 |
| Watercolor of a Pinecone |
Throughout recorded history certain elements of nature have come to symbolize various human traits and this is often used in Bardic tradition to enhance the magic of story-telling. In the circle of fire light a thousand years ago, perhaps, the bard uses his voice and body to enact various scenes of the story. A captive audience will find their imaginations soaring as different characters are described, sometimes as animals, sometimes as a plant or other part of the natural world. Immediately their understanding of the character deepens through the use of symbolism.
As the seed-bearing part of one of the most ancient plants on earth and the first evolutionary form of a flower, the pinecone is a very interesting thing as both itself and as a symbol for peace, fertility and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to perceive light, to "sense", to find connection to the Source.
There are both male and female cones, the males being typically smaller than the larger females. The females hold and protect the seed until they sense that the time is right for them to open and release their seed onto the earth. This isn't always as often as we might think - while many cones release their seed yearly, or every few years, some pinecones can remain attached to the tree for many more before maturity, and some serotinous cones only are able to open when exposed to extremely hot temperatures that will melt the resin coating them. Often, this extreme heat takes the form of fire.
As so often happens when we look around us at the order and cyclical beauty of Nature, there is much for us to learn. What are the seeds we are holding? What dreams do we have? What do we want to see happen in our lives? Are we hiding our dreams or are we actively letting them develop, consciously waiting for the time to let them grow? What is holding us back? Are we listening for the Source, are we trusting our instinct? If we experience devastating circumstances in life, is there a way to allow this to change us; to bring us closer to our dreams? If we go through fire, is it an ending? Or will it merely burn away that which no longer serves us? May we all seek the next step in the journey of Becoming.
As the seed-bearing part of one of the most ancient plants on earth and the first evolutionary form of a flower, the pinecone is a very interesting thing as both itself and as a symbol for peace, fertility and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to perceive light, to "sense", to find connection to the Source.
There are both male and female cones, the males being typically smaller than the larger females. The females hold and protect the seed until they sense that the time is right for them to open and release their seed onto the earth. This isn't always as often as we might think - while many cones release their seed yearly, or every few years, some pinecones can remain attached to the tree for many more before maturity, and some serotinous cones only are able to open when exposed to extremely hot temperatures that will melt the resin coating them. Often, this extreme heat takes the form of fire.
As so often happens when we look around us at the order and cyclical beauty of Nature, there is much for us to learn. What are the seeds we are holding? What dreams do we have? What do we want to see happen in our lives? Are we hiding our dreams or are we actively letting them develop, consciously waiting for the time to let them grow? What is holding us back? Are we listening for the Source, are we trusting our instinct? If we experience devastating circumstances in life, is there a way to allow this to change us; to bring us closer to our dreams? If we go through fire, is it an ending? Or will it merely burn away that which no longer serves us? May we all seek the next step in the journey of Becoming.
No comments:
Post a Comment