Think how you feel when you walk into a forest, stand in a field of flowers, reach into the garden and pluck the vegetable out of the soil, tend your houseplant, eat your salad, use the herb for seasoning, eat the carrot, use the poultice on the bruise, give or receive a bouquet of flowers...the plant kingdom, sustainer of life and fragrance and beauty, we honor and celebrate you.
From the rainforests that provide oxygen, homes for an almost endless array of insect and animal life, food for cultures, timber for homes, musical instruments, furniture, carvings, warmth...
To the deciduous forests that provide the playground for the senses, unparalleled color and showy seasonal splendor, shade on a sunny day, branches to climb, timber for building and creating, sap for aromatherapy and pancakes, an orchestra for wind, a refuge for mushrooms, a haven for a wide and varied array of life...
To the mountain giants, the Sequoias, the redwoods, all the conifers that reach for the heavens and catch the snow, whistle in the wind, give themselves up for decks and siding and toys and furniture and firewood and particle board and dreamy fires in fire places, and hand drums and Pinewood Derby races and canoes...
To the desert plants and their unique adaptations to the weather and heat to provide shade and medicine and nourishment and stark beauty and landscape...
To the gardens so neatly lined and tended to feed the bodies of the masses, to blend as juice to heal and sustain us, seasoning food for the taste we deserve...
To the vegetation that chooses to live under water, providing sustenance and shelter to a mysterious conglomeration of aquatic species that may never be seen by human eyes...
To the tended plants of the house that provide oxygen, color, correct feng shui, inspiration, balance, and companionship...
On and on it goes. There is no more magical land than this kingdom, surely manufactured by the Gods themselves to make this Earth what it is, an oasis in space. Notice and appreciate and celebrate the plants this week...they are everywhere.
- Choose a section of the plant kingdom and spend time in it. Experience the beauty and the feel and the smells and textures. Express gratitude for each contact you make.
- Tour your home and make note of everything in it that has come from the plant kingdom. Be grateful. Express your gratitude, following all the steps that brought the item to your home.
- Instead of reciting a rote meal blessing, or doing none at all, really stop and bless what these plants have done to support your life and sustain your health. Really taste them with appreciation. Knowing the life force they bring you gives you energy, remember them when you are active.
- Choose organic when possible, not only because of its nutritional value, but also because of the farming practices that do not poison and deplete and brutalize the Earth. Get politically active against rainforest depletion, etc.
- Give yourself a beautiful bouquet of flowers in appreciation once a week. Nurture them with gratitude...they will last!
Taken from the E-
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