Chiriku
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November where I like to live and travel--that is, the more northerly, temperate climes of the northern hemisphere--always puts me in mind of mulch or compost; it is a time of moist and vibrant decay, haunting in its aloof beauty.
I drafted this spread earlier this November but never got around to typing it up or using it. With only a few days to go before (USA) Thanksgiving, there's not much time left to use it, but this week my interest was reignited by the grey rainy skies and vibrant orange-red autumn leaves contrasting with moist dark ground that I glimpsed from my airplane window as I descended to my destination.
I did a bit of research in order to craft this spread, which relies on the knowledge of gardeners and farmers from the temperate northern climes such as New England. I learned some interesting things about mulch, what it's good for and what potential dangers it can pose to plants. The more I learned, the more ideal the concept of "November mulch" seemed to me to form the basis of a spread of end-of-the-year (or, if you believe the new year begins after Samhain, New Year) self-exploration.
And of course, this spread is my love letter to the evocative beauty of decay, of the northern November days with their moist greyness above (the overcast, drizzly skies) and their moist darkness below (the rain-darkened tree trunks and the damp, fallen-leaf-sodden, rich dark brown earth that calls to mind leftover espresso grinds and which contrasts so magnificently with the blazing autumn foliage above).
To use this spread, you need only understand the basic concept of mulch--what it's good for, and what dangers it can invite. Mulch is any material you layer over the soil to help improve your plant. It comes in many forms and can be composed of many materials, from organic matter like dead leaves to a plastic ground cover you can purchase.
Mulch in November serves several important purposes such as preventing the repeated freezing and thawing of plants, which can make them heave out of the ground; conserving moisture and absorbing water faster; shutting out the light that can cause weeds to germinate; and providing a protective barrier against rain, irrigation water, wind and snow. But you must take care when mulching, as a layer of mulch can harbor uninvited guests such as rodents, insects and harmful bacteria. Timing is also important with November mulch; you have to wait till after the first ground freeze to ensure that the plants have gone dormant, yet you also can't wait too long lest winter's elements ravage the plants before you've protected them.
Beginning with Samhain and moving through November and December, those of us in the northern hemisphere inevitably think of death and decay, the autumns and winters of our lives and circumstances as well as the natural world around us. However, I don't think we think too often of this concept of "mulching"--of sufficiently preparing for the inevitable decay in order to use it in our favor. This spread is both my attempt to do so and my homage to a spectacular month in a spectacular season in my part of the world--but please consider using it at any time of the year, in any "season" of your life.
1- Living Leaves -- this aspect was active and alive in me or in the situation at one time but now will die to clear the way for later growth. (This requires no action on my part; this death is as inevitable as the shedding of leaves in a northern November).
2- First Ground Freeze --I must wait for this event to come to pass or this state to exist before I can progress or improve. (This requires my passivity, my letting go.)
3- Dormancy --I must slow my activity or growth in this area, let it fade or sleep for the time being. (This requires a combination of actively holding myself back and passively watching something fade or sleep).
4- Dead Leaves -- this is the dead matter I must clean up/deal with if its death is to benefit my later growth. (This requires my proactiveness, my actively tending to something that must not be left to its own devices to clog up).
5- The Uninvited Pests --this is what I must guard against during this season or period of my life; it is the figurative mice and insects that mulch can harbor.
6- Protection from the Elements -- this is the aspect of myself or my situation that, like a careful mulching, will protect me from the elements that attempt to batter me
7- The Fruit of Decay -- this is the aspect of myself or my situation that will spring to life in later months or seasons; it will flourish after being fed nutrients and strength through the death of other things.
.
November where I like to live and travel--that is, the more northerly, temperate climes of the northern hemisphere--always puts me in mind of mulch or compost; it is a time of moist and vibrant decay, haunting in its aloof beauty.
I drafted this spread earlier this November but never got around to typing it up or using it. With only a few days to go before (USA) Thanksgiving, there's not much time left to use it, but this week my interest was reignited by the grey rainy skies and vibrant orange-red autumn leaves contrasting with moist dark ground that I glimpsed from my airplane window as I descended to my destination.
I did a bit of research in order to craft this spread, which relies on the knowledge of gardeners and farmers from the temperate northern climes such as New England. I learned some interesting things about mulch, what it's good for and what potential dangers it can pose to plants. The more I learned, the more ideal the concept of "November mulch" seemed to me to form the basis of a spread of end-of-the-year (or, if you believe the new year begins after Samhain, New Year) self-exploration.
And of course, this spread is my love letter to the evocative beauty of decay, of the northern November days with their moist greyness above (the overcast, drizzly skies) and their moist darkness below (the rain-darkened tree trunks and the damp, fallen-leaf-sodden, rich dark brown earth that calls to mind leftover espresso grinds and which contrasts so magnificently with the blazing autumn foliage above).
To use this spread, you need only understand the basic concept of mulch--what it's good for, and what dangers it can invite. Mulch is any material you layer over the soil to help improve your plant. It comes in many forms and can be composed of many materials, from organic matter like dead leaves to a plastic ground cover you can purchase.
Mulch in November serves several important purposes such as preventing the repeated freezing and thawing of plants, which can make them heave out of the ground; conserving moisture and absorbing water faster; shutting out the light that can cause weeds to germinate; and providing a protective barrier against rain, irrigation water, wind and snow. But you must take care when mulching, as a layer of mulch can harbor uninvited guests such as rodents, insects and harmful bacteria. Timing is also important with November mulch; you have to wait till after the first ground freeze to ensure that the plants have gone dormant, yet you also can't wait too long lest winter's elements ravage the plants before you've protected them.
Beginning with Samhain and moving through November and December, those of us in the northern hemisphere inevitably think of death and decay, the autumns and winters of our lives and circumstances as well as the natural world around us. However, I don't think we think too often of this concept of "mulching"--of sufficiently preparing for the inevitable decay in order to use it in our favor. This spread is both my attempt to do so and my homage to a spectacular month in a spectacular season in my part of the world--but please consider using it at any time of the year, in any "season" of your life.
November Mulch: Making Use of Decay
By Chiriku
The cards are arranged in the general shape of a tree or plant, around the base of which is mulch or decaying matter. At the same time, the card positions move in a roughly chronological fashion, from living plant through dormancy and death, to the promise of new growth.
……………………………………….1………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………….2………………………………………..
……………………………………….3……………………………………….
……………………………………… 4……………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………..5………………….6…………………………….
………………………………………..7………………………………………..
By Chiriku
The cards are arranged in the general shape of a tree or plant, around the base of which is mulch or decaying matter. At the same time, the card positions move in a roughly chronological fashion, from living plant through dormancy and death, to the promise of new growth.
……………………………………….1………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………….2………………………………………..
……………………………………….3……………………………………….
……………………………………… 4……………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………..5………………….6…………………………….
………………………………………..7………………………………………..
1- Living Leaves -- this aspect was active and alive in me or in the situation at one time but now will die to clear the way for later growth. (This requires no action on my part; this death is as inevitable as the shedding of leaves in a northern November).
2- First Ground Freeze --I must wait for this event to come to pass or this state to exist before I can progress or improve. (This requires my passivity, my letting go.)
3- Dormancy --I must slow my activity or growth in this area, let it fade or sleep for the time being. (This requires a combination of actively holding myself back and passively watching something fade or sleep).
4- Dead Leaves -- this is the dead matter I must clean up/deal with if its death is to benefit my later growth. (This requires my proactiveness, my actively tending to something that must not be left to its own devices to clog up).
5- The Uninvited Pests --this is what I must guard against during this season or period of my life; it is the figurative mice and insects that mulch can harbor.
6- Protection from the Elements -- this is the aspect of myself or my situation that, like a careful mulching, will protect me from the elements that attempt to batter me
7- The Fruit of Decay -- this is the aspect of myself or my situation that will spring to life in later months or seasons; it will flourish after being fed nutrients and strength through the death of other things.
.