The Alchemic Rain: Finding Stillness in the Storm

 The Open Window 

    Today, I am sitting by my window, letting the cool breeze wash over the room. Outside, the sky has turned that soft, heavy grey that usually signals a storm, and the first drops have begun to fall.

For many, the bright, sunny weather is their grounding, the light that pulls them out of the shadows. But for me, the rain is my grounding. While the world retreats inside, I find myself opening the glass to meet the mist, to feel and breathe in that cool, refreshing, vitalizing air. 

Washing Away the Internal Chaos 

    Living with chronic pain and the weight of a failing medical system can create a constant, low-level "noise" inside the body. It’s a hum of anxiety, a thrum of DDD pain, and the dizzying sea of POTS symptoms. It feels like chaos.

But when the rain starts, that chaos begins to fade.

There is something about the rhythm of the drops, the "white noise" of the universe, that creates a moment of absolute stillness. It’s as if the rain is doing the heavy lifting for me, taking the frantic energy I’ve been carrying and grounded it back into the soil. In the cool air, my nervous system finally finds a reason to exhale.

"When the Rain Washes You Clean..." 

    As I sit here, I can’t help but think of Stevie Nicks and her powerful Fleetwood Mac lyric: “Thunder only happens when it's raining / Players only love you when they're playing / Say women, they will come and they will go / When the rain washes you clean, you'll know.”

I’m not dealing with "players" in my personal life, but in my health journey.... And especially my recent ER trip. I have faced a healthcare system that "plays" with patient safety and truth. In those moments, I am left feeling exhausted, "othered," and surrounded by a silent, frustrating loneliness.

Stevie understood that sometimes you have to wait for the storm to do the work you can't do for yourself. When the inner "thunder" of a flare-up or medical gaslighting is roaring, sometimes the only answer is to stop fighting and let the external rain wash it all away. I don’t just know I’m clean in my mind; I feel the physical sensation of the chaos leaving my body. What a wonderful gift from Mother Earth. I will forever be grateful for these moments and the ability to finally feel.... Washed clean.

The Song of the Grateful 

   Even in the middle of the downpour, I hear them: the birds.

Usually, we think of birds as fair-weather friends, but today they are gracing me with their gentle songs right through the storm. And then, there are the crows. Their rhythmic, raspy cawing cutting through the sound of the rain isn't just noise to me... It is a sacred chant.

In the midst of the cleansing, the crows remind me that there is a song for every season, even the dark and rainy ones. To me, their presence is a visceral sign that the Gods and Goddesses are near. It’s as if Freya or Hekate is whispering through the wings, reminding me that the storm isn't a punishment; it’s a conversation. They are here in the damp air, in the scent of wet earth, and in the persistent call of the black-winged messengers.

If the crows can find their voice while the world is grey, surely I can find a melody in my own "rainy" seasons.

A Somatic Ritual for a Rainy Day 

    If you are feeling overwhelmed by the "Dizzy Sea" today, I invite you to try this simple Alchemic ritual:

*Open a Window: Even if it’s just a crack. Let the temperature of the outside world touch your skin.

*Listen for the Layers: Try to distinguish the sound of the rain hitting the leaves from the sound of it hitting the pavement.

*Find the "Birdsong": Look for the one small, beautiful thing that is still thriving despite the "bad" weather.

*Let it Wash: Imagine each drop taking a tiny piece of your internal chaos and carrying it down into the ground to be transformed into something new.

The storm will pass, but the cleansing it leaves behind is a gift. Let yourself be washed clean today.

With love and light, Ashley