Irises in bloom

Iris and twirls.

This flower is sacred to all who worship and reverence the virgin goddess in any of her forms.  As a flower, it is associated with creativity and self-expression.  It is a flower which draws to us higher inspiration and psychic purity.  Iris was the Greek goddess of the rainbow who led souls to the Elysian Fields.  Alignment with the flower named for her awakens within the auric field a strong sense of peace and the hope for new birth, and thus as a messenger, it reminds us to maintain hope for a new birth and new peace will soon be at hand.

~ Ted Andrews, Nature Speak

The original. Just as pretty without the twirl.

In the Language of Flowers, purple irises are said to symbolize royalty and wisdom.  The three upright petals symbolize faith, valor, and wisdom.  While reading Ted Andrews’ description, something kept niggling at the back of my mind and I finally figured out what it was.  The iris, or Iris, is represented on the Temperance card in the Mythic Tarot deck which was my first deck of tarot cards.  It’s long been my favorite because I enjoy myths and stories so very much.  The first myths I remember learning about as a child were the Greek myths.  The Mythic Tarot is the Fool’s journey told through the stories of Greek mythology.

Leaning a little.

Iris as Temperance represents a balanced heart.  She is connected with the function and flow of feeling.  Not emotion, which is more visceral in nature (a reaction), but feeling as a choice, a sensing of needs for a particular time or situation.  Perhaps something along the lines of mercy, sympathy, and kindness.  She can go the other way when needed, allowing the flow of feeling to adjust for changing circumstances.  She can offer care or she can offer vengeance when appropriate. Her goal — the goal of the function and flow of this kind of feeling — is cooperation, harmony, and better relationship.  Balance.

I almost envy the way these three irises are able to snuggle in together.

No soapbox to stand on today.  I’m a little too tired to step up onto it.  The energy swings, within myself, seem more erratic.  More extreme, perhaps, too.  I suppose that’s true of many of us.  Lots of ups and downs and in-betweens.

Here’s a brief look at the numbers for Maryland, just for the record:  29,374 confirmed cases, 1,503 deaths.  The county I live in continues its slow but steady rise.  We currently have 39 confirmed cases, no deaths.  The numbers are higher in the county just north of us (517 confirmed, 11 deaths).  Ohio, where my sons and their families live, has 20,474 confirmed cases, with 1,056 deaths.

I like to look at the numbers for those who have recovered but they’re not often given on a local level.  It’s possible I’m not looking in the right place.  They probably exist somewhere.

Meanwhile, over by the peonies, the grasses collect dew.

We have been gifted with a beautiful day before the next round of rain comes through.  I was hoping to mow the grass.  However, we had quite a bit of rain over the past day or two, in the form of a gentle mist that stuck around for a while, and it’s too wet to do the mowing.  The grass is having a field day, literally.

Together.

My daughter-in-law sent me the picture of the Wookie and Peanut out on a hike with her the other day.  When I look at that picture my heart swells and I think, “I really miss those guys.”  I wonder about their changing relationship, what the pandemic means for them.  I’ve noticed that the Wookie has taken on the older brother role, or so it seems when I see them in the pictures and videos we receive.  I am so glad they have each other.  I know they miss their friends/playmates.

They used to argue with each other when we were on Zoom during normal times, usually wrestling for the one chair their father tries to sit them in.  They argued and wrestled in the way that siblings argue and wrestle.  That was one reason I switched our Zoom meetings.  We used to do them on Sunday evenings (and had been doing that for at least a year before the pandemic kept us home).  Now we have a breakfast meeting either on Saturday or Sunday morning.  That’s much better, and a lot like sitting down with them at the table and sharing a meal.  Wookie and Peanut are morning people, and much more gregarious at breakfast than they are after their evening bath and when they’re winding down for bed.

Before the last round of rain. Before the opening.

That’s about it from me today.  Thank you so much for stopping by.  Let’s go out to the dock to watch the sunset.  Or maybe we can go to the Point.  Rumor has it that state parks have been reopened in Maryland today.  Some will take as long as three weeks to reopen (they have to staff them again, open up public restrooms, and whatever else is involved in reopening).  Maybe I’ll take a drive out there this evening and check on it.  I’ll let you know and we can meet there next time.  Sunset is scheduled for 8:00 PM.  The full moon will rise at 7:29 PM, but we might not see it until around the same time as sunset since there are trees blocking our view.  (For an excellent view of the moonrise, you have to go to the beaches to the east of us.)

Please be safe, be well, and be kind.  ♥♥♥

Sunlight in the sage.

A few of the 10,000 reasons to be happy:  1,411)  Raindrops on irises.  1,412)  Sunlight on sage.  1,413)  Toilet paper!  I ordered it online.  It’s the industrial sized, giant rolls usually used in public restrooms.  I don’t care.  It’s just good to have some.  1,414)  Sunrise walks.  1,415)  Community, or at least a sense of it.  We might not be meeting in person but I always appreciate your company.