Oil by Karen Winters

For the record, I’m an avid gardener — but I’m sharing these tips because they apply to life on so many levels of consciousness. I began seriously gardening during the time that I discovered much about energetic laws from the wolves. I thought about their ideas while I worked in the garden and experimented with them rather wildly.

The most exciting part involved the outcome – their ideas truly worked. As time passed, I began to understand how they related to energy. As I work with plants in my garden, I recall the beauty of the lessons among memories of the infinite loveliness of the flowers.

Make the most of what you already have. Use the geographic form of the land. Hills lend themselves to tiers; flat ground is useful for raised beds. Shade beneath trees gives life to unusual plants that don’t grow in the sun. When planning, begin by seeing the value in what you already have. The same is true of the self.  Recognize your inherent gifts and put them to use. Make the best of unusual traits. Develop the potential of useful characteristics. Use creativity when making forms and plans with your inner landscape.

Listening to intuition creates superior shapes and forms to those formulated in the mind. It’s through intuition that we perceive the plants, the flow of the energy in the garden and the overall design. Nature is always changing. Plants move in the winter. There is a flow of energy – and by following it, life changes in a marvelous way. You can’t always see the energy but you can learn to feel and follow it.

The Earth can reveal your soul. When you are lost in beauty or the labors of work – sometimes you forgot your “self” (the egoic mind.)  Then you notice the shapes of flowers, the color of the sky, the smell of the earth or the neon brilliance of a dragon fly. The nature of this experience reflects the essence of your soul. Every time you notice this, you draw closer to who you really are.  The soul is elusive, and these small moments teach about its presence.

Desire works much the same in the garden as it does in life. When I wanted a plant too much and gave it too much attention, it rarely thrived. When I felt irritated by the lemon balm or chives that overgrew their borders, they only grew more. Certain states of being –such as over-attachment, worry or irritation – tend to create the opposite of a desire. It’s best to simply see the outcome clearly and let it go. Trust in the outcome. Don’t dig up your seeds by checking on them too often.

Learn about generosity. The garden gives abundantly. It usually bears so much that one must give much away for the plants to grow properly. Many plants and seeds were given to me by friends, and I think of my friends kindly each day when I see them. Give away excess, share the fruits of your labor and bless what you keep for yourself. Gratitude and generosity build friendships, as well as a better life.

Discover what you don’t like to do and why. I hated weeding in the beginning because I couldn’t quiet my mind or stay focused for hours on tiny weeds. I didn’t like adding amendments because I wasn’t sure of my skills. After I admitted my feelings to myself, I could master my emotions and go forward. Soon after this, I learned to create different visuals and make my work go quickly.

Before beginning your work, begin with a visual of success. Create an image of a specific amount of work easily accomplished within a given time frame. (Be realistic. Learn how long it takes to finish a task.) Wandering around and playing by moving from bed to bed isn’t an achievement – although it can be fun. Choose one section or portion of a task and intensely visualize its completion. Follow the visualization by feeling a state of happiness about its completion. Take time to rest under the trees or go for a walk when it’s completed. Rewarding the self encourages accomplishment and interest in intuitive work.

The weather comes and goes. Stay philosophical because there’s not a lot you can do about it. When I mulched the garden heavily for dry weather, it rained buckets. The next year I planned for a wet year and added sand – then guess what? It barely rained. I had to add compost, mulch and water constantly. You can’t control the rain or heat – you have to roll with it. Life’s the same the way. Sometimes you think that you have “it” down, and, then the life throws a punch. You do the best you can, change your tactics and keep going.

If you don’t love it or you don’t feel inspired –then choose something that leads toward your soul. When a task, project or work relates to the soul, then love leads you through the tasks, repetition and challenges. With soul work, you find people who love and support you. You find the strength to move through obstacles. Eventually you create a highly individual work with great beauty and meaning as a reflection of your true self.

Julia Griffin is an intuitive healer and coach.