The photo above shows a sunflower grown from one of the seeds I kept wrapped in a tiny bundle in my pillow and slept with for a few months last spring. Miraculously, it still germinated and grew after being accidentally laundered one time. My intention was to imprint Sunflower's strengths of healing, balance, and attunement into my own being. We'll see.
When I read about the sunflower project underway in Japan to benefit the Fukushima area, I wasn't surprised to learn that sunflower roots, through the process of phytoremediation, can quickly clear the soil of toxic contaminants. This amazing endeavor began with thousands of sunflower crops grown this past summer specifically for seed to be planted in Fukushima next spring. Can you even imagine how beautiful Fukushima will be?
"It has been proven that some plants have an ability of absorbing radiation with its root from soil. Sunflowers, especially, show a high rate of absorption. It is said that Sunflowers can remove 95% of the radiation in soil in 20 days. Normally, it would take about 30 years until the radiation level was reduced to a safe level." --The Sunflower Fukushima article is here and I first read about it over at Hella Delicious.
The red sun prayer flag is quite faded but holding together just fine. I've brought it inside and am starting to attach petals with a few stitches at the base of each. They'll be free to flap in the wind, releasing more hopes and wishes for Sunflower Fukushima.
Happy weekending. xo
Your sunflower plant is huge! Lots of power, maybe the seed absorbed that from you...... Sunflowers have always been one of my favorite plants, but I didn't know that they cleanse the soil. It makes me very happy.
ReplyDeleteI love how the Red Sun prayer flag will turn into a sign of hope.
Wow! I did not know that about sunflowers...
ReplyDeleteI have grown the taller-then-me kind before and they are amazing!
You had a "sunflower ceremony" every night....
I like that! ; )
When I was a teenager I would put books under my pillow to absorb the knowledge...it was worth a try anyway. (smiles)
Your sunflower center is a lovely patina. I am sure it will send a many "hopes".
<3
Thanks, Jo -- I really would've liked to save these seeds, and sort of done a potentizing exercise with them, but the squirrels decimated it about 10 minutes after I took the picture. Well, not quite. But soon after!
ReplyDeleteI'm loving stitching these petals on with red thread, of course, for balance, red seems to be the color that makes me "stop"...
who knew?!? wow!
ReplyDeletewhat a beautiful transformation for your red sun. love the fading.
Marie, thank you -- I love how you put it -- a sunflower ceremony every night. How absolutely wonderful to think of it that way. I'll remember that for next spring. Actually, I'm going to make a note on the calendar. So thank you again.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cindy -- the fading somehow makes it seem like it really has released some of my intentions for Japan. There's still more though..."transformation" says it!
ReplyDeleteIt's really very cool to know this about Sunflower. Like a puzzle piece fitting in.
That sunflower head must be huge! Interesting story and love the prayer flag for Japan.
ReplyDelete(not much news nowadays but it must still be awfully dangerous there ...)
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Nature never ceases to amaze me.
ReplyDeleteI love your photograph of that wonderful sunflower grown from the seed you used in your sunflower honor and worship.
I love your prayer flag. The ritual obviously worked, what a beautiful, strong, kind lady you are.
Blessings to you.
I did not know that! I love the way your cloth sunflower is growing. I planted little short ones in a 'window box' this summer! Your looks huge!
ReplyDeletethe miraculous power of plants...i always learn something new when i visit here.
ReplyDeleteOh I like that! I'm planning on growing more sunflowers next year, slugs ate everything I planted this year. Maybe if I plant lots...
ReplyDeletelook at the size of that thing...!
ReplyDeletethe birds snipped all of mine off this year
Yes, yes, yes...I love the red woven sunflower center! I keep a sunflower painting near my computer and it shines...rain or shine. And thanks for the sunflower information. Apparently the whole world needs to plant more sunflowers.
ReplyDeleteAmazing properties the sunflower has! Thank you for sharing that with us.
ReplyDeleteI love sunflowers (and have painted/sketched quite a few recently), I've had a real attraction to them and not known why. Last year while over in Switzerland visiting my son I started to stich a little 'spirit person' and stitched a sunflower as her sun. I recently decided to add her to my latest cloth I am making in the Magic Diaries...will post a picture soon for you to see.
Your sunflower with the woven red centre is lovely.
Jacky xox
Trish, Nancy, Deanna, Deb & Jude, thank you. This truly was a huge plant with a huge head and the squirrels enjoyed every last morsel! Unfortunately I didn't get any of the seed, but realize that that would've been amazing. Maybe next year . . . I'll never know if it was somehow charged by the sleeping "ceremony" as Marie referred to it or if it was the seed or the Earth it grew in. Whatever, it was an honor to have it here for that short time.
ReplyDeleteBJ, thanks and I agree the whole world needs sunflowers. What would a photo of the planet look like if we planted them everywhere? How cool would that be...a sunflower is a good idea by the computer!
ReplyDeleteJacky, thanks -- I'm so grateful that we know this about sunflower and now wonder how many other common plants have unknown gifts. And I will be watching for your spirit person and her sunflower sun!