Week 58 - Sitting in the Power

Murmuration of Spirit

Draft by Chat GBT heavily edited by Guest Host Nancy Bragg

I’ve been concerned about the current darkness in our society where individualism prevails; with emphasis on independence, self-reliance, and choices based on “what’s best for me.” Whereas, in nature, collectivism prevails: with emphasis on interdependence, relying on social groups, and choices based on community welfare and impact on the group.

When I observe a group of starlings at twilight, I’m filled with feelings of wonder and awe. Starlings model the power of community and collaboration, as they move in unity and harmony. They engage in mesmerizing dances as they weave patterns in the sky. Their murmuration is not chaos, but the communion of many bodies in graceful synchronized flight, pulsating as one soul.

There seems to be an unspoken current or energy among them. Within the murmuring sound of multiple wingbeats, exists a hush between those beats, a space to listen and feel the quiet pull of something greater than Self. Their interconnectedness invites them to surrender and trust the universe, as well as each other, to hold them. They let themselves be carried by shared momentum.

Even as dusk deepens and shadows stretch long, the birds do not fear the coming dark. They dive right in. Darkness reveals the outlines of light, the shapes made sacred by contrast. Any amount of lightness, reveals the presence of grace.

We are like starlings. The same intuitive current runs through us. We remember our connection, as even in the darkest night, light remembers its own presence. When we let ourselves be carried—by love, by stillness, by one another--we join the great murmuration of spirit that moves through all things. And in that motion, that union, we are lifted.

Murmuration reminds me that we can experience the light of grace as we come together and harmonize our presence, values, and strengths for the common good. I will show up, at the No Kings event this evening, in solidarity with millions of Americans moving as one.

Murmuration of the Heart

By Chat GPT – edited by Nancy Bragg

In twilight’s hush, the starlings rise,

A thousand wings in woven skies,

No leader calls, no voice commands,

Yet every soulmate understands.

They move as one — a breath, a wave,

A living script the heavens crave,

Each twist, each turn, a silent prayer,

A sacred beat, murmured in the air.

So too are we, though flesh and bone,

Not meant to proceed all alone.

Our hearts, like theirs, are tuned to feel

The pulse of others — raw and real.

A glance, a touch, a word, a sigh,

Can lift a soul or make it fly.

Invisible threads, divine and deep,

Bind waking minds and those who sleep.

Connection is a holy art,

The murmuration of the heart.

When we align in love’s pure flow,

We echo truths the birds still know.

So let us rise, seemingly alone,

And find in flight, our shared home.

For in the dance of wing and soul,

Discern our Oneness -- we are whole.