Gardening

Aging, Gardening and Memories

Happy Miraculous, Magickal, Mesmerising, Manifesting, Majestic Monday! How are you delicious lovely?

Do you feel the energy of Spring surging around you? For the last week we have had warm, glorious, sunshine filled days and it’s fascinating to watch how all of a sudden people emerge out of their homes. Cars are getting washed, lawn furniture is being brought out and dusted off and gardening is happening! (When I moved here two years ago I was advised by a local that gardening here is very “competitive”!) And having walked by homes where people are meticulously digging up their dandelions and daisies (which I think is daft), I can believe it!

So this got me to thinking. One of my passions is gardening and growing things, playing in the dirt and creating sacred spaces that feed the body, mind and soul. But where did this passion come from? Where did I learn to garden? My mother.

Now this is rather interesting for me as my mother and I have an “interesting” relationship. She doesn’t like me much (which she has shared with me multiple times over the years) and continually points out that I am the “Black Sheep” (thank goodness) of the family and to be honest aging hasn’t helped with the process. If anything it has removed even more filters so her sharp tongue feels free to express.

Yet I am the one that she phones when she needs something. I am the one that put my life on hold for 5 months to help her after she had a brain injury. Why? Because she’s my mother and she also knows that I will always step up and help. Don’t get me wrong I’m not complaining. I’ve done a lot of work with the mother/daughter wound thing and can appreciate her for exactly who she is.

So a month or so ago, as I was starting a bunch of seeds in doors, it occurred to me that she might like to go on an “outing” to somewhere flat (as she is 93) and she loves plants and flowers and this way she could see the plants that are in full bloom and be reminded of Spring. The first outing wasn’t so fun, even though I had packed a thermos of tea and chocolate hobnobs! The second outing was much more fun as I took her to Beacon Hill and she could slowly walk amongst all the flowers and watch the peacocks parade by. However, what I noticed was when I would ask what a certain plant was she would get incredibly frustrated as she couldn’t remember. This was rather a shock for me as this was a woman who knew the name of every plant, both Latin and common and would often only tell you the Latin name so that you had to do the work of looking it up.

The third outing was this week and I took her to another lovely garden where she used to volunteer. I noticed her walking was much slower and she would gaze at a plant for quite a while and then look at me with a sense of helplessness and ask me if I knew what it was called as she couldn’t quite place it at the moment. This incredibly strong woman was gently fading in front of my eyes. After a wee while we found a lovely bench amidst a plethora of plants where she relaxed and could just breathe in the colours and the smells and not have to pretend anymore.

Before dropping her off we stopped at a local store as I wanted to grab a few plants that could go in pots for her (as she has a massive balcony and loves to have her planters filled). And also because plants are a talisman for her. On her balcony she has a large witch hazel that my sister gave her, the year before she died, that she treasures and talks about at every opportunity.

However, after I dropped her off there was a weird sense of melancholy, a sadness and also an honouring of the aging process. To see a woman who would spend all day in the garden planting and planning, as it was her sacred space and ritual for her, to now just gaze intently at a plant that she could see in her mind’s eye, remember planting at some point in time, but not remember what it was called and to be so frustrated with that; made me have a swirl of feelings.

Yet interestingly enough she phoned and said how much she enjoyed the outings and the time to just gaze, remember and to see the profusion of colour everywhere. Who was this woman? As my mother never used to acknowledge any help or support I would give her.

This all reminded me of the quote:-

Never underestimate the healing power of a quiet moment in a garden.

Have to say in my opinion Aging is not for the weak. As these outings have shown me that even when you have been strong all your life, to show your vulnerability takes much more strength.

Okay, enough chuntering on, let’s crack on with the reading. When I went to the cards and asked who wanted to come support and guide this week I was intrigued to see The Isis Oracle were adamant.

Have you ever asked who Isis is? Goddess of the Skies, Magick and Wisdom are just a few of the titles she is given. Let me take a moment to introduce you to this lovely deck – “You are a powerful Soul and you are awakening. Your thoughts, feelings and inner world is changing, and so too is your outer world. When a Soul is growing in power and strength, it can benefit from guidance to help make the path into a new way of being in the world that much easier. Isis offers Her wisdom and guidance to you to assist you at this time of spiritual growth and transition. She loves you, and wants you to shine and be your radiant self, filled with power and wisdom.” The perfect guides for this glorious time.

So let’s take a moment to just drop in. To breathe ourselves back into our bodies and come into the present moment. I invite you to see in your mind’s eye all the vulnerabilities that you don’t share. Just let them swirl there with no judgment, no labelling. Just breathe. Then when you are ready, pick the card or cards that tug at those vulnerabilities.

Did you remember to pick?

Let’s go have a look shall we?

TALISMANS OF POTENCY

Charging Sacred Objects of Power

Sacred Tools and Objects can become an extension of your energy field, focusing your power and intention, helping you heal the split between spirit and matter, and learning to bring physical matter more deeply into light and life. You are encouraged to work with sacred materials in a conscious way to help your own healing and enjoyment of the material world as part of your spiritual practice. Your love for the physical world of matter is a gift to the earth too.

You are guided to cleanse and charge sacred objects to empower your energy field and accomplish your spiritual mission now. These objects might be a wand, a chalice or sword, a bowl or even a special rock that you love, a statue, cloth with a beautiful design, a crystal , shell or feather you found ‘waiting for you’ whilst out in nature one day. If finding a gift in nature, it is wise to ask the spirit of the Earth if the item in question is intended for your healing work and if you feel it is, then of course, receive it with gratitude. If not, bless it and move on.

Objects become talismans when they are cleansed, dedicated and charged with sacred intent. This is consecration, or the rendering of something into sacredness. Talismans are a way to enjoy a spiritual relationship with the material world. It is not a matter of not being able to work without them, but more of enjoyment and beauty of working with the material world in a spiritual way. This is also a way to heal any difficult relationship that you may have had with your mother, your body, eating and food, or with financial or physical security. It can also include difficulties in bringing your ideas into physical form, living your path in a practical and material way and any other issues that stem from a wounded relationship to matter, somehow seeing it as less than spirit. What wonderful and varied healing effects talismans can bring to us! It all starts with the honouring of light in matter, the sacredness of the material world.

If you have an object in your space that you have been thinking of cleansing, perhaps a crystal or a piece of jewellery, please do so using breath, salt, moonlight or sound, as you so choose.

Remember that objects in the material world hold vibrations too. Cleansing with love and intention to dissipate negative energy is a way to care for the material world, helping awaken the light within it and within you.

MAGICK AND RITUAL

Crafting Sacred Practice

Effect in the external world can be created through inner practice. Magick and Ritual can support your Divine Path now in the physical world and you are encouraged to enhance your power with regular practice. The results that you experience will encourage you to continue with the practice as you grow in power, grace, love, ability and wisdom, and apply your inner beauty to transform your outer world.

For us to grow empowered and potent on the Path of Ancient Feminine Power we need to honour our knowing and being and cultivate sacred practice. Sacred practice becomes the habit of growing our spiritual power and consciousness. Like a garden needing regular care and watering to blossom and flourish, our inner garden of the Soul, where our creativity, joy, spiritual gifts and bliss bubble away, also needs regular attention. Coming to our practice takes strength and inner will – even though it can feel amazing, we still have to wake up, set aside time and discipline ourselves to show up for our own inner growth. We will reap the benefits when we do, but we must allow ourselves to fall in love with our practice, to craft something that really speaks to us, so that we want to do it. The desire and the discipline together help us engage with our practice regularly and we can grow so fast it can be quite shocking!

You have great power and wisdom within you, but you need to provide channels for it to flow and be active and empowered in your physical life. Sacred Practice is such a channel. Without these channels, the ego is left to create on its own which is not much fun at all! The ego believes in fear and separation and no matter how much it may want to feel love, bliss, connection, joy and fulfilment, it really cannot do it without your spiritual presence in life. Ritual and Magick, as a form of sacred practice, are recommended for you as a way to bring more spiritual presence into your waking life, to heal and support the ego as you learn to create a life that feels better and brings you and others more fulfilment.

LIFE RESTORED

Priestess of the Phoenix

Spiritual resurrection is gifted to you now. Whatever part of you or your life you thought to be dead is being revived and will flourish back into life. Just as the Phoenix rises from the fire, transitioning from death, into life, so too will you rise again, healed and renewed.

Any trauma, ending, struggle or apparent defeat is not the end of the story for you now. What may appear to be an ending can sometimes simply be the forces of Ancient Feminine Power flowing into new pathways, pulling energy away from old forms so that they can transition into new forms. This can take short or long periods of time. It could be over days or years, weeks, months, decades. It doesn’t matter how long something appears to have been decaying, it will spring back into life at the right time.

Just as the River Nile subtly adjusts its course over time, so too will the River of Light that flows through you, filling you with life force and Divine Energy, move with innate wisdom. You can trust what is happening for you now. Something important to you is coming back to life. It might even feel like you are coming back to life after a period of increasing emotional numbness, physical or psychological struggle or spiritual disillusionment. It might also be a lifestyle, practice, business or relationship – new or old – that is coming to life now.

You are guided by Divine Priestess of the Phoenix, Sister Isis, to turn your face to the Sun. Just as the Sacred Scarab Beetle follows the movement of the Sun, you are encouraged to focus on the light and life that is seeking you now. Do not resign yourself to the way things have been. Let go of the past! Have hope and optimism. The past is over. Enjoy your rebirth.

Wow, amazing messages to remind us to turn our face to the sun, celebrate life, embrace sacred practice and spend time with our talismans – whether they be plants, animals, rocks or whatever. Have a stupendous week gorgeous one. Take the time to put your hands in the dirt, even if it’s only a small pot in the kitchen. Plant a seed and celebrate your life and this moment. As this is the only one you have. Big hugs and squeezes.

Junkos, Tantrum Cookies and Beltane just around the corner! April 23rd weekly reading

Jenny Heston · 2:00 pm ·

Happy fantabulous Monday delicious one? How are you? How has your week been? I most certainly hope that you took the opportunity to do something fun and get outside into nature. I was sooo thrilled that the weather is finally becoming more Spring like and that I was able to do this reading outside! Whoot, whoot. That made me exceptionally happy. Also the fact that Beltane (May Day) is approaching is stupendous!! However, we will talk more about that next week.

It’s been a rather “interesting” week with lots of “opportunities for growth”, as I call them. In other words my darling teens have been delightfully challenging. In fact on Thursday I decided to whip up some cookies as I was leading a group of women in business growth and strategies the next morning and holy hannah my 18 year old boy must have been bathing in the “entitlement” fountain and drank too much “how foul can I be”, soda. So there are I am with one bowl of dry ingredients ready to go and one of the wet and he’s beaking away and I just thought – if I stay here there might be a likelihood that I will start hooking into this and probably rip him a new arsehole. So I bundled up my bowls, stormed over to a friends and baked the cookies there lolol. Thus, when I was running my group the next morning and one of the women asked what type of cookies they were my response was “Temper tantrum cookies, so some may taste great and others may have got the majority of the salt.” Lol.

On Saturday I bounded out of bed with the intent of a huge hike up the mountainside, through the woods and playing by the rushing streams (as the snow pack is just beginning to melt). So I loaded up the hounds and off we went, I think we had managed to get about 1km up the mountainside when within minutes the sky went black, there was a huge clap of thunder immediately followed by horizontal rain, which rapidly turned into hail and then snow! WTF! When a huge tree limb broke off and fell within an inch of the dog I figured it was far smarter to turn tail and run for the truck! It was just wild and the dogs were only too eager to get away from the bolts of lightning and the hail.

By about lunchtime the weather had cleared up and so I went out into the garden and looked around and there was a huge feeling of overwhelm. Do you ever get that, where there seems to be so much to do and you wonder how it’s all going to get done? This was were I wanted to turn tail and run as my rebellious teen was kicking up and wanting to go do something more interesting, but instead I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and made a list of all the things that had to happen from raking, to digging, to pruning – you name it, ll of it went on the list. Great, I now had a detailed list, and now what? Well I cranked the music, donned a pair of gloves and just started with one small thing and then another and within about 4 hours my garden and outside space looked spectacular and I felt a delicious sense of grubby (and believe me I was) contentment, as I love to hang out outside when I can.

I think the birds and animals appreciated the effort that had occurred as on Sunday when I was sitting out with my cuppa tea and just breathing in the beauty and the sense of quiet I looked around and there must have been 40 – 50 fat little Junkos hopping all over the lawn and in the garden beds and there were 2 fat squirrels that were frolicking at the feeder. Ahhhh, life is good and I was offered many glorious reminders to let go of how I perceive things should be and not to hook into overwhelm and negativity.

Thus, it was no surprise to me that the deck that insisted on doing this weeks reading is The Faery Forest Oracle. The dedication for this deck is as follows:- “May the wild green world and the wondrous beings of this Faery Forest heal us, inspire us and urge us all to become more who we truly are meant to be.“ The crystals that wiggled and jiggled to grab my attention are Amethyst, Apatite and Moonstone.

Let’s get still and present. If you need more support with that there is a delightful visualisation to help you.

Otherwise rub your hands vigorously together and generate some heat between your palms. Cup your hands over your eyes and allow the heat to seep into your face relaxing all those tiny facial muscles and just breathe long and deep in through your nose and out through your mouth. Then when you feel ready gently remove your hands open your eyes and pick the card or cards that resonate for you.

Let’s go pick shall we?

Ready to have a look?

THE MERCIFUL ONE

There is a time to hold on and to endure – and there is a time to open our hands and let the soul fly free. You may be remembering that death is a sacred rite, and be learning about the nature of the physical transition that is taking place. Death is a huge taboo in modern culture, yet it is a path that is sacred and walked by all of us fortunate to have lived.

So the Merciful One comes forward with love, respect and compassion to ask you to hold the space for those who are departing, and to allow yourself to let go, either of your own self, an outdated belief, a relationship that no longer serves, or of another being who is readying themselves to return to the Otherworld.

This is the card of deep, sacred change, from one stage to another, one form to another, but most truly at its heart, it is the card of letting go, and the great mercy that this letting go brings to those of us in pain, and unable to stay as we are. The Merciful One lifts pain, makes passing easy, ensures we are surrounded by loved ones, supported and held, and respects the great moment that this is. Know now that a death of a kind is coming, and the Merciful One wishes the letting go to be dignified and sacred. So let go, and let an ending continue with beauty, dignity, and mercy.

THE GREEN WITCH

When you are pure of heart, the whole world is full of potential. And this is the message from this innocent Green Witch to you. She is green as in the fresh new shoot from the seed pushing urgently towards the sun. She is green and connected to the earth, flowing with the cycles of Nature. She is green in that she looks as much to the natural world for company, friendship, and fulfillment as you currently do to fellow humans.

She is your reminder to begin to reconnect to the wild green world, to the faery forests all about you – to go back to a place where you empty yourself of expectations and stories and knowledge and just admit that in some circumstances and at some times, you are as a babe. You are newborn, and in that moment of unknowing-ness, and of admitting and embracing your own powers of renewal, you can finally learn what it is you are here to learn.

Be not so certain, or so experienced when The Green Witch comes to you. Be new. Be fresh. Be unwise, be unknowing. Be innocent. And then the new cycle can truly begin.

THE TRICKSTER

Let me be a reminder to be true to yourself, to your own personal truths, to the code within your soul. Truly, at this time it is essential for you to let your conscience be your guide, and to live according to your own creed, with open eyes. Do not fool yourself into believing another person’s vision and ideas are more important than your own – question agendas, and be aware of people’s history. For at this time, there is one about you who is attempting to persuade you to their cause, to join them in what they see is a great task, but which in truth is simply a harnessing of your power to their agenda, which is not for your highest good.

All tricksters are charming and know exactly what to say to persuade you – but this is mere language. Their deeds will not match their words, and what you are agreeing to by joining with them will be a loss of your own personal dreams for the furthering of theirs. If you allow yourself to be coerced, cajoled, and manipulated at this time, it will weigh heavily on your very soul.

Be more wary than is natural for you at this time. Do not betray yourself, or ignore the warning signs, which are all about you. Do not foolishly give away your power, but exercise it, and weave a future that is truly the one you wish to create – one, which will provide you with honour, plenty, and the satisfaction of having been true to yourself.

Well that is most interesting, all the cards are to do with letting go, being true to yourself and starting new cycles – all of which are so appropriate for the onset of Spring and Beltane just around the corner! So delicious one wishing you a gorgeous week of release, being willing to try new things and a reminder to be gentle with yourself when having to deal with ridonculous people or situations. Also, I would like to say a huge thank you for all the amazing emails, sharing of stories and feedback, I really, really love receiving them. See you next week!

10 Lessons from the Garden.

Jenny Heston · 4:32 pm ·

I hated gardening as a kid. Hated it with a passion. I would be given a tiny square of the garden and a plethora of seeds and advised heavily on how to plant them, what they needed etc. Daily I would be told to go water them and tend them – urrrghhh. Why did my parents hate me so much!!! Then the weeds came and I would be forced to go pull them out. I didn’t want to as I didn’t want to be there, I had friends to play with, stuff to do and meh! So the weeds would take over the radishes, nasturtiums or whatever I had planted and I was totally okay with that..

Interestingly enough when I became a mumma, as my kids hit about 3 I would encourage them to come out to the garden, play in the dirt, eat worms, plant something. Some most certainly came and played and others resisted highly, so I didn’t push it. I would throw manure, dirt, straw and compost into a bed and some of the kids would dive in and swim in it all and mix it up for me. Others would run screaming back into the house!

As an adult I love to garden. I love to grow our own food so we always have a massive veggie garden wherever we go. We have certain flowers that we really enjoy looking at and their scent fills the air when we are sitting outside and eating dinner, and having a fresh herb garden to enhance my cooking (did I say cooking is not my forte?) – hells to the yes!

Dirt is soothing. When stressed – playing in the dirt and tending a garden helps to reconnect you back to your body, pulls you out of your head and connects you to the the glorious mother earth. In a study in the Netherlands (as reported by CNN), two groups of students were told to either read indoors or garden for thirty minutes AFTER completing a stressful task. The group that gardened reported being in a better mood than the group that read. And they also exhibited lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.

Plants don’t judge! Sometimes we need to share our fears, stories, embarrassments or hopes and desires with someone, just to unpack them and say them outloud. Make sure you pick someone who can really hear you, honour you and not ridicule you. If you don’t have someone safe to do that with talk to the plants.

Deadhead. When the flowers are done, it’s important to either trim them back or just remove their heads. This in turn tidies up the garden and allows for some varieties of flowers to rebloom. This is like de-cluttering your space. If your home, office, studio are in chaos then your mind is often in chaos, you can’t find things, you open the door and get overwhelmed by the mess (so you quickly close the door). Tidying your space and putting things where they are meant to be as well as getting rid of the things that you don’t use any more creates huge physical, emotional and mental space for new and vibrant things to come in.

Weeds. They creep in and if you ignore them they take over everything choking out the flowers, the tomatoes, wrapping themselves up the corn stalks, and where you thought you were going to have beans – you just have weeds! This is like stinky thinking. If you don’t pay attention to your thoughts and limiting beliefs and weed them out regularly with mindful practices your mind can become like a weed choked garden – green, but not productive, and not very pretty!

Sometimes a plant needs to be moved as it isn’t thriving and growing, due to lack of light or nutrients in the the soil, or it’s getting crowded out by something else. This is the same with relationships, some are nourishing and some aren’t and for your own well being sometimes you just need to smile, say thanks and move on to where you can thrive and grow.

If you have a single fruit tree, bees help. They don’t care where the tree is, their job is to pollinate and this in turn serves by helping that tree produce fruit. You may feel that you are all on your own, but in reality if you stepped out the door and went and volunteered somewhere, or went and helped someone else you would find that you are fully supported and can produce fruit from your time and labour. Be the Bee!

The weather can do a lot to help plants grow, but plants also need love, attention, nutrition and fertiliser. Like humans! We need healthy food, water, love, attention, activities that nourish us, and a spiritual practice that feed us. With these things we flourish, bloom and grow in extraordinary ways.

So you planted a seed, what’s the first thing to come up? Dirt! Dirt gets pushed up and out of the way as the sprout grows and reaches toward the sun. This is the same as when we implement something new in our lives, whether it is a mindset change, a new way of eating, going to the gym, trying something new, releasing an old habit – you name it. The Ego kicks up front and centre and will try to convince you this is a dumb idea, but if you just see it as the dirt coming up before that lovely new habit pushes through and throws down strong roots, you are all good.

There are always bugs, one moment you are sitting in your garden feeling very zen and happy and then something flies into your ear or up your nose – don’t freak out (though a bug up the nose is very annoying) – just remove it and carry on. Don’t make that “5 minutes of bug up the nose” an all day event, or an excuse. Someone says something critical or rude to you – pick it out of your nose and let it go. Don’t spend the whole day obsessing about it and wallowing in the things you could have said, what did they mean exactly etc. etc.

Creating a gorgeous garden can take longer than you think – don’t judge it, map it out, stay focused, give it attention, be patient and slowly do it. Like life. If you want to be a top athlete, play the bagpipes, be a world renowned speaker, it takes time, attention and patience. But the daily results and the masterpiece are so frigging worth it.

Happy Gardening.

Gardening

Never underestimate the healing power of a quiet moment in a garden.

jennyheston

Release Anxiety And Claim Your Power