Springtime has come to North Texas, which means both swathes of bluebonnets along the highways and sometimes monsoon-like rainstorms. It's a far cry from the winter storms that are gripping my home Dakota prairies, but there are times when the torrents of rain make it hard to remember that long warm Spring days are coming. But any good Texan will also tell you that we welcome these days of rain, because they both stave off that first 100-degree day and help to alleviate the period severe droughts our beautiful state experiences. The memories of the droughts of 2008-2010 are still fresh with many of us, and the rains give us hope that we won't watch our state burn and suffer under the sun this summer.

Spring rains and floods have been seen as blessings in many cultures over history, with the Nile floods being the most well known. So I was happy to see Anuket, the personification of the Nile River herself, show up in my oracle reading this week.

Anuket, from The Goddess Inspiration Oracle by Kris Waldherr

As the Nile Herself, Anuket is the source from whom all blessings flow. Her yearly floods brought rich topsoil to Egypt, allowing the crops to grow and the people and animals to flourish. People gave her offerings of gold, jewelry, and other valuables, tossing them into the Nile's waters. When these items were deposited downstream, they were seen as even more proof of Anuket's blessings. While the Nile doesn't flood quiet the same way anymore, due to the Aswan Dam, the Nile is still a life-giving force. My own trip to Egypt wasn't complete until I got to dip my feet in the First Cataract of the Nile near Aswan, and Anuket's presence is very much there.

I grew up on the Missouri River, which has Her own floods and brings her own blessings, and for that reason I resonate with Anuket and the the way in which waters can wash away the past and bless our present and future. I also love that Anuket is known as "The Embracer," for she encourages us to embrace our life and our blessings,

As you work with Anuket this week, I invite you to consider the following questions:

What blessings are most obvious in my life right now?

What blessings might I be refusing or unable to see?

How can I embrace the blessings in my life?

How can I cultivate my life so that blessings flow?

How can I bless others?