“You are in the time of the interim
Where everything seems withheld.
The path you took to get here has washed out.
The way forward is still concealed from you.
The old is not old enough to have died away.
The new is still too young to be born.”
Over the weekend, I came across this snippet of John O’Donohue’s poem “Blessings for the Interim Time”. It was tucked into a notebook of quotes I’ve collected over the years (think…A Beautiful Mind) and seems to aptly describe the place where we stand now. A place of great uncertainty and wide open with possibility. A space where no solid answers exist, but pregnant with meaning and wisdom.
Years ago, during my 500-hour yoga teacher training, we referred to this in-between place as the Fertile Void.
Sometimes we choose to enter the fertile void by stepping away from something that no longer serves us, even when we don’t know what will arise in its place. But more often than not, the fertile void is thrust upon our lives through loss…of our health, a job, a relationship, or a loved one.
COVID 19 universally pushed most of us into the fertile void and we’ve been in this interim place for months now.
There’s a natural impulse to cling to the past or fill the space with almost anything we can get our hands on. We’re wired to want stability and security and uncertainty is uncomfortable for everyone.
But as we slide into February, the void feels less full of fear and nervousness to me. There are optimistic undertones and a sense of hope for the future now.
I believe great things arise from the fertile void, if we’re brave enough to stand in the openness with a sense of wonder and awe. Instead of fighting, can we embrace the mysterious unfolding of our lives and BELIEVE that beautiful things lie on the horizon before us…even if we can’t fully visualize them now?
I’m grateful to be in the fertile void with you. Together we’ll evolve and adapt to the shifting Earth beneath our feet and rise strong from the journey.
Can’t wait to see how we grow!
Love,
Tener
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