Body & nature

Loving the Skin I’m In

I was born in this skin, and nothing gives me more pleasure than to feel myself bare against the Earth as the elements dance upon the surfaces where we meet.

I was once taught to fear what nature holds, to keep myself guarded and protected from the cold winter air, from the light of the sun, from the brush of the plants, from the sting of the nettle, from the nip of the wind, from the moisture in the grass, from the spider in her web, from the beast in the shadow, from the serpent and her apple, from discomfort or vulnerability in its many forms.

And yet, I find myself opening to deeper knowing that I am one with it all. My skin is a permeable surface, and indeed, there is immense pleasure to be had in the spaces where we touch.

I have found the root of my feminine power lying naked in the grass, fingers in the dirt, ants and spiders finding their pathways between the valleys of my curves, feeling the separation between myself and the natural world simply dissolve.

Always, to feel truly safe in our bodies we must also walk with care and attention, to know which plants' carresses are pleasing and which to avoid (unless, like me, you enjoy the nettle's medicine), where the snake likes to rest, how to search for ticks, which essences deter mosquitos, the value of a good pair of boots, how to look where we step, listen, and take in our surrounding.

The Goddess is at her core quite practical. The more we come to know her ways and her plants and her creatures, the better we are able to surrender and open to receive her medicine.

So, we dance with the balance of embracing the intricacies of wild nature in its purest form and walking gently, paying attention, asking permission, giving offerings to show appreciation, receiving her blessing and only then then sharing in sacred communion.

I approach nature as I would any lover...with reverence, attention and full presence. And so, my greatest lover she has become.