At a very young age, probably 5 or 6 years old, I fell into what was to become a life-long love affair with plants, and biophilia of all kinds. My first memory of this is with a blooming lime tree in my front yard located in the hot and humid swamp of Kendall, a suburb of Miami where I grew up. Its small white flowers, almost unnoticeable visually, possessed a smell that intoxicated and uplifted me before the need or desire for such feelings. I say uplifted, but the truth is, I only remember its sweetness and simplicity. It possessed an innocence that a five-year-old would be attracted to, again and again. I didn't notice then that flowers arrived and departed seasonally. I did, however come to know that it was temporary, as something so sweet and precious could only be.

 

I also didn't know that flowers were associated with the feminine, and it's not a wonder I spent 20 years in the dance world, my attraction to athleticism devouring my attention, not to mention the feminine that stood looking in the mirror observing every line and angle. Without regard to the more commonly accepted masculine identity, I have often found myself in the company of the feminine world.

 

Over 50 years later I'm closer than ever to flowers and fruits, their resins, leaves, and entire biological and energetic anatomy. Each part, I've come to know, as a fragrant offering whose origins actualize the plant within the environment where it thrives. Aromatic molecules are signals within the plant itself, and communications to the larger, natural world outside. The plant's intelligence and need to adapt often emerges through aromatic activity, drawing pollinators, repelling parasites, strengthening its immune system, to name just a few reasons. Much like each human organ has its own functional terrain, aromatic plants often have various structures that are packed with aromatics dedicated to enriching its stationary existence, attracting all manner of life unto itself.

 

It's no wonder we rely almost entirely on plants for survival.

They process solar energy in a way that we absorb perfectly. 

Their aromas fit into and communicate flawlessly with our limbic and olfactory structures, indeed we are extensions of their 400 million years of preceding genius.

 

 

 

T