One thing that I have learned over the years is that you can find spiritual truth in many things and in a variety of places. In fact, I have astonished some of my friends by having spiritual insights and wisdom come to me while I was watching a television show or reading a non-spiritual book. I state this so perhaps you will understand how things work in my head and how something like what happened tonight, happens in my life.
So, it is 2 a.m. ( I have really weird sleep patterns and hours) and I was a little hungry, so I decide to make myself a snack and the one thing that sounded the best was a boiled potato (if I haven’t told you already I should probably point out that along with weird sleeping patterns I have very strange eating habits- I don’t question it, it is simply part of what makes me the unique individual that I am- this goes along with that whole spiel about self-acceptance; but that is a topic for a different post!) but, as Sophia Patrillo would say, I digress.
I’m standing in my kitchen at 2 a.m. peeling a potato, the particular potato that I was peeling had a small spot of dry rot on it and so I cut away until I no longer saw any trace of the rot and it struck me that is one of the things that I appreciate about a potato as a food. You can cut away parts of it that are bad (unless it is mealy and has spread) and the rest of the potato is perfectly fine to eat. Well… isn’t that an amazing metaphor for looking at life or people!?!
One small negative thing in life, does not ruin the whole life. One small negative habit or event does not ruin the whole person. These things can be let go off, cut out of your life and the rest of it is still perfectly fine and capable of nourishing your soul. Who knew you could get a lesson in persevering and acceptance from a potato?
As I waited for my potato to cook on the stove I began to contemplate what other lessons a potato might have for me and I will say I found a plethora as I meditated on it!
A potato grows underground, in the dark and in the dirt until it is fully developed (that is unless someone pulls it out before it is ripe), so like us it experiences its growth in the dirt and in the dark. Some of the most defining moments in my life came from difficult situations. Yet even though a potato grows in this environment it is something that is nourishing and a staple in many homes.
A potato is incredibly versatile, it can be made into so many different types of food as well as being used for medicinal and magical purposes. Therefore, a potato, like us as human beings and witches, is full of potential. Originally, native to the American continents, its cultivation and consumption has spread the world over due to this versatility. Potatoes can grow in areas that have extreme weather, due in part to its growth being subterranean, which again highlights versatility and flexibility.
Potatoes have always been one of my favorite foods and for me, they are a link to my ancestors, as my great-great grandfather was a potato farmer in the mountains of Colorado many, many years ago. My great-grandmother used to tell me stories about their potato farming, and life on the homestead as well as how potatoes were very important throughout The Depression here in the United States. They could be gotten inexpensively, and due to their filling nature could feed a family without much expenditure, not to mention they offered a food that could be made many different ways, and while its always a potato it could still offer different tastes thus keeping people from getting bored with their food.
I have always loved potatoes, I think my great-grandmother passed a love of them down to me in story. Tonight my love grew even more and I do believe I may never look at a potato the same again. The world around us is full of wonder and spiritual truth; if we only pay attention! Please take some time to really pay attention to the little things in your life and see what spiritual lessons come your way from unexpected sources.
May you all have a wonderfully blessed and enlightened day.
The Frith Wytch 