Gathering Together: The Art of Shared Abundance
June 8, 2025: Gate 45 – Gathering Together
I've been wandering through my Asian pear orchard these June mornings, thinning out tiny fruits. It’s funny how my mind easily skips ahead to late summer farmer's markets as I look forward to the bustle of people gathering, sharing recipes, trying samples, and asking about pruning tips. Right now though, it's just me and these trees, co-creating abundance for my community.
As the sun moves into Gate 45, Gathering Together, I'm inspired to consider how an orchard really is the perfect teacher for this theme. You can't rush an Asian pear tree. Each one took years before offering its first fruit, and honestly, some of my early attempts at pruning weren't exactly textbook perfect. But here's what's amazing - these trees are forgiving. They keep teaching me, and not just about fruit.
The longer I work with these trees, the more I realize that bringing people together happens a lot like growing fruit. You can't force it. You just create the conditions, tend what needs tending, and trust that when the time is right, people will naturally gather around something real and nourishing.
It starts with the bees in spring, drawn to the blossoms. Then come the birds nesting in branches, the neighbors stopping by to check on the fruit's progress, and finally the market customers who return week after week, bringing friends to share in the harvest. Each brings something valuable to this small ecosystem - pollination, pest control, knowledge shared, relationships formed.
When have you noticed this kind of natural gathering in your own life? Maybe it's around something you create, or knowledge you share, or simply a space you hold. What draws people to gather around what you offer?
The orchard has taught me that resources flow in cycles. The trees gather sunlight, water, and nutrients, transforming them into fruit that feeds many. But they also need seasons of rest, of drawing energy inward. The same is true for us. There are times to gather and share, and times to replenish.
Questions for Reflection:
What resources or gifts naturally gather around you?
Where in your life do you see abundance multiplying when shared?
What are you currently gathering or cultivating that could nourish others?
How do you balance sharing your resources with replenishing them?
Creative Exploration: Consider creating a visual map of your own "orchard" - the resources, knowledge, and connections that naturally gather around you:
Begin with the "soil" - what foundations support your ability to gather and share?
Add your "trees" - the various ways you create or collect resources
Include the "pollinators" - people and circumstances that help your abundance grow
Show the "fruit" - how your gathered resources benefit others
Don't forget the "seasons" - the natural cycles of gathering and sharing in your life
What emerges as you map this ecosystem of abundance you're part of?
Final Thoughts
The Gate of the Gatherer reminds us that true abundance isn't about accumulating for ourselves, but about creating conditions where resources can flow freely, nourishing the whole community. Like an orchard that becomes a gathering place, our gifts and resources naturally draw others when we share them generously but sustainably.
What might grow in your life if you thought of yourself not as an owner of resources, but as a gatherer and tender of abundance meant to be shared?
Our journey began on January 22, 2025, when the sun illuminated the first theme of the current year’s cycle of creation. As we move through each theme, we’re offered different lenses to view our creative lives. These themes build on each other naturally, creating opportunities to explore various aspects of human experience. If you want to know more about what we’re doing here, check out the introductory article here.
Website: www.sandyfreschi.com
Human Design Videos: https://www.youtube.com/@humandesignexperiment