![\"Gerda-wall\"](\"http:\/\/www.hypnoticwishes.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Gerda-wall.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWednesday night, July 7, 2010<\/p>\n
I felt the need 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. \u201cGreetings Gerda, Goddess of enclosed gardens, bride of Frey the Shining\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
Eventually, She said: \u201cThat 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\u2019s bugloss) will do very well, it is a fighter. This one is\u2026 \u201c she pondered a while, feeling the air, \u201cit 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),\u201d and pointed to the side of the balcony. \u201cThis 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.\u201d I nodded and said yes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy do you grow them?\u201d She asked. I reviewed my reasons mentally, and answered: \u201cI 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.\u201d She nodded. \u201cSpeak to this one now (mugwort).\u201d I tried, and got no response. \u201cNo, like this<\/em>\u201d And she reached out with a thick white root of mist, going from Her head into the plant, and pushed<\/em> Her words into the plant. \u201cDo it now,\u201d She said. I did, and I could feel that the plant heard me\u2026 but I couldn\u2019t hear it answer. \u201cThis is how you listen,\u201d She added, and put out Her mist root again, pushing Her words. But then, She pulled<\/em> the plant\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cHello,\u201d I said to the plant, \u201chow do you feel?\u201d I pushed, then pulled:<\/p>\n \u201cWe feel well. We do not know you, who are you?\u201d<\/p>\n 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\u2026 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 \u201croot\u201d<\/p>\n Gerda smiled slightly and nodded. \u201cNow do the same, but let the root come out from your heart\u201d I did. It was like I could hear the roots swallowing, chewing, and the leaves sighing, breathing. Very odd, but enjoyable.<\/p>\n \u201cGood,\u201d She said. I looked up and said: \u201cI 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?\u201d<\/p>\n She seemed to look inside my head, and said \u201cYes, you can tell them they can call me when they want to create an enclosure, to nurture and grow themselves.\u201d Though she didn\u2019t 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. \u201cI will place a song inside you, with the instructions\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan you not just teach me the song directly?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but it is\u2026 more fun this way. And you need to practice patience, letting things grow. I will plant the seed inside you\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou are generous in your teaching, and that\u2026\u201d I searched for words that were more than a thank you, \u201cwill be remembered. May the love between you and Frey grow in fruits of joy\u201d<\/p>\n I reached to pick up the glass but She stopped me: \u201cLeave it there. Go now.\u201d 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\u2026 disorienting. I stumbled a bit, and felt some of the wine splash on my ankle. She faded away as I returned inside.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\nGerda\u2019s Enclosure Song<\/h1>\n