I remember someone once telling me that to have a friend you need to be a friend. When it comes to making and keeping plant allies, the same advice applies, but I learned this the hard way.
During the past winter months I was not as attentive as I could have been to my thriving garden box Rosemary bush and her "little brother" who lives in a pot outside of my front door. https://www.plantmedicineandmagic.com/post/where-my-rosemary-grows
Oh sure, I did make several visits for cuttings to benefit myself and others and tossed out a few words of gratitude here and there. But on the first warm day when I went out to really take a look at how the garden had wintered, I was appalled to discover that neither Rosemary plant was looking healthy or glad to see me at all.
On close observation, an entire segment was dried out and pretty much dead, and the smaller plant that was potted in the front was not happily thriving either. At first I was baffled since we'd been getting periodic bouts of moisture in the way of rain and snow, so I thought I was good there. And I figured it was too cold to begin fertilizing. I then heard the word "neglect"...OUCH!
This reminded me of advice that I recently came across in Pam Montgomery's Plant Spirit Healing, a book that has become very special and useful to me.
At one point, the author stresses how once you make a plant spirit your friend and ally, you need to maintain the friendship as you would a human friend. This means not just establishing a connection and then making marginal contact when you need something, but actually cultivating and nurturing the friendship. As Montgomery writes: "Just like keeping a relationship alive with a partner or a friend, the more often you spend time with them, the more familiar you become, and the deeper your relationship can grow. Not only do you spend time with them, but you also maintain your relations with plant spirits by making offerings to them."
I realized that I wasn't doing this but instead was too preoccupied with other matters to make time for this important follow up.
Sincerely contrite, I immediately took steps to nurture and fertilize my neglected friend with lots of water that included plant food, drops of a flower essence rescue formula and a plant vitamin supplement product called "Superthrive," all the while apologizing for my negligence.
It's been about a month now; both are looking better, and I'm assuming that I've been forgiven. So, if you are joining me on this plant spirit medicine path as a humble beginner, I encourage you to learn from my oversight and take care to be a good friend to both your new and old plant pals.
As Montgomery so nicely sums it up: "They are not kept alive by ignoring them for all but the time you want to use them in your healing practice. It is essential that you keep your relationship a reciprocal one by nourishing your plant spirit allies with gifts, prayers and eloquent recognition."
As always, thanks for letting me share my thoughts and journey with you. If you are interested in booking a personal session, you can do this here: https://www.plantmedicineandmagic.com/book-online
For more information, you can 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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