For the Late Bloomers: Earth Blooms with Us

Chrysanthemums of an antique variety in Hillside Sheffield Pink, Arlington, MA.

I passed by some apricot-pink chrysanthemums with golden-yellow centers in full bloom recently on a walk around my neighborhood. Yes, these beauties are still blooming this late in the fall in Massachusetts! They remind me of a SoundsTrue audio recording entitled Late Bloomers: Myths and Stories of the Wise Woman Archetype by Dr Clarissa Pinkola Etses, esteemed Mythologist & Jungian Analyst, who discusses the gift of the Late Bloomer.

She says Late Bloomers are not “late”, rather, nature gifts us with gestation and incubation periods that vary from being to being for an important reason, and isn’t it so reassuring and comforting for those of us who are late bloomers to know the earth blooms with late flowers too. The landscape reminds us, year after year, we are meant to be flowering right when we do.

I have since realized the Late Bloomer comes in many guises, and appears again and again in folktales all over the world. More often than not a Late Bloomer emerges after a challenge or difficult experience has been overcome, and Dr. Etses says sometimes it is precisely that hurdle or ordeal that serves as a rite of passage, that fertilizes the blooming. The way asphalt can keep a tiny seed from sprouting, yet you can still find flowers growing, blooming, between the cracks of the sidewalk . . .and how miraculous it is to witness a blooming of this sort.

Here are two folktales that celebrate and honor the Late Bloomer:

Details of the carved linoleum before printing Baba Yaga and the Falcon.

Baba Yaga, the renowned Slavic wilderness creatrix and witch, is a late bloomer (can you imagine Baba Yaga as a young woman?!). She comes into her power as an elder, and she shows us it is from experience that we offer our greatest gifts. In the folktale “Katrina and the Bright Falcon” (aka “Baba Yaga and the Falcon”), we learn the main character Katrina is in pursuit of a Falcon which could be a symbol of her true authentic self. It is through Katrina’s encounter with the Baba Yaga that she gains skills and is gifted three things, all of which allow her to overcome the hurdles that stand in the way of her finding her Falcon. This story shows that it is not only the encounter with the Baba Yaga that is the turning point where Katrina transforms from victim to agent in changing the course of her own life, but the time it takes for Katrina to overcome the challenges with these new skills and gifts shows that she, too, is a late bloomer. This folktale reveals how it is not just the early bird who gets the worm, but something truly precious is also in store for those who bloom late. I love how this shows this world has enough for everyone, no matter their pace, we are all truly loved.

Selkie, the shapeshifting seal woman from Irish, Scottish and Icelandic folklore, is also a late bloomer. She was manipulated into marriage and had a child with a human before she finally found her skin and returned to her home in the sea where she could be her True Self. Some might say it took the heartbreaking experience of having her skin stolen from her, of living disconnected from her real home, to fully realize its real worth and value. As Dr Estes reminds us, the late bloomer germinates under a different set of conditions than the early bloomer, but just like the asphalt or trauma that inhibits her growth at first, the blooming still takes place, and she blooms inspite of it, and for this bittersweet reason, it is so touching to witness the blooming of this kind.

Selkie, a handcrafted linocut in blue-gray.

Folktales of late bloomers have endured over time perhaps because they are so relatable. They serve as a poignant reminder that even in the midst of life's challenges, there is always the capacity for growth, transformation, and the emergence of something truly extraordinary. With their demonstrated tenacity and quiet determination, late bloomers adapt, grow, and bloom in the most unlikely places, and survive and flourish against all odds. They draw strength from their difficult experiences, transform adversity into richness, hardship into beauty. They teach us that life's timeline is not fixed, and that there is still a precious gift in taking time to allow one’s petals to unfurl.

Chrysanthemums are native to East Asia and these gorgeous late blooming flowers have been used in Chinese medicine and magic since ancient times. They adorn artworks and appear in poems and literature, they are the focus of festivals and have an enduring association with the autumn. In Chinese folklore, the chrysanthemum is a potent symbol of vitality, resilience and endurance (as well as longevity) and these themes and qualities weave themselves throughout these two particular folktales that are centered around late bloomers. In a world that often glorifies early achievements and rapid success, these two ancient folktales of late bloomers are still remarkably relevant and timeless in their wisdom. They ask us why we struggle and sometimes sacrifice too much too quickly reach the finish line, when there is always time and possibility for blooming at the end.

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