My love and I took a refreshing hike on the White River Valley Trails this weekend and after all that rainy weather we’ve had, they were popping up everywhere. In fact, we were surprised that we didn’t see more critters but the ...variety of colorful fungi certainly made up for it.
It got me thinking about the cycle of life—the decay of what was to make room for what can be. I thought of how the nourishing earth mixed with emotional water makes a fine environment for growing things when in the right balance.
Mushrooms are a symbol of fertility, synonymous with abundance and creativity. People have long sought after them as delicacies and as hallucinogenic catalysts to wisdom and understanding.
What’s my takeaway? They represent those elusive moments of the fruition of something wonderful that come about when the conditions are just right. They sustain, charm, and keep us hunting for more. They are those moments of reward and inspiration that are the gateway to the magical thinking where anything is possible. Curious and curiouser!
They remind me that I mustn’t lose faith when good things die. Those things now nourish and support wondrous new possibilities for faith, beauty, and abundance.
It felt like the leaves were never going to surrender their green and give over to their final brilliant hues. I kept thinking that perhaps, after a dry spell at the end of Summer, that just one more soaking rain might do it. Just as a watched pot that never boils, it was when my attention was focused elsewhere that an explosion of color occurred. I couldn't wait to get out into the Ozark wilderness to observe them all. So, this past weekend my mate and I took to the trails at the Wilson's Creek National Battlefield. It is one of our favorite places to hike. The scenery is lovely there in every season. I have never failed to come home with an assortment of sky-given treasures of feather or small animal bone. I like all my beautiful things with at least a dash of melancholy about them and in this place there is the sobering weight of history that adds depth to the breath-taking beauty of the landscape. The park serves as a fitting memorial to the brave soldiers and citizens that lived, fought, and died through this terrible time in our country's story.
At this time in the Wheel of the Year, we honor our ancestors. We can honor them best by doing the best we can to learn from their triumphs and their mistakes to make this an even better world than how we found it. We also celebrate the harvest of all our hard work before facing the cold, dark Winter. The foliage sure knows how to make an exit and I wanted to share the spectacular views of my homeland with all of you.
Lets remember those who have come before us, those we have lost from this Earthly plane this year, and to share our bounty and gratitude with each other.
