Spring is a time of rebirth, and we have been waiting an exceptionally long time for spring to emerge this year. In the Finger Lakes, it snowed three days in a row during the third week of April. Not flurries, but enough snow fell to cover the grass! Yes, spring is about change, but climate change is not what most of us had in mind. With this crazy weather, I’ve been reticent to liberate the ground of last year’s garden in order to make way for this year’s new growth. The blanket of our dear departed friends provides a warm protective barrier over this year’s seedlings. Nevertheless, as we approach the first week of May I am getting anxious and want to see what is emerging underneath.

As I started to cut back last year’s Goldenrod, Echinacea, Joy Pye Weed, Lemon Balm, Pokeweed, Bee Balm, and Yarrow stalks, to name a few, I started thinking of what I could do with them to honor their contribution to the land and people they have soothed.  Then, I remember something I learned from a friend ~ Wishing Bundles. As I started to meditate on them, it made perfect sense; these elder plants are the ideal material for Wishing Bundles.

What are Wishing Bundles you ask? Well, they are a collection of dried herb stalks and tree branches that are bundled together and attached with a note. The note contains your wishes, intentions, prayers, and hopes. The next step is to burn the bundle while asking the Universe to consider your wishes. Spring feels like the perfect time to take a moment to reflect, focus our hopes and intentions for the future, and empower them by using the energy of last year’s herbs and trees, this whole process really resonates with me.

Spring is a time of renewal; a time to cultivate our journey while letting go of what no longer serves us. Cleaning away last year’s gardens and using their energies to move us forward in our journey seems like the ideal spring tradition.

What types of spring traditions do you embrace? Please share and I will share with you.