I hadn't, until last weekend, when we visited Emma on our way back to
Lileah from the AGM. She has a baby chicken, whom she's named Deva,
after the place it came from, Deva Dell.
Deva Dell started with a man (and his family?), who was told by devas
to build a house and a beautiful garden right here in Lorinna. Well,
he did, and named it Deva Dell. On this farm there was a chicken who
went broody and then all the other chickens decided to lay their eggs
in her nest. This poor broody hen ended up setting on about 20 eggs,
and before any of them hatched, she gave up. After four days someone
found the nest, figured they were all bad and was about to chuck the
whole lot off the cliff when he heard a cheeping. He checked all the
eggs and only one was about to hatch – poor, motherless, Deva!
Fortunately, Emma happened along, and took in Deva under her
proverbial wing. The chick imprinted on her, and according to Emma,
now thinks it's a human. Emma did wonder if she would have to act like
a chicken to show this chicken how to be a chicken, but instincts have
kicked in, and Deva scratches and preens and takes dust baths. (It's
especially fortunate about that last one!) He/she is our resident
entertainment and grub pick-up. As I was pulling bidgee-widgees this
afternoon, Deva was right there at the forefront, checking out the new
turf.
But this is not the end of my deva stories.
While I was in Devonport, I picked up a magazine called Spheres – a
psychic mag with articles about feng shui and setting your intention
for the new year. I was reading an article about the beginning of the
Findhorn intentional community in Scotland. The author was talking
about starting a garden, using organic methods and by talking to the
garden spirits, called devas. He said his partner communicated with
them, asking permission and help in beginning this garden. They said
they would help.
Eighteen months later, the garden was so successful, strawberry plants
were producing a pound of fruit each per day. A well-known local
conventional gardner asked to interview the author and take soil
samples to determine the mineral and organic make-up of the soil. He
predicted all sorts of deficiencies, but when the sample came back, it
was complete – no deficiencies! The author attributed it to composting
etc, figuring no one would believe him about the devas.
Down at the Deva Dell, they don't have possum troubles. It's because
they talked to the possums, says Emma. I guess it's either that, or
electric fencing. Emma said she's tried talking to the possums here,
who are ravaging the fruit trees, and pretty much anything that's not
native, and therefore, a delicacy.
Talking to possums seems much nicer than electric fencing. Or the
other alternatives – trapping, which doesn't work because possums are
territorial (this is the opposite of what Tyler told me, but Emma is
firm in her conviction) so they'll just come back, or shooting them.
