May 2024
Welcome May!
I recently was reminded of the famed “green man” as the personification of Earth’s vegetation. Often depicted as the face of a man covered in foliage and vines, the green man is a cross cultural symbol of rebirth and the re-wilding of the divine masculine.
Beneath his leafy face lies the essence of his being; he is the energy of synergy, symbiotic union, and kinship.
Let’s tease out and explore the aspect of synergy here. Synergy is the interaction and cooperation of two or more elements that produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate efforts. Consider that YOU are one of those elements!
As Spring cycles into full effect in the Northern Hemisphere, notice the bustling synergistic relationships that are abound in the natural world around you. When you consider the incredible nuances of synergy that take place for nature to express herself, life feels precious and we must consider how we as humans contribute to the energetic matrix of this preciousness.
The green man teaches us that we cannot “go it alone.” We are more potent, creative, loving, and fulfilled when we engage in symbiotic relationships that call in the spirits of the microbe, the bee, the mountain, and the tree. We allow ourselves to re-wild our hearts and feel the greatness of being in communion rather than stuck in our individualism.
This is synergy.
This is the reminder of the Green Man.
~ Jen
the green man lives near woodland trees
The green man lives near woodland trees.
He whistles in the whispering breeze.
He dances in the sunlight beams.
That dapple shadows near to streams.
He is the woodland spirit, who guards and loves the wood.
He is the gardener of the forest, the keeper of the good.
The green man cares for natural things.
Grows berries for the bird that sings.
He shelters rabbits, fox, and deer.
And carpets woods with flowers each year.
~ Brenda Williams
** Photo taken by Jen in El Yunque National Park during a hike. The Green Man is alive and present.
questions for reflection
What are you hoping to give birth to this spring? A new attitude, idea, endeavor, or behavior? What inside you is calling to emerge and to be tended to in this reality?
What areas of your life do you find synergy in? Do you have synergy in your partnership, work environment, or friendships? What do you accomplish when you are in a synergistic flow?
In what ways do you “go it alone” and in those experiences are you still in relationship with what is around you? Are you ever really alone considering the matrix of nature around you?
Think of three tangible ways you can or do contribute to environmental sustainability. Would you consider what you do to be synergistic with nature, the environment, and the world?
~ may VIDEO MESSAGE ~
Season Ritual PDF
Seasonal rituals will be released in Pdf format during the months of September, December, March, and June.
Reflect on this past seasons ritual; are you still in process with the ritual? Did you notice any shifts as a result of completing the ritual? Take a moment here to reflect on your time with this ritual.
“Any ritual is an opportunity for transformation.”
~ Starhawk
monthly ritual
Each month you will be given a ritual in Pdf format. These rituals arise from a combination of experience, divination, guidance, and natural cycles. Create the time & space to bring regular ritual into your life using these pdf’s as guideposts.
“Synergy: The bonus that is achieved when things work together harmoniously.”
~ Mark Twain
RITUAL INVITATION
A simple and effective way to tune into the high vibration of nature and to feel its synergistic effects is to simply go out into nature and take in your hand a leaf that is still attached to a tree. Essentially you are holding the tree’s hand. Notice what you feel.
Now, let go of the leaf and just sit.
Notice what you feel.
Synergy does not necessarily have to do with touch, but this is an example of noticing the physical interaction of “two or more elements:” you and the leaf. This is an exercise in tapping into the quality of synergy and the energy of the Green Man.
may meditation
“Synergy is everywhere in nature. If you plant two plants close together, the roots commingle and improve the quality of the soil so that both plants will grow better than if they were separated. If you put two pieces of wood together, they will hold much more than the total weight held by each separately. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. One plus one equals three or more.
~ Stephen Covey
RESOURCE ARTICLE
This comprehensive article details the origins, lore, and significance of the Green Man. It also details the herbs, crystals, and ways to honor this energy!
