After a whirlwind few days, strolling the w
ater’s edge at Sandy Hook is just what I need to recharge. Here, a yummy 50 degrees under bright sun, an offshore breeze brings hints of cedar to meet salty ocean air.
Sandy Hook juts out from the top of New Jersey’s shoreline. Past the calm expanse of light sand and dark water, the dwarfed New York City skyline reminds me why I sought nature, salt air, the rhythmic shushing of the gentle waves:
Organizing three events in the city, carrying the responsibility that all will go well. It did. And so . . .
Beachcombing
. . . one of my favorite activities. I lose myself noticing the treasures and messages Mama Ocean sends to me: today, the translucent polished quartz I call sea diamonds. I lick a few of them to taste the salt water.
When I walk in nature I am compelled to trash pick. Thankfully, I remembered to bring some bags with me. While pocketing a small handful of stones, I fill two bags with styrofoam, wilted balloons on string, plastic bottles, ripped hard plastic, and what my partner calls beach whistles . . . use your imagination. Still, very little noticeable trash today.
I sit against a sand bluff, listening to the surf as the warm breeze ruffles my hair, my partner at my side. What a treat!
I am grounded.
I am centered.
I am the Earth.
I smile, thinking of the 70 wonderful folks I circled with this weekend, thinking of the wisdom and thoughtfulness of my co-teacher, Starhawk. How enjoyable to join her to offer Feeding the Sacred Spark! “Enjoyable” as Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi defines the word: fostering psychic growth.
Yet with our full day workshop sandwiched between two additional fantastic events, I am due this free and freeing day at the shore: the balance of carrying a hectic, big-energy schedule and the relaxing nothing-I-have-to-do meander at the beach.
How do you recharge?
Walking back through the dunes we discover a trail through the holly scrub forest. Such a deep blue sky set off by green holly leaves. 
Reminds me of the “blue marble” images of the Earth from space.
When I lit my candle at the end of our ritual on Saturday, I sang the word Beauty. Beauty lifts and inspires me. It’s the spark that pulls me along my path and helps me navigate the best action to bring forward a just, regenerating world.