In my photograph, “Flourish” I focused on berries of some mysterious, possibly alien species of plant: alien to me, at least. This is the same decorative tree, from a less-intimate distance. In “Flourish” I was taken by the redness of the berries and the darkness of the background, as it revealed itself on my camera screen. This is the view that dragged me—oh so willingly!—into a closer examination of the berries. I’ve always been one to perk up in the presence of vivid (and complex layering of) color. Needless to say, in walking past this decorative foliage, I perked up. It was a cold day. It was an overcast day. Chicago was gray, dingy, and a bit ragged around the edges. The neighborhood through which I walked was neat and clean enough, but there was nothing to inspire my trigger-instinct. Until I saw this. Something inside of me stirred: something ancient and perhaps even pre-verbal. I felt what I saw, and for a brief moment (perhaps only one beat of the heart) I thought of the season of Yule—the maypoles, the dancing, the music blown through ocarinas carved from goat’s horns. I thought of the lively worship of the Goddess and the God—Mother and Son in perpetual, repetitive balance. During the pagan season of Yule, one offers thanks for flags, fodder, and flax…one embodies the colors of life in brilliant reds, gold, and green: colors, I have learned, that bear intimate relations to life, blood, and comfort. Random city foliage triggered thoughts of these things, as I walked through my old neighborhood. In reviewing this photograph—prior to posting it—I’m struck by the elemental nature of it, as may be recognized by those of the Wiccan faith. The Five Elements are present: one by default, the other four simply because of synchronicity. I’ll leave a bit of challenge in this and not point out Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. I’ll not belabor the pagan symbolism and it’s relation to the pentagram—a venerated symbol to me—but I will say that the five elements (Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and Spirit) are subtle presences here, and if you can find them and plot them on the points of a pentagram (or pentacle, if it isn’t inscribed on paper), it might make you smile. Such an act/ability is nothing important, however, but I suspect that it is ultimately what went into the making of this picture. I haven’t bothered to identify the berries and the plant on which they are found. I like not knowing. I like the pretty colors…and that’s enough for me, and I hope that in some way, others may see (and perhaps feel) what I saw (and perhaps felt) at the moment this photograph was taken. As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope you’re all having a wonderful weekend.