This is a Fairy Slipper Orchid (Calypso bulbosa), also known as a Calypso Orchid, or a Venus Slipper Orchid. It’s tiny:
They grow plentifully along the path I walk every day. They’ve been blooming since I started taking my walks, but I never get tired of looking at them.
They’re even beautiful when they begin to fade, growing more pale and translucent as they droop:
It is, apparently, the only species in its genus, but it is found all over the world. In spite of its expansive territory, however, its considered endangered or threatened. The primary reason for this status is that this tiny orchid is dependent on its relationship with a specific soil fungi. When dug up and transplanted, it dies. It is a creature of place, of partnership; tear it from its home and its other half, and it can’t survive.
Doing a bit of research on the Fairy Slipper, I came across this thought provoking piece by William R. Stimson, likening the orchid’s dependence on its fungal counterpart to our dependence on our connection with spirit. Funny that I found it, because I was thinking some similar thoughts as I read about the plant. Thinking about how connection is so essential, and how far wrong everything goes when we forget our connection to All That Is. Thinking that maybe its silly to believe that independence is anything but an illusion.
(Say hi to the wee little spider to the right of the blossom.) We are all dependent on something. The best we can do is to choose who, or what, we will depend on most.
This is a good thing, if you ask me. Beauty happens when we understand that we need each other.
I am completely and utterly enchanted. Look at this:
The exquisite curling shape, the soft fuzz of brown on pale green . . . gorgeous. But it gets better.
Look at the markings on these . . . like some sort of alien animal print.
And spirals! Those of you who are familiar with my artwork know how fascinated I am by spirals. And most of these fern shoots are coiled into soft, perfect little spirals. These, with their golden fuzz, once again seem almost animal. And I love the way they echo each others shape, formation unfurling, synchronized sprouting. Fascinating.
This one has almost finished uncoiling, and reminds me of a snake.
These are further along, the green bits unfolded halway up. Again, though, look at the elegant way they’ve arranged themselves; they are aware of each other, dancing together in sloooooooooooowwwwww motion.
So soft looking. And here you can begin to see, not only does the entire frond begin in a tight spiral, but each leaflet, too, coils in toward the spine; a spiral of spirals.
I think this one is a bracken fern. And it takes the spiral habit a step further. The entire frond is furled; each little leaflet is curled inward, and each part of each leaflet is also a spiral. (Someday I will actually learn all the correct terminology, so that I can write intelligently about the parts of plants. Really.) I can’t tell you how much of my walking time is spent staring at these little fern babies in awe. This is the kind of thing that makes my heart ache at how much of a miracle everything is.
And it helps me understand how we recognize the symbolism of spirals instinctively, how they have come to represent the cycles of birth, death, rebirth for so many of us. It makes sense, when you watch the world around you; each year, these same spirals unfold from the roots of the same plant, from the middle of last-years dead or faded leaves. Each year the same plant dies and is reborn in spiraling green.
Beautiful.
Here are some pictures of the trail I hike every day. These pictures were taken two weeks ago, and I’m amazed at how much the view has changed since I took them. The leaves are all larger now, and many of the trees that were still completely bare-branched then are starting to bud.
I can see the lake through the trees for much of the walk. This means, of course, that on sunny days my walk is often accompanied by the sounds of boat motors, shouted conversations about fishnets and bait, and sometimes by loud strains of country music. But on rainy days I hear the water slapping against the clay banks, and in some plays the odd glug and boom of the lake hurling itself in to hollows under the tree roots at water’s edge. And when there are storms at the coast, I hear the bagpipe-shrill voices of Seagulls, come inland to wait out the weather.
These woods aren’t very wild. The trails are tucked between the lake (which is really a very large man-made reservoir) and a road that loops around the lake in a big curve. Humanity is ever-present. This means two things; I really prefer wet weather, as I’m more likely to have the woods to myself, and, I’ve started carrying a plastic bag in my backpack so that I can pick up trash. But I’m finding plenty to fascinate me in this stretch of trails. I’m surprised at the variety of green things; I’ve found fringe cup, fairy slipper orchids, fairy bells, western meadow rue, sword ferns, maidenhair ferns, bracken ferns, trout lily’s, wild irises, candy tuft, miner’s lettuce, oregon grape, elderberry bushes, salmon berries, skunk cabbage, pacific waterleaf, osoberry, and all sorts of mosses and lichens and some mushrooms who I couldn’t begin to identify. Vine maples, big leaf maples, douglas firs, western red cedars, hazels, ash, oak, hawthorn, wild cherry, and some I don’t know yet. Every day I wish I was stronger, so I could walk further, spend more time bending over the plants out here to see what they do, then come home and find all their names.
This is, obviously, NOT the trail. This is a place where the woods close in tight around a tiny creek that flows out in to the lake, but I love the shape of it, and the way, this early in the year, you get the delicious contrasting greens; the almost-yellow of the just-emerging leaves and blossoms, then the richer leaf green of the forest floor, and then that wonderful deep forest green of the red cedars, plus those great olive and grey-green shades from all the mosses and lichens. There’s a place where the creek widens out in to the lake, and here the water looks dull turquoise, almost gray against the truer greens of the woods, but I can’t ever capture it with a photograph.
This is on the other side of the creek, moving deeper in to the trail. I’ve only explored about a fourth of the main trail, and some of the little side trails that meander off of it.
You might think it would get boring, walking this same trail every day. But so far it becomes more fascinating every day, rather than less. Every day the leaves are bigger; every day, something that was bare before has swelling buds or tiny leaves unfurling; every day the blossoms are bigger, or are fading, or changing color, or there are new blooms. Every day I notice something new that I missed the day before. And most days, I manage to walk just a little bit further, find myself that tiny bit stronger.
I’m trying to let the forest teach me patience. Trying to allow myself to get to know it one step, one leaf, one bloom at a time. Trying to allow my body to grow stronger one walk at a time. I’m not patient by nature; I want it all now. I want to know the name of everything, and how it grows, and I want to be able to walk all day, up hill and down, without every growing tired. But I walk here, every day, and I watch spring unfold at the perfect pace. The leaves are not in a hurry to stretch to fullness; the flowers are not in a hurry to open; the creek is not in a hurry to reach the lake; the trees are not in a hurry to reach the sky.
The chipmunks are another story; they are very, very impatient for me to leave, and they have no qualms about telling me so. I think I admire the trees more, and will try to listen to their slow, still advice, and not let the chipmunks hurry me on my way.
OOPS! I am SUCH a slacker! I can’t believe how long it’s been since my last post. Of course I’ve been neglecting most of my internet endeavors, except for Facebook. That’s because I can just post little bits on Facebook, and also stalk all the other people I like, in one convenient place. It’s great! I’m willing to accept the fact that I might be an unreliable blogger for a while. But for anyone who is still reading I thought I’d let everyone know I’m all right.
So, what has been keeping me away?
- Twilight. Yup. I’m addicted to the silly teenage vampire romance novels. Because I am a dork. I’ve read all four of the novels more than once in the past three weeks. Also, I loved the movie. I am a sick, sick woman. I think I may have figured out why I like them so much, finally. They are so melodramatic! And I have serious melodramatic tendencies. Which I spent several years trying to rein in because I got sick of being miserable. Only, come on, we all know there’s something deeply satisfying about drama, even though it sucks. The wonderful thing about realizing this through reading these books, is that it reminded me of how writing is also a wonderful channel for my dramatic tendencies. I HAVE to write, for my own mental health!
- Writing. Back at it again, working on a novel about the interaction of the spirit world and the human world right here in modern day Oregon’s Willamette Valley. I’m pretty excited about this one, and pretty obsessive. Maybe I’ll even edit this one, who knows? I’m having a great time. I have hours of beautiful solitude most days. I have a nice desk chair. I have a writing sound track. Life is beautiful.
- Walking. I’ve been walking every day, and my walks keep getting longer and longer, and I love it so much! I walk regardless of the weather, towards the lake by my house. This is my best thinking time, out in the fresh air, looking at the trees and hills around me. Inspiration just flows while I walk, and yes, my characters talk to me. Who said it first? Something about writing being a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia? But it’s pretty true. Oh wait, I was talking about walking wasn’t I? See, obsessed.
- Gardening. Not as much as reading and writing, but we have been getting the raised beds ready. Lots of soil moving! Which I actually enjoy in a sort of perverse way, even though my shoulders get sore because I’m kind of wimpy. The garlic and shallots are up, and the peas are wee tiny sproutlings, so pretty! Yesterday my friend and I planted a bunch of seeds–spinach, chard, radishes, corn salad, mizuna . . . mmmmmmm.
- Detoxing. I gave up sugar and caffeine (again) a few weeks back, and there were two weeks where I was just exhausted all the time, and my brain wouldn’t work, and I wasn’t sleeping well, and I lost whole chunks of time in my weird sugar withdrawal stupor. I seem to be past the worst of that, thankfully, and I’m feeling really good between the no sugar and the walking and all that. But I’m so freakin’ HUNGRY all the time! Yikes.
So there it is. I have to say I’m sort of on a low-internet diet right now, so I can’t promise frequent updates, but I’ll try . . . hope everyone is well and happy! I know I am.
I have been so preoccupied lately with reading and writing and healing and yoga that I’ve been neglecting my blog shamelessly. BUT, I wanted to make a quick post to show off the newest thing in my shop. After over a year, and several inquiries, I finally got my ducks in a row and wrote out the pattern for my knitted goddess. It is now available in my Etsy shop! Come check it out.
Look who’s popping up all over the garden, looking incredibly pleased with herself:
Yep, it’s a little clump of Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) leaves. Isn’t she pretty? I love the way she has those hints of purple-brown in her leaves and stems.
Motherwort is a really valuable ally for me right now.
I’ve blogged a bit about changes and developements in my life, especially in my spiritual and healing work. And while the evolution of my work is a beautiful and exciting thing, it’s also sometimes overwhelming. I frequently find myself frozen with doubt, insecurity, worry that I can’t do it. And the worst days are the ones when I wonder if the men in white jackets are going to come and carry me off to a nice room with padded walls and give me happy pills every day.
Enter this fuzzy little beauty:
Motherwort doesn’t change what I feel. She doesn’t make me giddy or happy, she doesn’t knock me out, she doesn’t sedate me. She just says, “There, there dear,” and helps me to flow with the changes, with my feelings–even with the doubt. I’ve heard some people say that motherwort makes them feel really good. She doesn’t have that effect on me. Instead, she helps me to be okay with whatever it is that I am feeling. If I need to cry, I can cry really really hard, and be okay with the intensity of it. If I’m angry, she helps me to be with the anger and understand what it’s about. Although often when I’m angry, it’s because I’m scared or worried, and so a good cry is what I really need, and so . . . motherwort often makes me cry!
But it’s a good cry. It’s the kind of cry you have when you’re feeling all worked up but don’t know how to express it, and then you go have a visit with your mom or your aunt or grandmother, and she gives you a cup of tea and says, “So how are you doing honey?” and you just burst in to tears.
It seems to me that motherwort gives me space and a listening ear, and that she opens up the flow inside of me that I’m clamping down because it’s not pleasant.
I feel like motherwort is an important plant friend for many of us right now–especially those of us who are treading new territory with energy work and the transitions that we seem to be making as a culture and species. It seems that our planet is changing, we are changing, we’re on a precipice and who knows what happens when we tumble over its edge? Some days it’s exciting, and some days it’s terrifying, and motherwort seems to help us surrender to the flow and be all right with our uncertainties.
Motherwort is taking over one of the large beds in my front yard. I was a bit worried about it last year, but this year I’m thinking maybe it’s a good thing after all. I’m really glad I made so much tincture last summer, because I have so many friends who need her right now. And I can only imagine that going forward, she will really help us to cope with the process we are in.
Of course there are some contraindications with motherwort–she’s definitely not for everyone. Do some research before you decide to work with her, especially if you have any health conditions or are on any kind of pharmaceutical. I’m not medically trained to tell anyone what will and won’t cause a problem!
The Rarr rockets about, bouncing off the walls and ceiling, joyfully reveling in wild freedom and formlessness. The Rarr is not naughty or wicked–just very energetic. The Rarr is also not very discriminating, and enjoys any kind of excitement he can get.
The Rarr is, essentially, a force of unbounded potential. When he shows up in a reading, he indicates that there is a great deal of energy available at this time for us to draw on. We can accomplish a great deal with the energy we are experience.
But the Rarr should also serve as a warning not to get carried away by bouncy enthusiasm. We would benefit, instead, by paying careful attention to where and how we are using our energy and intentions, and to be certain that we are using both of them for the highest good.
The Rarr is NOT grounded–and, as a Faery being, does not need to be! But you and I, as humans, NEED to be grounded, no matter what is going on. So, in this time of tremendous potential and energy, we definitely have what we need to do amazing things. But we must remember to be attentive, to have clear inentions, and to keep our feet on terra firma no matter how high we soar with our dreams. We will accomplish much better things, and feel much better, if we remember to stay grounded.
Don’t know how to get grounded? Go outside and get your feet on the ground. Or if you can’t get outside yet, stand up straight and tall and feel your feet connected to the floor. Imagine yourself as a strong tree, with roots digging deep down in to the earth. Eat grounding foods like root vegetables and nuts, do activities that get you in your body–and don’t forget to breathe. Find your roots, be steady, and then take advantage of this time of new energy and potential to accomplish wonderful things.
Congratulations kimv! The pen of fate selected your number for the free reading. I’ve sent you an e-mail–if you didn’t get it, let me know, and we’ll try again!
The people we are in relationship with are always a mirror, reflecting our own beliefs, and simultaneously we are mirrors, reflecting their beliefs. So… relationship is one of the most powerful tools for growth… If we look honestly at our relationships,we can see so much about how we have created them. ~ Shakti Gawain ~
I had so much fun with January’s New Moon Giveaway that I decided to do a giveaway this month too. And what better giveaway than a Love and Relationships Intuitive Faeries’ Oracle Reading for Valentine’s Day?
Keep in mind that you don’t have to have a sweetie for this reading to be applicable to your life. The reading focuses on all forms of love, all kinds of relationships–family, friends, universal love, as well as a partner, so anyone could benefit from some dialogue with the faeries.
The Rules:
Since it IS Valentine’s season, to enter, simply go to my Etsy shop and look around, then leave a comment here on the blog telling me which of the Knittted Heart Love Charms is your favorite, and why (if you can articulate the reason). I will draw a name on Friday, February 13, and send a PDF reading to the winner on Valentine’s Day.
Enter by noon Pacific Time (that’s 3 p.m. Eastern) on Friday February 13.
Please leave some sort of contact info when you comment–a blog or an e-mail address–so that I can send you a message that you won, and ask if you have a particular relationship issue you would like your reading to address.
Well, I’m taking a new step in my healing practice.
Yesterday I listed a distance reiki session with what I call an “energy body reading” in my Etsy shop. This is an exciting and scary moment for me. I am so excited to do more energy work with people, and also to share the insights I am given by spirit when I do this work. But of course there is risk in putting myself out there–including the risk of rejection. Nothing like throwing a party and no one shows up . . .
But this just seems like the right step to take right now. When I do energy work, I see images of the energy body and where there are imbalances and holes and blockages. And often my guides give me insight in to ways the client can work with those to return to balance and wholeness. Sometimes it is a stone or plant that he or she could ally with, or a meditation or mantra to repeat. It’s fascinating, the things that can trigger a healing experience for someone!
So I am offering a reiki session along with a detailed PDF file outlining what I “see” in the energy body, and also any intuitive hits I receive from my guides that the client could use to take the healing process in to his or her own hands. Also, I will share the work that I was led to do during the session, if that seems appropriate.
Curious? Contact me or go have a look at the listing! I’m happy to chat about energy work! Just be warned sometimes I get long-winded . . .
Writer, knitter, gardener, partner, stepmother, living in the sticks in Western Oregon.
