Reflections. Raindrops on leaves and flowers; roses and lavender; color enhanced by glistening sunlight blessing surfaces during and after the rain passes away.
Rain is often seen as a negative weather phenomenon, especially during the summer months when everyone awaits cloudless blue skies and warm sunshine. From Nature’s viewpoint, rain nourished flowers, fruit trees, redwoods, oak and, ferns, feeding everything living on the planet; flora, fauna, and more.
Rain looks rather special as it cascades upon countryside, rivers, hills, woodlands, forests, meadows, and pastures green.
A heavy downfall: ‘raining cats and dogs’; and an enhanced translation in French; ‘Il pleut des cordes’; ‘it’s raining ropes’. Torrential rain can indeed look like cords. Wonderful to observe………from under an umbrella/parapluie.
Listening to rain dripping onto leaves and river surfaces offers a unique form of serenity. A deluge, noisy but not cacophonic; an all-surrounding symphony, varying in tone depending upon different surfaces. Rain splashing upon a river surface; making small plumes; a different but similar perspective as from underwater where the sight would not be un-similar; an opposite of splashing downwards; a reflection. Such imagery a trout would doubtless witness.
Large leaves act as a perfect recipient for raindrops, creating a surreal effect when viewing the drops which seem to morph into perfectly formed crystal glistening spheres; globes of distant stars; pure imagination. Extra galactical phenomenon. Figleaves, hostas, pan-novae boasting large surfaces. Yellow roses gathering tiny diamond droplets shining in harmony.
Raindrops enhancing an already heavenly scent, as it energizes the natural aura accompanied by an almost overpowering feeling of pure ecstasy. As each droplet graces leaves, flowers, and rivers, imagination flows and one is greeted by a spectrum of absolute delight.
Now to expand and explore.
EYES WIDE CLOSED
Senses enhanced when surrounded by Natural Beauty. Closing eyes to expand imagination, guided by the heart and accompanied by Mother Nature’s angel. Archangel Ariel. Closed eyes do not close off any of the senses. The opposite. Imagination and reality, enhanced sensitivity facilitates being at one with Nature. Although closed, inspiration, fantasy and indeed enhanced visuality take over, releasing a dimension hidden when eyes are open.
Following the initial ‘closing’ of a key sense, an expanded, gradually enhanced realisation envelops the senses. Sit and relax, allow sixth sense, positive vibes to take over the consciousness. And if from nowhere, a surreal visualization encompasses heart and soul. Views of the natural environment become as vivid as the sound of falling rain. The whole area, previously limited by physical sight, expands. You are sitting, but walking outside the confines and limitations of normal sight.
Light shines enlivening the psyche as though eyes wide open, but much more.
Describing such a phenomenon is challenging; perhaps the equivalent of a flying dream. No barriers; an unlimited horizon, enhanced peripheral vision. Witnessing the ground in all its glory; feeling, seeing, all around. Visual enhancement; assimilation of Nature’s generosity.
Not everyone will be blessed with experiencing such a divine parallel Universe outside the normal context.
And now eyes open; as if a swift movement, Archangel Ariel departs, to doubtless to visit another Nature lover.
Initially, strolling around a riverside and woodland there will be vivid memories of when the eyes were closed; vivid imagery, fantasy or reality? Walking around the beautiful countryside, mind open to receive and discover something, anything previously unnoticed, overlooked.
Rain covering all in sundry, the sun breaking through clouds, glowing with magnificence.
Looking up at the canopies of trees, their height seemingly limitless, we absorb and become embraced by Mother Nature. They reach for the sky or is the sky reaching down to their capitulate to crown such regal giants.
Slowly, from a large tree trunk, eyes drift down to ground level where another world awaits and presents itself. A world where the tiniest forms are perceived as giants. Another parallel universe? Free the imagination.
Tree bark becomes a mountain range, valleys, canyons. Moss becomes a deep green forest, each and every stem of moss the look of a pine fern. Really look closely. Look between the moss and focus. It really does form a forest. When taking a photo, enlarging the image confirms what was witnessed.
The more focused on this micro-world the more wonders are liberated to embrace the heart. A feeling of being drawn to this other world. An invisible, gentle force, gathering energy.
Looking upwards, staring at canopies of trees from ground level, the sky penetrates gaps between leaves and branches. I must attract some strange looks, iPhone in hand as though awaiting a spacecraft to land!
Drifting from one dimension to another; a gentle morphing of senses. Fascination with the solar system to canopies of trees through to a micro-universe of Nature; totally absorbed in wonder.
Nature is always present whatever path we take. Those who possess a subliminal, instinctive, almost born-with natural sensitivity; admiration, love of wonders, big or small, high or low, require little prompting to create a joyous synergy with Nature; a gentle smile confirming realization.
Those blessed with being at one with Nature, fly with the golden wings of angels, following Archangel Ariel, to be awarded joyous views; almost a divine gift embraced by the Universe.
Those who recognize and resonate with such sensations will find themselves in a spiritual form of life itself. For what is life without Mother Nature and accompanying angels that transport us above the reality of everyday existence.
Beautifully written, Simon 🙂 – Mother Nature at her best is phenomenal, or rather, at our best when we are able to receive and be open to her beauty. You are clearly very attuned to the frequencies of nature!
Dear Maria,
Thank you everso for your inspiring words. It is a matter of ‘tuning in’ and everyone has a particular way in which to achieve this platform with Nature. I have just returned from a wonderful walk around hills and meadows including an avenue of trees. Beautiful.
Thank you so much, Maria.
Simon
Reading your post brought me back to my childhood, Simon. (Not only because as I now live in CA, rain is sparse.)
My parents would take us to the forest every weekend, sunny or not. We would be hunting for mushrooms in places where “tree bark becomes a mountain range, valleys, canyons. Moss becomes a deep green forest, each and every stem of moss the look of a pine fern.”
The difference from a “walk in the forest” is that when you really look for something, chanterelle mushrooms among the dead leaves and mosses, amber or sea shells on the beach, your full attention is to what you are looking at, not to the voices in your head, or your phone, or what happened last Thursday… It is very restorative. And the smell from the forest floor after rain is priceless.
Dear Charlotte,
Thank you for your lovely description. Such memories. Sometimes brought back to the present via déjà vous
I think that we’re all different; unique and what works for some does not for others. Should I sit down in the countryside, absorber the elements and then close my eyes, all the sounds; often not heard with eyes open – ‘strange’! Gather around, encircle the heart and mind. One sense switched off focuses facilitates a closer scrutiny of what us around one. As though Nature rushes to ensure your still in contact.
Thanks everso Charlotte, always appreciate your comment.
Simon
Beautiful, Simon! Thank you for reminding me of the gift in the rain. Given that it’s rainy season here, we’re getting a LOT of it and every reminder helps!
Dear Kimberly,
Thank you for your comments. It’s easy to complain about rain! Across The Pond, people complain if is too hot, too cool, too much rain, not enough rain…….! Some stares in the USA desperately need rain. Here it’s going to be 24c riding to 27c on Sunday. I may even mow the lawns this afternoon!
Thanks again my friend.
Simon
Nice piece, Simon. I’m a big fan of the rain, since we have a lot of garden. So this piece really struck a chord.
Dear Jim,
Thank you. With so much rain and indeed sunshine, everything is growing in the garden including the lawns. Hydrangeas are just glorious. Glad your garden is thriving!
Simon
This is amongst the best of all the essays you have written. It is a simply wonderful read, enhanced by the skill of a real wordsmith. It left me feeling as if I had been gifted with several new windows on the the natural world around us. Vistas and images described with such care, imagination and love. I felt totally uplifted by this piece and privileged to be one of the first to see it. Your creativity knows no bounds and our BIZCATALYST360 community are richer for your contributions. Thank you Simon. I will re post this on the public site as soon as I see it appear, I would like to share these thoughts with other members of the group.
Dear Christopher,
Thank you for the generosity of your comments. So much appreciated and never taken for granted.
Simon