The wisdom of April + 7 years of blogging

Happy April, lovely soul! I sure do hope you’re having a long weekend however you want + need it to be. For me, I’m taking it very, very slow. Celebrating just being here. And how the seasons just continue their movement forward… hoping that I can simply follow along + stay mindful as the days and months pass.

My love + I have been home with no plans at all for the holiday weekend. And that’s just how we wanted (and needed) it. There’s been a lot of time in bed, writing, drinking coffee (and mimosas!), and well, not much else. We eat when we’re hungry. We get up + move around when we feel like it. And I’m spending lots of time thinking about the transition from March to April – and April’s theme (according to the oracle cards I pulled back in December).

So, my friend, April is the last month in this spiritual season of the year. As the wheel of nature turns, as we recognize the different spiritual seasons of the year, we move into our last month of waking up. April is last month in the season of renewal, new life, and of waking up from the cold, dark, winter months. And, for many of us in the northern hemisphere, we will see spring bursting forth in all her glory as this month unfolds.

I know I don’t share much of this on my blog, I usually share the theme of the month in my weekly letters. But, this month, I feel like I need to collaborate with myself. We shall see how that ends up going… I have no set plans as to how I will do that.

Anyway, so far, in the past 2 months of the waking up season, we have focused in the weekly letters on purifying, cleansing, and shifting. (To subscribe to the weekly letters click here. You can browse through the archives to read about February + March’s themes). We’ve done almost all of the background work that helps to prepare us to emerge and take action. It’s been a time of slowing down + letting our rising from the winter months move slowly and intentional. We’ve pondered who we are, created new habits, and shifted our perspectives, opening ourselves up to even more than we ever thought possible.

But, what now? What will April bring? What is the focus for this last month of waking up?

Well, my friend, back in December, I pulled the Elder card for April. And, I must admit, it felt a bit weird. But, before I explain that, let me share with you what I think this card symbolizes. Then, I’ll tackle how it can help inspire us.

What the ELDER card means (to me):

Elders are those who share their wisdom with us. In Native American cultures, the elders of the tribe provide guidance, leadership, and lead the way for the others. They carry deep wisdom… and are teachers, leaders, and truth tellers. Usually, we think of elders as those who are literally older than us. Those who have lived life, acquired all sorts of experiences, and have story after story to share with others. Often embellished, full of parables, and inspiring stories that leave a mark on us.

However, elders, I believe, can be any of us. Oh, sure, we can keep our original thoughts of the sacredness elders. But, we can all tap into the spirit of the elders. And that simply means to tap into our own leadership + wisdom. To stand up, support others, serve others, and speak the truth. To tell our own stories, sharing our own experiences + wisdom. Because each one of us have much to offer to one another.

How we can use the ELDER theme this April:

So, before we move on to a new spiritual season in May, the season of wandering + of living life to the fullest, let’s take one more month to prepare our souls. We’ve already cleansed + shifted, now, during April, let’s gather as much wisdom as we can before we move into our own. It is the perfect month for becoming fully awakened by sharing in the act of storytelling… of receiving + passing along wisdom + support to one another.

Listen to the stories of others.

This month, pay attention to the stories of people around you. Ask them questions. Listen to their responses. Open your min + get to know others on a deeper level. Turn to books of your literary heroes. Remember + honor the elders in your life who have already died. Reconnect with old, wise elders you’ve had in your life before. Talk a little, but listen a lot. Soak in the words + experiences of others.

Tell your own stories.

I’m betting you’ve got some things to teach others too. So, open your mouth or let your written words spill out onto a piece of paper or your computer screen. Express yourself with photography or art. Tell your story. Share your experiences. Speak your truth. There can be no right or wrong. There is only your story + your truth. And, you absolutely never know when, or where, or how, your stories will entertain, inspire, and transform another. So, dare to be a leader. Dare to find the elder in your soul.

One more super big thing about April…

April is also the month that my blog turns 7 years old.

That’s right, I’ve been blogging for 7 years now, sharing the stories of my life online, and I am not about to stop! I love the community and I am so grateful for how I’ve grown as a writer + photographer from creating my own kind of art + documenting my life.

So, to celebrate my 7 years, and in connection to this month’s theme, throughout this month, I am going to share some stories of others and how they have changed + affected me. There will be guest posts, lessons learned, and tons of wisdom throughout the month. I think that 7 years of blogging qualifies me as an elder in blogging, right? Wink. Wink.

Well, my friend, there you go. The theme for April is ELDER. As I said before, it’s about sharing stories + gathering wisdom before we head into the next season of living life wide open, the season of creating, of action, and of adventure. But, first, let’s see this month as our last little time of preparation and of waking up.

April is about listening + sharing. It’s about remembering + heeding the wisdom of those who have gone before and those who are still with us. It’s about noticing the wisdom of nature. And, finally, it’s about finding the courage to speak our own truth. To share the wisdom that we already have within in.

I cannot wait to see what April brings. I cannot wait to be inspired. And, I cannot wait to hear from you – I’d love for you to share stories with me. If you have something you’d like to share, then I offer my blog as a platform for you to share whatever wisdom and inspiration you have to share. Just contact me + we will work something out! And stay tuned for 7 years of blogging celebratory posts sprinkled throughout the month.

One more little word of, not really caution, but maybe of reflection. There is a lot of shit going down already in April. Tough things that I am facing that make looking at the theme of listening to elders super emotional for me. Should you find yourself surrounded by challenging times, times of unwanted or unexpected change in April, like me, then I only have one tidbit of advice:

Stay present.

And in the present moment, feel it all. Celebrate the good moments. Accept and breathe through the tough ones. Listen to the whispers of your soul + the words of your elders. Stay present, my lovelies… and trust. Ground down + trust. Breathe + trust. Listen + trust. Just be right here, right now. For yourself + for those around you.

 

Happy new month to you all. And blessings of energy + inspiration, wild souls.

xoxo. liz.

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April’s playlist is also ready! Just click on the photo below to subscribe! Or listen straight from this post. It’s the perfect spring playlist to reconnect us to the stories of our elders, including the wild wisdom of Mother Nature. And to inspire us to begin to tell our own.