This is the first of three posts that begin to connect the lotus to each other.
This post connects directly back to my September 2021 post about teachers and teachings. It also connects all of the previous posts, just like a field of American Lotus, linked together to support me in finding my way through the mess and imperfections of each day.
I have written previously (see post: Collecting Stories) about how I was not a kid who grew up hearing family stories passed down through the years or who had heirlooms throughout the house that connected to people from prior generations. I barely knew my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins and had no knowledge of anyone beyond them. I had no understanding of who came before or from where they actually came. Broad sweeping generalizations only. (see post: Earth/Nature). I am not going to re-hash that here so check out the earlier posts if it calls to you. Suffice it to say, that lack of connection and ancestral knowledge was foundational to my journey.
The most amazing thing has happened over the past 30 or so years of research. My ancestors have found me. Yes, I do lots of research, and take courses to be an even more thorough researcher. And, yes, I do work hard in the process. But it still feels to me that my ancestors do not appear until they are ready to do so. Once I see them and begin to delve into their stories, I learn from them – their histories, their lives, their practices, their beliefs, their cosmology. Each reclaimed ancestor and story provides an opportunity for me to reclaim a part of myself, and in doing so to create practices that are relevant to where I find myself. The beauty is that I am continually rediscovering ancestors and their stories so my practices are always evolving. There is no ending, only new beginnings and integration.
I am here to grow and to learn. To be the fully integrated authentic person I am meant to be. I am here to hold the wisdom and knowledge of my ancestors, to care for it, nurture it, to practice, and to continue to learn. I am an educator at my core. I love the 1560s usage of educator – “one who nourishes or rears.” This is how I see my role. I hold all of these practices and teachings that offer nourishment. I endeavor to live by example according to what I have learned – the principles, practices, and teachings. I hold it all, protect and nourish all, and am ready to share with those who come after me, in service to others. I am here to share the knowledge, the teachings, to help those who yearn to learn, to listen and feel, to build compassion and love for the natural world and all living beings. Essentially, I am endeavoring to become the ancestor my descendants need me to be when their time comes. Our children are at an age where I am able to see these practices and teachings beginning to move in and through them. I find myself wondering if one of them will hold this wisdom for others after me.
The recipe that follows is born out of desire to hold the wisdom and knowledge through a connection to heritage, to heal the relationship with the Earth in the place where I live, and to provide an opportunity to engage in deep Earth practices. It is a recipe that is in our Death Book and will be nurtured and protected for those yet to arrive.
Saining is a Celtic folk practice of using smoke and herbs to purify and bless a home. Similar to smudging with white sage in Native American traditions, saining provides a practice for those with Celtic ancestry who want to develop their own practice based in their ancestry. In my herbal practices, it is important to me to heal the relationship with the place where my feet are planted by using the plants from within my ecoregion that have the energetics that align with my intention. And so, this recipe is crafted from flora sourced in my ecoregion. I use this recipe as a loose herbal smoke/incense blend and as a saining bundle, depending on the need and the intention of the deep Earth practice.
Recipe: Purify and Bless the Home
Ingredients:
• Cedarwood Juniperus virginianaas
• dried orange peels
• dried cedarwood, Juniperus virginianaas
• dried rosemary, Rosemarinus officinalis var arp
• dried calendula, Calendula officinalis varr esina
• 8 drops Sweet Orange, Citrus sinensis essential oil
• 5 drops Cinnamon Bark, Cinnamomum zeylanicum essential oil
• 3 drops Nutmeg, Myristica fragrans essential oil
Tie the ingredients above into bundles with a natural cotton string. The bundle can be used for a one room or whole house blessing. Alternatively, small bundles may be made and added to a winter fireplace fire.
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