Silver Maple

Recently,  Cat Chapin-Bishop's mother was in a severe car accident.  Cat asked folks from her blog for prayer, candles, warm wishes and whatever seemed right and helpful.  I was only too willing to help and called the ogam letters for nuinn (for reknitting bones), nGetal for healing,  lus for clear sight, duir for strength and iphin to remember the sweetness of life.  Healing stuff, but also the other things that make life worth living. 

The next morning, I woke up praying.  This has not happened for a very long time, not since the early Spring probably.  And when I completed, half-asleep, tracing each letter on my chest, it was as though I was healing myself too.  A warm light came over me and some impediments were removed.

 I had been feeling blocked from effectively using the ogam for active work - not really sure of my own intentions.  But, Cat's request was a gift - spellwork was clearly the only ethical way to proceed.   The automatic prayer and afterglow, between sleep and wakefulness was a gift from Brighid - a way of sealing my understanding that this was the correct way forward.

Cat's mother is doing better, but I think I received the most from the interaction.  The title of this post is giving and taking and what I mean by it is that it is important to ask for help when help is truly needed - as much for yourself, of course, but also for building the bonds of relationship between us on this plane and the bonds of friendship between each of us and the Other.  The web of intentional, selfless relationship is our greatest strength and can be midwife to our greatest joy.  Asking for help may yet help the helper in ways that cannot be imagined.

David