Hello, lonely world.
One of my favorite activities lately has been sitting with my butt on the sand. It feels so grounding. On my (socially distant) walks I like to plop down on the local sand dunes and look up at the sky, listening to the sea.
Here along the California coastline the sand dunes are covered in flowering dense green succulents. I just learned that these magical plants are called sea figs. How whimsical is that?!? They look like chunky cartoon versions of grass erupting in aquatic-looking yellow and pink flowers. Apparently they are edible too?!?
Sea figs have wandered to the California and Oregon coasts where they have grown to become an invasive species, but originally they are native to South America and Africa. They look like they could be from another planet, or at least from under the sea.
These plants sprout up like wildfire, and the flowers this time of year explode in aggressively bright colors. Neon magenta, buttery yellow, and the cutest baby pink are the most popular hues. To me the wisdom of this plant says, don’t hold yourself back and don’t be afraid to grow!
Stepping carefully on sandy paths through these gentle flowers opening to the sky, I momentarily forget how fucking crazy the world is right now. I share this to give a reminder to spend time around plants as much as you can. Even if it’s just a tiny houseplant, each plant has unique wisdom to share with you.
Plants also have a calming effect on anxiety – wow, I looked this up and studies have actually shown that spending time with plants causes a measurable reduction in stress levels! In a time when little comforts are everything, turn to plants. I’ll be rooting my booty into the sand dunes with the sea figs.
CALIFORNIA WITCHCRAFT 