A life that is truly lived is constantly burning away the veils of illusion, gradually revealing the essence of the individual.   – Marion Woodman

It’s spring and a time for new beginnings. I find myself out in the garden more and more sprouting seeds and transplanting larger plants. I feel I am literally doing the work my blog’s title suggests, seeding the soul. It is absolutely the work of the soul out there in the dirt and air. There is something so nourishing about tending to a garden, we cultivate food we will eat or flowers we will enjoy. This work not only feeds body and mind but the soul as well. Gardening is so symbolic of all the interior work we do to grow more into the true essence of ourselves because our soul needs just as much loving attention if it is to bloom. All of the sowing, sprouting, watering, and patient nurturing are all parallels between these two and there is a vast and rich symbolism that has no end. The old saying as above, so below, as within, so without comes to mind and is equally apt here in this relationship between gardening and soul work. We plant something new, nurture it, and let it grow. It sounds deceptively simple yet it changes absolutely everything, both in the garden and in our life. Although I will be the first to confess that working with plants is a bit easier and less murky than all the replanting we do within ourselves.

Inevitably there comes the time for weeding. It’s a natural part of the process which requires a clear choice about we want. We have to pull out what’s killing or crowding what we want to flourish. That’s the down and dirty work on our hands and knees, destroying one life so another might live. Yanking out what is no longer vital is the cut-throat aspect of gardening, and it’s just as necessary as tender cultivation. These times of being ruthless come to our lives as well, relationships, jobs, and ways of living that have run their course come to mind. We absolutely go through seasons of life and each season requires something different of us. It’s easy to grow accustomed to certain ideas that become hard to pull out of the garden of the soul even though they no longer nourish us. There can be people and behaviors we use as a crutch not to live our authentic lives. This is not easy work, but if we are to grow into more of who we are we’re going to have to get dirty. Cleaning up the muck in our lives may be difficult but it’s also a direct path to living a fuller, happier, and more meaningful life.

So although this is the season of naturally experiencing more energy, the weather is warmer, the days are longer, our interior garden still needs careful cultivation in order to germinate the seeds of new beginnings. The more attention we give them, the more we bloom inside, giving us a richer and deeper experience of life.

Happy planting.

kb