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RecentArchives
SEO by:
Michael Eakes
Web Development by:
Ryan Wright |
nightshades -- to some delicious, sacred, poisonous, magical, medicinal, deadly, scary, intense, special, delectable, psychotropic, dangerous Solanaceae -- the latin nomial of a plant family -- much loved -- and much maligned. Imagine being, if you please: as earthy and fine as Potatoes -- as tangy and versatile as Tomatoes -- as remarkable as Eggplants (of which, Turkish people alone have devised more than 1,000 preparations) -- as spicy and bold and Chiles, Peppers -- as fragrant and intoxicating as pure Tobacco -- and yet, because of the family (your family, if still role playing -- think aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents), entire diets, and groups of people, steer well clear of (you, and) all of the above, on principle, and more. Macrobiotic dieters, for instance, maintain such a profound respect for Solanaceae's stimulating properties (extreme Yin energy), they are simply excluded from regular dietary rotation. To be personally clear, I believe the Macrobiotic diet to be elegance incarnate -- delicately balanced, wholesomely conceived, and in able hands, positively delicious. Call it perhaps, then, a personal tendency, or leaning -- of mine -- to be wholly fascinated with the lot of Solanums. Tobacco is universally recognized, among the native peoples of the Americas, as sacred and healing. It is ostensibly first -- among offerings made to people, plants, and the earth itself. Its curative properties are present in all forms of the plant. The smoke itself is blown on the bodies of life to protect and heal those forms from abounding hazards. Brugmansia, pictured above, is associated with a selfish and generous spirit whose magnanimity is rarely felt without a dedicated allegiance to said plant and spirit. (Do not mess with). The center of genetic diversity for the Solanaceae family is Equatorial America, though its presence is global. This is of significance because the family has been largely undisturbed by the ice ages that slated clean, land under glaciers, and has had ages to adapt to the extreme ecological niches of the region. Simply phrased, the older and more adapted the line, the more creatively structured. The Solanaceae family is regarded botanically as narcissistic -- meaning leaf litter from within the family is especially appreciated as compost to other members growing locally. Allegiance seems to be a theme among nightshades -- human dependence is but one shade of this character. This is an extraordinary family -- with more to impart and share than human civilization will likely ever get around to embracing fully. Certainly, the Solanaceae are not to be trifled with. Their demanding nature, it seems, is one of the biggest obstacles to sustained, broadly experienced understanding. Virtually anything less than complete respect, and near subservience occasionally, may yield something akin to wrath. (Mercifully, the commonly edible varieties are gentler). I am but an admirer. An appreciator. A cultivator. An eater. Solanums to me are a fascination. I know them not at all, I report to you accurately. But I appreciate them with a divined awareness, and a certainty that, when near, I am in the presence of majesty. namasté  'Irish' (Andean) Potato flowers Posted 2/27/2008 link
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