August 29, 2009

Nature book that changed my understanding of the garden.


Do you also feel sometimes that plants are greeting you?
If you know why plants in your garden are something more that just bunch of atoms, you may not only become a better gardener, but learn more about your spirituality. Nature heals and leads us through life, if you only let it happen.
10 years it was waiting on the shelf until I reached for it last July. I bought it, flipped through and placed away on the shelf. NEVER touched it again until that day. In the meantime I got closer to nature and became passionate gardener. Garden seems to me something more than separate plants and other parts. Every time while being in the garden or when I look at nature's wonders, I had the feeling there must be something more than only physical manifestation of the Nature's power.
That day I reached for this small but very interesting book: The Deva Handbook by Nathaniel Altman, and now I know what is that 'something much more' than physical appearance of plants. I feel I am getting closer to achieve what the author is writing about.
What is Devas?
"Power, life, light; these are gifts which companionship with the angels shall place in human hands. Power that are limitless; life that is inexhaustible; light before which all darkness melts away" ~ Geoffrey Hodson 'Devas and Men'.
"Devas can be defined as forms, images or expressions through which the essences and energy forces of the Creator or Great Spirit can be transmitted for a specific purpose. (...) Devas have been variously portrayed in the Bible, the Koran, the Vedas, and the Bhagavad Gita - in myths and legends from ancient Greece and Rome, from countries including Mexico, China, Japan, and from throughout Africa and Oceania - as messengers, members of heavenly court, helpers, groups of warriors, sources of healing power, guardian angels, and spirit guides. They have been considered luminous energy principles that stand behind all phenomena, and they work both with nature and with the cosmos to guide the evolution of life" ~ Nathaniel Altman 'The Deva Handbook'.
I know somebody who has seen Devas in her garden. Only one time. She told me that it happened one sunny summer day, very early in the morning, something like 5 a.m. She went out to the garden and after sitting calmly on the bench, she saw kind of steamy light over every plant. She was describing it as reminding glowy steam or smoke
This little book is very interesting because it explains nature wisdom, nature energy, earth wisdom and our spirituality from surprisingly different perspective. You may learn many new things to your surprise e.g. there were christian mystics such as Saint Francis of Assisi, Julian of Norwich and Teresa of Avila who believed that humans are very closely connected with nature. Surprising, isn't it? Especially that christian religion deprives spirituality from the nature. Saint Francis of Assisi until today is the patron saint of animals and the environment.
In current times most of us lost the touch with nature so much, that we believe we can control it or nature is there only to serve us. Bah! What can I say more, read The Deva Handbook and you will not only become better gardener, but also there is a chance that you will understand better your own spirituality.
Stay tuned!
Picture by Per Ola Wiberg (thanks!)

3 comments:

Lori Skoog said...

And that book was there the whole time...sounds just right for you.

Tara Dillard said...

Thank you for passing along your nature book & book report.

I've considered, in a silly way, my plants KNOW my thoughts. Maybe that intuitive voice is real.

Mystics you listed? Icons of each are in my garden.

One thing I know for sure. My garden nurtures me and is a friend.

Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

Muhammad khabbab said...

beautiful pic. and yap the berries in other posts of yours are mouth watering. keep posting. we need to see more flowers of poland.

KEEP READING - MORE GREAT STUFF IN OLDER POSTS