Shléacht me agus d'fhiafraigh mé do maithiúinas den sailchuach beag fiáin ag fás sa muineach coill fiáin is cionn na cnoic, lochanna is portaigh faoi Mullach Mín do é a phiocadh is a ithe agus phlé mé dó go bhfuil mé ag iarraidh an fiántas ann a fuair sé le hoidhreacht go éitreach chun bheith páirt díom. An féidir liom a chaitheamh i do fhiántas? An féidir liom chun bheith aontaithe leis an fiántas? Is mian liom páirt den fiántas áitiúil chun bheith páirt díom agus is mian liom chun bheith aontaithe leis an dúiche.
Ba eachtra chomh éifeacht í gur cosúil an bia ón siopa tuillte gan fuaimint le hais é. Is beag a thuigeas a mbunús agus bhí siad ceannaithe agus spreáilte. Ba cosúil bia ón siopa chomh gan brí le hais an urnaí beag a dhúirt mé leis an sualchuach chon. Mheas me an fiántas dí agus a luachmhaireacht sa domhain éagruthach seo. D'fhás sé le míle de blianta sa cnoic aolchloch áitiúil Mullaigh Mín in éifeacht le do-airimh plandaí fiáin eile ag fás i síocháin agusanois tá a réimse laghdaithe chun freagairt coill a sleamhnaíonn na caora áitiúil isteach agus a sciúrann siad de dhuilleoga òga.
Ní foláir saol éifeacht ag na fáiteallaithe íolach agus bhí gach aon rud ina gcomharsacht lán le anam agus beogacht. Chas gach béal buíoch a thabhairt leis an anam planda nó anam animhí ann mar sin chas gach béilel gaol leis an anam planda agus anam ainmhí agus ag tabhairt buíochas di le togadh saol dúinn. Níl sé bia amhain ach ceangal éifeacht do do thimpeallacht a tháinig tú chun bheithaontú leis. Má itheann is ólann mé a dtabhartais tagann siad chun bheith páirt díot ach tháinig tú chun bheith páirt den dúiche freisin. Ba aontacht fíor le nádúr é.
I knelt and asked for forgiveness from the wee wild dog violet growing in wild hazel scrub overlooking the hills, lakes and bogs surrounding Mullaghmeen for picking and eating it and I explained to it that I wanted the wildness it intrinsically inherited to become part of me. (Can I partake in your wildness? Can I become one with the Wild? I want a part of the local wildness become part of me and I want to become one with the landscape)
It was such a meaningful experience that the shop bought food I eat otherwise seemed so shallowly gained compared to. I did not know their origin and they had been domesticated and sprayed. Shop bought food was so lacking in meaning compared to that little prayer I said to the dog violet. I had respected the wildness of it and its preciousness in this chaotic world. It had grown for thousands of years in the local limestone hills of Mullaghmeen along with myriad other wild plants growing in peace and now its range reduced to a small outcrop of hazel which local sheep regularly stole into and scoured of young greens.
Pagan foragers must have had such a meaningful existence where every single thing in their surroundings was flooded with spirit and aliveness. Every meal involved giving thanks to the plant or animal spirit embodied in it so every meal involved a relationship with the plant and animal spirit and giving thanks to it for giving us life. It wasn’t just food but a meaningful connection to your surroundings where you became one with it. By eating and drinking its gifts they became part of you but also you became part of the landscape. It was true unity with nature
