Hanakotoba: the ancient art of assigning meanings to flowers. In the Japanese culture, presenting flowers to another is not done lightly; the underlying meaning of the flower determines the message and allows the communication of feelings and emotions without words. Many of the meanings differ from Victorian and western symbolism. The ancient art of Hanakotoba has been practiced for centuries and though it still continues today, it is sadly not as popular as it once was. Firstly, I find it worth mentioning that Chinese New Year falls on January 28th this year. And so will begin the year of the rooster. The rooster is a symbol of dawn and awakening and teaches that triumph and success can only be achieved through hard work and patience in 2017. Fair enough. I do love ancient traditions and symbolism and astrology; attaching meaning and sentiment is important to me. Plus its fun. Now, let us discuss minimalism. The practise of less is more; very true in a lot of respects, not so much in others. I believe that my life is pretty minimalist; i dont have that much stuff, i dont have loads of friends, i'm not that busy. In truth, I dont have much going on actually. My mind on the other hand is a cluttered chaotic space that i can’t seem to tame t all as easily as my physical surroundings. I don’t believe that having the stuff causes any issues, it can just distract from what’s real sometimes. Minimalist living is more than clean lines and white walls, it’s about filling your life with what’s important and clearing it of what is not. And that will manifest in very different ways for everyone, but all of us can benefit from adopting a more simple, meaningFULL life. Personally, i have far too many acorns, empty jars and boxes of scrap paper. Is that clutter? It doesn't get in the way of my life so i think not. I know what is vital to me is: deep connections, compassionate living, creativity, nature, peace and quiet. Plus chocolate and running. I could, of course, live without those. I’d rather not though. You do you. Minimalism is a very zen Japanese concept and i happen to be very much enamoured with Japanese culture. Pale pink cherry blossoms, snow dusted mount Fuji, elaborate tea ceremonies, beautiful landscaped gardens, intricate calligraphy; all steeped in ancient fascinating tradition. Its a place that i really hope to visit. I’ve actually always been drawn to the far east. As a child i dreamed of the great wall, of lush bamboo jungles and the pandas that called them home. India is my favourite place in the whole world; my time there was so life changing that i’m actually scared to go back in case it taints the magical memories i created the first time round! Africa in many ways captured my heart but Asia reached deep into my soul and became a part of me; the colours, the tastes and the spirituality inspire me huguely. Though, I think many parts of Asia are, at the surface, the very opposite of minimalist, those months of travelling there were perhaps the most peaceful and happy i’ve ever experienced. In the crowded, chaotic, overwhelming, tragic, harrowing yet incredible land that is India, I somehow found great stillness. I guess i did a Sherlock and created a mind palace. When we are travelling, we are vagabonds, homeless essentially and our days are simple. We get up, find some food, explore, read, eat again etc.. there is no schedule, nothing to do, nowhere to be. The freedom is wonderful at first but i found that eventually, my days began to feel empty. To me minimalism is not about emptiness, its about clearing what no longer serves and allowing room for what does. That often means adapting ourselves and our lives as we change and grow. Don't cling to who you used to be or how you used to live; learn from it, deconstruct old ideas, then re-build and create new ones. So with my interest in Asian culture in mind, i started to do some research and unearthed something called Hanakotoba or the Japanese Language of Flowers. The Japanese have great love and respect for nature, in fact they assigned meaning to flowers long before the British did. Japanese life is very much centered around the 4 seasons and flowers act like a mirror, they reflect the passage of time. Flowers are very prevalent in Japan, they are woven through the culture in the art, on clothes, as part of religious ceremonies and even displayed on legal documents. The most special religious flower in both China and Japan is the lotus; symbolic of the Buddha and his virtues of truth and immortality. Cherry blossoms and chrysanthemums are also very important- to be continued...While happily engrossed in Hanakotoba research, I also rediscovered Ikebana: a Japanese style of flower arranging, dating back to the 7th century. It is a disciplined art form, bringing together nature and humanity in union. It is steeped in the philosophy of developing a closeness with nature. Yes! That's exactly how i view floristry; a wonderful opportunity to share the beauty of nature and encourage people to care more about the natural world (our home). I hope to explore the Hanakotoba meanings on a deeper level and also practise some ikebana style arrangements, as soon as i get my hands on some flowers. How lovely it is to find another little piece of Asian culture to learn from and appreciate. The Victorian flower meanings and the Hanakotoba ones are quite similar in many cases, just viewed slightly differently. A few examples: Hanakotaba Victorian Dahlia good taste dignity Hibiscus gentle delicate beauty Cherry blossom kind spiritual beauty Pansy thoughtful think of me Sunflower respect pride Hydrangea pride heartlessness 2017 so far has been okay for me. I have been attempting to integrate minimalism into my thought processes. A little less thinking and a little more doing. Its proving very useful for learning to drive- i just have to deal with what comes at me without having the chance to overthink the situation. Same with getting back into yoga- dont think, just do it. 10 minutes a couple of times a week is fine, great actually. A few short asanas make me feel better and are easy to slot into my day without overwhelming me. My mind naturally seeks the hardest options, the longest routes. Often i simply don’t have the energy for such endeavors so i dont do anything at all. Silly? Yes of course. But true. What i need sometimes is to simply do things, to not think about them for so long that the actual doing, becomes an insurmountable mountain i really cannot climb. These small changes in my thoughts are slowly allowing small changes in my mindset. Life doesn't feel as overwhelming; i can feel excitement about the future again. The dark clouds have blown over a bit, to be replaced by vivid reveries of sun-drenched meadows and armfuls of flowers, cobbled streets for exploring, brilliant blue skies, turquoise waters, painting, laughing, living..peaceful days enjoying the earth quietly with gratitude in my steps and love in my heart. I think i'm ready for some adventure, maybe Italy or Greece in the summer, who knows. I want to do everything, visit everywhere, see it all. Stop. That right there is my problem; wanting to go from 0 to 100 in one step. There is time. I can do it all. Not all at once, but gradually step by step every goal can be achieved. Can you travel the whole earth in one day? No. Besides the joy is in the journey too, not just the destination. If we could view each moment we have as something vital, exciting and precious, could that not, perhaps, transform every regular day before us, into an adventure? Dwelling fully in each second as it arrives, thinking only of the present and happy to be there, i imagine (I know actually) that many of our worries would melt away. If you can do nothing about it then why torture yourself worrying and over thinking about a time that has not even arrived yet? “Worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles. It takes away today’s peace.” -Randy Armstrong Be still, be calm, be there. That to me is an embodiment of minimalism and where its true virtue lies; the peace granted by freedom from the unnecessary. Strip away the things that are not important to you, get rid of what holds you back, detach from the menial and focus on whats left. Your passions, your values, your heart-song. In essence- you. Simple.
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Ivy: strength, connection, friendship Hedera: Ivy is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to Europe, parts of Asia, Northern Africa and Macronesia. The scientific name Hedera is the classical Latin name for the plant. Old British names, include "Bindwood" and "Lovestone" the former for its ability to cling and grow over everything, even stones and bricks and the latter likely due its unrelenting nature to do so. Common ivy (hedera helix) can grow 20–30 m high wherever suitable surfaces (trees, cliffs, walls) are available, though it can also grow as groundcover where there are no vertical surfaces. Hedera helix generally thrives in moist, shady locations and avoids exposure to direct sunlight, the latter promoting drying out in winter. The nectar rich flowers are produced from late summer until late autumn, providing an important late autumn food source for bees and other insects. In late winter, Ivy also produces berries in purple-black to orange-yellow, each of the berries contains up to 5 seeds which are dispersed after being eaten by birds. Note: great food for birds, poison for humans! Ivies are of major ecological importance for their nectar and fruit production, both produced at times of the year when few other nectar or fruit sources are available. There is even an ivy bee that is totally dependant on the plant and times its whole life around the ivy flowering season. Many birds such as the thrush and wood pigeon along with butterflies and moths (with wonderful names such as scalloped hazel, swallow-tailed moth and willow beauty) also rely heavily on ivy during the months of flower famine. Littlebird likes them too : ) And so it is that 2017 is here; though the days pass much in the same way that they did weeks ago, we are now in fact in a whole New Year. Life as i know it is normal; I've been running and walking and taking photos and cooking and doing yoga and thinking and internetting and hoping. Hoping hoping hoping. For this to be the year i make my life what i hope it can be. I've missed writing about specfic plants and telling their unique story. It was under that premise that I began writing this; i hoped to structure my thoughts and align them with a corresponding bloom. Not so easy though, especially as its winter now and flowers are few and far between. There’s not a lot of choice really and all the dead brown twigs are not exactly evocative of positivity: they look as i often feel- weary and in need of sunshine. Ivy though, is a constant. Coiling around tree trunks, sprouting from walls, poking out of hedges. Long whispy vines, shiny five pointed leaves in bright and pale greens, variegated varieties and some with purple tinged edges too. I love that the leaves are arranged in size ascending order from the top to the tip. Some ivy displays funky berry clusters with curled leaves and some areas are so dense that they cover whole trees, as if adorning them with leafy jewelery. Ivy is a shape shifter and unrelenting grower. Their ablity to grow abundantly on any surface available, yet still flourish and grow equally well along the ground, is an inspiraton to plant and human alike! Take advantage of what is there but dont rely on it; everything you need is already in your wee body. Nature knows best. There is a quiet joy and reassurance in watching the seasons change, in seeing the different plants that come and go. As a photographer, having a deep love for nature is very helpful; my eyes are fully open to the tiniest of changes. What I enjoy most about photography is the need to look look deeper. It urges us to search for a new angle, an interesting view point/ subject. These months dont gift much colour but when you really look it is there. Bright yellow forsythia, berries in orange, red, pink, white and yellow, purple hued ivy seeds, tiny white petals poking through the green hebe and the majestic neon mahonia looking very tropical indeed amongst the grey skies and brown leaves. I miss gardens in bloom. When i do get my own flower garden i have no idea how i’ll decide what to grow, i love so many flowers. All the flowers really. Astrantia, scabious, ammi majus, cosmo, snap dragons, lysimachia, coreopsis, sweet peas...to name but a few. The thought of planting the precious seeds in a cosy greenhouse, of nurturing them until they are strong enough to be moved outside, is a vivid and hopeful dream for my future. So back to ivy.
Ivy is rich with symbolism and mystic. The druids long associated it as symbol of vibrancy due to the bright green leaves. Often, sprigs of ivy would be woven into necklaces or decoartive head pieces to represent clarity of thought, while celebrating the wonder of nature surrounding them. Ivy is also a symbol of survival and determination, the strong vines are resilient and will often re-grow even after being cut back or severely damaged. This quality can act as a reminder of the strength of our own spirits and our ability to carry on regardless of obstacles and setbacks. It's strong, binding nature is likely the reason that in The Language of Flowers, it is representative of marriage, fidelity and friendship. The vines really are seriously strong! I like to add tendrils to bouquets, often i try to simply pull a stray vine as i pass it, to no avail, It will not be pulled, scissors are required. Respect to the mighty ivy that shalt not be pulled by mortal hand. As a big fan of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, i cant help but recall that 4 certain hobbits are gifted identical brooches by Galariel, a mystical elf of the woodland realm, in the form of ivy leaves. To bond them together and unite them in their seperate but entwined journeys. The leaves of some ivy species have 5 points; Celtic symbology curtails that this characteristic unites the five elements (of water, earth, fire, air, space) in harmony and provides protection. One would certainly need as much protection as possible on a journey to Mordor. They did all make it so, must have been the magical ivy leaves to thank. Or the triumph of good over evil, who knows. I do believe that little emblems have huge power; i carry a guardian angel stone with me whenever i feel scared or anxious; it does make me feel better. The belief that you have something helping and protecting you is a true comfort. There is great power in belief. Meanings and symbols and stories. Giving importance and substance to seemingly futile things. January is a strange month. Our hopes and dreams for the new year are still fragile, more like whispers and rough sketches right now. We need the year to progress a little before we really take flight. Well i do. I've spoken of things i miss; flowers and stories. The definition of to miss is: to fail to hit, reach, or come into contact with (something). Just because you have stopped seeing things the way you are used to them is not the same as missing it; some things though are never actually gone, they have changed but are still definitely there. Find a new angle, look a little harder. Stories are ours to write, there are no rules to adhere to. I wanted to write about something that correlated directly to my life right now, sadly there was no entry in the Language of Flowers about frustration or feeling lost. The Victorians lived simpler lives than we do now; less choices, less opportunities, lots of heartache. And the plague. But, ivy had other stories attached to it, discovering its role as a symbol of strength and protection to the Druids, ivy wove its way into my own personal story. To be able to re-grow regardless of what life has thrown your way is a truly hopeful and uplifting thought. I have been rather enamoured by ivy lately, perhaps im drawn to its optimistic virtues. Maybe i cant quite relate to the strong binds of marriage or even friendship right now; that was only ever one side of the story. Not my side. Flowers will return; in a few months the daffodills, snowbells and tulips will appear once more and Spring will be upon on us. Winter will be gone and with it the glittering frosts, crimson berries and shorter days. I’ll miss them too. Things come and go and change but if we stand here with both feet firmly planted to the earth and our minds fully here in this present moment, we experience life exactly as we are meant to. Connnected to the earth, bound to the days, commited to ourselves. |
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