Garden Sanctuary

From the Victorian Romantic Tarot, the Two of Cups; from the Flowers' Messages Oracle, "Evening Primrose:"

          Because this setting is in a garden, it makes me think of a dear friend from my Wednesday book club. We generally sit outside on the coffee shop's patio or on my back porch after our meetings and catch up with each other. Worries and woes are exchanged as well as much laughter. Like most of my cherished companions, we met by chance when our paths crossed. Mahony gives a quote from Carl Jung in the VR companion book that sums up well such valued relationships: "The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed." These transformative friendships are my garden sanctuaries.
          The oil of Evening Primrose has been touted to help with PMS and menopausal symptoms, joint pains and even the effects of alcohol withdrawal. No wonder the creators of this flower oracle have used it as a symbol of healing, particularly emotional healing. While I love my husband with all my heart, there are times when my women friends can better offer the solace and healing I seek. For all of you ladies, both near and abroad, I offer you a poem to express my gratitude:

Looking for warmth and refuge,

A trail of ladybugs

Moves slowly across the ceiling.

Spurred by the wet, wintry night,

They come seeking shelter.

During the storms of my life,

I find sanctuary with women.

They are ambassadors of compassion;

Their haven for the heart

I dare not take for granted.

 ~ B.K.