A few thoughts on the gift of life and the gifts we recieve from nature.
If we all understood the gifts that were given to us by nature, perhaps we would all feel more obligated to give back to nature. The disconnect in modern society leaves most people not seeing our existence as reliant upon the gifts that are often accepted but rarely reciprocated. It’s widely accepted by most cultures and a good proportion of the people within those cultures that it is wrong to just take, take, take without ever giving. In Christianity, greed is viewed as a sin. Islam warns against greed in the Quran. Buddhism considers greed one of the “three poisons” that stand in the way of spiritual liberation. These examples are but few of many. In almost every single culture there is a reference to the negativity of greed. If greed is so universally scorned then why do people not fight back against the greed with which we take from nature? Why do we just accept that its ok to hoard resources, destroy natural habitat, and never reciprocate the gifts that are given to us by nature. We see ourselves separate from nature, above nature, but not as nature. We produce food to feed humanity often by stripping the soil of everything that makes it healthy. We pave over the fields that provide for the insects that pollinate our food. We cut down the forests that provide us with natural air conditioning, air and water purification, and oxygen. We pollute the water that is the life blood of all things living. We replace natural ecosystems with pavement and monoculture lawns. We continue to take but never give back, and then we wonder why we have things like floods, fires, and disease. If one could see the houses we live in, the food we eat, the water we drink, the medicine we consume, or any other consumer item as a gift from nature, perhaps they would be more willing to give a gift back to nature. Not all gifts have to be the same. We all have something we could offer. For some that may be tending to plants, caring for their growth, and promoting genetic diversity for the future survival of their species. For some that may be composting their waste and adding it to the garden. Others can use their skills to protect habitat, join conservation organizations, and educate others. The most important step is realizing the gifts that we have been given, and understanding that we must reciprocate those gifts in any way that we can.
Absolutely. More people should start gardening and be one with nature. Mother Nature has ways to help us and itself when we do so. Take for instance several species of bacteria found in all organic soils, which are absorbed through our skin when we disturb soil, causing our neurons to produce exra levels of serotonin, which in turn make us happy for helping nature.
I was actually in rough shape a few years ago, suffering from severe anxiety and panic disorder from PTSD. I started gardening cannabis indoor after previously only doing it seasonally outdoor, and went on to research why I felt better minutes after tending to soil. It really helps.
I absolutely think that it can be a catalyst towards this type of thought process. I find some of my best meditations on the subject come from smoking while walking through the forest.
While in school for a horticulture degree, I started raising plants indoors. Peppers, fruits, and medicinal herbs. When seasonal depression hit in the middle of winter I would set a hammock up in my plant room, under my metal halides and it would feel so nice and make me so much happier.
This is the main reason why I grow in soil, and mix up my own organic soils, experimenting with different recipes. It gets me working with soil a lot, even when I’m not growing. Plus, I care about the environment. I dislike chelated minerals running off into our water supplies.
It also got me to expand my setup to grow peppers and other plants indoors, so I always have something to do to feel good, and feel good about myself for taking care of nature. Cannabis is the gateway drug to gardening in general.
After all the PTSD related panic attacks over the years, it led to my mind not being able to handle even a small amount of THC, often resulting in seizures and scary hospital visits. I guess I acquired a high sensitivity to the chemical. Type 3 chemovars actually get me pretty high, and some of them I can handle, but anything else… nope.
Smoking THC for me is agonizing. Think being electrocuted repeatedly, complete with convulsions and all. Not fun anymore.
Sorry to here that. I’m currently not smoking either but thats more of a temporary thing. I find that when I can’t have it, I really want it, but its not bad abstaining by choice. I think the connection with nature and the plants is the bigger benefit of cannabis. If you’re still able to connect to plants you’re still gaining many of the benefits and probably less to none of the negatives.
I couldn’t agree more. It helps me live and feel connected to the Earth and everything beyond. I don’t work or leave my house much at all because of random episodes when I’m not near my plants. I’ll be growing cannabis and more for as long as I live.
Do you grow your own food? I farm vegetables and I find producing my own to food to be cery therapeutic. Its hard work but its also very rewarding. Eating a meal that you produce entirely through farming, foraging, fishing, or hunting is a wonderful experience.
I have a small house with a big yard. I tried growing my own food for a few years outdoor, but the weather here is brutal… nearly 100% humidity year round with tons of rain, and I’m in upstate NY, not no rainforest. I always get rot, mold, and crazy pests, even with a good IPM system. I will try again this year in the hopes that the weather is more forgiving. Indoor, I don’t have much space for vegetables. I just finished some lettuce. Need more room for cannabis though, so not doing another food indoor for a while.
Man, its all just about working with your environment and mitigating environmental issues. A small hoophouse with a good fan to circulate air would benefit you greatly. Native fruit trees like serviceberry and pawpaw might be good options too. Blackberries and raspberries might be worth looking into as well.
The weather here is so bad it took me almost two years growing cannabis indoor to not get PWM or bud rot. My exhaust and air exchange systems are overkill for most places. Outdoor, greenhouse or not, would be hard for me. Not to mention, I’m poor with next to no extra income after living expenses.
May the Universe bless you all and the gardens that you love. 
