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| Springtime Rhododendrums in front of my house. |
Yes, I know the parks and beaches have been closed, but we can find walking and hiking trails. And if we do have a yard of any sort we can even find the spirit and power of spring touch us there.
This new spring season Marcus and I discovered a frog that was in our pond last year and is back, or rather he/she has been here alongside us, invisible in plain sight until we noticed. (Actually, there is an entire story on our frog relative perhaps later or another time.)
My personal early spring experiences were assisting my mother in her gardens. I disliked it so much because it was such a chore that I developed a skin allergy to anything green that emitted a scent or sap. Thus I was unable to help my mother in her garden in my later high school years. However, before that developed there was the picking, cutting/chopping/cracking, canning, packaging, and storing of our garden produce. All this activity had to come first before anything else because it was the bulk of the food we lived on and sustained us in the winter months. My mother had a shed that was allotted just for storage for all the canning we did. Yes, it was very hard work.
I have to add, my mother was in her element when she was in the garden and in her kitchen. It wasn't until I had space at my own home that I began my garden relationship. Mind you I always had plants in my environment but I shied away from the gardening until my first personal garden experience. It was a time when I didn't have to tend the garden, but a time in my life when I wanted to tend a garden, and when no allergic breakouts no longer occurred.
At the time I was very much involved in meditation and acknowledging the energy of life. I was ready to start a relationship with the plant kingdom. I suppose there were many other factors that supported that experience and relationship building as well. I have a love for essential oils and the wellness that the lifeforce of plants brings to me. I was just beginning that journey of discovery then and wanted to know more, and to dive more deeply into the relationship with our plant relatives. Also, I was working with a local indigenous medicine worker from the Kashia tribe (a Pomo relative). I apprenticed under him and supported his healing work as a ceremonial singer along with his wife, niece, and daughter.
Herbology is very sacred to Indigenous people and that experience with Dennis gave me the impetus to embrace all aspects of learning the sacredness of life for the benefit of my own well being and for those that I love.
If you noticed in my previous statement, I apprenticed with a medicine worker along with his "wife, niece, and daughter." All of us, women singers. One of the first events I sang in a traditional ceremonial manner was the Flower Dance ceremony that is offered to young women who are stepping into their roles as women. It is a very special ceremony that acknowledges the sacredness of the feminine energy of life and life-givers. For all indigenous peoples, their basic ideology is to respect and honor this spirit and energy and to honor the women of their families and communities and also the female of the species.
And...flowers are intrinsically beautiful. They are also signs/signals that allow us to witness that something beautiful is happening in our world. Miracles can happen because new potential and life are coming to aid us in our survival, whether it is aiding us in bringing beauty in our lives or aiding us in nurturing us in medicines, or food, or materials that can be used as resources and commodity. Such gifts can not be taken for granted if respect and honor are upheld within such a blessing.
Take for example the Indigenous Sunflower. Every part of the plant is useful and edible. Of course, the parts are edible at certain times but with that knowledge, nothing is wasted in nature. I would say for most of the plants on our planet there is a truth to this wisdom. I enjoy cultivating the Mammoth Sunflower. Every moment of the sunflower's life is valuable. As a plant in the garden, the Sunflower supports other plants, as well as attracts pollinators, gives shade, supplies food for wildlife as well as being food and medicine for humans, and emits to us joyful awesomeness in its presence. This applies to all growing things, as I don't dare eliminate any other vegetable/medicine within this reference, as they all hold unique value as the sunflower.
However, we won't ever understand this amazing relationship if we don't spend time with those we want to learn about or do the work as their caretakers. And yes it is not easy but when we are experiencing the relationship building as time evolves, we don't think about the difficulties or responsibilities that go along with the process.
Whenever I meet a gardener, there is an instant rapport and such generosity. I don't know any other group of people that are so generous. Generous with knowledge, time, resources, and friendship.
Hence, all referencing bring me face to face with acknowledging the sacred spirit, energy, and presence of the Great Spirit of our Divine Mother Earth and the feminine power she bestows to all human beings but most abundantly to our women and female relatives. Like the sunflowers, there is nothing that can be withheld to those that our mothers or those that mother bestow their sacred power of love that nourishes and sustains.
As I write this blog, we are only days away from our secular celebration of Mother's Day. I believe we should be holding this spirit within us for all of the Spring season, honoring the life-givers and doing what we can to support their work in the world, family, and environment.
So you've heard enough about this advocacy for the sacred feminine spirit coming from yet another female and mother. But what about coming from a man? It always touches my heart to hear such advocacy coming from a man who understands and knows this truth.
For this season's podcast on Our Ancient Lands, I interview Tim BlueFlint Indigenous flute maker and concert flutist. His entire spirit as an artist for this session exemplifies his all-encompassing respect and honor of the sacred feminine spirit in our world. He continually mentions his love and respect for his mother and grandmother as well as his beautiful relationship with the moon.
I do hope you take the time to listen to his creative process and his philosophical outlook on Indigenous culture and lifeways. Here is a link to the video and music he shared. It was a pleasure to visit with him and I hope to do so again in the future.
My personal early spring experiences were assisting my mother in her gardens. I disliked it so much because it was such a chore that I developed a skin allergy to anything green that emitted a scent or sap. Thus I was unable to help my mother in her garden in my later high school years. However, before that developed there was the picking, cutting/chopping/cracking, canning, packaging, and storing of our garden produce. All this activity had to come first before anything else because it was the bulk of the food we lived on and sustained us in the winter months. My mother had a shed that was allotted just for storage for all the canning we did. Yes, it was very hard work.
I have to add, my mother was in her element when she was in the garden and in her kitchen. It wasn't until I had space at my own home that I began my garden relationship. Mind you I always had plants in my environment but I shied away from the gardening until my first personal garden experience. It was a time when I didn't have to tend the garden, but a time in my life when I wanted to tend a garden, and when no allergic breakouts no longer occurred.
At the time I was very much involved in meditation and acknowledging the energy of life. I was ready to start a relationship with the plant kingdom. I suppose there were many other factors that supported that experience and relationship building as well. I have a love for essential oils and the wellness that the lifeforce of plants brings to me. I was just beginning that journey of discovery then and wanted to know more, and to dive more deeply into the relationship with our plant relatives. Also, I was working with a local indigenous medicine worker from the Kashia tribe (a Pomo relative). I apprenticed under him and supported his healing work as a ceremonial singer along with his wife, niece, and daughter.
Herbology is very sacred to Indigenous people and that experience with Dennis gave me the impetus to embrace all aspects of learning the sacredness of life for the benefit of my own well being and for those that I love.
If you noticed in my previous statement, I apprenticed with a medicine worker along with his "wife, niece, and daughter." All of us, women singers. One of the first events I sang in a traditional ceremonial manner was the Flower Dance ceremony that is offered to young women who are stepping into their roles as women. It is a very special ceremony that acknowledges the sacredness of the feminine energy of life and life-givers. For all indigenous peoples, their basic ideology is to respect and honor this spirit and energy and to honor the women of their families and communities and also the female of the species.
And...flowers are intrinsically beautiful. They are also signs/signals that allow us to witness that something beautiful is happening in our world. Miracles can happen because new potential and life are coming to aid us in our survival, whether it is aiding us in bringing beauty in our lives or aiding us in nurturing us in medicines, or food, or materials that can be used as resources and commodity. Such gifts can not be taken for granted if respect and honor are upheld within such a blessing.
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| Mammoth Sunflower 2019 |
However, we won't ever understand this amazing relationship if we don't spend time with those we want to learn about or do the work as their caretakers. And yes it is not easy but when we are experiencing the relationship building as time evolves, we don't think about the difficulties or responsibilities that go along with the process.
Whenever I meet a gardener, there is an instant rapport and such generosity. I don't know any other group of people that are so generous. Generous with knowledge, time, resources, and friendship.
Hence, all referencing bring me face to face with acknowledging the sacred spirit, energy, and presence of the Great Spirit of our Divine Mother Earth and the feminine power she bestows to all human beings but most abundantly to our women and female relatives. Like the sunflowers, there is nothing that can be withheld to those that our mothers or those that mother bestow their sacred power of love that nourishes and sustains.
As I write this blog, we are only days away from our secular celebration of Mother's Day. I believe we should be holding this spirit within us for all of the Spring season, honoring the life-givers and doing what we can to support their work in the world, family, and environment.
So you've heard enough about this advocacy for the sacred feminine spirit coming from yet another female and mother. But what about coming from a man? It always touches my heart to hear such advocacy coming from a man who understands and knows this truth.
For this season's podcast on Our Ancient Lands, I interview Tim BlueFlint Indigenous flute maker and concert flutist. His entire spirit as an artist for this session exemplifies his all-encompassing respect and honor of the sacred feminine spirit in our world. He continually mentions his love and respect for his mother and grandmother as well as his beautiful relationship with the moon.
I do hope you take the time to listen to his creative process and his philosophical outlook on Indigenous culture and lifeways. Here is a link to the video and music he shared. It was a pleasure to visit with him and I hope to do so again in the future.
And ... if you wish to start a step into building a relationship with this spirit through gardening please contact me through LUTEA's website www.lutea.org or email. If you are in the area please make an appointment to come by and either pick up some seeds and/or some starter plants. If you are farther away for and in-person contact send us a donation that may cover mailing costs so that we can send you seeds.
May the beauty of this season entice you to seek Right relations to all life-givers in your lives.
Walli Ma Molis!
Diveena
P.S. I'll post my story of the frog next time
May the beauty of this season entice you to seek Right relations to all life-givers in your lives.
Walli Ma Molis!
Diveena
P.S. I'll post my story of the frog next time
