Eggplant and Mystery
Solanum melongena
Elongated, round fruit hangs gracefully from the branches of the eggplant plant. The color is usually shiny dark purple, but eggplants can also be white and lavender. They love the heat and are perennials when grown in subtropical areas. In most zones in North America, they are grown as an annual, as they will not survive the first frost.
Like the tomato, eggplant is part of the nightshade family, and, at various times and places around the world, people assumed the plant was poisonous. However, in the Mediterranean, eggplant has been part of culinary traditions for hundreds of years in dishes like baba ghanoush and ratatouille. The spongy texture makes them interesting to work with in the kitchen, as they absorb both oil and flavors easily. If you are a cook, you may know there is controversy about salting eggplant before cooking. I grew up in a household where eggplant slices were salted and left on a plate for an hour before cooking. (The salt is supposed to tenderize and pull out bitterness.) I’ve often skipped this step without consequences, making it a bit of a mystery as to why this practice exists.
Mystery is the correspondence of eggplant, and it resonates with that energy for reasons beyond salt. With its deep purple color, the color of higher chakras, eggplants symbolize mystery and spiritual quests. Their unusual shape and shiny skin also hint at mystery. The egg shape represents the unknown; we know there is new life inside, yet we can’t see it or know exactly what will develop.
When contemplating this correspondence, you can cast a wide net by recognizing the mysteries that happen every day, both big and small. Some mysteries in our lives are simply fun puzzles to work out, if we care enough to investigate. I have an ongoing garden mystery: I ponder why squirrels like to dig up my plants and leave peanuts in their place. Your mysteries might revolve around why other people do things you can’t make sense of, or why you sometimes do things that are not in your own best interest.
At its deepest level, life is a mystery. Theories abound as to what and why we are here, and we may believe one thing or another, but there is a part that is unknowable. The future is also a mystery. No matter what amount of planning you do, there will always be an element of the unknown. Finding a way to accept and even welcome the unknown may be the key to contentment. Cultivate an attitude of curiosity and amusement as you investigate the mysteries in your life. This week’s correspondence invites you to be mindfully aware of the mysteries that surround you, finding ways to embrace them as they are.
Morning Attunement Questions
• What connections do I have with eggplants and mystery?
• Where else in the green world or in my life do I observe mystery?
• What does this correspondence feel like?
• How can I describe this energetic attribute of mystery in words or pictures?
• Where does this correspondence of mystery resonate most strongly in or around my body or in my life?
Daily Integration Questions
• In what ways is the world reflecting eggplants or mystery back to me?
• What nuances and shades of meaning do I notice about eggplants and mystery?
Evening Reflection Questions
• Where and how did I experience eggplants or mystery today?
• How did I embrace mystery today?
• What wisdom does the eggplant’s correspondence of mystery bring to my life?