Sacred Journeys
May 2009
Kim Elkington
Well, the cow birds and red winged blackbirds have returned and are hanging out now at the bird feeder. Meanwhile, many of my familiar winter-feathered friends are showing off their colourful new mating feathers. These are signs that spring has arrived and soon the forest floor will be covered in delicious wild plants like trout lilies, leeks, fiddle heads and edible spring flowers. If we time it right, once the young forest plants have run their course, the garden should have begun producing.
Nature is so resilient, and it’s time for me to respond accordingly. My morning has been spent transplanting seedlings into larger containers and beginning new seeds for the late May garden. Growing a plant from seed slows down the magic of spring and brings it more intimately into our consciousness.
Each year I trade seeds with friends and attend larger seed exchanges at local schools. There is a wonderful sense of being part of the continuum. There are gardeners growing squash from seeds that originated in their great-grandparents’ gardens. While life speeds by, complex and challenging, propagating seeds and doing gardening can give us an opportunity to slow down and focus on our primal relationship to nature, to the seasons, to nourishment, and to ourselves.
If you are in Toronto with a cement backyard, you might want to get to know your Italian neighbor who is growing melons up the side of his house, or find out about roof-top or container gardening. It may be the answer to many urban ills. Wayne Roberts’ book Get A Life or Crandall & Crandall’s Moveable Harvests can get you moving in that direction. Get some tires or sturdy buckets with a few holes poked in the bottom and you have happy tomatoes roasting on the shingles.
If you are starting seeds, try to plant them between the new and full moon, as they will grow faster working with the moon’s energy, rather than struggling against it. It is also good to clear your energy field by washing your hands with cold water, and grounding yourself before you begin. Breathe deeply a few times to relax any stress out of your body, then send your energy down to the core of the earth and back again.
Another grounding exercise is to stand still and imagine yourself as a tree with deep roots. With eyes closed, rock forward on the balls of your feet then back onto your heels. Now you are rooted and ready. On the other hand, it is best to avoid gardening when you are feeling out of sorts. The earth (matter) receives our energy, good or bad, willingly and effortlessly. Yet seeds and plants are susceptible to our energy fields, so it’s better to be wishing the seedlings well on their journey, rather than rushing and treating gardening like a task to get out of the way before dinner.
While your hands are in the soil, loosening, turning and smelling its lovely richness is the time to plant your intention for the coming year. Write the list, sit with it a moment and then literally plant it in the garden too. ‘Tis the season to manifest. May Day Beltaine May 1-2, was traditionally celebrated with wishes for the coming year, woven with ribbons on to a pole in the village green. You could make one yourself on a stick or make one with family and friends for your yard somewhere. Beltaine traditionally was a night of community, bonfires and passion in the dark. Those who are single might take this time to weave or plant images of some wonderful qualities of a future partner.
If gardening is not possible for you this year, just grow or buy an organic plant that can be part of your altar or private spot where you get quiet or meditate. Altars can be any set-up that suits you. For me they tend to be all over the house with rocks, crystals, or shells from my travels. Some have sticks stripped smooth by beavers and water, others have photos of friends or a poem or quote that makes me well up. The four elements always seem to find themselves in these special places. Air is often represented by feathers or incense; fire by candles and water by shells or water. The earth can be represented by rocks or plants. A word to the wise. I have seen tight rose buds open and die within a few hours, during intense energy work. So if you grow or buy a plant for your altar, make sure it’s a hardy one, or grow a few. Happy spring!
Email Kim at: spirit@algonquintea.com
Well, the cow birds and red winged blackbirds have returned and are hanging out now at the bird feeder. Meanwhile, many of my familiar winter-feathered friends are showing off their colourful new mating feathers. These are signs that spring has arrived and soon the forest floor will be covered in delicious wild plants like trout lilies, leeks, fiddle heads and edible spring flowers. If we time it right, once the young forest plants have run their course, the garden should have begun producing.Nature is so resilient, and it’s time for me to respond accordingly. My morning has been spent transplanting seedlings into larger containers and beginning new seeds for the late May garden. Growing a plant from seed slows down the magic of spring and brings it more intimately into our consciousness.
Each year I trade seeds with friends and attend larger seed exchanges at local schools. There is a wonderful sense of being part of the continuum. There are gardeners growing squash from seeds that originated in their great-grandparents’ gardens. While life speeds by, complex and challenging, propagating seeds and doing gardening can give us an opportunity to slow down and focus on our primal relationship to nature, to the seasons, to nourishment, and to ourselves.
If you are in Toronto with a cement backyard, you might want to get to know your Italian neighbor who is growing melons up the side of his house, or find out about roof-top or container gardening. It may be the answer to many urban ills. Wayne Roberts’ book Get A Life or Crandall & Crandall’s Moveable Harvests can get you moving in that direction. Get some tires or sturdy buckets with a few holes poked in the bottom and you have happy tomatoes roasting on the shingles.
If you are starting seeds, try to plant them between the new and full moon, as they will grow faster working with the moon’s energy, rather than struggling against it. It is also good to clear your energy field by washing your hands with cold water, and grounding yourself before you begin. Breathe deeply a few times to relax any stress out of your body, then send your energy down to the core of the earth and back again.
Another grounding exercise is to stand still and imagine yourself as a tree with deep roots. With eyes closed, rock forward on the balls of your feet then back onto your heels. Now you are rooted and ready. On the other hand, it is best to avoid gardening when you are feeling out of sorts. The earth (matter) receives our energy, good or bad, willingly and effortlessly. Yet seeds and plants are susceptible to our energy fields, so it’s better to be wishing the seedlings well on their journey, rather than rushing and treating gardening like a task to get out of the way before dinner.
While your hands are in the soil, loosening, turning and smelling its lovely richness is the time to plant your intention for the coming year. Write the list, sit with it a moment and then literally plant it in the garden too. ‘Tis the season to manifest. May Day Beltaine May 1-2, was traditionally celebrated with wishes for the coming year, woven with ribbons on to a pole in the village green. You could make one yourself on a stick or make one with family and friends for your yard somewhere. Beltaine traditionally was a night of community, bonfires and passion in the dark. Those who are single might take this time to weave or plant images of some wonderful qualities of a future partner.
If gardening is not possible for you this year, just grow or buy an organic plant that can be part of your altar or private spot where you get quiet or meditate. Altars can be any set-up that suits you. For me they tend to be all over the house with rocks, crystals, or shells from my travels. Some have sticks stripped smooth by beavers and water, others have photos of friends or a poem or quote that makes me well up. The four elements always seem to find themselves in these special places. Air is often represented by feathers or incense; fire by candles and water by shells or water. The earth can be represented by rocks or plants. A word to the wise. I have seen tight rose buds open and die within a few hours, during intense energy work. So if you grow or buy a plant for your altar, make sure it’s a hardy one, or grow a few. Happy spring!
Email Kim at: spirit@algonquintea.com