Laurel Seeds
Not far from us is the highest waterfall in England: Canonteign Falls drops 220 feet of Dartmoor into pools that feed into the Teign river. It’s one of those tourist attractions we had never got around to going to because it’s somehow uncool or a bit sad to be a tourist in your own back yard. However, the combination of a cheap entrance deal and the need to drag the kids out from their teenage weekend slobbing around the house got us there in the end.
The waterfall is not a natural phenomena in so much as the stream was diverted to flow over the rock face in Victorian times by Lord and Lady Exmouth for their pleasure and amusement. The ascent up to the top of the waterfall takes you through Lady Exmouth’s fern garden, up several series of stones steps laid during her time and across wooden bridges spanning gorges; all passing through ancient woodland.
I found myself musing aloud about the Victorian’s relationship with nature, recalling their legacy on the nearby Tors where into the granite stones they cut steps and erected handrails so the women in their long dresses could ascend to the summits and enjoy the views over Dartmoor and beyond. As I pontificated about their obsessive taming of nature to Heidi, the kids or most likely just myself (no one listens to me) my daughter pointed out the laurel fruit dangling over the path: black, cherry-like fruit, soft to the touch, some splitting open in ripeness. And there was I having two conversations at the same time – the one about our ancestors and another with the laurel tree about her seeds.
One aspect of seed essence making I have particularly enjoyed is not having to write a description for each essence: seed essences have a much more restricted repertory than flower essences, summarised under seven heading; with all seed essences being used for all of the conditions listed. The repertory is already established so I can make essences for pure pleasure and not have to worry about discerning individual uses. However, during the making of a seed essence sometimes it becomes apparent that the seed sits noticeably in one specific area of the repertory.
In the uses of seed essences is the following: ‘Seeds reconnect to and strengthen the protective blessing that comes down to us from our ancestors, reconnecting us to the records of wisdom.’ And here I was talking about our ancestors to anyone who was listening as I pulled the flesh off the laurel fruit to look at the seed! The seed essence has to be made as it has spoken so clearly to me. Sometimes I love my job.
There is a picture of the happy family on our face book page
