Kristine Backes

The three photos above are all taken at the same spot on the Yellowstone River. The first was late this winter, before the snows melted and the rains came. The rocks there are perfect for catching a little sun and feeling the river. The latter two photos are of two different stages of high waters, but both well below the actual flood that hit our region so hard just a week ago.

It is painful to witness the devastation of a natural disaster such as a flood, especially in a small town where we are all so closely connected. People (not me) have lost homes, animals, businesses and the economic future for the area remains uncertain. As the northern entrance to Yellowstone National Park, our fate is tied to access through that gateway, and the road is simply gone.

The gift of our small community has been watching – and participating in – the coming together of neighbors and strangers to help each other clean up and rebuild. After a couple of years of division and rancor, I am grateful to see the level of care for each other here.

Embodiment – being fully present to the realities of human life on Earth – means embracing and integrating opposites. On one hand, I am in awe of the beauty and power of this mighty river in all its exuberance. There are few experiences I enjoy more than standing where I can feel the power of the water rushing towards me. It is life-giving and fills me like little else. AND – my heart broke over the stories and photos of losses, as well as seeing the aftermath at homes of some of my friends. Both are present, both are true, both are part of being here. 

The other night, on an evening walk in the forest, I came upon a bear snatching a fawn from its hiding place, the doe frantically running towards and then away, helpless against the situation. The fawn cried for several minutes as the bear disappeared from my view and the doe followed. It was all I could do not to create stories about how it would feel to be any of the three creatures involved, not to mention quietly follow the path away from the scene. Again, this is embodiment: opening to the whole experience, including my own vulnerability alone in the woods. 

Today the Sun stands still in the sky at its greatest power in the northern hemisphere, the summer Solstice. We hang in the balance between light and dark, embracing both. This ability to hold opposites is, to me, the essence of how we address karma. We can be fully Divine and fully human when we stop refusing one or the other.

I will be talking more about karma (still!) on this Saturday’s episode of The Natural Wisdom Podcast, along with fate and free will. Patrons can join me live and the link will be posted on Friday.

Also on Friday, June 24th, I am offering a free introductory class on karma in the astrology chart. You can join me by registering here: https://www.subscribepage.com/karma_in_the_chart 

Happy Solstice!