Apothecary News: the percolation video is finally finished! The garden has taken up most of my time (plus some technical difficulties), though a rainy few days gave me just the time I needed to finish it up.
Tradition is not the worship of ashes,
but the preservation of fire.
~ Gustav Mahler
The significance of all things
In a book I read recently the main character was observing a butterfly and thought to herself how tragic it was that it led such a short life. Here for a breath, then gone. And yet she also realized how it brought something so beautifully irreplaceable to the world. I wondered what irreplaceable thing a butterfly could bring in such a vast world.
But the answer came easily. Every elemental thing (plants, humans, rocks, oceans, clouds) shifts the reality of the universe, ever so slightly, simply by existing and that is no small feat. The butterfly pollinates a flower that may have never reproduced without those furry legs setting upon its colorful petals, letting generations of new seedlings fade into history. The butterfly inspires the human that observes it, perhaps sparking a new idea or thought that will lead to another chain of events. Even if time washes it away into the recesses of our mind, in that present moment we are connected, human and butterfly. And connection is why we are all here isn’t it? The butterfly also alters the molecules in the air with every flap of the wings. Maybe these things seem menial to some, but who are we to say something is insignificant when we ourselves are butterflies compared to an infinite universe? Perhaps the smaller the thing, the more precious it is.
I feel the same way about our own lives. In the grand scheme of things, our human years are a drop of sand. But we are so much more than that. We have already altered the universe in a way that can never be replicated again.
But it goes deeper, because it isn’t just us is it? Like the flower that the butterfly pollinates, we are the result of generations and generations of people who worked hard, struggled, sinned, loved and lived. Every decision they made, even those made centuries ago, led us to exactly where we are today.
I am reminded of the Slavic house spirit called the domovoi which resided in each family’s home. This wasn’t just a house spirit that protected the home when it was taken care of and caused mischief when chores were neglected. He was considered to be a “grandfather” or “god” of the family. He was a culmination of all of the ancestors that came and went before the current family. It was a beautiful way families kept their ancestors alive. It also reminded them of the divine mystery of the past, present and future.
We are not just a product of our own whims, but also the hopes and dreams of so many before us. We are not alone on this tiny rock. We have the wisdom of so many, even those whose names and faces have been forgotten to time. Yet their blood still survives in us.
The butterfly’s future is not only linked to many more generations of butterflies, but also of entire populations of flowers. We are the same. Our legacy goes beyond children, family and friends. The things we love and hate also feel our presence, even if it takes years and years to unfold. The ability to nurture something beyond our lifetime is what being a part of the weaving of life is all about.
So, as the spring garden consumes me, I once again am thrust into the wild circle of life that returns every year, month, day, hour. Around and around we go, yet it never gets old. Because while it is a circle, it is also a web. Each cycle brings new stories and experiences to be woven in.
If you have a moment to spare today, step outside and witness five tiny shifts in your own universe. The swaying of trees, the song of the tree frog, the passing of a cloud over the sun. These are all things shaping our reality as we stand witness. These are also things that have the opportunity to connect us even deeper with the world around us.
Much love,
Val
