists that one needs Hope
to open the heart to life;
but, truly, it is the open heart
that magnetizes Hope’s radiance
with gratitude and loving-kindness.
Hope stays for joy,
grows strong in love,
builds scaffolds of positive regard,
and longs to be at home
with hearts and hands
who will not lose her from neglect.
Hope illuminates the evening sky
with starlight born of pilgrims’ prayers
and wishes for a better world
sent up to heaven by humble hearts,
so that Hope may then return to Earth
to lift the weight from those who toil,
yet even in their darkest hours
can still say, Yes! when Spirit calls.
© 2018-2019 Cheryl Lafferty Eckl, Flying Crane Press. All rights reserved.
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December 22, 2018
Add a Little Sparkle to Your Holidays
What could be more fun at the holidays than story time? In the tradition of the Irish seanchaí, here are some excerpts from The Weaving. Please join me. Let’s gather by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa and take a little journey into mysteries & wonders.
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December 7, 2018
The Still Point at Midwinter
This poem is from my second book of poetry. I called it Bridge to the Otherworld. The verses in this collection are nearly all about thresholds, points of transition, finding yourself in the thin places where day & night, light & dark, have a way of meeting on equal terms—inviting a choice.
Will you step across the veil into the ephemeral world that beckons your soul to its deepest authenticity? Or will you hold back in the concrete world you believe is real, though it offers little soul satisfaction?
No time of year offers more opportunity for self-reflection than the blessed hours of Winter Solstice. Come, step into the still point and find a deeper mystery in the dance that happens only at the nexus.
The Still Point
Deep in Midwinter’s heart
a stillness waits
to bless the rays of light
that glisten through the darkness,
not so much as to dispel
but as to greet in equal verity.
For consorts are they—Night and Day
separated by the world’s opinion,
though not their own.
Indeed, they dance
nine thousand hours in a year;
and none more grandly than today
when Night puts off her ebony cloak,
relinquishing her moonlit reign
unto her mate, the Day,
who bows to her interior light
as he ascends the throne
that will be his till summer.
For Dark and Light both know their place
and graciously step back
in the fullness of their power
to honor the other
who seamlessly flows in—
a natural exchange.
With silent care Night nurtures Day
until his power warms and grows
and Day loves Night for her sage advice
that earthly ears so seldom hear.
In the still point of Solstice
they know each other’s worth
and do their part
to see the other blessedly fulfilled.
from Bridge to the Otherworld
Copyright (c) Flying Crane Press, All rights reserved.
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