So it Begins

It is hard to believe that harvest season is beginning.  The garden is full to bursting with plants, and while most things are only a few inches high, there are some lovely things ready for munching upon. 

 

I planted three different kinds of radishes.  Above are the Early Scarlet Globe.  Glenn sold enough of these little hot, crisp babies yesterday to cover all the seeds.  Since I really do not do anything with radishes besides eat them raw, there will be more for sale as they mature.

These are the Easter Egg radishes, for obvious shape and color reasons.  They are a bit milder than the scarlets, but very tasty and make a great presentation.  They are a little later than the Scarlets, so there are fewer ready at the moment.  The third type is Chinese Red Meat.  I’ve never done them before and they are not quite ready for picking, so we shall see what they are like in a week or so!

 

I really need to get a picture of the lettuce growing in the garden - this picture does not do it justice.  The self seeded, “volunteer” patch is flourishing unbelievably well.  There is a variety of types including Red and Green Leaf Lettuces, May Queen and some random Meculins.  I’ve been enjoying fresh picked salads at work for lunch all week.  There is more than we could ever use, so as soon as Glenn finds a source for cellophane produce bags, we are going to start selling the lettuce as well.  (Our local “Crunchy Store” purchases from local farmers, as long as you do not use pesticides, etc.)

More pictures as things keep growing!

Pretty

Just a random pretty that Glenn made at the ceramic shop.  He put some incense inside and the smoke billowed out the mouth, but you cannot see that very well in the photo…

Uncommon Courtesy

I held the door open the other day at a store for the person coming out in front of me.  He looked startled and surprised.  I flashed a friendly, guileless smile; he ducked his head quickly and hurried away.

 

In today’s society of diminishing respect and growing remoteness it doesn’t astonish me when people are taken aback by common courtesy.  However, it was the apprehension and awkwardness when we made eye contact that bothered me.  When did everyday human interaction become such a chore? When did people start believing that simple kindness has ulterior motives? 

 

We have the capability to shop for everything online.  We telecommute, pay for gas at the pump, and scan our own groceries at the store.  Nine out of ten business telephones are answered by a service, where most of your queries can be answered by a cool, clipped recorded voice which directs you to the appropriate voice mailbox.  Society texts and e-mails so prolifically that when faced with an actual in the flesh conversation the average person trips over their own words or lapses into painful silence. 

 

It seems that modern day “amenities” are destroying our human interconnection.  All the most basic, personal daily encounters have been replaced by machinery and we are losing our ability to interrelate with the living and breathing.  

 

Psychologists will tell you that we all need human contact to live balanced lives.  Yet we continue to isolate ourselves in sterile environments by distancing ourselves from strangers.

 

A “stranger” is defined as a person with whom one has no personal acquaintance.

 

The important word therein is person.  Every stranger is a person; someone with feelings, someone’s son or daughter, someone’s brother or sister, father or mother, lover, husband or wife.  They each have their own joys and sorrows, each is deserving of respect.  Each is deserving of love.  Each is part of the Universal Divine, regardless of who they are and the choices that they have made…

 

Remember that each of the loved ones in your life, those people that you respect and care for were once merely a person with whom you had no personal acquaintance.  Next time you encounter a stranger, remember that they are a person.  Then take a deep breath, reach out to human kind, and make a connection…

Herbed Vinegars

Take a decent quantity your favorite fresh herbs and add to a measure of good quality vinegar.  Ok, I know that is pretty unspecific, but this isn’t rocket science.  The more herbs you add, the stronger the flavor of the finished product.  Store out of direct sunlight and in a cool place for a few weeks - again the longer you let it sit, the stronger the flavor, but no more than a month.  IMPORTANT! Make sure you use an all glass container as vinegar will react with metal and plastics can leach.

When done, strain out the herbs and enjoy! It should last as long as plain vinegar in the same storage conditions. 

I’m currently trying chive blossoms in white vinegar and would like to try other combinations as well.  I was thinking of trying apple cider vinegar and sliced ginger root…. yum! The chive blossoms are turning the vinegar a fabulous color!

Thanks to Maria Noel Groves of Wintergreen Botanicals LLC for showing us how to make this!

Chive Blossoms & White Vinegar - what a color!

Equilibrium of Life

Last night was fraught with conflicting emotion. 

 

My geriatric cat, Madeline, never came home. I am almost invariably greeted, albeit reservedly, by the portly grey fuzz-ball upon coming home from work.  I am not sure if it is because she essentially missed me during the day, or if she is waiting to remind me that it is past time for her supper, and could you hurry it up a bit, thank you very much. Come to think of it, in the past two years since we brought her down to the house from the farm, she’s never once missed a meal. 

 

My tenuous expectation is that she is gone.  Mind you, if she is, it is not a surprise.  She is over 20 years old and we brought her down to the house so that she could live out her remaining time in relative comfort, without having to deal with the pecking order and scrabbling of farm life.  She’s been reveling in the lap of luxury and has turned into an archetypical gumbie cat.  (See T.S. Elliot’s The Old Gumbie Cat.) 

 

If she has passed, it is a natural part of life and I am glad that we were able to provide comfort and companionship in her last few years. Needless to say, I would at least like to know.  Every time Duff came through the cat flap last night I looked up to see if it was Madeline. I got up out of bed twice because the porch motion light went on… nothing was there…

 

 

On a more joyful note…

 

Duff, Glenn’s cat is not much of a hunter.  Every once in a while Glenn will shame her into bringing home some sort of catch.  (I actually caught him asking her the other day why she does not “provide” for him!) Usually she brings home a grasshopper or cabbage moth. She seems enthralled with bugs.

 

Last night she came in, proud as a peacock with her quarterly offering.  Much larger than her usual catch but recognizing that the color was odd, I thought she had a piece of fabric or trash, until Glenn leapt up with an “oh, kitty, let me have that!”

 

 

Lunar moth! Amazingly beautiful, it fluttered apoplectically for a bit before settling in Glenn’s hands for a quick picture.  She was truly miraculous to see – enormous, vivid and a bit mysterious.  I took her out to the forsythia bush and released her – I’m hoping that the cat did not injure her too much.  It is still early for lunar moths; we expect that she hadn’t been out of the chrysalis for more than 24 hours. I looked, but there was no trace of her this morning, gone like a fleeting dream… 

 

But it was a beautiful reminder of the balance of Nature.  Life and death, light and dark, elation and grief; they are all integral to the cycle of life. I find it interesting because that equilibrium has been on the brain a lot lately.  Glenn & I have been writing the Midsummer ritual for the Concord UU’s Earth Centered Spirituality Group and we are definitely playing up the battle of the Oak King (representing the waxing, sunlight half of the year) and the Holly King (representing the waning, shadowed half of the year)….

 

Despite the fact that I accept the cycle, (and even revel in it as one of the most basic precepts of my spirituality) there is definitely a piece of me that wishes my kitty would just come home…

Becoming a Daily Spiritual Practitioner

Looking around, I find that a lot of the practicing Pagans that I know celebrate ritual a mere 8 times a year.  When a Sabbat comes around candles and incense are lit, circles are cast and chants are mumbled most solemnly.  A smaller group of practitioners also turn out for Esbats, some for Full Moons 13 times a year, and those that could be considered more “die hard” that hold ritual on the 13 New Moons as well.  This means that people are celebrating the divine 8 or 21 or 34 times a year. 

 

I wonder how others view this, for in my mind it is not spiritually fulfilling to connect to the Earth only a handful of times a year. My belief has always been that there is divinity in all things; hence my goal is to find a way to commune daily with my sacred path. How does one go about becoming a daily spiritual practitioner without creating some sort of every day ritual that runs the risk of becoming both routine and mundane?

 

I expect that the conduit to daily spirituality need not be full of complex mantras, smudging and energy intensive circle casting. The idea in and of itself is both daunting and exhausting. When I think of the amount of self, careful thought and deliberate energy that I put into merely creating Esbat or Sabbat rituals, I recognize that it is impossible to expect the same for a daily communion.  (Not to mention the energy required to perform said ceremonies!)

 

I am aware that simple is that way to go. However, I also feel that variety is indispensable. I remember as a kid at Catholic school each morning we recited, in perfect angelic unison the Lord’s Prayer. Pounded repeatedly into my head, I still remember the words… Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name… In Catholicism, this is supposed to be the most profound expression of devotion.  Yet after delivering the prayer morning after morning, the words soon lost their meaning to me. The risk of losing significance to repetition is very real and I refuse to fall into that pitfall.

 

Lately I have been trying to make time each day to “say hello” to the divine and ground myself. I create for myself a moment of timelessness and let my heart say whatever it needs to (thereby escaping the danger of meaningless rote prayers). It is a little hard to explain, but I allow myself to slip between, and in that space it is easy to allow the commonplace to slide away. I have no routine, no special time of day or specific place, those things are unimportant… usually I just know that now is the time.

 

Needless to say, I am finding that this daily interaction is becoming a critical part of my existence. It is so meaningful to me, that I wonder if those other Pagans who practice only a few times a year are doing it as well.  Perhaps they do not define this type of spiritual union as “ritual.” I however, do. Ritual does not have to be so specifically defined with circles and quarter calls. Once again in the Pagan theology things are defined by intent.

 

My intent is daily joy and meaning. What’s yours?

I Heart New England

We are entering the last weekend in May. There is a distinct buzz of life as Spring unfolds most majestically in New England. New growth prevails to the point that even the air looks green. The heavy scent of lilac perfumes the air, the crab apples are diaphanous clouds of cotton candy blossoms, and the treetops are finally whispering to each other as the breeze rustles full leaf canopies. Everywhere I look, gardens are a riot of color – blue hyacinths, cheery yellow daffodils, and proud tulips in every color under the sun.

 

My garden has reseeded itself in perfect reminder of harmonious, natural cycles, unimpeded by man.  There is enough lettuce coming up that I do not have to make a spring planting; Red Leaf and crisp May Queen are several inches tall and thriving. There is dill and cilantro making a presence as well, and the perennials (thyme, chive and lemon balm) are nearing harvestable size.

 

In the greenhouse life is flourishing as well. The snow peas absolutely have to be in the ground this weekend as some of the plants are a towering 5 inches tall. The broccoli and cauliflower are standing proud and barely indistinguishable from blades of new grass, the onions are flourishing and sets should be ready to plant in the ground within a week or so. Even more exciting, all the melons have sprouted (in MAY no less) and hubby is ecstatic that his exotic Tiger melon is making a strong showing.

 

Yes, things are green and growing in New England.  However, aside from the philanthropic feeling of flourishing new life, there is still a bit of unpredictable, unstoppable Nature power being felt. We cannot be lulled by a false sense of benignity. Yesterday, an abrupt, violent wind storm toppled a strong, healthy maple tree just outside my office window.  The power of the gust was unfathomable and humbling. This morning, as I slipped into sandals and a T-shirt, I heard the report that the Mt. Washington access road (a mere 76 miles from my house) was closed due to snow!

 

Is it any wonder that I love New England? The true, breathtaking power of Nature is felt overwhelmingly here and it is easy to feel connected to the divinity of the Earth…  I for one am looking forward to spending a long and joyful weekend, barefooted and dirty, reconnecting to the world around me!

 

Joyous Beltaine

Despite the snowflakes I saw yesterday afternoon, Beltaine is a time of emerging life and fertility.  The world around us is covered over in a veil of green and all around us new beginnings are taking root.  Most of us think of Beltaine as a time where the Divine touches the world waking the plants and quickening the womb.  Everywhere we look the trees are putting forth little green buds, the bravest flowers are poking through our sleepy gardens, the birds are courting and life is a buzz with prolific energy.

However, I believe we should recognize that there is more to it than that. This is also the season of new beginnings that are somewhat less tangible.  Blessed be those that are starting some great new adventure.  Sacred are the burgeoning ideas and fledgling plans.  Hallowed be the new relationships -unprecedented friendshipsand tentative romance.

Hence it is not merely the glory of new life that we celebrate today, but we can focus on the new and revel in change.  For what is growth, but change? Spring is a dramatic metamorphosis from Winter; and every first timer will tell you that becoming a parent is the most drastic, amazing transformation one can experience.

Hold your hands out in front of you.  Perhaps your thumbs are not green and there are no dirty diapers in your foreseeable future, but that does not mean that Beltaine is not for you. What you see in front of you are the vehicle of change - take a chance today and grab onto change and celebrate this season of New! 

Joyous Beltaine to you all…

Green & Growing

The birds are enthusiastically twittering, the sun is casting golden puddles of warmth, and spring has well and truly begun.  Despite the fact that there are still isolated mounds of grubby snow and ice, I am in full-dirt-under-the-fingernails-garden-mode and itching to get things green and growing.  The potted Acidanthera in my windowsill just isn’t cutting it; for some reason I’ve never quite felt connected to potted plants.  Perhaps the container interferes with the direct-contact energy of sitting on the earth and feeling the rich dirt between my toes… (Yes, there is a reason that my toenails are polished dark burgundy for the entire summer!)

Glenn has been bringing home all sorts of fancy food service containers for starting seeds.  Not only are they conveniently sized and free (30-pack eggs cartons and 2-dozen muffin trays), they are also spared from taking up space in our local landfill.  He’s also helped me set up the “greenhouse” with shelves and heat.  A truly Yankee contraption, it consists of Glenn’s Dad’s partially translucent fiberglass bob-house, some rolling wire racks, a card table and a propane heater.  Not terribly fancy, but it satisfies my need and again, costs me no more than the propane used to heat it on the few frosty nights we have left.

 

This morning I started all the tomatoes (30 plants, 5 varieties), the hot peppers (18 plants), some lettuce so we can have spring greens (30 plants), and a tray and a half of the Sugar Ann snap peas (42 plants).  Happy growing little seeds!

 

Following is my list of seeds for this year.  Hope you’re hungry!

 

 

HERBS: Dill, Creeping Thyme, Horehound, English Sorrel, Summer Savory, Marjoram Max, Broad Leaf Sage, Dark Purple Opal Basil, Oregano Vulgare, Genovese Basil

 

TOMATOES: Rutger, Prize of the Trials Cherry, Green Zebra, Sub-Arctic Plenty Red, Millionaire Pink

 

ROOT VEG:  Chioggia (Bassano) Beet, Bulls Blood Beet, Golden Beet, St. Valery Carrot, Chantenay Red Core Carrot, Laurentian Rutabega, Easter Egg Radishes, Early Scarlet Globe Radish, Chinese Red Meat Radish

 

SQUASHES: Yellow Scallop Squash, Table Queen Bush Winter Squash, Small Sugar Pumpkin, Butternut Waltham Winter Squash

 

LEAFY VEG: 5 Color Silverbeet Swiss Chard, Red Wing Lettuce Mix, Thai Red Roselle, Para Cress, Tendercrisp Celery, Carentan Leek

 

PEAS & BEANS: Roma II Bush Beans, Sugar Ann Snap Peas (Bush), Golden Sweet Snow Peas (Fall)

 

MELONS: Tiger Asian, Thayer American, Delicious 51 American

 

CUKES: Marketmore 76 Cucumber (Bush), Suyo Long Cucmber

 

ONIONS & PEPPERS: Chrimson Forest Bunching Onions, Siskiyou Sweet Onion,

Tokyo Long White Bunching Onion, Chinese Five-Color Hot Pepper

 

MISC: Snowball Self Blanching Cauliflower, Early Purple Vienna Kohlrabi

 

Labyrinths

What is a Labyrinth?

 

So often confused by it’s popular cousin, the maze, the labyrinth is truly something else again. Walking a maze is a left-mind problem, designed to befuddle you with its intersecting paths and dead ends and requires logical, sequential, analytical activity to find the correct avenues.  A labyrinth, on the other hand, is a single path that leads you to center in a folding and curving direction and the return trip is back along the same path. It combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path. Traversing a labyrinth is a right-brain task that involves intuition, creativity, and imagery.  The oldest known documented labyrinth design is from Crete and dated to 3000 BCE, or about 5000 years old and innumerable cultures have utilized the design carved in rock, ceramics, clay tablets, mosaics, manuscripts, stone patterns, turf, hedges, and cathedral pavements, to name a few.

 

Common Types of Labyrinths

 

 

Classical 3 Circuit

Description: Created with a seed pattern of a cross and a dot in each quadrant, this labyrinth has three circuits

Examples: Cretan coins of circa 300 to 70 BCE

 

 

Classical 7 Circuit

Description: Created with a seed pattern of a cross, a right angle, and a dot in each quadrant, this labyrinth has seven circuits. This is often referred to by some as the Cretan Labyrinth.

Examples: Dalby, Rocky Valley, England

  

Roman Labyrinths

Definition: The majority of Roman labyrinths are developed from the simple classical labyrinths. Often square or circular and occasionally polygonal, these labyrinths are found as mosaics on the floors of Roman buildings.

 

Chartres Labyrinth

Description: The labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral and exact geometrical copies including lunations around the perimeter and petals in the goal may be called “Chartres.”

  

Labyrinth in Spirituality

 

The labyrinth is an ancient symbol that relates to wholeness.  It represents a journey to our own center and back again out into the world. Labyrinths have long been used as a meditation and prayer tool in a wide variety of theologies from Christianity to Paganism. It is a meditative path of prayer that is designed to bring you into awareness of your relationship with the Divine, of your wholeness; body, mind and spirit.

 

·         The walk in, towards center, becomes the symbolic path of purgation, of releasing, letting-go, quieting the mind and surrendering.

·         The center represents illumination, equilibrium, opening to the Divine

·         The return path is union or communion, strengthened from the journey and being granted the power to act within our community.

 

 

Labyrinth in Modern Medicine

Despite the labyrinth’s long history as a spiritual tool, it is only in relatively recent history that its benefits are being recognized by modern medical science.   Dr. Herbert Benson, president of the Mind/Body Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, has proven that focused walking meditations are highly efficient in reducing anxiety and eliciting what he calls the “relaxation response.” This effect has significant long-term health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, slowing breathing rates, reducing incidents of chronic pain, as well as reducing insomnia. He clearly documents that meditation slows breathing, heart, and metabolic rates, and lowers elevated blood pressure more effectively than drugs.

 

These authenticated health benefits have led many prominent health care facilities to install labyrinths on their grounds. Such meditative devices can be found at: Johns Hopkins Medical Center, Baltimore, MD.; Doylestown Hospital Health and Wellness Center, Warrington, PA.; Memorial Hospital, Salem County, N.J.; Whitman-Walker Clinic, Arlington, VA; Medical Center of Central Georgia, Macon, GA.; and Staten Island University Hospice, New York, N.Y., to name merely a few.

 

Walk a Labyrinth

 

Silverwolf Sanctuary

Belmont, NH
Grass Labyrinth; By appointment, weather permitting

Phone: 603.524.5410 silverwolfsanctuary@gmail.com

 

Or go online and locate a Labyrinth near you!

http://wwll.veriditas.labyrinthsociety.org/