Welcome to Tephyr's Garden!

Dedicated to The Devic and Nature Spirit Realm, Co-Creative/Co-Partnership Gardening,
Medicinal and Metaphysical (Magical) Herbalism and more. Copyright: 1994 - 2012 S. Tephyr Burgess.

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Tephyr passed from this world in 2015 after a 13 year struggle with LMS: Leiomayosarcoma.
She encouraged me to start Alternative Nature Online Herbal in 1997 and contributed as long as her health allowed.

Ego and Will

Several years ago, when I had my first student come to The Garden to learn, I felt a little  at a loss as to how to begin. So I asked The Garden Deva to tell me what was the first thing I should tell this person.

The answer I got was to speak to him about Ego and how it's various manifestations in a person can interfere in Co-Creative Gardening. I present this to you taken from my notebook as I received this, with very little editing. It may seem a little disjointed... but that may just be the way my mind works... :-)

These are some of the forms of Ego that can interfere with you communication/openness to Nature.

Will: Allowing the Will to interfere.




Allowing yourself to convince yourself and others that what you want is for the Good of All: that it is what everyone/thing wants/needs.




Telling them and yourself things like:
"I'm giving up this job so I have more time to spend with my family"
when you hate the job.




"That <ugly> plant is interfering in the energy flow of the rest of the bed", when it may be an integral part of the whole gardens energy field.




Sometimes the hardest thing in attunement is to give up Will. It's hard to know when to listening to the Deva or when you are listening to self; deciding which is which. Deciding who to listen to; whose need to heed; The Devic or The Human, can be very hard to discern.
Trust in The Devic and trust in yourself. Be open.

Critic: Self criticism and doubt are very hard for people to over come. Some of the things they tell themselves are;






"I'm not enlightened enough to be able to do this" [communicate with Nature]






"I'm not able to center enough"






"I'm not psychic"






"I'm not a good enough person -
why would Nature and The Devic Realm want to talk to  me."

If you tell yourself you can't then you won't be able to.
It doesn't matter what it is you are attempting; this or anything else in your life. Your inner Critic can convince yourself you are incapable.... do not listen to this side of your ego.

Fear: I coined a phrase a few years ago "The Stephen King Syndrome". I used this in explaining to someone why they were afraid to open themselves to the unknown: they had read and been scared by, too many Stephen King books. Or it could be H.P. Lovecraft. Both great... and scary authors; But of fiction; of books  where "other" worlds are evil and if you are open to them you will be punished, or something bad is going to get you. You will be eaten.

Another is often cultural. One's culture, religious background or any outside influence is based on the concepts that the Metaphysical outside of their own teaching is Evil in some form. This may be one of the hardest obstacles to over come.

The message I got on fear was simply "The Stephen King Syndrome"
and tell him  to not be afraid as there is nothing in Creation to fear. Nature is a loving, open Spirit.

Ego:
Anyone can do this. Anyone can see or hear or understand the Devic Realm. Those of us who do this are not special. We are no more talented, enlightened or beautiful than  you or anyone else.

Any of the above will block your attempts at this. Remember be open and Trust Nature and yourself.