Rosemary and Remembrance

Rosemary & Remembrance

Today is the first full moon of the year (January 17, 2022) and this begins my lunar blog series featuring one plant and its correspondence for mindful focus. (Read more details on the lunar mindfulness practice. )

Fragrant Rosemary

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a perennial shrubby evergreen herb that originated along the Mediterranean. The plant has delicate flowers – mostly blue, and a strong piney fragrance. Many people associate rosemary with the kitchen or as fragrance for beauty products. But in the past it was used as a tonic for overall health. And sprigs of rosemary were placed all around the home to repel both evil spirits and the black plague.

Rosemary has a strong correspondence with remembrance. In ancient Greece, students wore garlands made of rosemary to help them remember subjects for exams. This was a practical shape of remembrance. But rosemary is associated with emotional and spiritual remembrance as well. During the Middle Ages in Europe, rosemary was included in funerals as a symbol of  remembering the dead. It was also included at weddings, in bouquets and headpieces, as a remembrance of love, friendship, and loyalty.And in my book, Growing Mindful, I write about rosemary’s connection to the ancestors – one aspect of remembrance. But here I want to expand on this concept.

Remembrance as Intentional Practice

I invite you to work with rosemary and remembrance for the next two weeks.  Reflection seems a good place to start the year – acknowledging wins but also losses – joys but also hardships.

Begin by holding the word remembrance in your awareness. Say the word aloud and give it space to see what images come to mind. If you do this practice daily, a different aspect of remembrance may emerge each day.

Remembrance can include our personal, ancestral, or collective history. We can reflect on the past year and intentionally note the strengths that got us through. There may be friends, family, and allies that supported us in a myriad of ways. Contemplating our history can illuminate our approaches to difficulties and provide us with guidance as we move forward. And upon reflection, we may want to find ways to honor the people and things that got us through.

Pushing the edges of remembrance beyond people and history, we can focus on remembering who we are as conscious entities on a tiny planet in infinite space. The Sufi spiritual tradition has a practice of zikr or remembering our connection to source. I like to imagine how humans might act differently if they held this remembrance consistently in their hearts.

However you define your spiritual path, what practices do you put in place to hold to that awareness and not get lost in the frenetic pace of modern life? What ideas do you have to expand on this practice of remembrance?

Working with Rosemary to Inspire Remembrance

Rosemary can keep us on track with our practice. It can be a fragrant, energetic, and visual reminder of our intention.

If working specifically with the idea of remembering our spiritual purpose,  tie sprigs of rosemary with a purple ribbon. You can also attach an affirmation confirming your intention to hold this purpose throughout the day.

There may also be a particular personal remembrance you want to hold onto – a loved one’s memory, a family history, or how you overcame challenges in the last year. Tie the sprig of rosemary with green ribbon for heart centered energy. Place the rosemary near pictures of loved ones or under your pillow at night to keep that energy close by.

If you don’t have rosemary in your home or garden, you may be able to find fresh rosemary in the produce section of your grocery store. And most greenhouses will have potted rosemary plants. You can also substitue the dried herb if fresh is not available. Check your local herb store or the spice aisle of your grocery store. Place dried rosemary in a square of fabric and tie it with a ribbon to take the place of the fresh herb.

Including rosemary in meals is another way to work with this energy. Be creative in working rosemary into as many meals as possible in the next few weeks. I think rosemary enhances most roasted vegetables, especially potatoes. It works wonderfully in salad dressings and marinades as well. The flavor and fragrance will bring you back to your intention of remembrance.

Inviting Rosemary into Your Garden (indoors or out)

We can have a dependable source of rosemary by growing our own. Rosemary is a perennial herb, but can only survive winter in  zone 7 through 9 .  If you are in one of those zones, be thoughtful about where you plant it as the shrub  can reach 6 feet.  There are a few varieties that may be hardy  through zone 5. with winter protection. Although I’ve not had much success in consistently over-wintering it here in Denver. The easiest thing to do is to keep rosemary in a pot outdoors in the summer and then bring it indoors for the winter.  Check out this detailed information for growing rosemary indoors.

One of the best ways to invite rosemary into your life is to find a gardener friend who will give some cuttings. Not only is it free, it strengthens the energetic connection between you and your friend. Take cuttings from new growth (about 6 – 7 inches) and place in water. When sufficient roots have formed place it in good potting soil.

The Practice of Remembrance

Find ways to hold remembrance in your awareness throughout the day. With any mindful activity it’s helpful to create a routine for practice. I find it helpful to begin the day with aligning to this practice and ending the day with a reflection. Placing rosemary, your journal, and a pen on your night-stand is a great starting point.

In Maude Grieve’s 1930s classic A Modern Herbal she notes that compass weed is another name for rosemary. She does not explain the reference, but I think it recognizes rosemary’s compass like energy. It points us to the past to remember and learn, and then to the future as we hold onto the wisdom we’ve gained. It also points us in the direction of our deeper selves – remembering we are sentient beings on a beautiful interconnected planet.