Walking at night, I notice the shimmering stars shining through the trees. The air is crisp and clear. The snow crunchy underfoot. As I watch, I notice that there is a dance occurring between the stars and the trees.

One step forward, stars appear between the limbs; one step more, another appears, and others disappear. Stars shining brightly through the bare limbs. One moment revealing, the next hiding, revealing, hiding. Step, shimmer, step quiet. Step, twinkle and glimmer, step covered. Together with the trees, as I take this evening walk, a dance of lights twinkles overhead. Fairy lights glittering in and out of hiding. Conversations held and shared. I imagine there would be laughter too, in this meeting between the trees and stars. Laughter, that is ever ready to burst forth as it does between good friends; with each step I take on the road, a dance of joy and light occurs overhead.

Moving my limbs, gifts me with an opportunity to see another angle ~ another angle of light bursting into visibility. The twinkle of light distracts me from where I just was looking, and I shifts me to the next point of focus. In and out, shifting, merging, unveiling, evolving, and always reminding me of magical presence.

Starlights
glittering in purity and clarity,

Stargazing,
holding me in wonder.

A dance of light shining their presence.
A presence that is always with us.
Even if and When unseen,
Under the guise of cloud, daylight, fears, distractions, the light shines on.

Pausing now, between steps, holding a foot in mid-stride, I attempt to hold this tableau of light in my sight.
I stand still, as if to "see" it all better. As if to grasp it in stillness. I imagine I could best contain this moving laughter of light and the wonder. As if in holding my breath, I could contain the mysterious ineffable stream of light.

And in imagining all that, the magic of the glittering stars became still and silent. In trying to hold on, I lost the point, and the mystery.

Surrendering, I returned to wonder and resumed my steps.

And in that moment, the dance returned.
And of course, I realized, I am dancing with the stars and trees too. It is together that we co-create this elusive mingling wonder of light and movement. It is in stepping forward, moving, shifting, that allows for the dance.

So tonight, I dance and marvel ~ who will reveal themselves next? Who will flicker into view now? Who will flicker out? Who will appear in all her wonder, and who will hide. A mystery always present, and sometimes, hiding from view.

Tonight, I remember that I get to participate in this magic, if I allow for mystery.

If you wish to read more observations of the seasons and the land, there is more in Venus Muse, and more photos here.