crown of violets

Garden of Earthly Delights

{ by Hieronymus Bosch }

“If woman lost us Eden, such as she alone can restore it.” ~ John Greenleaf Whittier

While I don’t know too much about Mr. Whittier’s work, I thought this quote was particularly interesting and very fitting with the work of art I’m contemplating today.

The Eden depicted in this image is another manifestation of a common human theme of paradise, places of beauty, pleasure and delight where every creature lives in harmony. Paradise is woven into the fabric of our deepest dreams and desires, prevalent in most types of mythic literature. These places are compelling to us, places where our desires and wishes are fulfilled. We are searching for happiness and fulfillment. Paradise promises that we can have that the moment we walk through its pearly, ivy-twined gates. It can seem a far cry from the world we’re surrounded with, but perhaps paradise is closer than we’ve ever dreamed.

It comes as no surprise that many of images of Paradise are depicted as gardens. Gardening has only been a part of my life for the past six months and I never could have imagined how much it would change me. The effects have been gentle, but universal. It’s through working in traditional gardens (gardens planted according to the ways of indigenous peoples) that I’ve truly begun to understand the beautiful simplicity and masterful complexity of Nature. Gardening has kept me fed through the winter, as I try to remove my dependence on industries that worship money and follow a spirit of dominance instead of love. It has provided both sustenance and a sense of security as food prices soar. It has awakened a deep sense of connection to the earth that a childhood spent with electronic devices and indoors didn’t foster. It has nurtured and given expression to the healer in me and allowed me to take my health and happiness into my own hands. The garden has empowered me. It has centered me. It has allowed me a space to open myself to love and beauty. Nothing is as sensual as working in Nature. The garden is full of colour and sound, wonderful tastes and intoxicating smells like the sweet smell of wild strawberries as the earth is turned, the cool taste of dew that collects in squash flowers, lemon balm and basil covering my hands and filling my head as I gather their leaves for tea.

Working in the garden has also given me a sense of responsibility through my growing connection to the earth. As I walk through my city, plants and trees become less generic. I naturally pick out the plants I’ve been blessed to learn about and begin to see at the natural abundance that surrounds us. These are familiar friends and energies I see in my own space, that I tend and work with. I feel a connection that can only grow as I learn more and more. I see the plants I don’t know and think about how very much I have to learn and where that will take me. Plants travel the earth and we follow them. We are travelers and adventurers and the land calls for us to explore it. We have nothing to fear, because plants are always around us.

Wherever you go, Nature is there. We have certain gifts that other animals don’t, but that doesn’t mean that we’re outside of Nature’s domain. I can easily name dozens of plants and animals that can do things I’ve yet to learn how to do. We as people like to think we are observers, but we and all we create are just as much a part of Nature as the plants, the animals, the stars, the very sky itself. Nature extends from the core beneath us to the natural world to the physical universe. The universe has been making different types of life for a long time and we are simply another piece of the puzzle. Nature’s got the big stuff covered. When I think of that and see how surrounded by abundance I am in the garden, I feel at peace. There’s always something to share and learn. I know all of my needs will be met, that I live in a beautiful world, full of harmony and delight. Sounds a little bit like Paradise.

Perhaps instead of a place, Paradise is a way of living. Maybe Paradise can be found in something as simple as living in harmony with our environment. As we grow in our understanding of how our past decisions and current actions affect the whole of our planet, those that choose love consider how their actions ripple outward to shape the world they live in. We make decisions that will bring health and happiness to their lives and spread it to everything we encounter. This feeds the spirit of love, generosity, and harmony in our world that understands that all we need to live in harmony with Nature and to find Paradise is to be our true selves, the powerful, creative and loving creatures we were meant to be.