New Moon Plant Wisdom: Wheat – Community, Abundance, Rootedness and Wanderlust

The New Moon of April is upon us- more has shifted in my life in the last two weeks since the Full Moon than I ever wanted, in ways unexpected and unpleasant, synchronous and painful.  Suddenly Heart Broken, and a planned change of residence that I couldn’t have planned to be more timely if I had known what was coming.  Within a few weeks I’ll be beginning a journey around the Medicine Wheel for the next year- for personal transformation and growth- beginning in the South- the place of the Serpent who sheds her old skin effortlessly and seamlessly- and who teaches us to let go of anything that isn’t in alignment for us anymore.  I signed up expecting transformation, but I didn’t expect my life to turn upside down before I even set foot in the ceremonial and workshop space.  But I guess this is what I signed up for.  But- a recent affirmation of financial flow and abundance, the immense support of a powerful community of women and healers and friends- and new home to create in sacred space just for me are the flipside of all this sadness and heartache.

I’ve been trying hard to stay present in moment, and sucking down herbal allies for heartache, grief and transformation- mostly anemone for the inevitable panic and freak outs, hawthorn to hold my heart in this space of shedding and healing (I desperately hope), and devils claw for the fierce protection and transformation of the shamanic nature that I unknowingly signed up for with this Medicine Wheel business.

I asked for wisdom to share with you- and myself – during this New Moon- and drew Wheat. to me wheat is a loaded draw. To many folks, wheat is the root of much pain and woe- causing inflammation, digestive distress, mood disorders and even autoimmune diseases.  It has been the staff of life for agricultural societies for thousands of years.  It signifies abundance, settlement, rootedness and community.  Definitely things that are showing up in my life right now- where am I settling? Where is home? What is home?  What am I rooted in when the unexpected knocks me off course?  What strength and connection and support is around me in community?    It indicates that right now is a time to harvest and appreciate these gifts- stop working, drudging, worrying and acknowledge the abundance that is showing up in our lives, even when certain things are taken from us, or we have been asked to let go and let something die.  Wheat has long been associated with the grain god, Lugh, who gives his life, and dies, in the fall, to nourish the soil and the community with his body.   At this new moon- a time to manifest abundance and celebrate our communities, we are also being asked to acknowledge what has been harvested, and what is now ready to move on, to die, to go back to the Earth to nourish the soil for new growth.  This is not an easy lesson for me right now, as my heart just wants to hold on desperately to this lost love, I am hoping Serpent in the coming weeks will show me the way to let the old skin fall away with ease and grace- even in the face of such deep grief.

Wheat is also the plant of settlement and civilization- but was once a wild species, who has close ties with humanity and our designs, but returning to a wilder aspect of wheat- that once grew free from human intervention.  It asks us to consider and think about our own tendencies to either be too settled in routines, and perhaps pay more heed to our urges to wander, explore, and move from place to place in our lives- travel and experiencing new things.  On the flipside- perhaps we are being asked to let go of some of our insatiable wanderlust and get more rooted and settled in our lives.  Only you know where you are at with that, but wheat asks us to take note of the balance in our lives of being rooted, but not overly stagnant, and the desire for freedom and wanderlust.  Is it better to be in stable loving relationship where two people can learn, grow and transform, or more appropriate to be free to wander, to explore and get to know many different kinds of people and experiences.  This is a hard question for me right now.  The answer I want is not what is manifesting in my life right now.  Time to spend time meditating on the meaning of freedom- exploration- stability- rootedness.

The new moon is a time to plant your intentions and wishes- perhaps this month, burying a few coins for abundance,  your wishes on a paper, and a few kernals of wheat (or even oat groats) so that they may be rooted in the nourishment of the earth, and grow tall and manifest through the light of the sun.  If you have travel wishes- now, with the help of wheat, you can manifest the means and the circumstance to bring that into your life.  If sacred and supportive community is what you are working on, use the power of wheat- connection with human community and supportive nourishment for communities in your workings.     And if wheat is a plant that you dont have a good relationship with, due to celiac disease, or other inflammatory illness in which you need avoid eating wheat – recall for a moment and meditate/journey with the spirit of wheat.  Remember that the plant itself is not evil or bad, it had its natural place in the cycle of life, and has lessons for us in the spirit realm, no matter what our culture has done in modern times with its relationship. Ask what it may have to teach you right now, in light of your relationship to it that may be painful or unhealthy in your physical body.  What is the wisdom and lesson in that for you??

Blessed New Moon plant whisperers, herbalists, earth lovers and seekers,

Darcey Blue