Complementary Medicine for Everyday

The first known use of the word “earthworm” was the 14th century according to Merriam-Webster.

This week, I had the great joy of spending a few days grubbing in the dirt and as always there are more than a few subtle messages that came my way. This is the gift that occurs when we connect with the earth and all her glorious inhabitants. As I was working to extract some aggressive Blue Lime Grass to make way for a few herbs, flowers and vegetable seeds I was introduced to Earthworm over and over.

Most of us have seen Earthworms after a spring rain or when turning up new soil. Earthworms are “Invertebrates” – animals without backbones, in a group of insects called “Annelids” which have soft, segmented bodies. Notice where we allow our backbone – or an unbending stiffness, stubbornness – to inhibit free movement necessary to the enrichment of our life. Sometimes, being “spine-less” can actually move us quickly through conflict and dense periods of time; allowing us to flow with the path that is easy rather than resisting.

Worms are among children’s favorites bugs because they squirm and wiggle. Generally most adults know they are good for our garden. However, we may not realize they are important recyclers and one stage in our food chain that is critical – they consume fallen leaves and deposit rich organic soil as a result. They naturally aerate the soil with their tunnel systems, which allows air and water to pass through the soil easily – vital to our plants healthy root development and growth. Air is symbolic of breath and water is symbolic of emotions, thus a reminder that our use of breath as a tool can help move us through difficult times and that emotions when allowed to express naturally, follow a natural course to clear and cleanse us of stress. Just as when we suppress emotions or withhold our breath things become compacted and stuffy – a state that does not encourage new growth.

Earthworms are sightless. Their activities are mainly focused around finding dead plant material to eat, and in so doing they consume soil which they deposit around their burrows in the form of castings. They are able to just push through loose soil, however, the hard soil they actually ingest. In this way Earthworm is an example for us of how we can benefit from taking things in, “working old ground”, giving thought to all that we have been experiencing, to examine and digest what has occurred in our life.

They are one of few creatures that breathe through their skin and because they do not have eyes, the skin is important in that they can sense light with their skins. Their numbers vary from 13,000 to seven million per acre! With two million worms living in a space the size of a football field, pushing matter to the surface as they rework ground, a huge amount of earth can be shifted. No matter how slight they may seem, if we continue our efforts, we are reshaping our world and the world around us.

Worms usually only come to the surface under cover of night and we too can benefit from going inward, examining our shadow side and thus bringing new richness and new growth to our life by recycling the past events and taking in their lessons for us.
I am always amazed at how everything in our physical world is here to support us – right down to the earth and her legions of worms. In every task there is a blessing for us if we are looking for it. Personally, I find it very validating and satisfying to know that in examining the difficult I am shaping building blocks for the effortless future I wish to manifest. And I am so glad you are on the journey with me.

References:
Animal-Wise, The Spirit Language and Signs of Nature, Ted Andrews, Copyright 1999. Dragonhawk Publishing, Jackson, TN, pg. 265-266.
Nature Smart – A Family Guide to Nature, by Stan Tekiela and Karen Shanberg, Copyright 1995, Pub by Adventure Publications, Inc. Cambridge, MN pg. 104-105.
www.mirriam-webster.com

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