Faerie Mushroom Connection__The Fairy Ring

More about Faerie Mushroom Connection__The Fairy Ring

Poem by John Rodman Drake

Let us dance and let us sing,
Dancing in a merry ring;
We'll be fairies on the green,
Sporting round the Fairy Queen.
Like the seasons of the year,
Round we circle in a sphere,
I'll be Summer, you'll be Spring;
Dancing in a fairy ring.
Spring and summer glide away,
Autumn comes with tresses gray,
Winter hand in hand with Spring,
Dancing in a fairy ring.
Faster, faster, round we go,
While our cheeks with roses glow,
Free as birds upon the wing,
Dancing in a fairy ring.

FAERIES AND MUSHROOMS

WHAT’S THE CONNECTION?
WELL, WHEN THE POEM MENTIONS…

Let us dance and let us sing, dancing in a merry ring…

THIS REMINDS ME…
again of the
life cycle of the fungi,
and the fruit body
(remember, like the apple),
of the mycelium.

This fruit body is the
completion of the
life cycle, in which
the mushroom
usually only lasts
a few days, then
it disappears.

However, before it disappears,
if all goes well, it releases spores
into the air, and again,
if conditions are favourable,
and the spores land
where they can germinate;
then, they grow into fine
thread-like fungal filaments called
hyphae.

When two compatible hyphae mate,
they create fertile mycelium.

This mycelium then condenses
into knots which in turn form
nto baby mushrooms
called primordia.

From this primordial mass
of which there can be
almost an INNUMERABLE
amount, only the most promising
ones are selected by the mycelium
to grow into mature fruit bodies.

ALL of its energy and nutrients
are given toward the development
of this fruitbody, for the MUSHROOM
is that which produces and releases the spores
to begin the life cycle ANEW.


Meanwhile, just so you know, all of the fairy poems
shared were gathered (some written by me) a few years prior
to discovering Paul Stamets and his mushroom work. At the time
I was trying to connect, especially children, to nature with
a bit of fun by incorporating fairies, along with nature activities.

Then, when I discovered Paul Stamets and his work with mushrooms,
I thought in a way, I had discovered a holy grail to many of our environmental
problems, which has always been a core interest of mine.

This influence from Paul Stamets began around 2010 to the present.
However, because of one interview which I thought was not
in his usual style of being straight upfront, in fact, appeared to be
over-acting, I began to question the ground upon which he stood.

The following link I think gives a fair assessment and balance to all
in his regard, so perhaps, in the end, we may not throw out the baby
with the bathwater.

https://seismicspore.com/paul-stamets-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/