August 13, 2014 - Ferns

Primitive, lush, and beautiful--you will find ferns everywhere in Maine.  The fern is the quintessential specialist in marginal habitats, and so it’s no wonder that it flourishes here.  They succeed marvelously where flowering plants fail, and this may be due to their primitive nature.  I like to think of them as “firstcomers.”  Ferns are ancient plants, gracing the Earth as long ago as 360 million years.  This means they’ve got over 200 million years on the relative newcomers--flowering plants.

You see, ferns don’t have flowers.  The idea of a “flower” is revolutionary in terms of Nature’s evolution.  With its reproductive organs now in a flower and the final results being a “seed,” it’s no surprise that flowering plants took over the world and have dominated ever since.  Think of how many ways a seed can be carried to a distant location and then planted.  The fern is much more primitive.  It reproduces with spores and has neither flower nor seed.  The spores create their own gametes, which then fertilize to a zygote.  This grows by mitosis into another fern.  Almost animal-like in some ways, wouldn’t you say?  Yet it is a vascular plant.

Lush ferns growing along a roadside in Maine.

But forget about that!  Here in Maine we love our “fiddleheads”!  These are the tender, curled-up shoots of the ostrich, lady, and bracken ferns.  (Other ferns are not suitable and may make you ill.)  They are a gourmet vegetable available in the stores here in the springtime.  Most of the ferns you see in the stores are the Ostrich fern.  Fortunately, ferns can be gathered easily enough if you know where to look, and it is possible to have a lifetime supply of these vegetables available for free every springtime in Maine.  I am always on the lookout for foods to harvest from the wild as they are highly nutritious (not to mention easy on the wallet).

Ferns are being studied for their interesting process known as phytoremediation.  Through this, ferns are capable of removing heavy metals from soil and then concentrating the metals in their fronds.  The fronds can then be removed and the process continued as the fern pulls up more and more heavy metals.  This is much safer and more cost-effective in clearing up contaminated soils than physical or chemical approaches.  When you consider the many sources of heavy metal contamination, such as industrial waste, vehicle exhaustion, mining, insecticides, and fertilizers, it would behoove us all to grow ferns wherever possible.

In the final analysis, though, I simply love ferns just because they’re ferns.  They’re so elegant and lush.  When I walk among them daily, I feel like a queen.

August 12, 2014 - Fairy Work

Just about the middle of every season, some of the “otherworldly” activity picks up.  I could easily have missed this, but because we are more or less at the midpoint of seasons, I was on the lookout.  And what do you suppose I found?  Yes, it’s a hastily-constructed fairy den.  This particular kind is a work den.  It’s constructed as temporary housing for the work to be done at hand, and when that work is completed, it will be quickly dismantled so no one can find evidence of their presence in the area.

But surely you know that fairies work?  Oh, absolutely.  Like every creature on this planet--seen and unseen--they must contribute.  The fairies’ job (those who behave anyway) is to absorb Prana and distribute it to the physical world.  Prana is a Sanskrit word that literally translates to “constant movement.”  Its more general translation is “life force.”  The ancient yogis believed that Prana was taken in through the air by breathing, and they developed many different ways of guiding the breath to utilize this Prana.

Temporary fairy work den.

Fairies absorb Prana--life force or vitality--from the sun, and they distribute it to the physical world.  Fairies work on many levels.  Some work on the actual structure of plants, from colors of flowers to heights of trees.  Some work below ground in the soil with minerals.  Still others work at the molecular level and are concerned with cellular growth.

If you pay attention, you can tell when they’re around and active.  A low whistling sound often indicates that they're talking.  Listen carefully and you may discern the words.  Music often bridges the gap between the two worlds, which is why in my article Magic House I told you to hang chimes on your property.  They love the sound of chimes.  They also love the lute, flute, and lyre.  Some enjoy tribal drumming as well.  You’ll have to experiment to see what works best for the fairies in your area.  And then . . . you must simply “look” for them.  Believe you will see them, and you will.

In any event, judging by this picture I would say that the fairies are preparing for the Fall.  The leaves will change color and then fall to the ground.  Insects will retreat.  The trees will absorb the minerals from deep in the ground and hold them until next year.  Vegetation will eventually brown and die off.  The winds will shift.  The food will ripen.  Yes, there is much work to be done and not much time in which to do it!

(And what of those fairies who do not contribute to the distribution of Prana?  Well, there are many kinds of fairy jobs, with mischief being only one, although it’s one they thoroughly enjoy.  Some teach us lessons of spite, anger, and futility--all necessary in the evolution of a human being.)

August 11, 2014 - Dragon of the Meadow

Mighty dragon of the meadow,

where have you hidden your treasure?

Is it where all the old tales say?

In underground caverns

and secret passages

and dungeons

and dark places where no one dare enter.

How do you guard this precious treasure?

Is it safe with your ferocious flame, as we have heard?

Breathing fire

and melting rocks

and scorching the earth

and destroying all life in your path.

Or have we all been misled?

Did we search in the wrong places for the treasure?

Not even knowing what the treasure was?

The grass

and trees

and sun

and sky

and meadows

and freedom.

Especially freedom.

Above all:  Freedom.

To fly in the meadow and sing in the golden sun.

Golden dragon of the meadow.

August 10, 2014 - The Revolutionary War

I know that I have written about Revolutionary War heroes before, but I was particularly struck today by this mass grave.  It is a mound in the old Topsham Cemetery, which stopped accepting new members quite some time ago.  There are a few Revolutionary War heroes buried here, but this mound in particular caught my eye because it carries four emblems and four American flags but no headstones.  There are no names, no dates, no families listed.  They are unknown soldiers . . . but they are remembered.

Four Revolutionary War heroes.

The Revolutionary War was fought from 1775 to 1783.  It started as our rebellion against Great Britain but soon became a world war that involved Britain, France, the Netherlands, Spain, and Mysore because these other countries secretly provided supplies to the revolutionaries.  France and Spain also provided significant sea power to the Patriots.  The Continental Congress of the Patriots declared independence in 1776.

One of a couple of different types of Revolutionary War emblems on graves.

It's easy to get caught up in our day-to-day life, in work, in drama created by others, and in the woeful headlines of today's news.  It's easy to think that the here and now is the only time and that those who died, well, that was a long time ago, so it doesn't count.  But it does count, and they count.  I think about the early citizens of Maine often and what they must have been like.  What were ordinary everyday things for them?  How did they spend their time?  Certainly not watching television.  And at the end of the day, did they go to sleep peacefully (after the war, of course)?  I often wonder about the hopes and dreams they must have had for this vast and beautiful land of America!

August 9, 2014 - Goldenrod

There’s nothing prettier than a field full of goldenrod.  It grows everywhere here in Maine, although it seems to be flowering quite a bit earlier this year, which makes me wonder just what kind of a winter we will have.  In any event, it is always welcome, as far as I’m concerned.  However, many other people feel differently about that.  Some say it’s a weed (isn’t everything?) and ruins the garden.  Others say it is highly allergic and causes terrible symptoms.  Ah, poor goldenrod.  If only people knew that it doesn’t produce much pollen, and the pollen it does produce is very sticky and not airborne.  No.  That sneezing and those itchy eyes are caused by sneaky ragweed, which flowers at about the same time and is only too happy to make goldenrod take the rap for it.

Did you know that the flowers are edible?  They make a beautiful garnish for your salad, although check to make sure no insects have hitched a ride since they all love goldenrod so much.  The young spring leaves are edible and can be boiled like spinach or dropped into soups.  The older leaves get somewhat bitter, but fortunately, there’s another use for them.  They contain about 7% rubber.  That’s right.  A field of goldenrod can be used to make rubber.  Thomas Edison did this very thing before synthetic rubber was invented, and Henry Ford used Edison’s rubber for some tires on a Model T he gave to Edison as a gift.

A field of goldenrod.

You’ve heard of Liberty Tea, of course.  No?  Oh, well after the Boston Tea Party, the colonists used goldenrod as a tea, which they appropriately called “Liberty Tea.”  It became so popular that even the Chinese imported it from America--and that’s saying something.

There are medicinal uses for goldenrod, and you knew I was getting to that.  You can make goldenrod vinegar by filling a jar with the chopped up top one-third of a goldenrod plant.  Then fill the jar with apple cider vinegar, cap tightly, and shake daily.  Strain after six weeks and use in salads.  It can help improve mineral balance, help with flatulence, and is very good for those who suffer from kidney stones.  Two to four dropperfuls of tincture of goldenrod is a specific used by herbalists to treat all kinds of kidney problems, including stones.  It can also be used for prostate problems where frequent urination is an issue.  The powdered dry roots can be used on hard-to-heal wounds and made into a paste to apply to sore joints.

Goldenrod, the much hated plant--and wrongly so!--is a good friend to us.  Don’t be afraid to walk through a field of it.  In addition to collecting it for all of its medicinal uses, the sheer sight of it can bring joy to the heart!  Also, it means that Fall is on the way!

(To learn how to make a tincture, see my article on St. John's Wort for instructions.  Yes, I have to put a disclaimer in.  This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any ailment.  If you need medical advice, seek a physician.)

August 8, 2014 - Partridge Cemetery

Would you be surprised if I told you that when I am flustered and need to feel peace and comfort, I go to a cemetery?  It’s true.  At least, a Maine cemetery.  Here in Maine, your loved ones can be buried in a cemetery or on your own land.  Yes, we still have home burials here and they are completely legal.  You need only designate the area officially and file it with the State.  Many people do it, and I think I’ll do it myself someday.  Where else would I want to rest but in my beautiful Maine?

But back to the idea of feeling peace and comfort at a cemetery.  Cemeteries in Maine are quiet.  They are not overcrowded.  They do not have millions of cars passing by daily.  There is no city noise or pollution.  If you look at this picture, you can see sheep grazing in the background, and I think this is ideal.  This is Partridge Cemetery in Woolwich, Maine, and it is like many of the cemeteries here.

Partridge Cemetery, Woolwich, Maine.

It’s that casual mingling of life and death that creates peace in my mind.  It’s the final resting place of people who helped to shape this State in its early years, and yet the sheep graze comfortably and lazily in the background without a care in the world.  And isn’t that what they should be doing?  Shouldn’t they be cropping the grass, lazily eating, and going about their business? 

I’d like to think that those who are buried here approve of this.  After all, this is an old cemetery with some members who were born in the mid 1750s.  Seeing sheep grazing would have been as commonplace and ordinary to them as seeing cars is for most Americans.  It would have been comforting.  It would have given them a sense of peace and prosperity, a knowledge that food and wool for clothing was available.

To the sheep and those whose final resting place is in Partridge Cemetery, this is what life is about.  We live, we love, we eat, we die.  How wealthy we truly are!  Ask any member of this cemetery what wealth is, and if you could get an answer, it would not be “money.”  It would be “continuity.”  Add me to the list when it’s my time.

Sunset - August 7, 2014

Reach for the sky.

August 7, 2014 - Random Acts

It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to practice random acts of kindness, senseless deeds of beauty.  Here in Maine, there are many examples of this.  Today I found this beautiful old dresser full of flowers up against a rock face.  There was nothing else around, but clearly someone did this.  Someone was random and senseless.  Someone was overflowing with love, and because of that, my own heart was filled to the brim with love.  Truly, I am the luckiest woman alive.

August 6, 2014 - The Ugly Caterpillar

A long time ago when Mother Nature was first organizing everything and the details of life hadn’t been completely worked out, she decided to hold a meeting with all the spirits to get their input on how the Earth should look and what their final forms should be.  After all, she was quite fair and she just wanted everyone to be happy.  So she set up a huge tent and decided to have a picnic.  All of the spirits came, of course, because they were very eager to get down to their final form of manifestation.

But, oh, what a mess it all turned out to be!  First, the larger and heavier spirits pushed the smaller and lighter spirits out of the way.  Then the louder spirits drowned out the timid spirits with all their shouting.  And the quicker spirits danced circles around the slower spirits, which made them feel claustrophobic.  There was an awful lot of grumbling, shouting, and general rudeness going on.

Finally, Mother Nature decided she had heard enough of their guff, and she silenced them all with a terrifying bolt of lightning.  At last when they were quiet, she showed them all the many forms of manifestation that she had come up with, but no sooner had she shown them, when the arguments broke out again.  She regretted holding the meeting and wanted it to end, so she told them all to pick their final form and go as quickly as possible before she lost her temper and trashed the whole idea of manifestation.

Caterpillar:  the only shape-shifter left.

Of course, the larger and louder and quicker spirits snatched up many fine forms such as bears and eagles, crocodiles and snakes, elephants and tigers, sharks and whales, scorpions and dragonflies.  Eventually every form she had created had been taken except for one, and that was the caterpillar.  “Are there none of you who wish to be a caterpillar?” she asked.  But all the spirits laughed at this simple and slow form, which they called “ugly.”  So they all left in a huff with Mother Nature sighing relief at their departure.  Then they descended to the Earth in their final and beautiful forms.

All but one small group of spirits, that is.  These spirits were so tiny, so quiet, and so slow that she almost missed them.  In a tiny voice, they asked if they might have the form of the caterpillar.  Mother Nature looked at them with kindness and love and saw how good and sweet they were, and she told them they could have the form of the caterpillar but with one change.  They did not argue with her but instead thanked her profusely for her kindness.  This touched her heart very deeply since they were the only spirits who had thanked her.

So she gave them the form of the caterpillar, and as they took it on and descended to their final place on the Earth, she sprinkled just a little bit of magic dust on them in passing.  Lo and behold, as they grew into their “ugly” selves, they fell into a deep sleep, and when they emerged, they were truly stunning and beautiful.  And with their delicate butterfly wings, they flew amongst their other manifested brethren, who were now comfortable in their final forms as well.  The other manifested spirits just gaped in wonder and awe at their transformation, secretly hoping that they would also transform.

But that did not happen, as everyone knows, and as everyone also knows, it is the caterpillar alone that maintains its spiritual ability to shape-shift, leaving behind temporary mortal form to soar into the heavens.