The Wisdom of Seeds

Hollyhock Seed Mandala

At equinox time, when light and dark appear in equal measure, the Wheel appears in the seed mandala of a hollyhock. Though withered, its form is beautiful. The memory of a flower lingers, but the story now is of flowers to come.

As we enter into the darker half of the year here in the northern hemisphere, I welcome the wisdom of seeds, the work of the darkness. I think of the last lines of a Rilke poem:

. . . it is possible a great energy
is moving near me.
I have faith in nights.

{ 4 comments… add one }
  • sally sanders 09/23/2014, 12:20 pm

    Thank you for these beautiful thoughts and images, Cari.

  • Lori Tews 09/23/2014, 4:16 pm

    Beautiful and profound wisdom. Thank you!

  • Michele 09/30/2014, 9:00 pm

    I’ve always loved Rilke but was not familiar with those lines. Perfect for this time of year.

    I also think of this, from the Talmud:

    For the unlearned, old age is winter;
    for the learned, it is the season of the harvest.
    — The Talmud

    • Cari 10/01/2014, 2:22 pm

      Michele, I love Rilke too. When I was looking for this translation, I came across a page with six different translations of this same poem. So very interesting. It’s at http://www.beyond-the-pale.co.uk/rilke.htm Thank you for the other quote, very nice!

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