Gerda’s Lesson: Talking to Plants
Personal Gnosis UPG
Wednesday night, July 7, 2010
An urge came upon me to go out to my balcony garden with an offering for Gerda, of the home made pear wine Sunna had liked so much. I moved pots so there would be room for Her to stand, and sat with bottle and glass, examining my plants. To my left, there came a presence, which I checked with my intuition to confirm it was Gerda. “Greetings Gerda, Goddess of enclosed gardens, bride of Frey the Shining,” I said with trepidation and surprise. She did not speak at first, as the garden in Her world sort of lined up with mine in this world. She simply examined each of the plants, one by one.
I felt particularly blessed by Her unexpected visit. I've gone to great efforts to meet spirits and deities. That She would simply come, perhaps out of interest in me, meant a lot to me.
Eventually, She said: “That one, you must shade it (stinging nettle). This one is well (watercress). This one is weak, its breed was weakened. But it will grow, only slower (German chamomile). This one needs more soil (fennel, its roots were exposed from the watering). This one is strong, it will grow well here (mugwort). This one (she touched the leaves of viper’s bugloss) will do very well, it is a fighter. This one is… “She pondered a while, feeling the air, “it does not like the wind and sun so much. You must put a wall there for it to shield it" (a fuchsia, a plant that has always attracted me), and pointed to the side of the balcony. “This one is not growing (plantain), why do you wait? You must plant again. That is the way with seeds, they do not all grow. You will do that tonight, yes? You have soil and pots and seeds. Do it.”
I nodded and said yes.
“Why do you grow them?” She asked.
I reviewed my reasons mentally, and answered: “I grow them to learn of their magic for the song of the nine sacred herbs, to learn to care for them, to learn of plants and how to speak with them, and to offer this caring to their grandparent spirit so that they will work with me.”
She nodded. “Speak to this one now.” (mugwort)
I tried, and got no response.
“No, like this” And she reached out with a thick white root of mist, going from Her head into the plant, and pushed Her words into the plant. “Do it now,” She said.
I did, and I could feel that the plant heard me… but I couldn’t hear it answer.
“This is how you listen,” She added, and put out Her mist root again, pushing Her words. But then, She pulled the plant’s answer through that root. It went back and forth a few times, pushing and pulling words, until She announced it was time that I try it.
It was a little tricky at first, but I eventually got the hang of it. My pushing illuminated the plant as I spoke, and when I was done, I pulled some of that light back with the answers.
“Hello,” I said to the plant, “how do you feel?” I pushed, then pulled:
“We feel well. We do not know you, who are you?”
I told them my name and my spirit name, and enquired if it had enough water. It did, and it was curious about why it was there and not in the ground. I explained that I had planted it here so I could care for it. In the wild, it would have no need of me, but here, it is weaker, and has need of care and watering. So I do that to earn favor with the Disir of Mugwort, its grandmother spirit, as well as to learn from its children. I explained I had a song that called on its power to purify. I pushed all that, and then pulled the answer: they did not know they had that power, but they recognized it was true. I helped them reach out to Mugwort Spirit, explaining that was their Goddess, their ancestor. It was very strange to watch plants having a religious experience… enlightenment as it were! They were grateful for this, and asked for time to learn from the greater spirit. I agreed and wished them well, as I pulled back my “root”
Gerda smiled slightly and nodded. “Now do the same, but let the root come out from your heart” I did. It was like I could hear the roots swallowing, chewing, and the leaves sighing, breathing. Very odd, but enjoyable.
“Good,” She said.
I looked up and said: “I am going to speak to Pagans about Jotun Gods and spirit work, on a land that is like a garden for their spirits. Is there something you would like me to tell them?”
She seemed to look inside my head, and said “Yes, you can tell them they can call me when they want to create an enclosure, to nurture and grow themselves.” Though she didn’t name it, I knew She was referring to casting a circle, or at least Her version of it. It felt like She had looked into me and found what they would most likely want from Her, and this was it. “I will place a song inside you, with the instructions”
“Can you not just teach me the song directly?”
“Yes, but it is… more fun this way. And you need to practice patience, letting things grow. I will plant the seed inside you”
“You are generous in your teaching, and that…” I searched for words that were more than a thank you, “will be remembered. May the love between you and Frey grow in fruits of joy”
I reached to pick up the glass but She stopped me: “Leave it there. Go now.” I got up, and She touched the top of my head like She was planting a seed in there, through the fontanelle at the top. It was… disorienting. I stumbled a bit, and felt some of the wine splash on my ankle. She faded away as I returned inside.
Then I typed these words, and looked to unpack the seed, as Duva had taught. But it was more like watching a plant grow and looking at each leaf for the next word.
Gerda’s Enclosure Song
Gerda’s Enclosure (mp3) You are in seeds, you growing green all around |
And to release it: Gerda's Release (mp3) Seed is dormant in the sun, |
Instructions: See the seeds, the plants, the people to enclose. Grasp and pull up the mist over all of them as a dome, as many times as needed. Hold the fist closed, hold the fist high, bring the fist to your heart. Do not smile. Keep the joy in until you are done singing. When you release it, let the smile come to your face. Let the breeze blow the mist back to the ground.
As I wrote this, I heard Gerda answer my mental question: “Yes, you are pulling the Veil over yourself. Yes, you are between worlds if you wish to be “.
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