November Mulch: Making use of Decay

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.


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………………………………………..​


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.


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Hemera

What a wonderful spread! I´m always happy to meet a fellow traveler who loves autumn like I do. There is so much subtle and gentle beauty in it at least in the more northerly parts of the northern hemisphere. This spread goes straight to my notebook and straight to use as well. :thumbsup: Thank you for posting this Chiriku!
 

Chiriku

What a wonderful spread! I´m always happy to meet a fellow traveler who loves autumn like I do. There is so much subtle and gentle beauty in it at least in the more northerly parts of the northern hemisphere. This spread goes straight to my notebook and straight to use as well. :thumbsup: Thank you for posting this Chiriku!

Thank you for your feedback, Hemera. Indeed, it is a pleasure to meet someone else for whom the shortening of days and the sights/scents of "breaking down" are not ominous harbingers of doom.

I plan to do this spread this week, probably tonight, but I see no reason why we can't use it throughout the coming winter (although I have a winter-specific spread I've been meaning to share since last year) or indeed during any season. Looking inward is not season-specific, after all.
 

Hemera

I plan to do this spread this week, probably tonight, but I see no reason why we can't use it throughout the coming winter (although I have a winter-specific spread I've been meaning to share since last year) or indeed during any season. Looking inward is not season-specific, after all.
You are so right! When I saw this spread I thought it could also be "Hekate Spread" or a "Crone Spread" or a "Dark Goddess Spread" or something like that. And decay is also an important part of biological cycles.
I´m looking forward to your Winter Spread! :thumbsup:
 

Chiriku

You are so right! When I saw this spread I thought it could also be "Hekate Spread" or a "Crone Spread" or a "Dark Goddess Spread" or something like that. And decay is also an important part of biological cycles.
I´m looking forward to your Winter Spread! :thumbsup:

Quite right, Hemera--those are very apt alternate title choices and I hope they encourage people to use the spread based on their internal need as opposed to strictly the season.

Thank you for your support of my spreads. The winter one is a spread attuned to "deep" winter, so, for the northern hem folks here, January would probably be the likeliest time to share it. But there's no harm in posting it earlier, so maybe I'll do that sometime in the next few weeks.

Enjoy what's left of your autumn.
 

Chiriku

For those who want to make the most of their November...see above.

Cheers,

Chiriku
 

Amanda

I've just become a little more enlightened, thanks for the spread. :)
 

samantha

Thanks for bumping this one :) Will try it out tonight
 

Chiriku

Thank you for the nice comments, Amanda04 and samantha. It was fun to research the gardening lore behind this spread, even if I had a hard time choosing which aspects of the mulching process to distill into a spread position.

Anyone who has experience of mulching? Would like to hear your thoughts, too.