Listening to plants

[Tanya]

This partly goes to Shanti's thread of not so long ago about talking with bugs and other little critters.... but....
I've been reading a very interesting book called "Finding Findhorn" about a spiritual community in Scotland which has some astounding gardening techniques. Long story short, the people there go out into the garden and listen to what they call "plant Devas"--elemental forces of the plants which guide them in their care of the gardens, and their gardens are amazing.

Basically they meditate about the plants and 'listen' to what the plants tell them.

So, I thought, what the heck. I will commune with my plants.

Knock me over with a feather, as I went around my trees and even my compost heap opening my spiritual channels, I started getting very specific messages. The london plane wanted compost and mulch, the compost wanted turning, the cedars wanted fish emulsion, and my pear trees are 'happy happy, lavish us with praise'

I told my husband about this experience, and though I expected him to laugh that I spent my day talking to the rot pile, he said "Yes, Its been my impression too that the pear trees are happy and want to be admired...."

any similar experiences? As most of you know, I'm a pretty serious scientist, so I will be watching my plants, to see if there 'requests' translate into real results.

[TheWomanMonster]

Neat, I'm very interested in reading about your findings.
Tell your pear tree it's amazing for me, as I am sure that it is.
*grins*

My only experience 'speaking' with a plant was this old Jade Plant that belonged to my fiance's father... it was starting to wilt and so I tried to heal it, looked everywhere, did everything I could...

It told me "I'm dying, there is nothing you can do"
and so I took baby plants (Jade plants propogate via cuttings) and potted them in new soil.
The 30 year old plant died less than a week later due to a severe rot infection. (It was black and mushy and stinky... blegh)

The plantlings are doing very well however and I hope to one day grow them up large and beautiful to honour their mother plant.

Monster

[mtpathy]

very similar to how i stumbled across the path of animism. :)

[Tanemon]

I've been reading a very interesting book called "Finding Findhorn" about a spiritual community in Scotland which has some astounding gardening techniques. Long story short, the people there go out into the garden and listen to what they call "plant Devas"--elemental forces of the plants which guide them in their care of the gardens, and their gardens are amazing.

Basically they meditate about the plants and 'listen' to what the plants tell them.

Your experience sounds real interesting. It will be good to hear how acting on the plants' suggestions works out for your garden.

I'm going to be in Scotland at the end of August and into the month of September. I got in touch with people at Findhorn and I'm going to visit there.

A while back I posted on this MW forum asking what people might know about Findhorn, but only a few people responded... only a few seemed to know it existed.

I've heard mixed reports... Some people say that there are still people at Findhorn who related with the Devas and plant kingdom in the ways you described, while others say it was like that back in the early and mid 1960s but isn't any longer... and others say its all commercial and maybe phony. So, besides being interested in what the place is like as an intentional community, I want to get my own impressions about the aspect you've written about in your post.

:sunny: Tanemon

[OnyxStar]

Being somewhat new to the pagan path (a year this November!!) I haven't had that much experience with speaking to plants yet. But I do have a special connection with a 15-ft high, 20-ft wide white rhody on the hillside by my house. its has a lot of strength and pride.. even though my dad recently cut it down a little since it was growing over our roof!
But yeah, when my parents move out and I have a place of my own, I'd like to dig it up (to an extent) and take it with me... its VERY old.

[ArcofDaisies]

I've been to findhorn..known about them 15 yrs or so....think its gets more commercialised but still interesting

But think some of the even lesser known places are more interesting

[MysticWitch]

I do not talk to plants. But my bf encourages me to hug a tree when I feel ill. He isnt very spiritual.. I wonder why he thinks of these things :lol: I haven't tried it but he says its supposed to make me feel better :whatgives

[Tanemon]

I do not talk to plants. But my bf encourages me to hug a tree when I feel ill. He isnt very spiritual.. I wonder why he thinks of these things :lol: I haven't tried it but he says its supposed to make me feel better :whatgives

Trees, especially older, large ones, enjoy and encompass a lot of life force... general life force. It's called ki in Japanese, and ch'i (sometimes written as qi ) in Chinese, and prana in Sanskrit. The Soviet scientists who were researching it called it by a term that translates to English as "bio force". There are Western and Gaelic terms for it, too. By relating sharingly with a big tree, you can inflow more life force into your own system. This enhances your body's processes, including your immune system.

That's why we often see pictures of Chinese people doing Tai Ch'i (slow movement exercises) under the big spreading branches of a large tree.

Daisies (if you're still reading this thread): I'm on my way to Scotland and Findhorn tomorrow. I'll tell folks here about my impressions from over there and try to bring back information useful to the community. All the best to all...

:sunny: Tanemon

[ArcofDaisies]

Look forward to hearing what you think of it.

Be interesting to see what someone who hasn't been before thinks

[Tanya]

I'm quite keen to hear too.

[Tanemon]

Well... I'm in Scotland now!:ballonsmi I'm in the general area of Findhorn Bay, but I have things to do for a few days. Then I'll be there. Have to get used to driving on the other side of the road, first!:lol:

:sunny: Tanemon

[ArcofDaisies]

Well hope you enjoy your time in Scotland...its a lovely place

[Shanti]

It doesn't matter to me whats is commercialized or actual events.
I know plants talk. I know we can learn and be guided by them, even with their own care. I have no qualms about it. Plants have a strong spirit at they know it too!! :)

[Tanemon]

It doesn't matter to me whats is commercialized or actual events.
I know plants talk. I know we can learn and be guided by them, even with their own care. I have no qualms about it. Plants have a strong spirit at they know it too!! :)

Understood. :)

Maybe the only point about Findhorn is that one of the original foundations of the community (back 40 years ago or more) was communication with plants (in terms of their attendant devas and/or nature spirits). Hence, the whole community was open to, or affirmed, the truth you're referring to, Shanti. To me, it's interesting partly because it has been an "in-person" or "face-to-face" community that was able to take on big projects, not a virtual community with the individuals scattered all about.

:sunny: Tanemon

[ArcofDaisies]

Do any of you have "in person" experience of such things?

I've worked with a few groups in person and I suppose I just kind of assume everyone else has to some extent

[Tanemon]

I will start another thread if people on this thread think that my information about the Findhorn community is "off topic".

For the moment, assuming others here will find it of interest, I'll communicate a little of what I learned and observed in a couple of days spent in the community. It is made up of about 100 people of various ages - men women and children, ranging from the newly born to the elderly. All of the people who've chosen to live in the community have deep interests in the spiritual and metaphysical dimensions of life (I'm speaking of the original land surrounding the spiritual community which grew out of the garden and meditation place founded by Peter and Eileen Caddy around 1963). There is a Universal Hall (meditation and spiritually oriented performance centre), a natural-food store, art and craft studios, an office for meeting the incoming public and doing the business of the community, many very interesting and sometimes beautiful homes (many are "hand built" looking). There are numerous gardens - some decorative with flowers, shrubs, foliage and trees, one very large food-producing organic garden with greenhouses, some around people's homes. There is some very nice artwork incorporated into the shared buildings, walkways, etc. Power for the community is provided by some wind generators set up on the nearby beach, and community waste is processed into water clean enough to drink (through a wonderful biological set-up called a Living Machine).

There are smiling faces and friendly people all over the place. I believe they get some tens-of-thousands of people visiting (many taking workshops) during the year, from all over the world. But for those who live in the community, unless they have chosen to work with visitors, there are quiet and private areas.

The community was founded on the idea of humans communicating directly with nature. This was one of the two or three founding notions. Other notions included various meditative 'inward paths' and practices, and another would be an outreach of joy, peace, and harmony to help a troubled world of human beings. There's a strong and harmonious vibration in the community and its general area.

Well, this is the basic thing. I was positively impressed by the community. I met and talked with good people there. I need to digest my experience a bit, as it was only a very few days ago that I was there.

:sunny: Tanemon

[ArcofDaisies]

I think all such communties are happy, smiley places from my experience....then again where I live everyone smiles and says hello in the street. Think its one advantage of living in a small community (although the visitors to the area also stop and smile).

I always want to smile at people when I go to cities....people must think I am mad. Although Glasgow people I've found do respond postively

Glad you had a good time there though

[Tanemon]

I think all such communties are happy, smiley places from my experience.

Mmm, yeah. I expect so!

Daisies, how many 'such communities' have you visited?

And which aspects would these communities you've been to share with Findhorn?... spirituality? renewable-energy electricity? arts?

Just curious. :) Actually, I'm quite interested in intentional communities.

I live in a rural place, with the nearest village of any type being a 12-minute drive away, and a larger town (9500 people) being an hour's drive away. My more immediate neighbors number in the hundreds... but spread out along a road. Nothing's organized (or very few things), but there is a fair amount of impromptu cooperation of different sorts... a fair amount of smiles and goodwill, most of the time.

Anyways...

:sunny: Tanemon

[Katss]

From my non secintific self.. I will say that I was brought up to "hug" trees.. and I mean that as physically as it sounds.. I have always tried to communicate with the plants and trees around.. I would even so far as to say that I think they enjoy music and a pleasant atmosphere.. so as much as this seems unrelated.. I would definately agree that plants need some kind of love too ;)

[ArcofDaisies]

Mmm, yeah. I expect so!

Daisies, how many 'such communities' have you visited?

And which aspects would these communities you've been to share with Findhorn?... spirituality? renewable-energy electricity? arts?

Just curious. :) Actually, I'm quite interested in intentional communities.

I live in a rural place, with the nearest village of any type being a 12-minute drive away, and a larger town (9500 people) being an hour's drive away. My more immediate neighbors number in the hundreds... but spread out along a road. Nothing's organized (or very few things), but there is a fair amount of impromptu cooperation of different sorts... a fair amount of smiles and goodwill, most of the time.

Anyways...

:sunny: Tanemon

probably about 20 communites

Most of the communites share the spiritually, arts, renewable energy..it all seems to come as a package.
I live in an area where spirituality, arts etc are part of most people's lives anyway even if not part of such a community. its the sort of area where its common anyway.

[Tanya]

I'm really pleased I started this thread and where it has gone. I was a little bummed my husband didn't get to Findhorn when he was in Scotland last month. I think that community affitmation is the thing many of us are missing in our lives, and cetainly the big void in my own.

But now that Rob and I have affirmed to each other about the trees giving us 'feelings' we now have conversations over the plum tress like, "She's feeling happy. That one over there is a sour-pus."

And I've been less self-consious with my daughter who has been helping look after the new plants. She has named many of the plants and asks "Can you lift me up so I can say 'Hi" to Big Sister?"

I had started a thread a while ago about developing an international network through MW for pagans abroad who would like a homestay oppertunity. I'm still very keen to do it. I think as the folks at Findhorn have, we need to consiously MAKE ourselves into a community.

[Tanemon]

Do any of you have "in person" experience of such things?

I've worked with a few groups in person and I suppose I just kind of assume everyone else has to some extent

When you wrote " 'in person' experience of such things", did you mean 'of working with groups' or 'of working directly with plants' (alone or in groups)? I'm a bit confused.

In any case, maybe you could describe a bit how you, personally, have worked with plant communication...

Also, care to describe any of your experiences?

And have you applied any of your experience or sensitivity to gardening?

:sunny: Tanemon

[ArcofDaisies]

Either i guess..I have worked within groups of people and directly with plants. Also use to run an intermet site where different groups and indiviuals compared notes on plants

I don't have a garden of my own -but I do volunteer at a substainable garden type project locally. So have applied some of my expereiences there. I do think i tend to feel more drawn to the wild though

I tend to work by building a relationship with a plant, I find a plant that calls me and spend hours with it getting to know it. I try not to do any "research" (on some I don't even know its name) until I've achieved several hours at least of communication with it. I tend to find communcation comes naturally
Plants have personalities much the same as people have.

[Tanemon]

I don't have a garden of my own -but I do volunteer at a substainable garden type project locally. So have applied some of my expereiences there. I do think i tend to feel more drawn to the wild though

"The wild" being left to its own devices (unless interfered with by some human development like logging, mining, etc) is one sort of thing... a garden is another. People generally want their plants to thrive in a garden - though some people do neglect plants that they originally put into the ground or into a pot.

Have you found that you've been "called" by plants in a garden situation, and that your attention to them at some subtle level (meaning: something other than the 'technical' responses like giving a plant more water, more mulch, or some compost or fertilizing) has enhanced the wellbeing of the plant?

I've long sought a good "green thumb" discussion here on MysticWicks. So this is nice.

Please give us the benefit of some of your experience. :)

:sunny: Tanemon

[Tanya]

Well i suppose this is garden report time in the south. I've been noting my plant's development and what I have done to them or heard from them. I don't have the experience in this hemisphere to say wiether my plants are ahead of schedule or not, but they are leafing out. I am most certain now that 'listening to them' is making me a far better gardener.

I have heard that plants like children, so I have allowed my daughter to play in the garden wquite a bit. I think the trees love her, (the one she plays under most has the most flowers and leaves now) the lower plants are more wary of her feet.