The Blacksmith and the Gardener

How do you think about transformation? How do you react to the parts of yourself you don’t like or wish were different?

Like a blacksmith? Forging with fire with pressure with upsetting and bending. Change is deliberate and tough, put on your protective gear and get to work. Reshape the edges to make something good.

Like a gardener? Tending with water and light and attention to the soil. Growing is deliberate and gentle, you’ll need to be patient and nurturing. Respond with nourishment to help something become.

Sometimes circumstances require blacksmithing. We don’t have a choice but to be put through fire and attempt to craft something out of that. I think that soul work calls for more of the gardening. Maybe the thing we don’t like in ourselves isn’t meant to be hammered down. Maybe that part is asking to look at the root, “Ah! No wonder you’re not growing tall!” Or to wait for the right season that’s more conducive to growth. Or to be nourished in a more congruent way - more sun, less water. Maybe we need to deal with all the pests first.