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.