Gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving!            We give our gratitude and deep appreciation for family, friends, our Ancestors & future generations; to gardeners, caretakers and teachers that help sustain the Earth, Democracy, Art, Peace, Joy, Harmony and Love.

To Mother Earth we give thanks and deep appreciation for giving all that is needed for life;

To the Spirit of Water and all life in water;

To the Plant Kingdom who sustains many life forms;

To all the Edibles and Medicine Herbs who sustain life with health and pleasure;

To the Animal Life who teach us about ourselves;

The Tree Kingdom our support in breath, strength and peace;

The Bird and other Air People who give songs, colors and beauty;

The Nine Sacred Directions who speak to us through the wind;

To the Thunder Beings who renew life by bringing all varieties of chi;

To Grandfather Sun who is life;

To Grandmother Moon who sustains beauty, reflection & love in relationships;

To the Great Unseen Ones who sustain the Circle of Life;

To the Great Mystery, Divine Creator we are grateful;

We are One – One is All.

Prayer for Japan

 

My Teacher Grandmother Twylah taught One is All-All is One. The enormous tragedy of the earthquake/ tsunami in Japan is too much to wrap our hearts around. But, we can plant a vegetable, herb, or edible flower for them. With every plant we can send love and gratitude for their being and making a difference in the Circle of Life. We are All-All is One.

Meaningful Reflection

Reflection is about seeing with the inner eye and feeling with the inner sensory systems. The experience can take you into a genre of peace that is beyond the intellect. It begins a small retreat into solitude that gives meaning to your life and develops a beneficial relationship with the earth.

Water is especially helpful in your garden as it encourages a sensory conversation with an emotional impact. Reflections on the water’s surface have the power to pull your attention inward, allowing your attention to be pulled away from the stressful thoughts of the day. Black water creates the clearest reflection giving the appearance of depth that is felt rather than seen. Deep water in the discipline of feng shui symbolizes wisdom and abundance.

As light creates a mirror on the water’s surface, wind gives movement to a kaleidoscope of images. Your attention is captured by the pure joy of the moment. Your garden’s wholeness and harmony are sensed, felt and realized. It is a good time to ask for insight into a situation in your life or the perfect location for a new plant you recently purchased.

Shamanic garden tips:

• Place the reflective water treatment to receive wind, sunlight, moonlight, and shadows.
• Install in a quiet, secluded area of the garden. Frame it with lush growth, plenty of leaves that can capture the wind and create gently moving images in the water.
• Create a comfortable seating space that allows gazing into the water. I use a bird bath, filled daily with fresh water that my husband and I can see from our breakfast table.
• In a Japanese garden, a large stone carefully placed in the water symbolizes the presence of a sacred mountain.
• Although a very simple water treatment, a large pot filled to the brim with water offers romance and elegance. As it reflects the movement of tree leaves, the light from the sun or moon offer pleasure to the senses.
  • Place to reflect roses for romance, a passion flower vine for developing faith or California Fuchsia, Zauschneria californica for healing repressed emotions.

Bali Gardening

“In creating a Balinese garden, one starts with the premise that every piece of land has a spirit and that by ‘peopling’ the space with plants and ideas one must create absolute beauty in order to placate the spirit.”

From: Tropical Garden Design, Made Wijaya. (Massachusetts, 1999, Periplus Editions, Ltd.)

Photo from: Living in Bali (Taschen’s Lifestyle) by Anita Lococo