Linden trees are amazing. It was always one of those herbs I never really paid any mind to. It didn't grow nearby, and didn't have any remarkable properties that led me to seek it out specifically, but then I moved to Colorado, and Linden trees line the streets and fill parks.
I decided since there were so prolific here, I'd go ahead and get to know her. I've been waiting patiently for months for the little flowers to open. This week, they opened! And ohhhh the fragrance, sweet, delicate, perfumed little angel wings they seem to me.
This morning I spent an hour beneath the limbs of a little tree I've been keeping my eye on, harvesting flowers. Here's what I learned from the Linden this morning.
Patience and persistance- I have had to wait for weeks and weeks for the little buds to open. They've been hanging there tightly closed, just waiting for the right moment to burst open. Clearly Linden is a summer bloomer, she waits for the rest of the spring show to finish up before she emerges and takes center stage.
Change your perspective- I stood there in one spot for a while, picking flowers, and then turned around, to find more, and then moved under another limb to find yet more. Then back to the first position to find more. Change your perpsective...sometimes in life you have to physically move yourself from a situation, relationship, town, job etc to be able to see all the aspects of a situation, and see new possibilities you had no idea were there
Stretch out beyond your comfort level- I had to reach in uncomfortable positions, crane my neck, stand on unsteady ground, get wedged in between branches, get up close and friendly with ants to reach some of the flowers. It wasn't always comfortable but definately worth it, especially when my nose encountered another wonderful blossom to sniff. Sometimes for us to move beyond boundaries, to find new gifts in life, and find our next lesson, we have to stretch beyond our comfort level, physically, emotionally or spiritually. Dont push too far, dont injure yourself. I didn't climb up in the tree and proceed to fall out. I wasn't prepared for that sort of adventure this morning.
Lovely lindens are. I'm so glad to be getting to know her finally!
4 comments:
How exquisite! Thank you, this is such a lovely, intimate post on Linden. I haven't spent any time with this plant yet .... maybe someday! For now I am reveling in the glory of the blossoming Elders.... everywhere!
Love
Ananda
Lovely to hear of another's linden harvesting. It's become one of the favourites of my year.
I'm curious to know how much you picked in an hour. It's a very labour intensive herb to harvest, being so light.
Are you drying? Tincturing?
(waves to Ananda :-) Linden and elder seem kindred).
Yes indeed! - Waves back SK! They both have such magickal personality ... as if they were having an English Faery tea party of their own.
we'll, i've kidn of been collecting over a few days as well as yesterday, from several trees, and i have enough for me, if i were to make a cup of tea every day, for a month or 6 weeks. Im GUESSING. NOT tons, but enough to really spend some time getting to know her. Sometimes i harvest just be interacting with the plant...and linden gave me so much yesterday! A lot of the best looking trees here are RIGHT on the streets, and not really a good place to harvest from, so i really only have a little bit. It is light, and labor intensive for sure. i feel blessed to be able to have a little...and hope one day i can plant a linden tree in my home.
:D
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