Betweens

Betweens brings a notion of imbalance but to me it’s the imbalance that brings us into these seams of life to sew the separated pieces together. Between-ness frees us from being stuck in a relationship, job, indecision, etc. The hard place of between is where we are given the opportunity to soften the view of our circumstances. We come into difficult places of uncertainty to thread softness into our judgements and beliefs about ourselves.

Betweens are a threshold to a spiritual state of contemplation, a place of gentle unfolding to be still and listen for guidance in order to take the right next action. The fray of between-ness is where opening to our higher self begins. These are powerful places where we are able to observe and understand how we got where we are, so we can get where we want to go. We forget how much of life is lived in this potent space for intuitive decision making. The pause between our breaths, words, thoughts; these are sacred spaces charged with clarity.

In the realm of divine mystery, living from one’s heart center can be a struggle. In-between times awaken the heart’s center, bringing us especially close to Spirit. When we can connect to true center— our heart — we immediately come into balance. Wrinkles of doubt get ironed out. The posture of our relatedness to any situation we happen to be experiencing is brought into perspective. Choices can have a raw edge. With a balanced view we are able to see things as they are, hem in the worry and life stops unraveling.

My haiku poem below was originally published in the Spring 2017 issue of Bramble Lit magazine. The submission theme was Between. It was inspired by the picture featured in this blog post of me riding my good little mare, Duchess, along a horse trail near our home. The guest editor described the haiku as “a short burst of happy energy”. I’ve had an occasional experience of the “short burst”, not all were happy. If there is one thing horseback riding teaches, its balance, both physical and mental. You need flexibility in each to stay in the saddle, even if that means riding sideways for a little while. Here’s wishing you all can stay “between the ears” and get where you want to go on the trail of life. Giddy Up!

Horseback Haiku ~by Angeline Haen

Gust of fretfulness

Hooves fly to freedom’s escape

Stay between the ears!