Week 24

It is officially spring!  While parts of the country have not yet accepted this fact, my area is full into lush springtime.  Daffodils are up, trees have new leaf buds, my camellia plant is overwhelming in bloom, and their is a warmth in the day.  Sunshine mixed with rain is bringing all sorts of life to my area.  I find that I am extra grateful for these small blessings now that I am working with people who will not be able to view most of this for themselves.  

The adjacent minimum prison has a vegetable garden that the inmates can work in, but medium security does not.  Some trees can be seen in the distance of most of the yards, and a few plants are scattered around areas the inmates walk through, but mostly its just grass and cement.  Not especially inspiring for the Pagan spirit.  

Part of my work with Pagan inmates is to help them find ways to connect with the four elements while living in a very limited setting.  Water is one of the easiest elements to connect with since it used so often in our daily life.  Washing our hands, having a drink, taking a shower, and other basic cleanliness tasks all involve some form of water.  I encourage inmates to make showering into a sacred act if possible, and to use this time for meditation and prayer.  Most have responded really well to this suggestion and have adapted it to suite their particular style and needs.  

Air is another element that inmates can easily access.  Now, the air in the prison I work with is not the best quality.  We don't have windows that open and the exterior doors only can open briefly.  The air is usually too warm or too cold for comfort and thick with the smell of whatever the kitchen is cooking. Still, our breath can connect us to the element of air anytime and anywhere.  It is constantly available to us.  Inmates also have told me that they use their time outside on the yard to practice deep breathing, watch the clouds drift through the sky, and sometimes to find a lost feather or two.  

Earth can be a trickier element to connect with.  Some of the yards have a patch of dirt or grass, but not all of them.  The inmates who do have this like to take off their shoes and put their feet into the dirt on sunny days.  Others will try energetically to connect with the earth that resides under the cement that they are surrounded by.  While the food that they are served is not the freshest, most of it came from the earth at some point so it can be a natural way to connect with the earth if you spend a moment in contemplation.  

Fire is the hardest element to connect with.  No candles, matches, smoking, or incense of any kind can be used by inmates in my state.  Some of the volunteers are allowed to use a candle or incense in the chapel and we have a sweat lodge and sage smudge that can be used outside.  On a daily basis I encourage inmates to connect with the energy of the sun, which is affecting them even if they can't stand outside in it.  Food also holds the energy of the sun.  Produce has been grown through photosynthesis and the heat of cooking has turned ingredients into a meal.  The stars at night are delightful fiery globes that, despite their distance, we can still connect with.  

Each week our Pagan group sings the same simple chant: Earth my body, water my blood, air my breath, and fire my spirit.  I have noticed that new group members are sometimes startled by the mention of "blood" in the chant, and when I see that look of alarm cross their faces I try to take a moment to educate the group that we sing this chant in order to remember that we always have the four elements within us at all times.  We don't need anything special to be with the Divine, we just need to take a moment to appreciate the gifts of nature that are around and within us.

Spring Blessings!

Holly