This giant desert being has entranced me since I first saw it when I went to Arizona when I was little. There is just something about its presence that commands attention and reverence. Like an ancient ancestor with the wisdom of eons.. Saguaro invites us to delegate our energy in very intentional ways. Planning for drought without relying on rain. Visioning during times of rest, showing us the ways of the wild desert. This beautiful bloom emerges after the winter rains when the cactus has received enough nourishment, never expending itself more than necessary. The root systems of the cactus is fascinating, they shrivel and pull back their connective nature when it's dry and when it rains, they expand exponentially outwards, communicating and chatting about their lives with other plants and creating networks under the sand. The roots gather as much water as possible before it drains to aquaphors. A mature Saguaro can hold up to a thousand gallons within its skin, allowing it to stay hydrated for up to a year. The pleats in the cactus allow it to expand and contract comfortably while the spines along them protect it and provide ample amounts of shade. After gathering 65 years of cycles and sun, the Saguaro will release its first flowers. It seems the entire desert sings when there is ample fruit to feed the birds, bobcats, and rodents. Something worth the wait. We aren't used to waiting in today's world... we aren't versed in the absolute art of slowness and creativity that lasts. The art of initiations, learned wisdom, and guidance that comes from an ancient being who has left its childish vision behind is practiced by this cactus. When we are short on real elders... Saguaro is there.
This giant desert being has entranced me since I first saw it when I went to Arizona when I was little. There is just something about its presence that commands attention and reverence. Like an ancient ancestor with the wisdom of eons.. Saguaro invites us to delegate our energy in very intentional ways. Planning for drought without relying on rain. Visioning during times of rest, showing us the ways of the wild desert. This beautiful bloom emerges after the winter rains when the cactus has received enough nourishment, never expending itself more than necessary. The root systems of the cactus is fascinating, they shrivel and pull back their connective nature when it's dry and when it rains, they expand exponentially outwards, communicating and chatting about their lives with other plants and creating networks under the sand. The roots gather as much water as possible before it drains to aquaphors. A mature Saguaro can hold up to a thousand gallons within its skin, allowing it to stay hydrated for up to a year. The pleats in the cactus allow it to expand and contract comfortably while the spines along them protect it and provide ample amounts of shade. After gathering 65 years of cycles and sun, the Saguaro will release its first flowers. It seems the entire desert sings when there is ample fruit to feed the birds, bobcats, and rodents. Something worth the wait. We aren't used to waiting in today's world... we aren't versed in the absolute art of slowness and creativity that lasts. The art of initiations, learned wisdom, and guidance that comes from an ancient being who has left its childish vision behind is practiced by this cactus. When we are short on real elders... Saguaro is there.
