Little
girl: “Look at that plant all on that wall mummy. It's really pretty.”
Mother:
“That's just ivy. It's a weed. And it'll be doing lots of damage to that wall
and will make it fall down.”
Little
girl thinks: It's pretty, and it's strong enough to bring down buildings? Cool.
* * *
Ivy
symbolizes strength through determination and perseverance. It won’t bring
walls down over night, but little by little over time it will always find a way
into the cracks you didn't even know were there. Walls represent shelter, but
also imprisonment. There are many walls which need to be taken down before new ones
can be built – new walls that protect our freedom rather than restricting it.
The higher and thicker the walls, and the deeper their foundations, the more
determination and perseverance are needed.
Ivy
is often taken to symbolise death because it is the most pervasive plant to
cover the abandoned and the decaying, especially ruined buildings and
gravestones. In fact this property of ivy symbolises the fact that we all
return to the Earth at death, and thus become a part of new life, playing our
role in something larger than ourselves, even after our current form has
passed. Ivy is therefore always reaching into the future. That future will be
our legacy, and as such it is our responsibility.
Follow Ivy on Twitter @IvyRambles
Follow Ivy on Twitter @IvyRambles
