Insights From The Ecosystem
Small Wonders Make a Big Difference
There's always something beautiful and fascinating happening in the garden. The time I get to spend here is therapeutic, the work is meditative, and this space is one of the most reliable sources of joy that I have access to. Even with being in the food forest so often, I still have to remind myself to document some of the progress and experiences that take place. Committing to a daily writing exercise has helped me become a lot more mindful about capturing some of the thoughts and ideas that flow when I’m out soaking up the garden vibes.
It’s a privilege to walk through such a thriving landscape knowing all of the trial, error, successes and failures that contributed to the abundance. Every step tells a little bit more of the story and inspires detailed musings about future iterations.
“Fairies Live Here” -My Wife
The last few weeks have brought some much needed rain and everything is expanding in every direction. So today I was compelled to dust off the macro lens and have a closer look at all the new growth. One of the first things I noticed was a tightly packed clump of newly emerged mushrooms under our star fruit tree.
I was particularly intrigued because the day before, I had just used my trimmer to clear some grass and weeds in the same area, and there were no mushrooms there at all. So to see hundreds of them this morning was pretty cool. Once I took a few steps back and saw what was really happening, the cool got upgraded to down right enchanting. What I thought was a bunch of rando shrooms was actually a roughly 8 foot fairy ring right in our front yard. I’m not sure if it was just their own timing, or if it was me disturbing the area the day before that triggered this mass fruiting. Either way, it was extremely awesome to witness.
The Practical Analysis tells me that mushrooms are a sign of a healthy soil that's rich in organic matter with lots of microbial activity. Fungi in the garden are also an indicator of a strong mycorrhizal network that benefits other plants and trees through a symbiotic relationship. All of the wood chips, leaves, and other compostable material is being broken down into bio available nutrients that contribute to long term fertility in the food forest. Thank you mushrooms.
The Mystical Analysis tells me that mushrooms are an ancient icon of transformation and rebirth, probably because of how quickly they seem to appear, emerging from decay. Different cultures around the world associate them with hidden worlds and folklore. Some even consider them to be alien or magical entities that offer a gateway to altered states of consciousness or spiritual visions. Carriers of ancient wisdom and natural intelligence, reminding us to pay attention to the subtle and overlooked aspects of nature and our own lives. Thank you mushrooms.
Now that I'm taking more time to let these happenings really sink in, I see how beautiful moments and profound realizations can seem so fleeting. Especially when we find ourselves bogged down in all the busyness that this world can make us accustomed to. We quickly learn to put our own thoughts and ideas aside in favor of the task at hand, which has its merits, but so do our daydreams.
I’m learning that there is power in paying attention to where your mind goes when it wanders. You never know where it’s attempting to lead you, or what you’ll find along the way. What I do know is that the act of seeking is transformative and whatever you focus on expands. So I'm taking this opportunity to focus on the magic and beauty that’s already present in my daily life. Always keeping in mind that manifestation is not about creating things that don’t exist out of thin air, it’s about revealing what is already present and making it clear and apparent to the eye and the understanding.
This is the way.
