Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
It has been an unusually long winter here in the north, and April nights in the highlands have been cool, sometimes hovering only a few degrees above freezing. It will be another week or so until colonies of bloodroot and trout lilies are well and truly up and blooming, but a single protected specimen of bloodroot lifts its head here and there, and I discovered the first of the season this week.
The shy white bloomers with their golden centers are dear to my heart and something of a seasonal marker for me. Encountering this one glowing softly in its flickering stone-warmed alcove, I felt like kneeling and kissing the good dark earth in which it made its home - the little bloom was that perfect. Creaky knees notwithstanding, down I went for a closer view, and I stayed there for a while, feasting my eyes and attention and discovering another fragile blooming within.
It was one of those wild epiphanies I love so much, especially in springtime when the north woods are just coming to life, a moment of kensho, one of those fleeting intervals of quiet knowing and connection that I like to call "aha" moments. Forget the fancy stuff - this right here is the ground of my being.
A very happy Beltane (or May Day) to everyone. May there be light and blooming and fragrance in your own precious part of the world.
5 comments:
Happy May Day! And thank you again for sharing some of your precious part of the world.
We rush by the little joys on our way to brighter and bigger blossoms, sometimes...at least I do. But I am following my little May Apple closely.
I love those Kensho moments. this is such a lovely post and a very happy Beltane to you.
Blessed Beltane to you. It has been a long summer here and I am as grateful for the chilly winds as you are for your brightness. I hope you have a beautiful summer.
Bright Beltane Blessings. What a fabulous photo - a perfect celebration reminder.
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