Want to find a way to connect with the earth’s energies and connect with the spirit of spring? Want to be productive? Want to ground while doing the things? Can’t find a meadow to dance in?

There’s an easy way to do all of the above – start a garden.

When I started my garden project, I didn’t think much about it. It was just a thing I thought that would be a good personal thematic sabbat project. Bless seeds at Imbolc, plant them at Ostara and watch them bloom and prosper by Beltane. I didn’t know that it would change my relationship with the mother.

I started like most do, planting blessed seeds in little dirt pods. I cleaned off my whole altar in order to have space for the mini greenhouses. Coming home from work each day, I’d check the little pods, hoping for some green until finally- there it was! Little green sprouts, poking up through the dirt. Now, I have grown things before. Poorly. I think the plant that grew best for me was a lima bean with a paper towel while in elementary school. A green thumb, I would never claim to have.

So, you can see why I was super excited about the little green sprouts. I watered them faithfully and soon enough, it was time to put them in the ground. I dug with my trowel and dug my hands into the earth. The soil got under my nails and the earth’s energy got under my skin. The smell of that damp earth really resonated with me. I felt supremely grounded. And with my hands in the earth and the rest of my body in the bright spring air, I felt connected. And I felt the energies of the world in a surprising way. And I went on my way. I weeded a bit, checked on the sprouts every day, and made sure they grew up strong.

I’m not going to lie – I did zero research. I just put them in the ground. Watered, and prayed. And you know what? They actually grew. And grew. And flowers bloomed! VICTORY. The best part of all is that, as I tended and got dirty and played with the plants, the flowers turned into vegetables. Zucchini and cucumbers and tomatoes and beans. And I got to taste the results of my work in the earth. Literally. I’ve also use containers to garden and it’s almost the same sort of connection.

So, I couldn’t find myself in a magical meadow to connect with the energies of the earth. Turns out, meadows are hard to come by in suburban southern California.

But blessing the seeds, planting them, tending to them lovingly really allowed me to tap into the energy of the plants. And eating the fruits of my harvest allowed me to experience the entire growing cycle of the earth.

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The skill of observation really allowed me to feel into the deep energies of the earth. If you want to learn more about that skill and more, check out my Four Skills to Deepen Your Spiritual Practice course. Blessed be!