Gardening ….
Gardening…..
As I sat in a moment of quite reflection and meditation, I felt the notion rising up in me in regards to the times we live in. I felt from deep within my being that we truly are entering a zone, if you will, in which many of the parameters in which we are used to structuring our lives is fading away. A time when there is going to be a lot of outward chaos ensuing. This is nothing new, but I definitely felt that whatever we think we are already prepared for may have to be thrown out the window to actually deal with the reality unfolding before us. Somehow, someway, we must become accustomed, even to the point of embracing the big unknown, and to do this with a certain level of trust, trust in ourselves, and trust in each other (I know, I know, a tall order, that one), that we will know what we need to know when we need to know it, and not before, because the very ground upon which we walk is about to undergo a change of epic proportions, unlike anything we have seen before.
And the worst part of this is that it is not actually being done for our benefit. In fact, there is indeed a nefarious agenda at work here. But, I strongly get that our biggest asset is ourselves, and our own deep inner knowing that we have, at least some of us, been cultivating for some long time now. We will begin to see the fruits of what we have been carefully tending to, pulling out the weeds, adding compost through our experiences. We will see if we truly have been growing good fruit.
Gardening is an art, a form of meditation, a way to reflect on creation, expansion, growth, the various cycles of life. You can learn much about yourself even, through this process of planting and caring for the many forms of life expressed in the natural world. It is, in a way, a form of creation, in which we can see physically with our own eyes the nature of our relationship with the world around us. And the interesting thing about gardening is that you can learn to even produce good fruit on what may appear to be barren ground. I know this can be done, as I have done it, and so have many others.
There is also a great deal of choice involved in gardening, from where you want to locate it, to the very basic choice of what kind of seeds you want to plant and grow. Much must be take into consideration, such as the condition of the soil, availability of sun and water. So, too, in our lives, we must make many choices, such as where we want to locate ourselves, what kind of seeds we want to plant. Some plants grow well together, some do not. Likewise, with humans, some of us enhance one another’s potential, others can harm and inhibit growth. It is wise to learn how to synergistically cultivate a garden in which the parts can work together to make the sum total add up to more than its parts. Gardening, by its very nature, teaches one how to dance with the energies of life and creation itself.
The purpose of all this rambling on about gardens, is that when factored into the times at hand, a lot of the outcome will be determined by our focus on what works, and knowing who enhances our growth and potential, and who does not. If we wish to not just survive, but flourish in these times, we will need to cultivate the ability to focus on the creative aspects and possibilities available to us in each situation as it presents itself. Easy to do when everything you want and need is available to you. Not as easy when you’ve been given a plot of barren land to work with. It is also helpful to have cultivated and saved some of your good seed stock gathered in previous seasons.
In short, we will need to embrace the idea that no matter how dark the sun gets, or how much destruction gets wrought, that we will have what we need to get through this. Learning to embrace the unknown, as your friend and not your enemy, is a good place to start. The more we focus on the destruction going on all around us, the more fearful we become. This state of being, while natural at times like these, will not help us if we stay there too long. The sooner we can move through the fear and accept the situation as it presents itself, the sooner we can move into the manifestation and creative and healing flow of nature itself. She constantly can and does renew herself. She has done it many times before, and she will do it again, even faster with our help.
And maybe, just maybe, there is a silver lining to what we see happening all around us these days. Maybe, just maybe, we will take back our power to create in a healthy, balanced, joyful way that honors all life as sacred and precious. And maybe, just maybe, at least some of us may learn to work together in creating new gardens full of the loving creative force of nature herself, and that this will radiate out into the larger collective as seeds for future growth long after we are gone.
I do not know the outcome, and maybe it isn’t truly known by many, if any, at this time. I do know that this trend of major change is upon us and will not abate for some time to come. It will not go back to the way it was, for it cannot. The momentum is too great now, and this flow of change is like a river that is about to overflow. Will it wreak destruction? Most likely. But will it also allow many to discover what being a true human is, showing love and compassion for not just ones families, but ones neighbors and perhaps even ones enemies? It is equally possible. If we learn how to work together in these times, in a mutually beneficial way that enhances life, anything, and I do mean anything, is possible. With unconditional love for us all.