The joy & folly of country living | A lilac prelude
When lilacs burst open, they are a herald of spring here in the midwest as the earliest blooming flowers on hedges dotting homesteads and roadsides. That was why this year, on the heels of coming home from an unexpected trip to Switzerland, I had resigned myself to missing this year’s fresh blooms. Sitting at the edge of his hospital bed on the other side of the world, the familiar and dear scents of elderflowers + roses were already in bloom. Reminding me of the plant allies that we will be working with at the Midsummer Retreat June 20-23, 2024 here in the Driftless. In my mind and heart, I was okay with missing the spring unfurling across our land because in the company of my mother, her sister and ailing brother, in a hospital room atop a bustling city, I was also home.
I don’t recall lilacs from my childhood + adolescence in California, I’ve read a different evergreen variety grows there, not the Syringa vulgaris native to Europe and Asia, that love the colder months. But the appearance of Lilacs is woven into my consciousness and memories, marking an era in my life. We’d been recently married, moved across the country, and after a long, frigid first winter (can you say polar vortex and morning sickness), and a new life growing in my belly, lilacs greeted me my first spring. They mark an era of love, early motherhood, my burgeoning relationship with plants, rooting into a home; carrying a nostalgia for me.
LILACS | ENERGETICS & SIGNFICANCE
The Syringa vulgaris, native to the Balkan Peninsula is related to the Olive tree, and the hedges of lilacs can live for nearly one hundred years. Lilacs are not native to the United States, but planted by the earlier colonizers and are a mark of old homesteads. I often wonder what early spring ephemerals were enjoyed in early spring by the indigenous people on our land, in a similar way to lilacs.
Lilacs are beloved across Asian and European culture and history, from the Greeks, Celts to the Chinese. In TCM it is potent for the Spleen meridian, which I’ve been told by my acupuncturist I need to work on, this line carrying excess worry. In the Victorian Language of Flowers, lilacs represent the first emotions of love, old love and remembrance. Their energetics as the first blooms of spring, signal a sense of renewal to our energy bodies and animal awareness. It has been noted, they are said to drive away ghosts, exploring past lives, and negative imprints in the psyche promoting clairvoyance, harmony and peace.
Their blooms and roots have also been utilized in Eastern and Western herbalism to calm the stomach, fevers parasitic worms, and other ailments due to its tannic and astringent properties.
On a more spiritual and energetic note, lilac’s flower essence according to FES is “to allow the wellsprings of a deeper memory to flow in to our awareness and deeply nourish us.
Such is the healing message of the Lilac flower essence. It is well and good to confront suppressed painful memories, trauma and abuse which have numbed our emotions. Yet, we also need to cultivate positive memories, particularly from childhood, which can connect us to our source of inspiration of joy in life.”
What we all need to invite more of into our lives as we balance these chaotic times. How do we nourish our sense of peace while processing such deep grief, horror and loss? How can we make space to fill our cups from the well of joy? The cognitive dissonance of living in this age is rampant on so many fronts.
HARVESTING | THE FRESHER THE BETTER
Lilac blooms are ephemeral, a truly bloom and you might miss it, few weeks at the top of spring. I’ve found the fresher the blooms the better. From the looks of it, you can see the firm, fresher blooms, trumpet like in appearance, as they started to fade, they wrinkle, wilt a bit on the stem and turn brown. These blooms will have an off smell as well and even more off taste. I find it is imperative to work with fresh blooms, even a small handful is potent enough to connect you into the portal of it’s magic, but a few spent, brown blossoms may spoil your taste for lilacs.
Not only do I love to bring the flowers inside next to an open window ushering spring indoors, but lilac flowers are edible! and their unique, sweet scent activates the brain, improving the memory.
I use a good pair of gardening shears to cut the brances, farther down on the stem. Making a cut parallel in the base of the stem allows them to suck up more water and last a little bit longer in a vase. After cutting lilacs, I try to get them in water immediately for longevity.
MAKING | CAPTURING THE ESSENCE
In my book Our Kindred Home: Herbal Recipes, Plant Wisdom, and Seasonal Rituals for Rekindling Connection with the Earth, I feature a monograph similar to the one above, a beautiful illustration by my dear friend and local artist Frances Rehmann to help you identify this plant near you, and a few recipes for capturing the fleeting flavor and magic of lilacs: Lilac Lemonade Popsicles and Lilac Syrup. One of the most simple ways to connect with lilac, which is almost like a flower essence is soaking the fresh blossoms in water and refrigerating. It is hydrating, a calming the nervous system and a delicious springtime treat.
From FES website “The essence of Lilac’s healing message is beautifully expressed in Patricia Kaminski’s affirmations:
Living pictures are inscribed into my heart as memory.
I give voice to the stories of soul stored within me.
I remember and I am re-membered into Time’s tapestry.
Past and present become a weaving wholeness within me.”
Are lilacs in bloom where you live? I would love to know if you’ve had a potent or meaningful experience with lilac. Nostalgic memories from childhood, is lilac a plant that has journeyed alongside of you through joyful or troubling times or do you feel drawn to this plant’s essence.
Spring blessings to you.