Dearest Funghi-Loving Friends and Hivers!

I just got back from a long walk on my own, up through the eucalyptus plantations and over the back of the hill, behind the house that we’re currently renting (me and @vincentnijman ). Along the way, climbing up and around the clay-and-menthol pathways, I met quite a few funghi, and as I was having a very meditative time, ruminating on life and direction and purpose and love and so on, I tuned into the mushroom wisdom, to see what I’d feel-comprehend-notice, etc.

The funghi that stood out most were the amanita muscaria and the scleroderma citrinum. I found soooo many of both, that it really made an impression. It showed me which patches of the eucalyptus were older and had settled into the landscape, as they were the places with the greater proliferation of mushroom life visible on the surface.

The fruiting bodies I saw lined the track, and sat around the edges of the forest; I didn’t step too far into the trees, as these woods are all still very ‘samey’ to me, and I certainly am not ready to get lost amongst square-miles of planted forestry! Until I can pinpoint specific landmarks, and keep my orientation when delving deeper, I’ll stick to the path like Little Red Riding Hood was advised to do.

a far wider road that I eventually came across, and which Vincent and I explored past, later

It was enough to snake my way up to the peak of the hill, going from one track to another, through the labyrinth of forestry tracks, each one looking very much like the other, but my good senses of direction helping me to keep a mental note about how I had connected one road to the other. I was able to relax into the rhythm of the walk, which helps enormously with reaching a deeply reflective state.

a particularly round marble-related stone, which I thought at first was another common earthball!

This in turn helps the connection open up with Nature: that pure form of communication which allows the mind to listen to the voice of plants, mushrooms, trees and landscape – even without particularly ingesting pieces of them!

In this way, I could hear various messages, as I moved past and between the funghi.

Mostly, when plants ‘speak’ to me, they give me a clear message in ‘spoken form’ in my mind: this form is not just the words, but a deeper sense of felt meaning. This sensory transmission is very hard to speak about in conventional language, to numb folks in mainstream, but I know that many of you will relate to what I say, in the Hive community… Our Natural Right is to commune directly with all of Nature, in Real Time, as this is what allows us to move harmoniously and sacredly In Nature, As Nature.

The funghi gave me messages that I already know, and this is another aspect of getting transmissions: most new information ‘given’ to us, has to stimulate/ inspire a kind of ‘recognition’; a realisation of this ‘new’ info fitting into the panoramic and holistic worldview that we are already rooted in, in Life. Again, this is something anathema to conventional thinking, which sees ‘truth’ as only coming from external ‘authorities’ – which is usually some institution far away - or some 'person' high up in a formal hierarchy. Instead, Natural Law gives us incremental expansive learning, growth, spiritual insight, as we Return To Nature. And again, we can return to our Natural State of Oneness with Nature, by simply being In Nature, and calming the mind. Then we hear, clearly and sentiently, what Nature is transmitting to us, at all times – and we hear it IN OUR LANGUAGE, and in words that we comprehend best: which best open the Truth that we need in that very moment.

exploded earthballs: I never saw an earthball/ scleroderma citrinum exploded like this before - to me, this made them look more like earth stars/ gaestrum

The funghi told me several lovely things: firstly, about finding oneself – supposedly randomly – spontaneously rooted in a new place, and flourishing/ fruiting/ surthriving. They reminded me that we cannot choose everything about where we land, but unlike natural plants and mushrooms, we can up and move when our situation is not ideal. This is comforting for me, as Vincent and I struggle to find harmony in a not-so-well-designed off-grid rental home; I am reminded that I can change where I am if it is not ideal, but that I also can thrive even in seemingly chaotic or imperfect settings, just as funghi are powerfully able to do.

a bracket fungus which I was not so interested to identify

As I walked up from one side track into a larger forestry road, I came across a plethora of amanita muscaria (fly agaric), which I have not yet seen in this area. At least 20 or so fruiting bodies, in various states of growth and decay. I stood a while amongst these magnificent specimens, and felt a strong affinity with them – as if they were sharing knowledge energetically, which I might also have received if I were to eat them ceremonially. A sense of warmth and Oneness came over me, which calmed my tensions and helped me deepen my presence in the place, up on the top of the hill.

I felt a quiet sense of magic, ancient history, ritual and healing. I can’t quite re-grasp it, but I felt welcome there, and this ties in with what I know about a piece of land there, which might be available. Either way, I felt confirmed that I belong in this place, even if it seems a tad inhospitable at first (probably to do with it having been very aggressively colonised by humans); we will find our land and we will make a VERY special home and energetic focal point on it.

some extraordinary melted fly agaric (I think!) - this climate in central Portugal, with its cool humidity, causes very interesting de-composting processes in mushrooms

And I got more messages, the further I walked, and as my body felt more strengthened by the exercise, the effort of climbing a rough road, the groundedness of being in the place by myself.

an uprooted (possible) brown puffball/ bovista nigrescens

The mushrooms reminded me of adapting to the terrain, and also of there being a time for life and a time for decay: one does follow the other, but the two periods and dynamics are quite diverse, and they most certainly require very different types of occupation. I.e. they require our presence to be very different in each of the stages. In our modern culture of decay, we have to work rather hard at maintaining a stance In Life, In Vitality, In Freedom and Expression, but because this is our Nature, it comes easier, the more we do it.

I got some messages too about fitting in, camouflage, and looking like other things around you, like these incredible puffballs do. They look like stones, and sit among stones which look like them. This reminds me that sometimes it is beneficial to – even if temporarily – fit in with other humans, to not stand out too much. It can be advantageous to use our vast skills and our flexibility, to be in harmony with even mainstream folks, so that our Otherness does not cause upset them ;-) Though I am a very strong believer in speaking Truth and expressing myself fully, I can see where the Whole Truth can also be transmitted quietly, in more ‘conventional’ forms: it can be shared by showing something familiarly-shaped to folks, but carrying the essence of something more within it. This in turn reminds me that I can transmit from wherever I am, and through almost whatever I am doing. Again, super-reassuring, when I’ve gotten overwhelmed lately about where we are Meant To Be, and how to get there!

As I returned on the path I’d come to, and as it began raining more heavily, and darkening for night, I felt altogether more aligned. As I walked downhill, I allowed the ‘teachings’ to integrate into my being; my breathing and thinking calmed and strengthened, and I got back to the house in quite a different atmosphere than I had left it. Like I had let go of an intense charge of tensions, and straightened the threads in the fabric of my being. I was tired and chilled, arriving back just as it got dark, much more confident, calm, clear-minded and ready for the next challenges.

What have the mushrooms been telling you lately?

With Love!

www.claregaiasophia.com

As suggested by @ewkaw for posting in the #fungifriday community: My contribution to #FungiFriday by @ewkaw