Autumn Reflections

Autumn Reflections

Join me on a little stroll through the Magical Garden in Autumn.

The magical garden is feeling the first touches of autumn. There is a sense of busyness in the air as the changing leaves swirl and tumble to the ground. The morning glories are still blooming, although some have decided it is time to go to seed. This time of year is full of wonder and exciting changes. The trees and the flowers, as they release their leaves and seeds, call upon us to do the same. It is time to shed that which no longer serves and welcome the new.

This time of year is one of profound transformation. Many of the flowers have since passed their full glory and are now ripe with their seed. As the plants begin to transition, they impregnate the soil with the remnants of their former selves. The seeds are now prepared to incubate in the coming months. They will weather throughout the winter months that will later culminate into a new, warmer season. These little promises of new life are set to slumber and relish in the dark that is necessary for them to grow. For some plants, the roots are busy storing nutrients as the plant begins to retreat. The trees are changing the colors of their leaves. It is a process where they no longer need the sustenance the leaves have facilitated. So in their beautiful way of letting go, the trees release their leaves.

 

Sentient messengers

Not too long ago, I  noticed a sunflower in the garden box had sprouted a new flower. I had removed the seed heads to collect the seeds for next season. However, this particular sunflower decided to grow again. As I admired her, she whispered to me, “There’s always a way.”⠀

I then observed the tomato plants. As I collected the last few ripened little tomatoes, I noticed there were still quite a few green tomatoes and even some flowers. I gazed at the yellow flowers, and they gently encouraged, “Keep blooming.”⠀

The hollyhocks that grew in a particular pot all bloomed white. A final bloom decided she wanted to be different and added a splash of pink. Her message was one of bravery, “Dare to be who you are meant to be.”

In the corner of the garden, there is a birdbath that is mostly used by small birds and insects. At first glance, I thought there were tadpoles in the water. Which is quite unbelievable considering it’s hanging on the side of the fence about 3 feet off the ground. As I looked closer, I realized they were morning glory seeds. They must have fallen from the vine over the birdbath and sprouted in the water. They had a message as well, “Don’t wait for the perfect time- grow, but maintain fluidity.”

Garden visitors

The magical garden has many visitors throughout the seasons. Some are only seen as the season changes, and others take up permanent residence in the garden. Every effort is made to encourage these creatures to realize that the magical garden is a safe and welcoming space for them. The faeries seem to know this as they scamper across the garden. Although they are at times, a bit mischievous as garden tools go missing only to reappear in random places. Regardless, I am grateful for their presence. During the autumn months, they have been known to float down on the falling leaves and sometimes are mistaken for butterflies. The faeries enjoy the leaf piles that are now abundant as they create a delightful and whimsical landscape.

A recent visitor included an iridescent dragonfly. It flew around the garden, surveying the area. He seemed to enjoy the morning glories and tomato plants. As he found a place to rest, I asked if I could take a picture of him. He complied, and as a matter of fact, he seemed to enjoy the attention. As I thanked him, he whispered to me, “Stay patient.” I wished him well on his journey, and he enjoyed the garden for the remainder of the day.

On a separate occasion, I spotted a lovely cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae),  flittering around the Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) vine.  Butterflies symbolize transformation. This airy creature reassured me that change is beautiful and inevitable. “Embrace the change.”, she muttered as she floated on her way.

While rats are not usual visitors in the garden, we do have two sweet rat friends that share our home with us. One of these is named Templeton. He was adopted by my daughter last year from the “feeder rat” cage at the pet store. Her heart melted when she saw him. It was an instant connection. He enjoys playing in the garden and snacking on some of the plants. Templeton doesn’t have a message to share, as he is the message. The message is love and compassion.

During winter, intentions were set, and plans were made. As spring approached, it was time to detox and declutter. I made a conscious effort to detox not only my physical and emotional body but my home environment as well. This led me into the summer months and with that emerged a new level of clarity. I soon recognized it was time to proceed with my newly defined intentions. One of those being something I had mulled over some time, going back and forth on.

Sometimes we are tapped by inspiration and other times we are nudged by synchronicities that cannot be ignored. For me, it was a combination of both.

This decision was to deepen my knowledge of herbal medicine. While this is something I have self-studied through books and mini-courses for almost 20 years, I felt it was time to expand what I had learned. I also wanted to fill in any possible gaps and solidify what I did know. So after much research, I found an online program that fits my needs. This program will take me through a Master Herbalist certification and includes plant spirit medicine. Connecting with the plants on a spiritual level is something that is very precious to me. It may seem odd to be taking classes on such a thing, as this seems quite the intuitive practice. And that is precisely what it is. However, this is more about support and guidance as opposed to instruction. While I don’t put much into titles and I have mentioned this before, this is a path that has called to me for some time. It was time for me to walk it entirely instead of hopping on and off the trail. What are my plans after completion? I have several and will share accordingly. I feel that we never stop learning, we are merely building continuous foundations. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook where I will be sharing more about my studies and discoveries.

Why share all of this? Accountability. Well that, and the fact that I am bursting with excitement to share what I have and will be learning with all of you, dear readers. Intentions were set in the winter, clarified in the spring, and implemented in the summer. And this brings us full circle to the season of autumn.

 

Bright and bountiful Autumn Blessings! 

 

 

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