Find a place where the early spring breeze can touch your skin. Ideally near a grove of trees just beginning to unfurl their new leaves. Sit upon the earth directly if weather permits, or on a natural material like wool or cotton. Place your hands palm down on your thighs, close your eyes halfway, and allow your breath to slow naturally. As you breathe, imagine the scent of fresh spring soil filling your lungs, nourishing you with each inhalation.

Tha mi a' gairm air cumhachdan an earraich,Anail ùr, beatha ùr.Solas a' fàs nas làidire gach latha,Mo chridhe a' fosgladh mar bhlàth ùr.

I call upon the powers of spring,New breath, new life.Light growing stronger each day,My heart opening like a new blossom.

Tha mi a' faireachdainn an talamh a' dùsgadh,A' mhàthair ag èirigh bho chadal a' gheamhraidh.Tha mi ag iarraidh a neart, a gliocas,A teas blàth annam fhèin.

I feel the earth awakening,The mother rising from winter's sleep.I seek her strength, her wisdom,Her warm heat within myself.

As April's uncertain weather patterns dance around us, feel yourself rooted in this moment of transition. The Beltane energies approach, yet winter's memory still lingers in the cool mornings. Acknowledge this threshold time, neither fully in spring's embrace nor completely free of winter's touch.

Today, we work with the energies of dejection and enthusiasm—opposites that often exist within us simultaneously during this season of change.

Tha an saoghal a' dùsgadh, ach tha mo chridhe trom.Bidh briseadh-dùil agus dòchas a' dannsadh còmhla.Mar na frasan agus grian an earraich,Tha aoibhneas agus bròn nam phàirt.

The world awakens, yet my heart feels heavy.Disappointment and hope dance together.Like the showers and sun of spring,Joy and sorrow are both part of me.

Feel the weight of dejection in your body. Where does it settle? Perhaps in the shoulders that slump forward, or the chest that feels constricted. Don't resist this feeling—it is as natural as the decay that enriches soil. The Mother Earth receives all things—the dead leaves, the fallen trees—and transforms them into nourishment.

Now, call forth the spark of enthusiasm that lives beneath this heaviness. It waits like a seed in dark soil, needing only acknowledgment to begin its growth. Feel this energy beginning in your solar plexus, a warmth that spreads upward and outward.

Tha beatha ùr a' feitheamh fon talamh,Mar sin tha dòchas a' feitheamh fom bhròn.Tha mi a' leigeil le m' mhulad a bhith,Mar a leigeas am facal mulad leis an talamh.

New life waits beneath the earth,As hope waits beneath my sadness.I allow my sorrow to simply be,As the word 'mulad' (sorrow) allows the earth to be.

Deepen your breath now. With each inhalation, visualize the moist, rich soil of spring—dark, fragrant, alive with possibility. This is the realm of the Mother, where death and life are one continuous cycle.

Imagine your dejection as a seed planted in this soil. It is not wrong or broken; it is simply a part of your wholeness. The Mother cradles this seed without judgment.

Tha mi a' cur mo sgìths anns an talamh,A' cur earbsa ann an gliocas na Màthar.Thoir dhomh foighidinn gus fàs,Gus mo fhreumhan a chur sìos dona dorchadas.

I place my weariness into the earth,Trusting in the wisdom of the Mother.Grant me patience to grow,To send my roots down into darkness.

Now, feel the enthusiasm rising like sap in a tree. It doesn't negate the dejection but flows alongside it, creating a wholeness. The Earth teaches us that life contains multitudes—the rotting log and the new shoot, the storm and the stillness.

Tha mi a' faireachdainn beatha ag èirigh,Mar brìgh anns na craobhan as t-earrach.Tha mo spiorad ag èirigh, fad 's a tha mo chasanA' seasamh gu daingeann air an talamh.

I feel life rising,Like sap in the trees in spring.My spirit rises, while my feetStand firmly on the earth.

Visualize yourself as a young tree, flexible in the spring winds. Your roots—your dejection—anchor you deeply in reality, while your branches—your enthusiasm—reach toward possibilities. One cannot exist without the other. The Mother Earth teaches us this wisdom through her cycles.

Take a moment to contemplate:

How might your feelings of dejection actually be providing necessary grounding for your enthusiasm? In what ways are these seemingly opposite emotions actually supporting each other, just as decay and growth support each other in nature's cycles?

Tha mi a' toirt taing dhut, a Mhàthair,Airson do theagasg tro na ràithean.Tha mi a' giùlan do ghliocas leam,Mar a ghiùlaineas craobh a freumhan.

I give thanks to you, Mother,For your teaching through the seasons.I carry your wisdom with me,As a tree carries its roots.

Biodh mo cheum socair air do dhruim,Biodh mo làmhan a' togail seach a' leagail,Biodh mo chridhe fosgailte do gach seachdamh,Mar a tha thusa fosgailte dhuinn uile.

Let my step be gentle on your back,Let my hands raise up rather than tear down,Let my heart be open to every change,As you are open to us all.

Feel the blessing of the Earth Mother holding you in perfect balance, teaching you through her ancient wisdom that all emotions have their place in the cycle of life, just as all seasons have their purpose in the turning of the year.