The Gardened Soul

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

Cathriona Russell

“This book is an invitation into ‘more.’ Mapping a landscape where the boundary of outer and inner is not clearly delineated but influenced and nourished, each by the other, David invites us into the concept of gardening as a spiritual practice whereby we tend and nourish our garden while the garden equally tends to us, our soul space in particular. In the book, David illustrates how gardening is the ultimate locus of communion between the human heart and the Divine. The act of gardening helps to cultivate our emotions whereby we recognize the ability of the outer space to facilitate the exploration of the inner space which leads the soul into a deeper experience of ‘the more.’ David deftly demonstrates how emotions animate the soul and how the manner in which we engage and garden these emotions is reflected in the choices and actions we make. The garden is revealed as a dynamic and relational space that allows us to contemplate core human questions and facilitates us in approaching them. This is a well-researched, clear and beautiful book that is a challenge to ‘any attempt to make the human soul small.’ Thomas Berry famously stated that ‘to plant a seed is to activate one of the deepest mysteries of the universe’ and in this book David leads us some way into understanding why. A wonderful resource for gardeners and spiritual seekers alike, expanding in beautiful ways the horizon and context of both.”

Niamh Brennan

“How delightful for gardeners to learn that their gardens actually cultivate them! A horticulturalist before becoming an Anglican priest, David White shows how gardening is an embodied contemplative practice that encompasses not only nurture but also pruning and eradication. The tranquil hours that we spend working in our gardens, inviting nature to express her true self, activate that affinity with the earth that is ingrained in our being. Gardening has a profound effect on our emotions. As we aim for a better future for our garden, we ourselves grow towards a more wholesome prospect. Contemplative gardening enables the feelings of love that surface as we work to turn into gratitude and the sad feelings to generate compassion and empathy.”

Margaret Daly-Denton

“An exploration such as David’s into our severed connection with the Earth is of vital importance to our survival. It is the only remaining truth that binds us all together, a fragile dependence upon a mother that is calling us back home before she finally closes the door on a society that she can no longer support.”

Mary Reynolds

“The history of gardening goes back to at least the third millennium BC. Gardens across many cultures were often considered sacred spaces symbolizing hope, transformation, and our connection with the Divine. Gardening can be seen as an art that has yet to fulfil its true potential and is driven by a desire for ‘something more.’ David White explores how the garden is the gateway to this ‘something more.’ Through contemplative spiritual practices, he considers selected emotions such as love, sadness, gratitude, and joy and brings us on a soul-gardening journey. The emotional experiences in the garden incite wonder, excitement, and connection, nurturing the soul and leading us onward towards discerning what embodied spiritual practices may help with our journey ahead. At a time of global crisis, this book shows us how contemplative gardening can help us to see through to the heart of things, to see through to the reunion of humanity, nature and the Divine.”

Bríd Kennedy