Anthropomorphize, Day 24

I was once reading about Staghorn Sumac and it was characterized as a "pioneer" plant because it likes to grow into new places.  It's one of the early plants to begin reclaiming territory.  If you had to characterize your plant in a similar way what might it be?  If you can't think of a single term like "pioneer" what are some phrases that capture the personality of this plant?  If it were a person what words would you put to it?  Is it aggressive, hearty, flamboyant, sullen, precocious, etc.?  What words come to mind for you?  Once you have those words, does any one picture possess those qualities.  For example, with my plant I find it elegant, yet unassuming and quietly aspiring.  For some reason a dancer comes to mind.  A young dancer, not quite sure of herself, yet.

As always have fun with this.  Come at it with a childlike joy.

What is the reason?, Day 23

A few nights ago, I asked my 12 year old son Matt what he thought the next plant challenge should be.  He thought for a moment and said, "What is the reason for your plant?"  Wow!  What an amazing question to consider.  If you have been faithfully whacking away at these challenges then you have both internalized a great deal of information about this plant and you have established a large number of connections to it.  It's almost as if each exercise has invisibly built a rope connecting you to it.  You now have lots of ropes.  So out of all of that knowledge and connection, what would you say is this plant's reason for being.  You may think about that at several levels.  Why does this species exist?  What purpose does it serve?   What role in an ecosystem?  etc.  You may also want to think about this specific plant.  Why is it here in this place at this time?  Once you have reflected on these things for awhile, give thanks.

What can your plant do?, Day 22

Go sit near your plant and do a short sense meditation to get your mind clear.  Then either touch or hold your plant or take a leaf or two of it and hold them in your hand.  As you hold/touch it your going to ask several questions and listen to your body for responses.  First, ask if the plant is edible?  What is your "gut" sense?  Do you feel uptight and uneasy or is there a sense of peace around the question?  Is your plant medicinal?  Once again, is your sense about this question peaceful or uneasy.  If your sense is peaceful then hold/touch the plant and raise the question, what part of my body would it effect?  Pay attention to your body.  Do you seen anything note worthy in your body?  If so, what?  Play around with this for awhile and note any results.

Have a Chat, Day 21

Visit your plant and find one of the mysteries you identified early.  If you didn't do that, well then look at your plant long enough to pick a mystery that you would like to explore.  Do a short sensory meditation to clear your mind and then imagine what it would be like if you could ask your plant about the mystery.  Have an imaginary conversation with  your plant.  What would you ask your plant?  Ask it.  Imagine it's response to your questions.  What would your plant tell you about the mystery?  Have fun with this exercise and when your are done jot down some notes from your conversation.

Rest and Reflect Time Again, Day 20

Take today off, rest, and reflect.  What has the past 20 days taught you?  Be thankful.

Your "not" plant, Day 19

When we look at things and apply names to them it starts to drive and filter are perceptions very rapidly.  Sometimes we have to use our eyes and minds differently to only see form or color.  To observe without mounds of interpretation we have to suspend our rational categories.  Artists learn to see this way.  They learn to forget "plant" or "tree" and just see shape, shades, areas, and colors.  Today, I want you to invert your brain a bit to reawaken you to form.  Imagine for a moment that all that is solid is space and all that is space is solid.  Look at your plant in this way.  Think of it as a space, as a gap and all else around it is solid.  What is its space?  It has no color?  It's just space.   All that surrounds is solid?  What is that solid's shape?  What has been carved away from it by your plant?  

Thinking about the world in this way is a bit disorienting at first. However, if you push through to a place where you feel that what is solid is space and what is space is solid, then your sense of form will radically shift.  You will see and sense form for the sake of form.  Your ability to hold objects in your imagination will become greatly enhanced if you do this regularly.

The Nose Knows, Day 18

You have explored your plant with touch, sight and imagination.  Today, get a sense of your plant's particular aroma.  Do different parts of the plant smell differently or more intensely?  How close do you have to be to smell your plant?  Play with getting downwind or upwind of it?  Could you find this plant using only your sense of smell?  Does the smell remind you of any other aroma?  Would you confuse it with another plant?  Smell a few plants near by.  How is your plant's smell unique?  Try to put some words to the smell?  If you were to call the smell a color what color would it be?