From a human perspective, all of us witnessing or experiencing the suffering resulting from the cold and the wet conditions are moved, saddened by the stories of hardship, loss of life and property caused by these demonstrations of the power of nature which, beyond a certain level, we are helpless to withstand. I think too, at these times, of the other inhabitants of our world, the survival of which is threatened whenever extremes of weather affect their way of life and which so often are forgotten at these times.
It can be a struggle sometimes to achieve the balance between empathising compassionately with all those in trouble and seeing the higher purpose - as far as we can with our limited understanding - in what is occurring. It helps for me to know that nature is always right and that everything that occurs in her world is for a reason, however it may manifest in our world. This cold spell, likely to come and go for a while, has caused loss of life but while many birds, for example, will have died it will be the weaker or older ones, and the young and healthy will survive all the stronger for the testing. Sometimes populations need to be reduced and thereby strengthened, as we have seen before in our human history.The land, too, is benefiting from the freezing temperatures that kill the pests and bugs that impede the growth of plants and disease the soil.
Water, the symbol of emotion and also of Spirit, is the most powerful and influential of all the Elements of nature in this new era and will make her presence known more and more. Her tears of excess overpower all that stands in her way, but they cleanse and heal also and to the deepest of levels.
I pray for those that suffer, human and non-human, at these times of extremes, but I am comforted too by the knowledge of the blessings such experiences bring. Nature can be a tough teacher, but she is always right.]]>
