raspberries have been a

symbol for me,

a sign

of

abundance.

 

the raspberry bushes

outside my back door

are ridiculous.

i can fill a bowl each day

before work.

 

when i returned home

in november,

there were still

berries.

 

abundance.

 

one day, after pulling over on the side

of the 401 to pee, only to find

myself in a tangle of raspberry bushes,

julie sent me this:

“Raspberry magic is the magic of patience in fertility. First year canes do not produce fruit but are essential to the fertility of the plant, establishing her root system and filling her canes with the strength and energy she’ll need. After the cane has weathered a year, she’s ready to bloom and fruit. Raspberry reminds us that maturity and proper conditioning are essential to abundant and healthy reproduction. It is best to be patient, Raspberry councils, when beginning any creative endeavour… Raspberry invites us to slow down and savor all that must occur before we bear the fruits of our lives.” https://www.thepracticalherbalist.com/holistic-medicine-library/raspberry-myth-and-magic/

 

when i first read this,

i took fertility literally.

which, in my situation,

is a valid concern.

this does not seem to be the

age for patience.

 

but, another friend,

while wandering on the beach,

had a much more expansive view.

 

what if fertility referred to

all that was growing.

to the ideas, the creativity,

the new life within,

not just the potential for

procreation.

.

well that,

that changes everything.

 

to be patient with

all of it.

to slow and to savour.

to wait and to nurture.

 

this is raspberry magic.

 

last year,

my daily raspberry picking

became my gratitude practice.

with each berry,

i would name someone i was

grateful for,

say a prayer of thanks or

petition.

 

but there were just too

many berries.

and just too many people.

 

a symbol of

abundance…

 

… and patience.

 

? what are you patiently waiting for

? what do you wish would hurry up and be born

>>> think of the signs and symbols in  your life, what are they telling you?

 

even in this season of snowy grey days,

i am grateful for raspberries.

grateful for the thorns and

the sweet berry juice.

grateful for the abundance

and the wisdom.

i am even grateful that they don’t

grow all year.

grateful to have something to long for

as i patiently wait for

the season to re-appear.

as i patiently wait

and trust that

new life is growing.