Abundance & Marigold

I said, thank you and started my mindful harvest. For me, that looks like saying, thank you each time I pick a blossom and trying not to take too much or to disrupt any stems or blossoms that are homes for bugs. When I had worked my way around all the plants, I looked at my basket and it was maybe one-third full.

I looked up at the plants and saw that it looked like I hadn't harvested anything. So I went back in to get more. I started noticing buds that needed deadheading and did that too. And when I started fretting about taking too much or disrupting the plant itself, Marigold spoke up. She was stern with me.

She knew she had called me in. She knew I would be taking many blooms.  She was offering me abundance and I was turning it down. She showed me the blooms surrounded by new buds getting ready to open. She pointed out that the plant could grow more flowers faster when I helped out by deadheading the spent blooms. She reminded me that golden rod and others are blooming now to help the pollinators and offer food.

She let me know that I can be a respectful steward of the land and take all I need, because I understand all I need is not necessarily all that is available. And that in its way, my harvesting these flowers helps the plant produce more. My participation in the relationship creates abundance. If it were one sided, then yes, there would be a problem, but it is not one sided.

I show care and respect. And so should listen when she says, take all you need. The lesson was clear. Abundance can exist at the very same time as mindful stewardship. Over the past year of working intensively with the spirit of Marigold, she has been changing the settings of my first chakra. Redefining my relationship to abundance.

I pay attention to all the warnings about over-harvesting and taking too much. Every time I see someone out there trying to educate the masses about sustainable harvesting practices, I turn to guilt and vow to cut back to protect the greater good. The plants are teaching me how to lay down the guilt, how to bring my mindful approach to the forefront. To value and respect the relationships I create with the plants around me.

I am aware that many people take more than they need. Their lack of awareness eventually leads to their lack in all areas of life. Whether it looks like it on the outside or not. I am thankful for all those who work to educate everyone about over-harvesting and disrespectful wildcrafting and all the other ways that people are not in right relationship with the plants and the land.

I can also differentiate those people and practices from my own practices.  I can be in right relationship with the beings around me while also taking all that I need. In fact, when I do maintain this relationship, my interaction and participation usually lead to greater abundance. If I zoom out this lesson can be applied to my life as a whole. Instead of worrying about taking too much or focusing on how I don't need something as much as someone else may, what if I receive with genuine gratitude? What if I focus on building reciprocal relationships in which I give and receive? What if, when something is offered to me in good faith, I don't immediately decline or begrudgingly accept. What if I accept with gratitude? Understanding that reciprocal means both giving and receiving. Can I experience joy in both acts? Can I experience gratitude in both acts? Can my receiving a gift from another, be a blessing in itself?

What about you? Are you open to receive? Truly open. Could you use some first chakra healing and balancing to allow a greater feeling of safety when receiving? Can you see yourself as worthy and deserving of reciprocal relationship?

I know I am still leaning on Marigold and rose too, for help and recalibrating my conditioning around receiving and worth. I'm thankful for their medicine and want to remind you that when you are ready to be in relationship with these wise ones, they are ready to support you.