Last week it was cold and snowy. This week it’s warmer and rainy. It must be February, the last month of Winter that brings the first awakenings of Spring to light. After what seems like a long stretch of cold darkness, each day adds a minute of daylight on its’ journey to the longest day at the Summer Solstice. Changes and uncertainty mark this season of wisdom that asks us to awaken to the ongoing changes of life and make the best of each day as it vacillates between what has been and what is to be. . . .

Years ago when I lived close to the tree line in the Colorado Rockies, there was no difference between January and February. Winter held on tight both months and Springtime didn’t begin to show herself until March and April. I remember the cold winds, the white snowy and sunny days that seemed to dance with a revery of glad tidings. Now, in another climate, in another stage of my life, the uncertainty of February is confusing while the snow turns to mud and back to frozen tundra in a day.

Isn’t this just like other seasons that come and go, ebb and flow? Isn’t it part of every day to see the many shades of grey in our work and play? Do you ever notice the mood swings between morning, noon, evening and night; the energy shifts during structural, social, analytical and conceptual activities? Isn’t each day a mini February where it can start out cold and drab then turn warm and vibrant; where nothing is sure, then everything comes into focus and you look out on the world with clarity?

It seems that true wisdom isn’t found in yes and no certainty, but in the openness and mindfulness of not knowing, which opens us into lovingness and kindness toward ourselves and the whole of creation. Here we listen for understanding rather than to reply as it comes a little at a time over the seasons of our lives. Here we learn to nurture and build up, to be the ones who look for the best in people, places, situations and things. Here we discover that in life, nothing is to be feared, only to be understood.

What if we lived each moment as a work of art that’s continually in process? What if we are masterpieces unfolding with every breath and every new awareness is another scene in our story or brushstroke on our life’s canvas? What if we see more clearly with our hearts because what’s essential is invisible to the naked eye? Might the month of February be the shortest month because it’s the month that teaches the most in a form that’s condensed? Ponder the vacillations in February and compare them with your life.

When we live in our creativity we don’t have to have the whole pattern but only a small part of it. From a small piece we can envision the whole in completion. Might this be February’s part to play in the Seasons of Soul? Might this month be the one that plays with us in ways that shake loose the cobwebs of our winters to open us up to the possibilities and potentialities of our springs? Isn’t Wholeness a process of integrating the contraries, circling the squares, reconciling the opposites, seeing with new eyes?

As you make your way through this month of February, awaken to the contrasts, to the wonders of life’s clues dropping onto your canvas of Life. Play with the dark and light of the days and reflect on the curious imaginings of the nights. Feel the beauty that’s unfolding in you and let go the confusion. Open your hands to the rain and snow, the wind and stillness, the depression and delight. Embrace the opposites and create something new. Wonder at the possibilities and see them developing in you. . . .

• Recognize your interconnectedness with this season. Remember your True Nature and how February is a reflection of the masterpiece that is You. . . .
• Be aware of living in your creativity by relaxing into it. Let this be a month of sweet serenity and lovingkindness for you and all you encounter. Notice the wonder of it all.
• Relax, release, realign and enjoy the uncertainty of this month. Observe the many changes that are present and process them in ways that are reflective and nurturing.