A Ladybug Liberation Ritual – LuRain witnesses Natural Magic

  

 

The lady I live with has an affinity for ladybugs.

Many’s the time she pushing me down the street when zoooom – here come one of them straight out from nowhere to land right on her.

She carries it along for a while, then it flies off – on to business again.

She says this been happening since she were a kidlet.

I believe her, since I was witness to a miracle involving her and them little critters.

Going to tell the story of it to you tonight, because this a special evening.

Every year on this date, we celebrate the Ladybug Liberation Ritual.

More of that later.

*

First, I want you to know that what I’m going to tell you is absolutely true and verifyable by others.

I predicate this tale by explaining that the lady I live with is…well, spooky.

She of a mystical turn of mind and unusual occurrences happen to her almost daily.

Fortunately, she is a benign Soul – so these oddities are pleasant and awe inspiring, as well as puzzling and curious.

Many years ago, she had a little theatre and I was the headliner.

In those days, I was still acting out and could be unreliable.

She took me to her apartment frequently, to keep me from ending up drunk somewhere.

Her place was very cheerful, overlooking the Park Blocks.

On a particular late Autumn evening, she was futzing with a Begonia plant she had on the window sill.

It was sick with aphids.

She said, “I could really use a ladybug right now.”

Then she reached for a book on the shelf, and out of it floated a postcard from a friend in New York.

It was the picture of a ladybug shown above.

We both laughed at this coincidence, and she placed the card by the plant, saying,

“Maybe the spirit of the ladybug will chase the aphids away.”

We went down to the Theatre and had a great show.

*

After, we came back to the apartment, opened the door and was struck dumb with amazement.

The whole place was filled with ladybugs!

Covering the windows, inside and out.

On the ceiling, on the bookshelf, and all over the Begonia.

Everywhere.

There was red ones, black ones, yellow, orange; ones with spots, without, or only one.

We’d never seen nothing like it.

They was flying, mating, and God knows, probably chatting away like mad.

They had made theyselves to home.

We just stood there slack jawed.

She ran outside, her windows were the only ones on the whole building smothered in ladybugs – fairly black with them.

We couldn’t figure out how they got inside – the windows was closed tight, and besides, they all had screens on them.

She called her best friend who come over right away even though by this time it was close to midnight.

We sat in the front room, watching these little sprites darting about till the wee hours.

It was October – way past the season for ladybugs.

Where had they come from?

And so many of different variety.

It was a miracle and no mistake.

The ladybugs stayed inside her little place all through Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

 The last one died on January 23rd – falling silently down from the ceiling like a minuscule snowflake.

*

Months went by.

I had my stroke and she closed the theatre.

We travelled down south for the climate.

On the way, we camped in the Los Padres National Forest.

(Don’t get me started on camping out – it is a saga for another time.)

She took the dog swimming in the San Inez River everyday.

When we got there one morning, we discovered the tranquil pool we’d visited several times before had a film all over the surface of the water.

Thousands of ladybugs!

All struggling to stay afloat.

What on Earth had happened?

The lady I live with waded in, took her big skirt and scooped up the soggy buggies, bringing them to the shore.

Trip after trip, until she rescued every one.

As they dried out and started to fly away, she sat down and cried.

A few stragglers walked up her arms and took off from her shoulders.

What are the odds that she would be the one who came, the one who would be chosen to save them?

It was almost one year to the day since the miracle in her flat.

The two incidents were related.

She was the pivot around which they revolved.

Synchronicity.

Told you she was spooky.

*

Since then, every year on her birthday, the lady I live with goes to the local Nursery and buys a couple thousand ladybugs.

We wait until Sunset, when it cooler – then she liberate them around the roses, hollyhocks and wildflowers.

A ritual in gratitude for another year of  life, of peace and happiness.

Tonight, while the Full Moon rose, we watched them acclimatize themselves to freedom.  

She sang a prayer for all those who suffer, who grieve, who are not free.

We wished All well.

*

The lady I live with loves Nature.

It loves her back.

 

 

-lp(c)09-