Happy Full Moon – September 10, 2022
Sunflowers – Beauty and Function
Sunflowers are the model for all our childhood drawings of flowers. And there is so much to love about them. They are one of the easiest flowers to grow. That plus their beauty and impressive height make them a great choice for children’s gardens. They can be interplanted with pumpkins and other squash to provide some late summer shade. And interplanting with pole beans gives the beans a beautiful stalk to climb on.
In my yard, seed heads began to form in late August bringing both birds and squirrels to feast. The birds often hang upside down and the squirrels grab the entire seed head and make off with it. (They seem to be happy with the abundance of sunflower seed heads and leave the garden alone.)
Sunflower seeds are a popular snack, but many people don’t know that the rest of the plant is edible as well. However, the flavor won’t win any awards and their edible-ness might best be saved for an emergency situation. The petals look pretty as a garnish but are rather bland – there are lots more flavorful edible flowers. The buds and leaves leave a bitter aftertaste and I haven’t found a recipe that fixes that. (If anyone has a delicious sunflower recipe – please let me know).
Sunflower Energy
I’ve always envisioned sunflowers as guardians – tall sentries that happily line yards, fences, and streets. In late summer they appear to be everywhere – at least here in Denver. My yard is awash with them – a small sunflower forest in the front and clusters of sunflowers all over the back yard amidst the vegetables, apples, raspberries, and grapes. This vibration of protection and caretaking is one of their strongest energetic attributes.
Mindfulness Practice with Sunflower Guardian Energy
We can intentionally embrace this sunflower energy in a number of ways. There are both internal and external aspects to this attribute. The internal focus is on ourselves – taking time to contemplate the ways we step up to protect and nurture ourselves. Each time we see sunflowers we can be reminded of this energy and take a moment to acknowledge where that exists in our lives or identify where we need to do a better job. As adults, the task really does belong to us to be our own first line of caretaking.
If you are struggling with putting boundaries in place or establishing a self-care routine that works, the simple practice of sitting in silence and holding the idea of being a guardian for yourself can be helpful. Envision sunflowers surrounding and protecting you and wait for an answer. Also be kind to yourself – when life is overwhelming, we can look to the external guardians.
External guardians are the caretakers and protectors in our lives. Take the time to tune into who and what in your life has served in this role. Are there elders and teachers who have guided and protected you during your lifetime? Have you taken the time to thank and acknowledge them in some way? Even if they have passed on we can find ways to honor their memory.
External guardians appear in many different forms. For example spiritual practices, music, philosophies, and the green world can provide us with sustenance and a feeling of safety and protection. You might find that they stand guard between you and negative feelings. Additionally, they might help you interpret difficult situations so you can filter them in slowly and decide on a right course of action.
A mindfulness practice for this full moon is to focus your attention on this concept of guardians. Consider the entities, energies, and people who are guardians for you and also in what ways you are a guardian for yourself. Hold the awareness that even in challenging times we have guardians to help us through.
Lunar Blog Post Series
This post is part of my lunar blog series. Each full moon I write about one of the plants featured in my book, Growing Mindful. Each new moon I write about a topic related to gardens, mindfulness, and spirituality. For more details and a list of past lunar blog posts, click here.
