Beauty is a state of being

This could totally be a post about amateur photography. It could be about the flowers blooming this week at Fantastica, our little home in the Great Smoky Mountains of east Tennessee (aka the southern Appalachians). It could even be a post about colors in nature.

Irises, like trilliums, represent the holy trinity of three (body, mind, spirit) in a magnificent way.

For those of you who read my posts, it's going to come as no surprise that those things aren't the main focus of the post. This post is about reflecting on the definition of beauty, and taking a moment to breathe in the fresh air of clarity as I continue to share my journey of self-realization with those willing to participate in this grand adventure in conscious social interaction on the worldwide web.

We are as layered as this variety of clematis ~ the more we open, the more beautiful we become.

I was taught from the time I was a very young girl to listen to my elders and honor their wisdom as I make my way through life. Many of the understandings that I have gained over my journey to seek a higher consciousness have been based on the teachings of the ancestors of many cultures, as I have sought out the stories of many peoples along the way.

Many of you are familiar with asparagus, but did you know it makes such delicate flowers? This can only be enjoyed when it is not all eaten, a gentle reminder to only take what we need.

One of the lessons that has really resonated with me to the very core of my being is rooted in the teachings of the Navajo, a tribe in the southwestern portion of what is now the US. Walking in beauty is a sacred understanding and when it is embraced, the world around us becomes filled with beauty. The transformation is much more than just a new view of what we see. We become filled with peace, contentment, and a richness of spirit that is absolutely refreshing in a way that is far beyond words.

Even the simplest of things in life can reflect what it means to walk in beauty, such as this "common" buttercup most consider a weed.

While we are all one tribe of humans, on one planet, and all connected to all life, it is also important to honor the many parts of the whole. Walking my path of beauty includes honoring those who came before me, and giving respect to the origins of the lessons I have learned.

This "snowball" flower cluster is a wonderful example of how our many cultures and traditions come together to form the human existence.Each part is whole in it's own right.

Here is the Navajo Blessingway Prayer translated into English:

Walk in Beauty - Hozho'

In beauty may I walk.
All day long may I walk.
Through the returning seasons may I walk.
On the trail marked with pollen may I walk.
With grasshoppers about my feet may I walk.
With dew about my feet may I walk.
With beauty may I walk.
With beauty before me may I walk.
With beauty behind me may I walk.
With beauty above me may I walk.
With beauty below me may I walk.
With beauty all around me may I walk.
In old age, wandering on a trail of beauty, lively, may I walk.
In old age, wandering on a trail of beauty, living again,
may I walk.
It is finished in beauty.
It is finished in beauty.

The website I copied the prayer from is:
https://shimaofnavajoland.com/pages/native-made

This trillium stands tall, in a state of beauty, for only a moment in time...yet it still gives its all for that fleeting moment!

While I know the Navajo prayer can be found many places online these days, I wanted to be mindful that the link for my source was one that may benefit the people it belongs to in some way. I would encourage you to check out their website. It is a nonprofit indigenous group in the Four Corners and the items they offer are sourced and produced through sacred ways, as all things should be.

Just as we have gotten a field of blackberry blooms, the "blackberry winter" has arrived, just as it does every year in Appalachia.

We have redbud, dogwood, locust, and blackberry winter every year, though I can't find any "science" to back up this wisdom passed down through these mountains for many generations. This means we get a cold snap in the weather in different parts of the spring that can be easily predicted by watching the blooms on these different species.

Maidenhair ferns have long been my favorite type of fern. Their delicate stems and rounded shape always bring a smile to my heart.

Embracing nature gives us the opportunity to really know the world around us, as well as an opportunity to know ourselves just as intimately. When we are walking in beauty, synchronicity happens often ~ with ourselves, with each other, with everything in life. This allows us to have a much smoother journey by seeing a clearer picture of what is happening in the present moment.

The wild roses have started blooming ~ and their under appreciation by modern humans doesn't stop them from their state of beauty. When the large patches are in full bloom you can just walk and smell roses everywhere!

When we see the beauty in everything, each step is sacred and filled with wonder ~ every sense becomes tantalized, and our state of being reflects that beauty in perfect harmony.

There are sooo many flowers blooming here that I could not fit them in one post. I allowed spirit to help me choose which ones to share, just as that spirit guided my fingers on the keyboard through this journey of beauty. I would like to leave you with a more in-depth understanding of Walking in Beauty from the peoples who have carried this knowledge through countless generations. It's only 5 minutes of your time but the knowledge you can carry with you the rest of your life.

Thank you for taking the time to experience a little bit of the beauty that I am so thankful to be surrounded by. Before you go, remember to