As we dismantle the collective mythology of patriarchy, one myth that needs to go is the idea that when a species is in it’s “survival of the fittest” mode, this is the highest evolutionary moment for that species.  Biologists tell us that the “survival of the fittest” mode is actually something species evolve beyond early in their evolution. As they evolve, species move onward from “survival of the fittest” ways of being towards greater collaboration and cooperation.

Honeybees are an example of this. They live for the hive. They die for the hive. Here’s a photo of one of these selfless beings deep diving into a Nasturtium blossom in the gardens this morning.

Patriarchy would tell us “survival of the fittest” is the be all, end all and only option for the human species.  One problem for us with believing in this patriarchal myth of”survival of the fittest” as the ultimate ethos of humankind is that it means we believe war, hierarchy, economic systems of greed, social and political systems based on power over others is inevitable,

It’s time to believe the biologists that tell us this is not a truth in any species and not some evolutionary “peak” where  we are destined to remain.  The spiral of evolution takes us onwards  (and Thank God for that).

I know my Pollyanna Mollyanna missives here can feel like hope ungrounded in what some would call reality, so I was delighted to find this information coming from biologists.  That’s pretty darn grounded!

On another but related note, in my search to better understand the planet Venus and its connection to our Venus Garden and to humanity’s collective journey in these times, I came across several relevant talks by Heather Ensworth about Venus’s orbit and recent placement in our sky. Thank you Heather! Her information about Venus further grounded my heartfelt conviction  that the universe has our back in this immense evolutionary change we are embarked upon.

We’ve had two eclipses this month bringing  energies to dissolve stuck beliefs and dismantle structures that no longer serve us. During the solar eclipse on July 2nd, the planet Venus was positioned in the upraised arm of Orion, the constellation so present in skies in both the northern and southern hemisphere.  In many world cultures, the upraised arm of Orion signifies Divinity bringing order out of chaos.  To have Venus positioned in the hand of the upraised arm of Orion suggests it is the energy of Venus that is being brought to bear on the chaotic, stuck energies.

Energetically and symbolically, Venus  is about right relationship- right relationship with our self, right relationship with our community, right relationship with our use of resources, right relationship with our planet, right relationship with the Divinity within us, and yes, famously, right relationship in partnerships.   Venus asks us to examine how we are in balance and harmony in our lives and where we are not. Venus supports us to find right relationship in all areas of our lives.

Just as the skies reflect, Venus stands in opposition to patriarchy. Patriarchy idealizes individuality at the expense of the less fortunate.  With Venus’s help, we move towards a time in which caring for each other in a web of acknowledged oneness and interdependence will be a way of life. The idea of using war as a tool to create security will seem insane and violence will be understood to be a rupture in right relationship.

When the second and related lunar eclipse happened this month on the July 16th, Venus was still in our morning sky but was very close to the Sun, It was conjunct with the Sun because it was just about to orbit out of sight from us behind the Sun in what is known as its superior conjunction.

This superior conjunction is a three month period when Venus is out of view for us. It  is a time for Venus to commune with the stars but not us- a needed break for Venus no doubt- It is also a time for us to think about what Venus is asking of us- It is our chance to reflect and re-evaluate our relationships. It is a time for questions like, “What needs to happen for me to be more nurturing to myself and more compassionate for others? ” and “Does how I spend my time and resources reflect my values?” and ” What is required of me to be in right relationship with all parts of life?”

When Venus orbits back into view,  it will be sitting in the constellation of Libra, the scales of balance, in the evening sky.  Refreshed by its vacation from Earth problems, Venus will return to assist us to put into action the realizations we’ve had.  It will be ready to help us find balance and right relationship with all life. What answers will we have to its questions about what needs to be done? What decisions will we have made?  Will we be as brave and committed as Greta Thunberg to do anything to save each other and all Earth?

We can see that Venus has humanity’s back by what is happening here in the gardens of the farm.  Venus’s return corresponds to the  focus of this year’s Venus  Garden. Each year since the early 90’s,  we have made  a Venus Garden Flower Essence combination in the Venus Garden from all the Flowers in the garden on the Autumn Equinox- one of two days in the year when light and dark are in balance..  It is always a magic day to make the Essence but never more so than this year when we have been told the very topic of the mix is BALANCE.

Venus returning into the scales of balance in the skies and in our Venus Garden the harvest of a mandala of balance.

It amazes me that so many things dovetail together like this- enormous things like the movement of the stars and planets- and small things like synchronicities in this little tiny garden.  All of it tells me we are not alone in our journey towards maturity, but mighty forces are with us.

To tap into Venus’s support in a deep way, consider looking at our Flower Essences from the Venus Garden.  We have always understood this garden to hold the highest vibration here at the farm and be the pivot point for change. The Flower Essences from this garden are immensely supportive of deep, healing transformation.  I cannot imagine my journey through life without  this garden and it’s Flower Essence gifts  including but not limited to Belerephon of the Open Door, The Alignment Garden, Don’t Worry-Bee Happy, Gratitude, The Sunflower Spiral, Ruby Moon Hyacinth Bean, Love Prevails, Phoenix Rising and Mehera a Flower Essence I carry on my person at all times!

The white Mehera Marigolds play a key role in this year’s garden once again. Here is a photo of White Cosmos in the foreground and Mehera in the background from this morning.!

 

 

Flower Essences are extremely practical healing tools for just about every challenge under the sun, but they are also a mysterious gifts given from a place of Oneness.

Here is a story about this.

I have long loved the beautiful blossoms of the Honey Locust Tree but it has been love from afar, because their blossoms are usually too high off the ground for me to reach any Flowers.  I also have been thwarted  in my efforts to make this Tree blossom into a Flower Essence by this distance from the ground.

This year however, a Honey Locust called to me one day in the way that Flowers call to me ( that would be LOUDLY) and said it was time for me to make it into a Flower Essence.  There dangling before me were many branches of blossoms I could easily reach.  And so Honey Locust became a new part of our repertoire, even as it joined our shelves without me knowing what it was for.

Right after this Essence was made, we heard from the caretakers of Maia, a beloved elephant at  the Global Sanctuary for Elephants in Brazil. Maia needed Flower Essence support to help her with the grief of losing her lifelong elephant companion, Guida.

After I read the email from the sanctuary about Maia‘s grief, the Angels told me that the Honey Locust was for Maia. Yes, it was going to help many people, but first it was for Maia. The Angels explained it would help her fins steadiness on her feet, help her with her swaying in grief, help her process her grief in an elemental and clean way that did not compromise her health.  Maia got the first bottle of this Essence and now it is ready for everyone.

As we went to get Maia her Honey Locust, another mystery occurred.  Early Wednesday morning- the morning of the eclipse-  I walked by a bed of Gooseneck Loosestrife (Lysmachia clethroides), and it called out LOUDLY that it was time for me to make an Essence from it.  I had out and out ignored somewhat ignored this Flower due to fights tussles I have had with it as to  exactly how much of the Flower bed was for this Flower ( it wanted the whole garden more than I wanted to give it).  Being a human with all the presumptions that I know what I am doing and my priorities are valid, I sailed by the Flower noting that, “Yes, yes I will make an Essence from you soon.”

Once in the office, I received word that one of the founders of the Global Sanctuary for Elephants was going to be in the US and we would be able to get her many more Flower Essences than can go by mail to Brazil.  As we considered what Essences the elephants needed,  Kat Blais from the sanctuary reported that new rescue elephants were coming to the sanctuary soon and would need support for becoming part of the herd, feeling a part of something bigger than their individual selves, having consideration for other’s needs, finding their place- issues that are key for the many elephants who have spent their lives alone in captivity and must find their way post captivity to a new, more expansive experience of self.

As I read Kat’s email, I knew THAT was why the Gooseneck Loosestrife had called out to me earlier in the morning. IT WAS NEEDED FOR THE NEW ELEPHANTS!  I went out to look at the bed of Flowers and shivers ran up and down my spine as I realized the Flowers, seamlessly mixing in a herd of harmonious and expressive oneness ALL LOOKED LIKE ELEPHANT TRUNKS.

So then and there I decided to call the Flower Essence we would make from this Flower ELEPHANT TRUNK LOOSESTRIFE.  The latin name identifies the precise plant, but here at Green Hope Farm we are honoring the elephants by throwing out the gooseneck moniker in favor of elephant trunks!

I called the whole crew out to look at the Flowers and we all got more shivers up our spines and felt teary eyed with gladness that we could help the elephants with this Essence AND also offer it to everyone else because, let’s face it, we need its gifts of HARMONY IN A HERD!

We all receive  gifts of many subtle and not so subtle messages from Nature and the vast intelligence in Nature. We can choose to notice these gifts and take them to heart as significant or dismiss them as random events.

For example, just now, I took an early morning walk through the hay fields with the dogs and saw very fresh bear poop (as in still steaming) right by one of our bee hives.  It’s the only hive that is not out of reach of bears on the second story of our barn. For that reason this hive is vulnerable to bears. This poop felt significant to me.  One possible message is that the bears are CHOOSING not to toss around the beehive to get the baby bee grubs as they sometimes do.  After all, this bear came by and left a sign he had been there but not messed with a hive that he or she could easily have messed with. I thank this bear and all visiting bears for this restraint!

I love how many of you share with us tales of noticing and finding deep encouragement in signs from Nature, even odd ones like bear poop.  We really ARE co-creating this dear planet together, and it helps so very much when we tangibly know our partners are present with us, sending us messages of one sort and another.  To feel this partnership is to find deeper wisdom and more evolved choices.

(Plant based exhortation edited out here, but you can imagine it if you want)

This morning there was a gorgeous turkey feather smack dab in the middle of the Venus Garden. How did it get exactly there?  I will never know, but I saw this gift as encouragement to keep going with the projects of the summer and in particular with this year’s Venus Garden which has BALANCE as its theme.

For three decades, the Venus Garden has had a new purpose and a new design each growing season.  The Flower Essences made from these unique garden mandalas have become some of our most transformative Essences. Often the designs are extremely complex, requiring  math skills borrowed from better math minds than mine, many hands for planting and hundreds of seedlings raised in our greenhouse. This year the plants grown were some of our most beloved Flowers, but not too many, and the garden design was very simple.

At the time of planting, I thought maybe I was throwing in the towel by planting such an easy design.  The winter and spring were brutal, and the gardens sustained so much damage, that I am still cleaning up.  In the flurry of the May clean up, I worried I would not have time to plant the usual complex Venus Garden design. Then when I was given this simple design, I wondered if the mandala was too good to be true.  Now I wonder if this design is creating an energetic template to support us to pare away all that does not matter and find a better balance in the give and take of life.

I won’t really BEGIN to understand this garden or its energetic gifts until the close of the growing season, but I am grateful for this turkey that dropped a note of encouragement with his feather. The feather suggested to me that this simpler garden, one I am very happy with, is right for all creatures not just me.

This feather also reminded me of the version of the Venus Garden which we called the Phoenix Rising garden. The season we grew a mandala of fiery blossoms that would give birth to the Phoenix Rising Flower Essence, dozens and dozens of birds dropped feathers in the garden, and you too, unsolicited, sent us feathers in the mail  from all around the world, even before we knew the theme of the garden was the rebirth of the Phoenix from the ashes of a burnt life.

This season there has been another sign from Nature that has deeply encouraged me.  I’ve been wanting to sit down and write a blog for many weeks to share about this, but as I mentioned, this gardening season has been quite challenging for me with so much pruning of damaged trees and shrubs and other challenges from the winter.

My good news is about the honeybees.   Over a year ago, I received the guidance to step up my energy clearing here at the farm to a whole new level.  I have done a general housecleaning daily since the mid 1980’s with the process evolving over time but, last spring, as I shared in this blog, I was encouraged by the Elementals to ask them and the intelligence in Nature to clean the energy grid of the farm with more specificity.  I used to say, “Please remove all negativity from the earth, air, fire energy, water and ether energy of the farm grid.” before asking for this negativity to be transmuted. For the last year I have been meticulous in following guidance to ask for the Elementals and all the guardians of this land to clear the grid daily of anything that seeks to disturb including toxic heavy metals, other toxic chemicals, toxic plastics, toxic radiation, toxic pesticides, herbicides, moldacides and fungicides..

To begin with, like most projects  here, I had to go on faith that this would make a difference, yet now it is the honeybees that have made it clear that this is helping.

We have had honeybees here since 1987.  To begin with, the honeybees needed almost no care to thrive.  The world was an easier place for them. Then came many, many years in which we lost all the honeybees every winter no matter what we did to try and protect them. Sudden Colony collapse was very real to us even on our organic farm since rain and snow bring so many toxins with them.

We would purchase new honeybees each spring because the honeybees do so much to help the energy of land that beyond the issue of pollination, I cannot imagine life without honeybees in the garden, but it was always so sad to clean out hives that had once again not made it through the winter.

We began last winter with two hives.  We wrapped them well for the winter, but as noted, our winter was extraordinarily brutal.  It was very hard to imagine the honeybees would make it through to spring given how usually the toxins in the environment weaken their ability to deal with our climate..  Each day I would work with the Angels and Elementals, asking them to clear the land of all these things that menace honeybees as well as life itself, but still I was stunned and overjoyed that both hives lived and prospered..

This was my first sign that the energy work and the specificity of my clearing requests  was making a difference.  Soon these two hives were thriving so much that we had several swarms that settled agreeably into new hive boxes we offered them, and our bee population was up to six hives.  Speaking of signs,  the swarm below even looked like a heart!

These six hives are so vibrant.  I know that doing this land clearing and in particular asking for the removal of pesticides, herbicides, moldacides and fungicides along with other toxic chemicals and toxic radiation is helping these bees.  Because the clearing is done by asking for this negativity to be transmuted, there is no dumping somewhere else.  It is win win for the bees and all Earth.

Please consider doing this on any land you feel called to take care of. I try believe that if we do our part to stop our damaging behaviors and we seek the help of the Elementals and the intelligence of all Nature to cleanse the Earth, we can restore the Earth.

Here is Jim, positioning a hive box to get one of the swarms to choose this as their new home. They did!

One more comment about  signs of another sort!  You may have noticed the  technology problems we have been having.  Several shut downs on our site were part of shut downs that included hundreds of thousands of sites.  Webmaster Ben explained them to me with mysterious terms like Cloud flare and even gave me a link to an article about what had happened (one I read but did not understand except for the general idea that there is a lot that can go wrong and increasingly will).

We have also had some shut downs on our site alone due to Ukranian hacking with Ukranian bots trolling our site.  Let’s just say it has been a busy month for webmaster Ben who attends to all mishaps. Thank you Ben!

I just want to remind you all that in the case of these shutdowns, we can be reached by phone, mail and email if that is working..  We began sharing our Flower Essences in an era before the internet, and somedays it feels like we will need to dredge up all those pre-internet skills again just to outfox the Ukranian bots trolling our site.  All this to say, if our site is down, it does not mean we are gone, it just means that we are experiencing the nuttiness of this enormous technological network,