By Dr Nikki Judge
This week completes our subsection on an integral part of gardening of any type – Nurturing the Garden. We’ll look at the deeper work for the both our vegetable gardener and ourselves as gardeners in our Spiritual Garden of the Soul: Weeding, Pruning, and Reviewing.
Weeding (pulling out the stuff that is growing that doesn’t belong)
The weekend gardener spends a lot of time removing plants that are growing where they aren’t supposed to; pulling weeds to give the desired plants a better chance to grow. By weeding the gardener is sure to keep their garden under control
In our Spiritual Garden of the Soul we have to take time do to some weeding every once in a while as well. When weeding in our Spiritual Garden we have to honest with ourselves. This is where we look and see what we have done. What works for us? What falls apart? Are our relationships appropriate for us and on the whole positive? Is it time for us to go inside and see what it is that is holding us back? Are we getting in our own way? Just as the gardener looks critically at the garden to weed out the plants that don’t belong we have to do the same in our Spiritual Garden of the Soul.
Pruning, (Cutting out the over-growth and neatening up –especially around the edges)
It is also a time to prune the plants in the garden. Sapping leaves from the tomatoes need to be removed and plants that are overgrowing their areas need to be pruned back so that sunlight is allowed to ripen the vegetables and berries underneath. Many gardeners will tell you it doesn’t take long for a plant like squash or melons to take over major space in the garden.
In our Spiritual Garden of the Soul there are times when we need to do a little pruning too. There are those things about ourselves we need to review and make sure we have under control. Are we interacting appropriately with others? Are we trying to inflict our will on them? Are we stepping up to the plate and acting in accordance with our professed beliefs and values? Are we acting in a manner that is ethical and caring for our fellow man? Are there habits that we need to get rid of? Are we allowing something to take on too much importance in our lives? As we prune our spiritual garden we must be honest with ourselves. If there are parts of our lives that are growing out of control it is up to us to prune them back into appropriate shape.
What is and isn’t working (keep the good, release the bad)
The wise gardener uses this time as a way to look clinically at what is going on in the garden. What plants are doing well? Which are not growing as fast or large as expected? Looking at the garden and taking notes the gardener is already preparing for next year’s garden.
Reviewing is a very important part of our tending the Spiritual Garden of the Soul. It is through reviewing that we are able to see that which lifts us up and, potentially, that which holds us back. When we review in our Spiritual Garden of the Soul we give ourselves permission to grow and change. As we go through life it is obvious we change. Different interests take our time and energy. Relationships with others and ourselves ebb and flow. It is during this review that we allow ourselves to set aside those dreams that no longer call to us so that we may focus on the new potentials and dreams we see before us.
Next week we’ll be looking at one of the best parts of gardening – the harvest!
