Parthenogenesis
1992
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Take the fayer Roses, white and red
And joyne them well in won bed
So betwixt these Roses mylde
Thou shalt bring forth a Gloriuse Chylde.

So goes a verse of the fifteenth-century alchemical manuscript called the Ripley Scrowle, written by Sir George Ripley, of Bridlington, England. The manuscript describes, in arcane language, Ripley's method of bringing about a rebirth of the spirit by means of contemplation of a series of metaphors. Many people have studied Ripley's work, including Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell. There are parallel ideas between this flower and the proverbial lotus of Buddhism.

Parthenogenesis, usually understood in terms of botany, literally means "virgin birth". I am simply borrowing the word to describe an inner psychic process. I wanted to enlarge and enliven the image I borrowed from Sir George, because it meant so much to me in my own life.