If life is a garden, how do you tend it? Daily watering, weeding and fertilizing? What about the periodic pruning?
Pruning is the act cutting back branches and overgrowth to promote a healthier plant which will produce a greater yield at harvest time. It is all about focus and discernment--it seems counter-intuitive to cut back the branches of a plant to make it grow, but in order for Magickal Harvest to truly branch out and reach the masses, as we originally intended, we needed to take stock of our current situation and determine where we could cut out some dead weight to restore vitality to our vision.
This was a scary—and somewhat frustrating--process for us. It meant that we had to be completely honest with ourselves and ask some tough questions: are our branches strong and upright, with healthy fruit hanging beneath? Do they cross each other and rub the wrong way? Is there a burst of overgrowth sapping the plant of vital energy necessary for healthy fruit production? Are there any decayed branches that contribute dead weight and are a heavy burden to the plant itself? We had to look at what was working, what wasn’t working, what we could do differently and what we needed less of in order to re-energize our plan.
After all the clearing, we believe we are on track to restoring health and vitality. Here are some tips on why a periodic pruning is necessary:
Pruning hurts--but it helps you to grow! Any good gardener knows that a good pruning is essential to healthy growth. Sometimes you have to cut off buds or flowers in order to adequately nourish the whole plant. If the flowers were left to grow, they’d prevent sunlight from penetrating the plant where the fruit should form. Pruning the plant in this manner restores vitality, allowing the plant to focus its energy on the production of fruit.
LESS is MORE— In the garden, as in life, it is wise to periodically identify what is taking up space (unnecessarily) and cut it out. If it is not “bearing fruit,” stop doing it! Sap suckers and water sprouts are branches that will never produce fruit. They just suck the energy from the plant and prevent it from reaching optimal health. What sap suckers are you growing in your life? Anything that zaps you of energy can be considered a sap-sucker. Identify these and cut them out.
Be prepared for new growth—Once you have eliminated all the suckers, whorls and water sprouts, keep on track to watch where you may need further pruning. Low hanging branches can also be eliminated. These tend to attract pests with their low hanging fruit, and because they live in the shade they don’t reach their full harvest potential. Think about this…when we live life in the shadows, we attract all kinds of pests—energy vampires, low vibrational entities that zap us of realizing our true potential! A proper pruning lets the light shine where it most needs to go.
Get a look at the BIG PICTURE--Spend a moment and determine what you really want your garden to look like. Step back and take a good look around. Without a good idea on the outcome of your garden you will end up having plants all willy-nilly, eventually causing disharmony and plants working against each other.
So answer yourself honestly:
- Where is the overgrowth in my life that is sapping my energy?
- What can I do without?
- Who or what can do without me?
- What needs to be trimmed to make room for new growth?
Remember, we are co-creators, toiling with the Universe on the garden design of life. The Universe calls us to tend and trust. We must do our part, of course, and then, trust the Universe to provide and do its part. With a good pruning, your garden’s vitality, strength and health is restored in no time at all!
You can listen to Magickal Harvest Radio with Dawn Champine and Jen Crumrine, two dirt worshiping gals who like to dig deep and talk about life lessons from behind the garden gate. www.magickalharvest.com