Enchantment Learning & Living Blog

Welcome to Enchantment Learning & Living, the inspirational space where I write about the simple pleasures, radical self-care, and everyday magic that make life delicious.

On Grounding and Gardening

The week had been one of transformation, skin shedding, disorientation.  It is a relief to find the weekend upon you, two whole days of gardening stretched out before you.

You take comfort in the way the dirt feels between your fingers as you cast aside the little spade in favor of pushing loose soil around with your hands.  The color of dark roast coffee beans, the dirt smells of rich wet earth and things growing.  Even the little crystals of Epsom salt you stir into the soil ground you to the here and now; they are comforting reminders that, one seed at a time, you conjure new life firmly rooted in the present.

The sharp scent of rosemary already welcomes good energies into your home, while the light perfume of lemon balm promises the power of future healing tonics.  You dig your hands deeper into the soil and gently tuck your oregano into its planter, making sure to surround it with plenty of life-giving dirt.  Already you are thinking of the Sunday night pasta made more delicious because of this herb, or the Friday night pizza that was given an extra zip after you return from you patio garden with cuttings from this zesty herb.

With each plant that you settle into the safety of pots, you feel more firmly grounded, gently cradled by the loving embrace of the earth.  The week's events that had made you feel disoriented, untethered to this world, have lost their sting and in their place is only the quiet industry of gardening, the soft breeze tickling the trees beyond your patio, and the mellow chatter of finches. 

You look forward to the harvest of dark rose cherry tomatoes and Armenian cucumbers, even as you remind yourself to buy carrot seeds--because a tomato plant is nothing without a ring of carrot seeds to keep it company.  Those two, they can never be apart for long.

Later, when all your plants are potted, and you linger over a glass of fresh lemonade on your patio, admiring your work, you realize that for two blissful days, you have not thought of the past, old ghosts, or what-might-have-beens.  You simply tended to your potted garden.  It is so obvious now.  This careful act of tending these plants is what your life is all about.  One small seed at a time, you lay the groundwork for present enjoyment and future harvest.

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!