Dec 15, 2022 - Beloved Basil of Bliss
Herbs have a language that speaks to the heart in all seasons. We’ve been reflecting on the fact that the herbal world is one of the greatest expressions of the unceasing generosity of Gaia.
Entering into relationship with even just one herb can create an opening for creative exploration, nurturance and nourishment for body and soul, and insight into your daily life. Take basil, for instance. Because of her generosity and versatility, we and our community family are in relationship with her all year – through every season.
From planting her seeds in the green house in early spring; planting the seedlings in the garden in late spring; watering & tending all summer while picking her tender leaves for salads and pastas and pestos; harvesting all of the remaining leaves of her plants in the fall and preserving them by drying and making pestos, infused oils, and herb butters; to finally utilizing all the ways we have preserved her to enjoy all throughout the winter.
As we enter the winter months, it is such a gift to taste the warmth & energy of the sun held within those basil leaves as we drizzle basil-infused olive oil on a crusty piece of bread or dig into a bowl of basil pesto pasta or spread basil butter over a hot yeast roll while it’s blustering and blowing snow outside.
As if nourishing the body and delighting our senses of taste, smell, sight & touch are not enough, basil has even more to give. The time it takes to harvest, de-stem and process her leaves offers the opportunity to go beyond what could be perceived as a tedious task and do some exploration of one’s inner landscape.
Basil holds within its essence the spirituality of sexuality. That can mean something different for all of us and at different points in our lives but being with basil gives us the chance to heal and nurture the places where we were afraid to be ourselves, holding back on our expression of who we really are and who we love.
For Suzanne and I, basil has helped us embrace ourselves more fully and accept the unique, beautiful & loving expressions and equations we are together as twin flames.
The Garden holds such gifts to give and share, if we listen close enough to Her whispers. Basil has been such a gift in our lives and we feel her spirit and presence lives on all year long, especially since we intention it that way. As we enjoy one of our first evenings of December, we will enjoy the delicious basil pesto on our pizza tonight as a community family and celebrate our beloved basil of bliss tonight!
