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 The Living Earth Nightshade
and Wild Rose
The Earth holds the memories of all lives lived
since the beginning of time, stored in the soil beneath our feet.
Every song, every emotion and every word spoken leaves a shadow
behind, marking its place in the never-ending passage of years.
These shadows, these ghostly footprints of time-passing,
are either the good energy or the bad of lives lived. They are
our memories interwoven with the other lives we shared, whether
equal in purpose with ours or alone in intent, but always in
a struggle of balanced stewardship.
This timeless collecting of memories is the Earth's
reminder to us that we are more of a burden to her than a benefit.
She turns the wheel of time with the tips of her fingers, so
each life lived is kept alive, yet each life is a ghost, following
behind us like a small breeze. In the dark of night they become
whispers, child-like songs that cling to our very souls. The
beauty of the Earth is the greatest gift we have been given.
It is the path we all travel.
Nightshade
The nightshade plant is a climbing vine usually found
clinging to old fences and tree stumps. The flowers are very
small but colourful in blues, purples and yellow. The shape of
the leaf is unique to this plant. Poultices can be made from
the leaves for skin problems but the berries are very poisonous.
Wild rose
The wild rose plant is a beautiful shrub that may
grow quite tall. It is usually found with nightshade plants along
the roadside and old fence bottoms, but its range extends into
fields and forest clearings.
This plant has long been known as a tea plant. The leaves, flowers
and fruit (rosehip) can be steeped. The leaf tea has been used
as a medicine, the flower tea as a good pick-me-up, and the rosehips
just make a satisfying cup of tea. |