"It smells like licorice out here," my daughter said as we walked outside into my backyard garden. This was toward the end of the summer last year. It took me a few seconds to realize that the Fennel "bush" that has been reemerging over the last several growing seasons was speaking to us via its characteristic fragrance and our sense of smell.
If I had a fan club, Fennel would be an active member! There's no doubt that she likes me and obviously wants to grab my attention. This fast growing plant thrives in my herb garden box next to the equally eager Rosemary and over time has spread to other parts of the little meadow that surrounds the boxes. I've found her making a home in between the nearby pavers and even sprouting from the foundation of the house.
The close up shot pictured above was recently taken of the huge Fennel plant that started growing several feet from the box where the original plant lives. I remember about five years ago when I bought the mother plant home as a baby, a foot high seedling from the local farmer's market. Its delicate foliage reminded me of one of my favs, the Asparagus fern. Little did I know how it would grow to be nearly six feet, or at least that's the point when I would feel overwhelmed enough to prune it down some.
The other day I noticed this five inch newcomer popping up in front of the box about five feet away from one of the two larger plants.
Considering my new practice of communicating with plant spirits, I decided it was time for a "chat" with its vigorous elder relative.
This meditation took me to a sea green, misty place where I found Fennel among a field of white flowers. I moved further down into the soil since the spirit of this plant lived deep in its root.
I was told not to hesitate to prune my Fennel plants when they needed to be reigned in. It was also suggested that when watering or misting, to include a flower essence that is meant to tone down an overly enthusiastic being whether it be human, animal or plant, (the Bach Flower remedy of Vervain).
When I asked what Fennel could offer me as part of my plant spirit team, I heard that she was able to help with opening up the senses when they might be blocked, particularly the sense of hearing. I took this to mean the physical sense of hearing, so it was puzzling to me at first. She clarified this by emphasizing that she meant when someone is unable or unwilling to "hear" the guidance or advice they need to, especially messages that the spirit world is attempting to communicate. Sometime in the near future, I'll do a month long initiation with Fennel to welcome her as an official ally in my plant medicine work.
On a more physical level, one of Fennel's impressive qualities includes being a host plant for the Monarch butterfly caterpillar.
During its later growth phases I've seen a few of these cute little guys creeping along the matured branches of my Fennel bush.(note: pictured here on a different plant).
This is one of the many ways this herb makes me feel both trusted and honored. I also just realized that for the past few months, I've been taking an enzyme formula that contains Fennel. This bit of information caught me off guard, and it felt like a playful wink from the plant spirit!
As a medicinal herb, Fennel has what is called a "carminative" action, meaning one that aids in the digestive process by eliminating gas and bloating. You can find more about its properties by clicking on the following video of Irish herbalist Marina Kesso:
As always, thanks for letting me share my thoughts and journey with you. I welcome your input, so if you want to submit a comment, scroll down to the bottom of this post. If you are interested in booking a personal session, you can do this here:
You can also contact me via email at: my.plant.allies@gmail.com
For now, here's wishing you wellness, wisdom and bloomin' vibes!
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