The Blessing Cairn is affecting the land around it, which in turn inspires me to do more digging and planting. When the outer driveway was being created and the dirt and stones piled up to make the cairn, the drive itself became higher beside the cairn. This left a hollow on the other side of the drive - a breeding ground for mosquitos unless I did something about it. We have enough mosquitos already; we don't need any more. So I had Marty use a little of the surplus dirt to fill in the hollow. This left me with a flat, rough half circle, surrounded by thick undergrowth and trees. My first intention was to throw in a park-type bench and a couple of hardy flowering plants...

The fae, of course, had other ideas. If they had told me in the beginning what they planned to do, I'd have said, "No, no! Too much work. I want to keep things simple" I can't possibly garden 3.33 acres by myself, even with fae supervision, and I hope they realize that. But this idea was a good one, and not really too big.

We started with the lavender. My friend, Larry Hays, came to visit and helped to prepare the ground - digging in topsoil and "clay buster". Over most of the property there is five to ten inches of topsoil and then sandy clay, which becomes very cement-like when it is exposed the air, rain, and sun. So, we improved the soil and planted five lavenders in a half circle around the little bare space. The lavender said, "Whee!" and promptly doubled in size, even though it was December.

It looked a little sparse with only the five lavender plants there, I began wondering what to do next. The fae thought I was silly. "Gather seeds!" they said. I started looking by the roadside to see what naturally grew in the area. There were a few wild rose hips left from fall. There were snowberries, Oregon grapes, and various things I didn't know the names of. I gathered sample seeds and planted them hopefully. The gaps were still wide - seeds didn't do much to help that, and wouldn't for a long while to come.

Spring arrived! Suddenly the nurseries were full of interesting and wonderful things. I planted rosemary, thyme, sage, and a variety of flowering annuals. The gaps started to fill. The deer ate the delpheniums and several other plants and new gaps opened. The fae said, "Well, deer are hungry in the spring." I took apples to the deer, and planted flowers in the garden that I hoped they might not like quite as well. I learned that deer adore roses and don't seem to mind the thorns at all. I planted an apple tree (with the help of Bry and Brandie - actually they planted the tree while I took pictures which I can't find at the moment) about 100' from the meditation garden. (Clicking on the photo of the deer will take you to a larger version of the deer photo and another closer one of the doe by herself.)

This is going to be an on-going process - trying to find the balance between lovely scented things people can enjoy (and/or eat) and things that the deer and birds and other creatures can dine on happily. I'm wondering what bear eat besides berries, because really those blueberries are for me! However, they are more than welcome to the grubs, which I understand they also enjoy. And there are wild blackberries for them too.

I borrowed my son's mini backhoe, did a lot more (and deeper) digging, and added more topsoil from the hole for the house foundation. Now there is a half-circle of assorted mostly-flowering plants. At present they are rather a muddled looking group with no system. I'm experimenting to see what does well there. What I want is lovely scents and colors to facilitate meditation. The fae have been pretty clear about this being a space for people to sit quietly and contemplate and to enjoy the sun and the views of trees and water - a place to be in touch with their own true nature.

After I had a more-or-less half circle of plants, I turned my mind to the bench and the ground around it. I thought I'd put bark mulch on the ground for walking on. By now, it was well into the summer. Benches, which had been everywhere in the spring, seemed to have become scarce in the shops. Worst of all, the fae seemed very unenthused about the mulch and the bench. They wanted moss. And big stones.

Needless to say, they got moss and big stones. At least, they got the stones - three for sitting on, one that stands (Lee Ehrheart arrived just in time to help me plant that one), and a flat one for candles or whatever. I'm grateful to my son, Jonathan MacLane, for the use of his mini backhoe and for his understanding of What The Fae Like. The moss is planted in little tufts on the ground - if the fae want it to cover the ground, they are going to have to keep the deer from pulling the moss up to see if it tastes good. The deer always decide it doesn't, but that doesn't help the moss grow. The moss is Irish moss, mixed with elfin thyme and a small assortment of other mosses. It will be very beautiful if it grows. Right now, it is quite sparse looking.

Nevertheless, the energy in the garden is peaceful and lovely and filled with faery sparkle. Some of my neighbors and friends have asked if they can stop by and meditate there when they have a moment and happen to be passing. Naturally, I've said, "Yes!" The fae and I both are so tickled that people want to be there - this is what we created it for, with the indispensable help of Earthmama. It is down close to the road, so people can visit the garden without disturbing me up at the house. The fae were, of course, quite right to want it there!

I have received other suggestions from the fae - a "zen maze" and a gazing room (the old and, I think, better name for "gazebo"). The zen maze is supposed to be a circle of large-ish stones to sit and meditate on with a maze in the center. I'm still asking them who will maintain the maze... And we are planning small, natural rooms in the forest, where there will just be a seat and perhaps bird facilities, like feeders or baths. Those things are mostly for next summer. Right now, on the land, the main thing that is happening next is a house so I can live there full time. I hope to be there permanently in the next couple of months. I'll keep you posted here as things happen.

Update Page

(Note: An Lios - the garden or the printing press. In Scots Gaelic, "an" is "the" and "lios" is garden or printing press. I suspect, but don't quote me on this because I don't know it for fact, that the "lios" part comes from a word for stone, similar to megalith = huge stone. The "garden" part might come from the idea of a stone-walled enclosure (to keep both the sheep and the deer out). The printing press? Well, think of lithographs - stone plates on which pictures or words were etched or engraved and then inked and paper pressed over them. It all makes sense. I don't know if that is the real etymology of the word or not, but I like it. "An Lios" is the imprint name for the booklets that I occasionally publish, as well. I like to think of them as the flowers and fruits of my mind. Um. I'm not saying that I have a stone-walled head, but who knows?)

© 2003 by Jessica Macbeth. All rights reserved.

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How the Blessing Cairn Came To Be
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Creating Your Own Sacred Space
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