Artful Botanicals
The healing power of plants.
Flowers are wondrous subject matters for your art, especially medicinal blooms.
I've been focusing on florals in my art recently. I'm particularly interested in expressing their healing properties in visual form. To this end, I'm truly honored to introduce you to a very special guest this month. H.R.H. Princess Basma bint Ali, is a true custodian of the Earth. She has done a huge amount to protect, document and revive the old wisdom surrounding the healing properties of the indigenous flora in Jordan. She shares her insights on garden design, medicinal plants, sacred geometry and plans for the Royal Botanic Garden. Scroll down for the full interview!
The homeopathic pharmacy is abound with plant remedies.
The flower in this painting is known as Delphinium Staphisagria and is used homeopathically to alleviate a wide range of ailments, including depression, insomnia, styes and urinary tract disorders. It has an affinity for lacerated tissue and can be a useful remedy post surgery when the symptoms agree. Individuals who may benefit from this remedy often find it difficult to express themselves.
What flowers inspire you and why? Feel free to reach out and drop me a line.
Sara xo
Princess Basma has been working in the field of environmental conservation for over 25 years. She serves as a member of the Board of Directors of numerous environmental entities, both local and international and chairs the National Biodiversity Committee in Jordan. She has helped found a number of NGO’s, most notably the Royal Botanic Garden of Jordan.
What inspired you to create the Royal Botanic Garden of Jordan?
I had a passion for all things plants, especially botanical gardens. I yearned to know more about our native plants but the resources available were very limited, dry and very unglamorous. It dawned on me that if I wanted the information I had to develop it myself. Thus, the Royal Botanical Garden idea was born.
I understand you focus on many medicinal plants, can you tell us more about the medicinal garden and its purpose?
It actually stems from my strong belief that our identity lies deeply rooted in our traditions and traditional knowledge. For us to know who we are as a people, we need to know our past and with that comes our ethnobotanical heritage. It is essential for me to conserve this very precious information and make it available to future generations. We have therefore documented the uses of our plants according to the elders. We then cross reference it with modern science and put it through medical testing and publish papers, thereby bridging the past to the future. In the garden the visitor will have the opportunity to see these plants, learn more about them and actually buy them.
Garden design is a form of art. What inspired your creativity in terms of its overall design?
Again it’s all about marrying our past heritage with our times. I firmly believe that my Muslim heritage has guided me in this. Islam states the we humans are the custodians of this earth and that we must contemplate creation. The design is based on the quadrivium (arithmetic [numbers], geometry, music and astronomy), under the overarching concept that there is “Unity in diversity”. This is communicated by demonstrating the different ratios, be it the golden ratio or the root 3, as manifested from the micro to the macro level. The visitors will experience these relationships as they walk through the garden, both on a conscious and unconscious level.
Please tell us more about sacred geometry with regard to the Botanic Garden design?
We have dedicated a couple of gardens to demonstrate the golden ratio and the root three. The Universe Garden exemplifies the golden ration on the macro level. The design is based on the orbital routes of Venus and the Earth around the sun, which in just over an eight year period, trace a five-fold symmetry if looked upon from a bird's eye view. The visitor will be able to follow this very route as they walk through the garden. Access to interactive information on various important discoveries made by Islamic scholars, will also be available along the path. The intention is to inspire the younger generations to follow in their ancestors' footsteps by seeking knowledge and innovation.
We will also have the Islamic Garden, which will demonstrate the four main Islamic garden traditions: Persian, Andalusian, Ottoman and Mughal. There will also be a dynamic Modern Islamic Garden. Each of these gardens will exhibit the arts and culture of their corresponding times and locations in the world. The design as a whole will be in accordance with an overarching Islamic geometric design.
What in your view is the most important aspect of this project?
As Jordan's focal point of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, the Royal Botanic Garden has the privilege to fulfill the role of Earth custodian, dictated to humans by God Almighty. We safeguard tradition, knowledge and natural plant resources for future generations by working with local communities and the scientific world.
The undertaking of this project was a tremendous feat on your behalf. What words of encouragement can you offer our readers who would love to bring their dreams to life?
First and foremost, one must have a clear intent as to what one wants to do and why. Does it benefit humanity? Never give up, especially when things get tough, because they will. Just focus on how to turn a negative situation to your advantage and everything will unfold as it should.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I would like to thank you Sara for giving me this opportunity and I welcome all to visit the Royal Botanic Garden once we open within 2 years God willing.
Find out more about the Royal Botanic Garden. Follow H.R.H. Princess Basma on Instagram.
Coming from a homeopathy background myself, I'm fascinated by how nature can help us realize our true potential by aligning us with our unique purpose in this world. Actually, it's thanks to this holistic modality that rekindled my dormant creativity.
The founder of homeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann himself encouraged art. Over 200 years ago he said, "The art of drawing from nature is also useful, as it sharpens and practices our eye, and thereby also our other senses, teaching us to form a true conception of objects, and to represent what we observe, truly and purely, without any addition from the fancy."
I've created a very special ONLINE COURSE to help you navigate your inner terrain through the healing lens of homeopathy and the world of colour, paint and mixed media art. We plant a tree for every purchase you make! Find out more HERE.
New Painting in Shop
Unveiling Truth- mixed media on panel
