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.