Spring has finally come to my neck of the woods. The tulips
are pushing up through the ground, the daffodils are blooming, and my favorite
sign of spring is here…the blooms on redbud trees! One grows very close to
where we live, and the moon gets tangled in it often. It was really lovely to
see it blooming during the pink full moon this year.
Redbud trees are all about the magic of love and new
beginnings for me, from the first pink buds in early spring to the heart-shaped
leaves that will emerge in a few weeks. I’ve heard superstitions of restless
spirits being drawn to redbuds, but I haven’t (yet) had that experience.
I have a couple of redbud rituals to share. When a branch is
blooming, I cut a piece for my altar to enjoy some of the first flowers of
spring. I pop it in a vase with a rose quartz at the bottom and make a wish.
When the flowers begin to wilt, I take it outside on a windy day. I strip the blossoms from the branch and cast
them to the winds, remembering my wish. I suspect this is a holdover from
wishing on dandelions as a little girl.
When the heart-shaped leaves are full and leathery, in late
spring or early summer, I sometimes write a wish on a leaf and bury it. I’m
convinced that the earth can ruminate solutions to my dilemmas better than I
can!
What’s blooming in your area right now? Any blossoms that
you’d like to cast to the wind or water?
My daffodils are only just now coming up, but I am surrounded by cedars and pines all through my yard. When I have to trim branches or clean up from any windfall, it's always a good excuse to use the fire pit and I like to think of my cedar smoke cleansing and blessing the whole area.
ReplyDeleteAha! I love that idea. We have some junipers around, and I often think about trying to burn some of those! :-D
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