Red is traditionally the colour of life and power. It is associated with blood. For this, a belief in the power of redness is scoffed at in scientific circles, in which it is known as a wavelength of radiation at 700–635 nanometer.

Sure, but the older dispensation, viewed by the body rather than the mind, is also wise and precise. To it, blood represents not a bodily fluid but the force of life. In that sense, the red in the land is indeed blood (or life force.)

All of the images on this page display medicinal plants. They heal.

They are life. As we move forward into this new year, we have the choice to correct the errors in scientific thinking. If we don’t, we are making the choice to disregard indigenous knowledge, knowledge that is linked with the health of the land.

That would be worse than foolish. Plants have these colours for a variety of reasons. Some to heat themselves and survive in cold climates. Some to attract us.

The light, and warmth, in other words, are a communication from the Earth to us. And how does our body (not our mind, set that poor thing aside) receive that? As a beating heart, pushing through a network of veins, to end in fingers.

Our fingers respond. In Iceland, the long winter dark (and not just that) is dispelled with light. It keeps people from going mad and acting destructively.

A bit more red in our landscape could do just that.

https://okanaganokanogan.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/high-2.jpg?w=1278&h=958

Or a lot. It gives the Earth a voice, and the words to guide us, and keeps us from going stark raving mad. That is medicinal as well.

That is good blood.