Clouds Bridge Heaven and Earth

Cloud Bow over Pacific Ocean - Sorry, I didn't get a picture of the one I saw.

On September 11th, I participated in the Sacred Earth Art Retreat led by Sarah Root and Jay Cardinale at Jay's beautiful country property. I was one of six women who began the day in a sacred circle to call in the spirits of Nature to bless our efforts to be "attuned to the sacred and to nature’s energy and wisdom"(Sarah's words: Earth Wisdom Retreats.) As we stood together in this circle, I looked up at the brilliant blue sky, studded with a few wispy clouds, and noticed one unusual cloud formation that rose vertically from the horizon. 

The activities that followed involved sitting for discussion, closing our eyes for meditation, focusing on the grass and trees around us. The next time I look up at the sky I saw that the cloud pillar had continued to moved across the sky until it arched over the entire vista around us. This "cloud-bow" remained in the sky throughout the day, blessing our "awakening of an Earth-sacred lifestyle and (y)our own powerful inner knowing, to become a radiant channel of the divine…connecting ever deeper with (y)our soul" (Sarah Root). 

My husband, Mark, who has been a pilot of planes and hang gliders, is very knowledgeable about cloud formations. When I told him about the cloud-bow he pretended not to believe me  - which means he found it unbelievable, but he knows I don't make things up! His reaction verifies my belief that this was a special sign from Nature, letting us know that our commitment to build a bridge between her and humanity was appreciated. 

Some Native Americans believed in cloud spirits and looked to the clouds for messages from the spirit world. Most of us have enjoyed lying on our backs and finding animals and other beings in the cloud formations above. Some people today engage in an activity called "cloud scrying" which involves asking the subconscious to present them with images that may provide guidance for their lives. You can read more about cloud scrying at: Cloud Pictures. 

Have you received a message from the clouds, or perhaps a message from another aspect of Nature that you'd like to share? I'd love to hear about it!