Germination
August 6, 2025
Planting
August 20, 2025
As new growth happens you move from germination to the care and feeding of seedlings. It is an exciting stage. You have ideas, possible projects, and the option of larger ventures. You are in a new phase of the liminal journey. Seedlings require some of the same attention as germination with modification. Daydreaming at this stage needs to include solid planning. Instead of protecting your dreams and ideas you start to test them out in the world. You continue to nourish yourself while putting down new roots. As you move toward the end of this stage decisions need to be made about which seedlings you will keep tending.
This is your life, nurture the seedlings that you want. It is normal to stop, revise, or pause plans. The beginning is often fun, the growing season tends to be a lot more work and the harvest is never guaranteed. Those plump tomato pictures on the seed packet are a possibility, not a promise. As you venture into new projects take time to enjoy the growth and the process. Seedlings take time to turn into grown plants.
Imagine the Possibilities
With a tray full of seedlings start to imagine these plants fully grown. How will they fit into, or change your life? How much time and energy will it take to grow them? Rearrange the options in your mind while they are still possibilities. There won’t be room for all of the seedlings. One aspect of liminal space is that the future is unclear. You can come out of this with a spruced up version of your current life or a radically altered landscape. Either is fine, taking the time to daydream about what you want is important.
Expose Your Ideas to Daylight
Seedlings are gradually exposed to the outdoors to be ready for planting. This process is called “hardening off,” it allows them to acclimate to variations in light, wind, temperature, and water. Without this, few seedlings will survive. You can reality test some of your ideas by learning from people who have experience, or by giving your new project a try. Some seedlings don’t survive this stage. They look great in the morning and by nighttime they have collapsed. This does not make you a failure; it is part of the process. Not every new idea or venture is going to succeed. That’s OK. Giving your ideas exposure helps you make decisions going forward.
Thin Your Seedlings
As this process continues, thin out the number of ideas and possibilities you pursue. Time, space and energy don’t allow you to do all things all at once. Choose those that have the most promise going forward. With plants, you pinch off or give away the ones that are too much. With ideas, you can jot them down and put them away in a file to consider another day. You have the right to protect your energy by planning a sustainable schedule.
Fuss Over Your New Projects
Seedlings are fussy. As they get used to living out in the world they need time and attention. Fussing over them is part of the process. Each day they are a little different as they put down roots and pop out new leaves. Some grow in unexpected ways. Care for yourself while you are nourishing this new growth. Adjust your schedule to make room for growth.
The beginning of new growth, the seedling stage, is very exciting with new leaves popping out every day. Take time to imagine your future so that you can decide which ideas you want to transplant into your day-to-day life. Expose your ideas to reality to find out work out. Limit the new ventures to those that matter to you. Build in time to fuss over the new growth in a way that sustains you and your new ideas. As you move through this liminal space allow yourself time to make decisions based on your imagination, research and dreams for your future.
Peace,
Laura
