Neighborhood Mushrooms

More on the Abundance Front

Late Summer

Late Summer in ancient China is what we think of now as the Harvest Season.  There is a distinct energy to this season even if it is no longer recognized as such.  It is the season associated with the element Earth.  The hexagram in the I Ching associated with the months of late summer, July and August, is the trigram for Heaven above the trigram for Earth.  It is called "Stillness".  Everything is as it is supposed to be.  Nature is still so fruit can ripen.  Survival is easy.  The weather is mild, and you need only step outside to find dinner growing along the side of the road.  Only sometimes its just out of reach. . .

Unless you happen to be arboreal.

Summer?

I know its summer because even though I wore a polar fleece shirt yesterday, I wore sandals.   I know its summer because I don't eat dinner until 9.  And I know its summer because there are poppies.

Unlike my veggies, they don't seem to care too much that we haven't had any sunshine.

Sun where you find it

I was at an herb workshop this weekend and someone asked whether there was any medicinal value in buttercups.  The answer was no, but I take issue with that answer.  I think just looking at the near blinding brightness of their petals has healing power similar to the sun.  Especially during gray springs such as this one.

I remember in elementary school we used to play some kind of game that involved twirling a buttercup under our chins.  I can't remember why, but part of the reason was to see the way the bright yellow was reflected on our skin. 

 I can't think of a brighter flower, like a little light box.

May Flowers

I've been reading a book called The Spiritual Brain, which I mention only because the author's description of a spiritual or mystic experience involves a state brought on by prayer, meditation, contemplation, or the beauty of nature.  I appreciate that the beauty of nature is included as a cause since I feel a small sense of awe every time I look at my peony tree, which is currently in bloom.

Since today has been so gray, I thought it would be nice to post something that lets in a little light through the clouds, if only metaphorically. 

And as long as I've started with big pink blossoms, I may as well include some cherry blossoms too.

Hopefully, the may rain will bring about equally beautiful June flowers.

Wood and Insects

The ancient Chinese also associated the Wood element with insects.  While this may seem puzzling at first, a little contemplation will begin to shed light on the association.  The Wood element of Spring is the energy of vision, planning and organization as well as movement.  Who is more organized then a colony of ants?  At this time of year, when the world comes back to life, you can find ants moving their colonies in preparation for the summer. 

Its not something you normally notice unless you walk, and even then, it is easy to miss them since they blend in with cracks in the pavement and dirt on the sidewalk.  They emerge from cracked pavement along with new shoots of grass.  Bees, representatives of organization and hard work in the West, are also awaking from hibernation at this time.

And speaking of Western symbols of spring, tulips always remind me of Easter eggs, and today is Easter.

Wood and Earth

I watched a fun documentary the other night called "Dirt: The Movie".  It really reminded me of the necessity of the relationship between Wood and Earth.

The Wood element is life, and the most important forms of life on this planet are the micro organisms and plants that keep the soil alive and in place.  Without them, it would dry up and blow away like it did during the dust bowl and in other places where mining and monoculture farming has depleted the soil.  Without live soil, no other life can exist.  In Five Element theory, Wood controls Earth in just this way.  Without Wood there is no Earth.

I recently learned that the ancient Chinese also associated insects with the Wood element.  They too are one of the first signs of new life emerging from the soil in spring.  The healthiest soil is full of a diversity of insects and micro organisms.   This really illustrates the complexity and subtlety of this ancient philosophy.  Phases of energy can be teased out and looked at individually, but they are really part of an interconnected whole.  In some ways, Wood is Earth.

On another note, I will be in Florence from April 5th through the 11th, so I will not be able to post next week.

Hope Springs Eternal

One of the attributes of the wood element is Hope.  With the ability to look into the future comes the hope of being able to influence it. 

Every year at this time, the sun comes out and I start dreaming about what my backyard could look like.  And every year I clear away all of last year's brambles.  And I plant seeds.  And every year the weeds come up faster than my seeds and choke them out.  However- this does not stop me from doing it all over again the next year as soon as the sun comes out.  So- here it is.  Cleared.  Seeded.  Probably soon to be the favorite litter box of all the cats in the neighborhood (nothing like freshly turned soil for the feline connoisseur).  But if you only knew what it is going to look like in my mind. . .  

Hanging on to Last Year

Today was the first really gorgeous day of spring.  The sunlight and warmer temperatures brought out the contrast of this hawthorn, still hanging on to the berries of last summer even as buds of new leaves begin to form.  Soon these berries will be offset against white blossoms, reminiscent of drops of blood on snow.  I suppose it is comforting to know that a heart tonic like hawthorn is available all year round, an exception to prove the rule.  

More on the Power of Spring

When you think of strength, plants are not usually the first things that come to mind.  Mighty as a tree?  Maybe.  Strong as a shrub?  Not as much.  What about horsetails?  These are pushing their way up through a thick layer of asphalt.  Imagine what it would take to do that.

Not quite the same feat, but this little plant has managed to sprout somewhere almost equally inhospitable.  Rather then push through the stone, it moved around it.  Wood energy is also about having the vision to move around obstacles, rather then letting them stand in your way.

This is the kind of energy to which we have access at this time of year.  It's time to start thinking about getting your seeds in the ground, both literally and metaphorically.  Plant the seeds of your dreams today, and they'll have the added energy of spring to help them sprout.  Be as strong as a horsetail and as visionary as a seed.

Lion?

I'm going to say that March came in like a lion this year. True, the temperatures rose and the snow turned to rain on the actual first day of the month, but it wasn't any lamb.  Looking at a torrential rain storm and blue sky simultaneously out my office window today made me think spring.

Spring is when the energy of Wood is at its strongest in the Five Element theory of the ancient Chinese.  Wood energy is the power of wind, and the energy of vegetation bursting forth after hibernation.  This energy needs to be almost violent.  It takes a great force to awaken nature from the sleep of Winter.  This is why spring is often tumultuous:  one minute its raining, the next, the sun is shining.  It is difficult to know what to expect. 

It is one of the most difficult transitions to make healthwise as well.  We have to rouse ourselves from hibernation, and begin to use all that energy we stored up over the winter.  The tumultuous energy both within and without can often leave us vulnerable to seasonal viruses, which is why it is important to get a seasonal acupuncture tune-up at this time of year.

I can personally attest to this.  Disregarding my own advice about wearing a scarf, I decided it would be a good idea to practice some qigong outside when the weather was at its coldest last week.  As a result, I'm getting over the worst sore throat I've had in years.  But- I look on the bright side as its enabled me to fully experience the seasonal transition.  
 

Still Winter

Well- what with the snow and the hail and the forecast for the next couple of days, it looks like we could still be in Winter for a while.

Here are some ideas for keeping your spirits up in keeping with the season.

Plan your garden.  Now is the perfect time to thumb through catalogs, inventory your seeds, and dream of what could be.

Write down your plans in a garden journal.  If you don't have one, this can be a project in itself fit for a snowy evening.  My friend Stephanie used pictures from gardening magazines to collage the cover of this journal for me.  I've used it for years recording when I plant and what, along with sketches, recipes and seasonal observations.

This way, when spring does come, you'll be ready.

And Food for the Spirit

Guerrilla art, and the first quince blossom.

What's for Dinner?

I just got back with my first box of CSA veggies from Full Circle Farm.  While they aren't all local, they are organic, and the drop off point is within walking distance.  Better yet, I don't have to choose which food to buy, I get to create food with what I have.  Somehow I enjoy the challenge of making something out of what I have more then trying to think of what I want.

On the way home, however, I noticed some less expensive items are becoming available.  If you're into foraging. . .

Light in Winter

It always seems to me that moss glows with an inner light.  Especially when the weather is at its darkest, it gently radiates a reminder that there is still light in the world.

While the first flowers may be appearing in other parts of the city, here in the tiny microclimate where I live, we are always a couple of weeks behind.  So on slate gray days like today, I am grateful for a little green light. 

Fashion Wisdom

I'm so happy that scarves are back in style again.  When I was in high-school in the 80's, they were not.  We had a student visiting from Germany back then, and she was never without a scarf in winter.  We used to joke about how she wouldn't leave the house without one. 

Much later, I began to realize there was something to that scarf thing.  I think its always good to pay attention to traditional wisdom that spans different cultures.  The ancient Chinese believed that illness could enter your body through points in the neck.  Keeping these points covered can protect you from "wind" that enters your body bringing such things as the common cold.  In fact, I have found that if I wrap up in a scarf at the first sign of a sore throat, I can often avert a cold.

So even though the sun is out, it is still winter, and a scarf still looks good while it protects you. 

The Year of the Rabbit

Its a new year in the lunar calendar!  The Year of the Rabbit.  The rabbit is intelligent, sophisticated, and cautious.  He focuses more on cultivating home and happiness.

Even though it is a new year, it is still the season of winter.  Winter is about quietly renewing your resources just as the earth is renewing resources by quietly composting the vegetation dropped in the fall.  This process is quiet, hidden under a layer of snow.  While it appears that nothing is happening, in fact, if this renewal does not take place, the rest of the year will not be productive. 

This is always true of creativity.  Without a fallow period, nothing new can be born.  While it seems like nothing is happening in our lives, preparation is being made for new growth.  Have patience and do not try to push forward just yet.  Instead, it is a good time to gather knowledge and information so that you can clarify your goals for the new year.  The clearer they are, the easier it will be to see the necessary steps that must be taken when the time is right.