Inner Compass (Poem & Earth Altar)

​INNER COMPASS features linden leaves & flowers, arbutus berries, arborvitae cones, poppy seed pods, and little fuzzy curly cues from another kind of tree. (Does anyone know what kind of tree those grow on?)

With the drought here, some leaves are turning earlier than usual. You may notice that the leaves range from greenest at the bottom to yellowest on the right side. If you look closely, you'll see that the cones similarly go clockwise from young/closed to open to weathered and old. 

I created this Earth Altar after writing a poem of the same name, inspired by a prompt from my friend Tesa in yet another sacred writing container. I share the original poem below.

Poem: Inner Compass
When mysterious emotional winds spin me around
and leave me disoriented in unfamiliar territory

No amount of anxious searching, urgent sense-making,
or external asking will point me in the right direction

My true compass lies within

It’s always there, quietly offering pointers
but with more of my attention, it transmits at a higher volume

Unfamiliar territory offers aliveness & adventure
It presents the possibility of peace or shows me stories to explore and stones to turn

But only when I’m open to seeing, able to listen, willing to feel,
are the gifts laid bare, ready for me to breathe them in
- Laura Loescher, 2021

If you are interested in reading more of my poetry, please follow me on Facebook or Instagram. I share poems regularly there along with Earth Altars.