Since the middle of March, when California’s shelter in place started, an acupuncturist friend has been offering weekly meditations via phone. She starts by asking us to imagine ourselves in a nurturing place in nature. I invariably find myself on a forest floor, trees reaching high above me, leafy branches arching overhead. I’m surrounded by ferns, their graceful fronds draping over my shoulders, sitting in a soft sea of wavy green.

Why ferns? Great question! The answer goes back into deep time, with a very magical present.