Plant Intelligence in the Garden

I have been watching closely as my garden grows. A little more closely this year than ever before. There is more time now for wonder. Like this pea plant shooting up from the ground, it searches without eyes for something to grasp. Its tendrils extend outward and seemingly in random directions but mainly up and out (yang) rather than down and in (yin). For it is early summer and a time for tremendous growth and expansion of every creature under the sun. Very quickly, sometimes within one day’s length, the tendrils do in fact find a string or stem or stalk to wrap around. The plant is using a form of intelligent felt presence. Feeling its way along in life. If you sit quietly to look and listen the intelligence within nature subtly makes herself apparent. A magnificent intelligence. Take comfort in this, develop the feeling function within your own body and out of the inner stillness let it increasingly guide your life to a natural harmony. A poem to take us deeper!

I live my life in growing orbits

which move out over the things of the world.

Perhaps I can never achieve the last,

but that will be my attempt.

I am circling around God, around the ancient tower,

and I have been circling for a thousand years,

and I still don’t know if I am a falcon, or a storm,

or a great song.

Rainer Maria Rilke