The Coast And Divine Water
Photo by Stephen Bay, stephenbayphotography.com, CC BY.
La Jolla, San Diego, California.
Divine Water
Water knows no bounds. It leaks, it floods, and it pours.
It can destroy an entire village in an instant. Water is powerful.
Water holds what most of us can’t always articulate but can deeply feel.
Water is a symbol for emotion in tarot and astrology.
It is the everflowing reservoir of feeling.
In the Ace of Cups, water symbolizes spiritual awakening.
It can also refer to a divine connection with the universe, ancestors, or another person.
Water is the conduit for emotional rebirth.
There is depth, there is breadth and there is a cycle to it.
It is never truly stagnant, even when frozen.
In other spiritual contexts, water is seen as a form of purification.
Whether it be a Christian baptism, or a Hindu ritual in the Ganges River, water is an offering.
It is a gift.
It brings us life. We are made up of 80% water.
It can also bring about death: intense monsoons, typhoons, hurricanes, and thunderstorms washing away memories, homes and livelihoods.
Water cannot be controlled or contained. It is meant to be freeflowing.
Water reminds us to be adaptable, that we must sometimes surrender.
Water embodies intuition. Water teaches us how to listen.
Water reminds us to nurture our imagination.
It sparks so much creativity through its magnetizing beauty and unspoken power.
Water hydrates our world and our souls.
Our cups are full when we know we are drinking with hope.
May we continue to utilize the symbol of water as our divine collaborator,
our deity of renewal,
and our destiny for divine connection.
Water reminds us of the ebb and flow of the tides of life, that our sorrows, grief, love and some of our greatest joys can all coexist.
We are all connected by water and we can use this notion to seek clarity and hope for our future.
The Coast
Across water, across land
Traversing political borders and cycles of our past - I somehow found you.
We met for our first kiss on the coast of La Jolla
The trade winds carry a soft scent of the ocean:
fresh, warm and subtle. I breathe you in and hold it -
just long enough so I can remember this feeling.
We slowly exhale together as we hit the joint.
We laugh and throw our heads back looking up at the sky, now in front of us. Our eyes lock as the euphoria kicks in.
Elated, I hum a tune you’ll later play for me on the shores of Manhattan.
Where we’ll eventually share our last kiss.
I followed the waves as they crashed up against the shore
Like I trace my finger along that big scar on your right arm.
Rocks can only bear so much before they break too.
Eroding at the base, it reminds me of letting go of the kids we once were.
Wild and fearless, but still afraid of the unknown.
Uncovering the stories we typically shared during pillow talk.
This time, we’re free now. I see you. You embrace me.
No longer afraid, this time we jumped.
We jump at the sight of the crystal blue pool below us.
We swim in our hopes and dreams.
I can’t help but cackle with all of the life inside of me bursting at the seams.
How beautiful she is in her natural state, you’ll say to me.
It reminds me that this moment will last forever.
Forever etched into my mind.
Because I’m writing about it now.
Because what we have is sacred.
The love we found.
The love we created.
Will live forever at the shore, on the coast.
I can trace it now with my fingers over the scar I got in Costa Rica.
How beautiful you are, I whisper to you as you sit and pose for me.
In a flash, people can go from friends to lovers back to friends again.
May our hearts forever remember the coast.
May we trace back over our heartbreaks with care and intention.
For love and grief share a spot and need us to be gentle.
By Mira Gupta