Quintessenza

​

A seed is a mystery. It is both the beginning and the end, life and death, nothing and everything. A seed is a whole universe in a grain of sand.

A seed sits easily in the palm of the hand, and yet grows into a living structure which can be twice the size of the house. It is a single grain, yet it is the source of a thousand grains. It can be stored for many years, and then be stirred into life in days. 

The harvested grain represents both foods to sustain us through the coming winter months, and also the promise of hope contained in the seed to be sown in spring. 

A seed is a rich symbol of the process of living and dying. It is no surprise that the seed is often used in faith traditions to illustrate the spiritual journey, and the moving from one season to another. The seed symbolizes for us our waking, growing and dying in the cycle of life.

A seed is also associated with the creation of new life within a family. This new life belongs to a greater human community, just as a seed belongs to the harvested grain.

As we search for the meaning of the seed in our lives and we reflect on the harvest we are gathering in life, we must all answer questions such as these:

• What new growth do I harvest and celebrate in my own life? 

• What will sustain me through the darker months ahead?

• What seeds do I hold in store ready to plant when light and warmth return?