So we have had ummm, unusual amounts of snow this year. Plus really frigid temperatures. And yes, I have lived in Massachusetts all of my 51 years… I love the Seasons, I love the rituals of them, and the beauty of them and the rhythm of them. Winter is not my favorite however.
I don’t usually get into this til February but this winter has been a bit much ( ice storms, state of emergency in our town with power outtages for 10 days, NO SCHOOL…. need I say more?)I have a routine that brings me true relief from winter and other things I can’t control. I create my “Round Table Of Spring”! Tomorrow would have been the day but we are due for another big blizzard. When the Winter-Blahs have set in and it can’t be Spring nearly fast enough, I make my own spring.
If you are part of my Tribe, you already know that I believe that women who overeat or have addictive issues with food, tend to be “sensitives” or “empaths”. This means that we are particularly sensitive to energies around us- other people’s emotions, our surroundings, the weather, all of it.
The good part is that we are just as sensitive to the positives- beauty, nature, loving connection- can quickly bring us into balance and wellness. So it’s really important to indulge our senses in as many ways as possible, but most especially when we are feeling a bit low (like during an unrelenting winter for example). The more we nourish our senses in small daily ways, the more uplifted and balanced we will feel. And of course one of the benefits of that other than feeling so much better, is that food does not have to meet all of your needs for pleasure.
Back to my Round Table Of Spring- I go to my favorite green grocer market that has a really lovely green house attached. I buy a bunch of small pots of flowering plants, and lots of ivy especially the beautiful variegated kind, and whatever else catches my eye. When I get home I make a huge mess on our kitchen counter and replant all of my stuff.
One of the things I love to do is take this big old white wicker basket that I have, that’s kind of falling apart but it’s so pretty I don’t care. I line it with a trash bag on the bottom and up the sides. I then fill with a mix of potting soils, and a little fertilizer and moisturizing-crystal thingies and swirl it all into the dirt.
By now I am already so much happier- the smell of the dirt, the feel of it, and the relaxed absorption is already working its magic for me and my deprived senses. Then I gently dump out each little plant, loosening it’s tiny roots, and find a place for it in the basket. Finding the right spot, playing with position and changing the plants around until the visual feels balanced and gorgeous to me takes a bit of time. I can’t tell you how much I love doing this. When the plants are all in, I will add little bits of magic with tiny stones, small crystals, a little verdigris frog I’ve had forever. Trim the plastic that extends over the sides of the basket and I’m done.
I don’t always use a basket, sometimes I just round up my favorite planters- a mix of sizes and textures and colors, although old mossy terracotta is still my favorite. Just plant and gather on a favorite table and again, you can add some other elements to create Spring on the tabletop. I put out my crystals, small statues of rabbits and my birds’ nests that I have found over the years, some grapevine globes, a couple of candles. This project is meant to be leisurely and really pleasurable as you poke around your home and find beautiful objects to group together with the plants. You will love the process and the results- for very short money, you get a major dose of sensual relief, pleasure, beauty, and it will last!!! It won’t be gone in a few bites leaving you with guilt and shame- are you getting the hang of this? I know you are.
Create something beautiful for your own pleasure and enjoyment this week. It can even be like a small altar reminding you to connect with Nature, and to nourish your own beauty and growth.
I want that for you.
Sending you love and light and dreams of Spring,
xox
Lisa
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