Reposting some Spring related subjects while I’m teaching meditation retreats and away. Happy Spring, everyone!

There are lots of reason to compost. This series explores some of the less known and therefore mysterious or magical reasons why.

Compost is the magic of transformation. Compost begins with the cast off forms of plants and results in a nursery of new life. The process from beginning to end is amazing.

In nature as well as in our kitchen, compost begins with that which is no longer needed by a plant or has been discarded by human. Dead branches, autumn leaves, the outer leaves of leeks or potato peels will, if given the chance, release the potential of life back to the source from which it came. Plants came from and return all that they took back to the soil. In so doing, the soil and the next generation of plant, animal, and human life are guaranteed. Without composting by Nature and humans, life is not assured. In fact, if every household composted its produce waste, the equivalent of the top soil eroded by deforestation would be replaced. Equally so, all the bags of top soil sold in hardware stores or Home Depot would soon not be necessary and instead any back yard gardener would have naturally healthy, happy soil. More happy, in fact, than anything in a bag or dump truck can provide. Why? Because the magic of transformation is in the Now, in the present and continuous process that is composting. That process is not in the bag stacked since last season at the hardware store.

What is that process? It is the live microbial breaking down of that which was solid into that which is amorphous. The amorphous matter gives life to insects, small animals, microbial flora and fauna, and to the soil itself. Soil is not only a location of life (such as that listed) but soil is a form of life. It is itself alive.

Soil, like water, air, fire and all forms that the Earth takes are devic life. Deva is a more technical term than angel, and includes all the angelic ranks as well as the many kinds of elementals, fairies, sprites, etc. Soil is alive with devic life as well as with the microbial life that science now is coming to understand. Compost is a way by which a devic life form is freed into another form. For instance, watch a compost pile at dawn. As the temperature rises in the air or compost pile, “steam” or mist will arise. That is devas of plant matter being released from the plant form that they supported and therefore were part of. Devas of density are becoming air or water devas. Some are transforming from plant devas into fire devas, released in the rise of temperature as heat itself.

Sometimes the release is easily related: like to like. For example, plant matter that is rich in water such as watermelon rind, cucumbers, tomatoes, squashes is also rich in would-be water devas. Released by composting, these devas are freed from the dense form of the plant that they, in service and sacrifice took on, and can move along in their evolution. By not composting our kitchen produce scraps, we are denying the devas who made our food possible the gratitude and thanks of releasing them from their service. When we do release them, they can become part of wide range of service and forms of life on our planet.

In fact, I suggest that due to human intervention such as deforestation, increased use of fossil fuels (which all came from plant matter), and the vast production and consumption of produce without giving it back to its source, we are keeping vast ranks of devas imprisoned in low forms of evolution. This degrades the quality of food, of plant and soil strength around the world, and degrades the natural transformational process of the circle of life.

Composting is important because it is magic. Composting is easy and free, and gives something back to Mother Nature for all that we take from her.