The Garden

This past week I found myself spending more time than usual in our garden.  I actually know nothing about gardening, but the house we’re now living in has a large property which has been neglected for too many years.  The electric chainsaw, in the capable hands of my husband Alberto, has gotten quite the workout in cutting down branches and trimming trees. 

While there’s still a lot of work to be done, the thorn in my side has been the “garden” in front of the house – a crawling vine that has taken over the entire space, allowing only weeds and dandelions to peek through, and the dead trunk of some bush that was cut down but whose roots were never removed.  In the winter, under the cover of snow, it was easy to ignore.  But now in the full bloom of spring, and having to look at it every time I walked into and out of my home, I had to do something.

With the best intentions, my father came over one day and mowed down the vine. It looked better but I knew the roots were still there.  Same for the bush.  He hacked away at it and made it smaller but the job wasn’t done.  It was then that my personality came through.  I spent the day turning over the soil and pulling out the weeds from their roots.  The deeper the root system, the more satisfying was its removal.  

The bush was more challenging. I couldn’t go under it. I needed to dig around it and remove the soil to expose the root.  Brute force didn’t work.  So as I contemplated the bush during a break, I realized that I needed help.  I was tempted to call Alberto and the chain saw, but then decided to ask for the help of the invisible friends that I felt populated our garden. I guess you could call them nature spirits, fairies, elves. The name didn’t matter so much as the realization that they played a part in the growth and maintenance of all plant life, and so can help in their removal.

I stood in front of the bush, my back to the street so the neighbours wouldn’t think I was crazy.  I thanked the bush for providing shelter, nutrients and beauty to this space year after year without fail.  I actually felt appreciation for its many qualities.  I then asked its permission to remove it, with the help of the nature spirits, so that new life may grow there.  I’m not sure where the idea came from, most likely from the books on native teachings I’ve read.  When I returned to dig, I seemed to get under the root with more ease.  With a little more effort, I removed the bush.

I learned two things that day.  First, getting to the root of any negative experiences or emotions in my life is important to me.  There are teachings that favour not thinking about the negative, and focusing attention instead on the positive aspects or the desired outcome.  I wish I could do that.  My mind can’t overcome my emotions.  I need to understand why I feel the way I feel and make peace with it.  Once I’ve gotten to the root of the problem, then I can clean it up and plant new seeds that I wish to see grow.

Second, in this age of the Law of Attraction, where we are taught that we are 100% responsible for all that occurs in our lives, it reassures me to know that I’m not alone in my spiritual journey. I know I am surrounded by angels, guides who are there to nudge me in the direction of my highest choices. And what are those highest choices? The ones that bring me joy and peace, the ones that come from the heart.  I often forget that, and so in my times of confusion, I try to be still and will pull out an angel card from a deck that I own, or randomly grab any book and open it to a page.  What I most receive is clarity, and from there I am able to make a decision.     

Just before sending you this message, I pulled an angel card because I wasn’t sure about the gardening theme.  I pulled out the Archangel Gabriel who, among many things, is the Archangel of resurrection, the one who brings life to that which appears dead, just as nature does each spring. 

Much light to all,

Mony

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