Weather Dancing for Beginners
With the current fires happening in Nova Scotia I’m starting to hear people speak of weather dancing. In my 40s I spent 8 years working closely with a shamanic weather circle in Maine. I would like to share with you some key practices so perhaps you might feel empowered to develop a strong and reciprocal relationship to the Spirit of Weather. This will then feed into a larger consciousness of balance and harmony on the planet. These practices are safe and ethical and some I learned in the training and others I learned from my own helping spirits.
Number ONE message my weather spirits taught me:
1. If all humans on the earth learned to breathe properly the weather on this planet would go back into balance.
-a proper breath practice is one where we find stillness and presence in each breath. Our diaphragm expands on the inhale and releases on the exhale. The breath is even, smooth, and continuous. A 4:4 breath, or a 5:7 breath are both good counts -no need to hold on either end.
2. Weather is our friend. It is alive and has consciousness. It is here to keep the planet from burning up and provide all creatures with clean air. Weather is out of balance because WE are out of balance; it is trying to fix our messy lives. It is a reflection of how we are behaving, what kind of thoughts we have in our heads, and our chaotic emotions.
3. When we unconsciously try to alter weather, we are bringing chaos into the larger field. When we consciously try to alter weather, we are changing the whole system. So if we call in rain, we might be causing a drought somewhere else. Therefore we REALLY have to know what we are doing and understand ethics and larger systems. When in doubt work on the Self and bringing harmony, happiness and joy to your own life.
What you can do.
See that weather is alive and has consciousness. See weather as you would your best friend, or a beloved child or pet. Would you force it to behave in a certain way? Change when it suits you? Conform to your will? Give you everything you want when you want it, and offer nothing in return except insults when its not doing exactly what you want it to? Or do you ignore it and avoid it when it’s not perfect for you? Obviously not. So check in to see how you speak about and to weather, and how you treat it. It HEARS you! Just like the earth hears you. How are your treating weather?
Weather, like any conscious being loves praise, connection, love, admiration. It loves to be loved for all aspects of its personality (rain or shine!). It thrives on appreciation. You can’t call in rain to put out a fire and then 2 weeks later curse it for raining on your outdoor party. Always give thank you and blessings for all of weather no matter what your personal preferences are. You can court rain, even ask for it as long as long as you don’t then push it away afterwards -a friend won’t stick around if you behave like that!
If you are courting rain, make sure you are loving yourself and bringing your own body and mind into harmony and balance first. If you are not in inner harmony you will just be sending fear and chaos out into the greater field and messing things up even more. If you can’t bring yourself into harmony, it would be better if you just sat down on the earth with your breath and cultivate self love, than try to call in weather. Know your limits and your abilities. Less is ALWAYS more.
Rainy things everyone can do:
Offer a daily bowl of water to the land -place it somewhere where birds and insects can enjoy too (place a stone in the middle so insects can crawl out).
Write a rain poem or make a rain painting.
Donate money to local nature groups who are working to protect the forests and wetlands. Without trees and wetlands we will loose our rain.
Don’t cut down trees.
Do garbage clean up near water -bring a bag to the beach to pick up garbage.
Appreciate beauty of all weather.
Don’t curse fire.
Speak praises to the weather when you are out in public -if someone complains about the weather don’t absentmindedly agree with them, just offer a compassionate perspective.
Advanced Work
If you have a grounded spiritual practice and would like to call in rain, here are a few ethical things you can do: Feel rain inside your own body and mind. Be rain. Love rain like you love the sun, dance and sing praises to rain alone or with friends. Be vulnerable not commanding or controlling. Work with your compassionate spirits always. Never work alone.
in closing: Weather is an excellent way to learn about your own mind, behaviour, and emotions. It is our beloved teacher and friend.
