Daily Draw December 27th, 2010
Yesterday while cleaning up the kitchen, I discovered a leak under the sink. It had only started as I’d been under the sink a couple of days ago and it was fine, but what a mess. I should have cleaned that cupboard in the summer.
The steel basket has all rotted out in the upper sink. We had that happen on the other side and replaced the upper part and the drainer, so it looks like that needs to be done on this side now. Let’s hope my husband can do it or it means the plumber and money. This is what you get with a 41 year-old house. Of course it happened at Christmas when stores are closed and I’m doing extra cooking and washing up.
Today I’m pulling three cards from different decks. I decided to get a nice botanical vibe going. I don’t have the energy for this, but I’m going to try.
From the British Wildflowers Card Game, Tarot des Fleurs, and the Botanical Symbols in Chinese Art Knowledge Cards:
HAREBELL – Moorland
59 – MYSOTIS – FORGET-ME-NOT; Souvenir, Memory
POMEGRANATE (SHILIU) – Punica granatum

Memories of those near and dear are forget-me-not souvenirs, which seems apt at Christmas. I used to have forget-me-nots planted in my first house, and I like them coming up every year. They self-seed like mad and tend to get pesky after a time, which does remind me of memories, because you get good and bad memories with no choice about which will crop up.
The Pomegranate is a fan painting using ink and colours on paper from the Qing dynasty by Jiang Tingxi, who lived from 1669-1732. Pomegranates originate in Central Asia, where there are associated with the Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
In May, the weather heated up and insects came out bringing mosquitoes and disease, plus poisonous snakes and scorpions. Different herbs, pomegranate and flowers used on this day were believed to ward off such poisons and evil spirits. So the fifth day is considered a poisonous day, and the red colour of pomegranate blossoms was believed to ward off evil so women would wear the flowers on this day.
Because of the numerous seeds in pomegranate, it is also a fertility symbol and an auspicious motif in Chinese art. It is often seen combined with peach and Buddha’s hand citron in a motif known as the “three plenties” which implies a wish for longevity and many blessings and children.
I am not too familiar with harebells but they look like the bellflowers I have in my garden. They are from the same family of Campanula anyway. Harebells are native in both Europe and North America, and are mentioned by several poets and authors. They are often called bluebells in Scotland and America, but there are several types and they spread by rhizomes so are quite hardy and prolific. I’ve always loved the delicate bells on these plants.
I thought to get a nice spring feeling with these cards but I am getting tenacious memory, poison, and hardy delicacy. I try not to go on and on about my poor health but it does tend to sap my energy and joy and make me feel that it’s not worth it to go on living. I feel like that a lot lately.
That’s the poison, the evil spirit, but the small delicate blues of harebell and forget-me-not, coming up every year, mean fertility and longevity along with the pomegranate…..perhaps a notion of perennial choice in thought? You can choose how you look at the world, good or bad, or how you look after yourself.
Most people do enjoy themselves at the Dragon Boat Festival after all.