Spring is in the Air: renewal, surprises, hope and a first glimpse of the Summer Queen
It has been a strange winter season, even here in Florida with radically fluctuating temperatures and a prolonged drought making gardening plans haphazard at best. But as the mid-march air begins to warm up and rainy season (thankfully) draws near, there is a sense of renewal in the air. Even my hardy-weathered friends in snowy regions are feeling the anticipation of balmy days ahead and some are starting to survey the frozen ground with hopes and dreams of flower gardens and burgeoning greenery.
Summer Queen Doodles
Despite the challenges of strange climactic anomalies, I’ve been tending to my “garden of surprises”. It’s my little patch of organic nurturance, mixed with offerings from my kitchen compost. Here is where I plant seeds and watch seeds plant themselves. On one end, I have my seed-germinated tomatoes—and to all those who garden, you know there is nothing like a fresh tomato from your own labors, especially when grown from delicate seed.
On the other end of my garden is where providence happens. I mix compost in with my soil and wait to see what comes up. Right now, I have a fruit-laden papaya tree, squash, tomatoes and what I think might be potato plants having self-germinated from scraps. These unexpected guests are settling into that space that they’ve claimed as their own. And you know what? The plants are getting along with one another! Oh, the garden offers so many wise lessons.
Summer Queen Drawing
I love having my planned garden juxtaposing Mother Earth’s spring specials. I never know what she is going to come up with, but she’s obviously grateful that nothing is wasted, and all is returned to whence it came. And for that, I’m rewarded with a sense of renewal and an interesting mix of edibles.
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The Canadian tale of the Summer Queen is one of the less known inclusions in my deck. It is a beautiful story and one that was destined to be the Queen of Pentacles card. I stumbled on a translation quite by chance and had immediate visions for the potential card art.
Summer Queen Painting
If you study the image, you will see that it is a card of polarity and balance, something that has come up in recent tarot conversations (Thank you, Arwen Lynch). The Summer Queen, as the earth mother, presides over the land, yet her presence is complimented by the cold earth waking up from its winter-induced nap. Slowly, everything comes alive under the warm presence of Summer Queen’s vibrant appearance. She holds an orb of energy, has flowers cascading from her hair, butterflies symbolize renewal and geese fly to the sun. This is a card that makes me feel good. She’s reassuring but realistic. She is not eradicating winter, but she is part of a larger cycle that must include rest before activity can resume. And what a wonderful thing it is to wake up to the sounds and scents of spring after a long winter respite. Don’t you think?
Lisa Gardening
Lisa in her Garden
~ Lisa
LIsa,
What a magnificent post expressing the blending between seeds and self-seeding as a metaphor. . .and a very wonderfully artful one where all in spring awakes from over-wintering dreams embracing with open eyes and leaves and . . .ummmm homegrown tomatoes!
Beautifully expressed post in the languages of writing and art. Appeals to the gardener in me.
Thank you. All the Best!, Jordan
Lisa, another wonderful post, and so appropriate as all of our thoughts begin to turn to springtime and planting, both literal and figurative. Hopefully many of us have been using the winter season to germinate our ideas for our gardens!
And your artwork…always so stunning and inspiring! Thank you for the beautiful image of the Summer Queen in all of her splendor!
She is indeed lovely – a true Queen!
Lisa -
I love the thought of plants self-seeding. I live int he country, and we never know what is going to come up where!
As with Arwen, I am a winter’s child. I have a hard time with warmer weather – and have to look at what the issue is, and how to balance my life.
Blessings,
Bonnie
A wonderful entry and a gorgeous painting too. I think this is one of my favorites because of the grand scope of it and the polarities between summer and winter. Great job!
Oh that card is so apt…just today I was twittering about my seedlings poking up through the soil in their seed trays on my windowsill. Leeks, tomatoes & basil
I get so excited at the first shoots!
And your summer queen captures this time of year perfectly…which reminds me, I started a ‘Summer Goddess’ painting last year…I think it’s the perfect time to finish her!:)
I adore her. A.D.O.R.E. her. I am a fan of winter over summer because I’m rarely at my best in the blazing heat (why did I move back to the south?). But she reminds me that we need both. How can we enjoy the cool winter months without the fiery furnace of summer? Grin. Polarity *is* very important to me.