Experiencing the Two Powers

Weretoad and I spent our 4th of July weekend enjoying the beauty of Northern NY. On Saturday, we went swimming in Alexandria Bay. It was our first swim of the year and it felt good to chill my warm body in the cool waters of the St. Lawrence.

After drying myself off in the sun, I went to wash the sand off my feet in a shallow pool on the other side of the beach. Standing in the water, I looked up and smiled as the sun shined upon my face. I reached my arms skyward and felt the warmth spread down to my toes. This was truly experiencing and living the Two Powers.

I felt the same way on Sunday when my parents visited. We went to Clayton, NY for relaxing, shopping, dinner, and fireworks. As I sat on a cement slab to let my feet dangle over the old, algae covered dock foundations, I once more felt the comforting chill and warmth of the underworld and upperworld. In a moment of privacy (because my family wanted to sit elsewhere at the time) I briefly meditated on the sensation of fire and water in me at once.

Today, on the 4th of July, my husband and I went to Hyde Lake to try out our new-old kayaks. The lake was choppy and my husband (using a canvas kayak that my father made) had a difficult time feeling steady. We didn’t let that spoil our fun, though, and paddled towards the high, rocky cliffs to get a better look at the turkey vultures. We also saw a raven and a loon. I tell you, there’s nothing in the world that makes me feel like I’m in the wild more than the call of a loon. Maybe it’s because I’m an upstate native so it automatically reminds me of the Adirondacks. As I rode the bucking waves, I once more felt the cold waters and the heat of the sun and felt connected to the spiritual essence of Druidism.

If you’re having trouble grasping the Two Powers, I encourage you to get outside and experience them in person!