Soil-less Gardens
EVOLUTION JEWELS
by B-S.P., Los Angeles, CA
I have been asked countless times how and why I started my company, Evolution JewelsTM. Here is the story. I spent over 20 restless years working inside the belly of corporate America. Once my obligations were resolved (which for me meant, as a single parent, my kid made it through college and my debts were paid off), I left. I had ended one major phase of my life and was in the midst of creating the next major phase. Coming up through the world of technology implementation and support, I no longer had it in me to "clock in" and hop on the daily gerbil wheel as a way of existence. Physically exhausted, heart weary, I knew I had to make some extreme changes in my life. I took a leave of absence from my job. I left with the intention of taking a bit of time off, finding ways to get rid of the stress in my system, learning new ways to take care of myself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Though I knew I would explore other options for generating income, I assumed I would end up returning to some aspect of the business of managing or otherwise supporting technology.
During my leave of absence I dove — all fours — into an intense regime of yoga, vigorous walking, bodywork, flower essences, Perelandra processes, and exploring various other healing and energy management modalities, all new to me. In addition to resetting myself to healthier, more sustainable patterns, my other main driver was that I was convinced that the standard Western-industrial approach to work and life was an archaic and insane paradigm. It was clear to me that if Machaelle's work proved to be true (and it seemed oddly logical to me), that a whole new infrastructure needed to be introduced and built that integrated all aspects of self-care, business, community, social, and political structures with nature. It was obvious to me that we are in the midst of an unprecedented transition to new ways of being in which people and the environment could co-exist and thrive. I was determined to learn and understand as much about it as I could. The more I learned and experienced, the more I understood how major, significant, and radical of a change this meant for people, society as well as changes to the existing infrastructure. This new paradigm requires a shift to completely new skills, tools, systems, and infrastructure.
I decided to experiment with Perelandra's soil-less gardening processes. I was committed to releasing all patterns, behaviors, belief systems, and relations that no longer served my personal evolution and that blocked the spirit of positive expansion and balance for all involved. One of the first soil-less gardens I created was a "Life Garden" in which I created intention, purpose and direction for each segment of what I believe to be the main segments of one's life: relationships, self-care, life purpose, life style, and home/work environments. I quickly discovered that the self care and life purpose segments are the least understood and the most in need of major overhaul for many people. So I started focusing on "Self-Care" and "Life Purpose" soil-less gardens for myself, and then later, walking others through creating these specific soil-less gardens.
Self-Care gardens have turned out to be very individual. In addition to a physical/medically related focus, self-care, from nature's perspective, has turned out to be very integrated and holistic. For example, one person needed to socialize and entertain more, another to play the piano more, yet another was to set aside time to draw more. Without fail, among other things, my self-care gardens have always tested positive for a series of MAP or MAP/Calibration sessions along with specific flower essence formulas or processes.
Needless to say, the first year of testing and experimenting with soil-less gardening was very intense. I was fully open to learning all possibilities of new ways of "being" and at the same time fully engaged in a rigorous physical-mental-emotional-spiritual "house cleaning" regime. I had several soil-less gardens going simultaneously and helped several others with theirs. Man, did I learn a lot! My understanding and paradigms for how things really worked was constantly shifting and stretching. The MAP sessions were integral in releasing the old belief systems and patterns as well as integrating new understandings and experiences of how the energetic dynamics work internally, between people, and with nature. I also had a 36" Genesa(r) crystal that seemed to have a calming effect on me and others who came to my home.
This was the hardest, most emotional work I had ever done. I constantly felt the instability and imbalance related to dismantling the old while building up the new (yet not complete) ways and means of "being." Though I was doggedly determined and committed to building a new way of being, I couldn't imagine what would give most people the incentive, let alone the support for making this kind of transition. So, during one MAP session, I asked what could help people through this very uncomfortable part of the process, namely, this phase of being in what feels like complete limbo — the old doesn't work any more, but the new is note quite in place yet. My MAP team replied calmly and matter-of-factly that jewelry containing sacred geometries would be helpful, tactile reminders that would assist the wearers in maintaining balance, stability, focus, and clarity of purpose during this phase of transition. They then very nonchalantly suggested starting with making a Genesa Globe charm. Okay, I thought, at least I know what some of the next phase of my life would entail: manufacturing jewelry. Thus, yet another soil-less garden was born.
The main challenge was that I had never made jewelry, much less a Genesa crystal! Fast forward one and a half years and several sanity checks: two jewelry designers, one CAD designer, three model makers, one business class, a business plan, a business loan, two business coaches, and LOTS of soil-less garden troubleshooting, I ("we" counting my nature team) officially introduced Evolution Jewels(TM) to the world in June, 2003.
In working co-creatively, I'll often assume things are stuck or slowed down for one reason, but later realize that it was for a completely different reason. For example: There were many issues related to the catalog and packaging that cost the schedule about two months. During those two months of wrestling with these packaging issues, the Evolution Jewels(TM) nature team added two additional designs to the introductory line. This in turn, changed the catalog content. As soon as the new designs were finalized and added to the catalog — you guessed it — the solutions for the printing and packaging issues fell into place. Geez, and I had thought all along, it was a paper and ink issue!
Now that we've launched, I'm challenged to balance the old cost-schedule-driven sales and marketing paradigms with nature's truly organic laws on balance, integration, and timing. Working co-creatively with nature in a business continues to challenge my ability to decipher what nature is trying to communicate and my (deeply ingrained) corporate sensibilities, especially when it comes to the timing and natural rhythm of all involved and affected.
I have barely touched the tip of the iceberg in my understanding of co-creative partnering. There is much I don't know, understand, or comprehend about what I'm doing. One thing is certain: I'm determined to keep learning and working in co-creative partnership with nature. Meanwhile the team has added some amazing and energetically profound designs for the next "crop" of jewelry. Stay tuned!
Perelandra Voices 2004
