It may seem counterintuitive to explore the word "sailing" on a day when the temperature is 2 degrees F, and snow covers the ground. I doubt that local lakes are frozen solid enough for iceboating, but the warm breezes of summer are history, and I almost skipped over this word, but it called to me.
You may wish to go back to my August 10, 2015 post called "Sailing", which is a nice overview of my early sailing experiences. It was also written shortly after the unexpected death of my youngest brother, who was an avid sailor. I am kind of shocked, looking back, that my references to him there were rather brief and oblique. I was still in shock, and as many of you know, I have actively tried not to talk much about other people, even family, because of wanting to protect people's privacy at least to some degree. Coming from such a narcissistic family environment, I continue to cringe at the possibility that it's only my own self-involvement that propels this blog forward...but as a woman who still feels she hasn't often been "heard", I plow ahead as best I can, with as much of a bigger perspective as I can.
So, sailing. The Goddess. As ever, why did I add it to my list twenty years ago?
I spoke in that post about how I never formally "learned" how to sail or skipper a boat...I learned about it serving as crew during sailboat races. I learned to watch the water for evidence of gusts, watch the tell-tales for minute-to-minute changes in the wind, feel the tension on the jib sheet in my hands, and simply watch the sky, the other boats, the skipper's stance -- everything that was happening around me. Sailing can be a classroom for becoming observant, fast (yet usually sensitive) in responding, and becoming connected to the power of Nature. It's great to be part of a means of transportation that is so directly powered by the wind,
So with today's eyes, it seems clear that there is a Goddess facet to sailing skills. We are in a time of unprecedented change and rapid spiritual ascension, literally, entering the Age of Aquarius. Watching (literally or metaphorically) the way the wind is blowing, being sensitive in handling the jib, being ready and willing to change course and "come about" -- all these sailing skills may be more important than ever. None of us can guarantee continual smooth sailing as we move forward, no matter what...but I think staying aligned in Love and the values of the Goddess may at least make for a smoother path into the emerging age.
