Soil-less Garden Series, Part 5a
The SLG Starting Process
Day 1: Setting the first pieces in place.
It's time to connect to your project team and officially activate your soil-less garden! This is when stuff gets fun.
For the starting process, you are going to open that coning we explained here and "break ground" on your new venture. Said another way — you are going to call your first meeting to order and state your mission.
Including opening and closing the coning, there are 9 steps to the SLG Starting Process. Your first time, plan about 1-2 hours for reading and doing all of the steps. To keep this series in manageable, "bite-size" pieces, we are going to tell you how to split your first Starting Process over two days, in two separate posts.
You will just follow the steps as they're written. (Seriously, don't dink around with the steps!) Try not to overthink it and be forgiving of yourself while you learn this process. When you're ready, sit down at your desk or your kitchen table with your supplies:
• Perelandra Soil-less Garden Companion book or ebook
• Blank SLG Troubleshooting Chart, printed or a fill-in-able echart
• Notepad and pen/pencil, or computer/tablet for recording results
• ETS for Soil-less Gardens, ETS for Soil and ETS for Humans
• Perelandra Rose Essences and Rose Essences II Sets
• Three clean spoons and clean cloths (or a few paper towels)
• A watch or clock with a second hand
The SLG Starting Process Steps
Read Chapter 3, "Starting a Soil-less Garden Project," in your Soil-less Garden Companion (pp. 27-31).
Steps 1 and 2. You are ready to start! Truly, you are ready. There are 9 steps to the activation process, and you've already completed the first two steps. You decided on a project and wrote down the DDP.
Steps 3 and 4. You also recently learned about the team members that make up your SLG coning, so you're ready to call this first meeting to order and declare your intent for this project.
How to split your Starting Process over two days: After Step 4, tell your team you will be splitting the Starting Process over two days. On Day 1, you're going to do Steps 1 through 7, then skip Step 8 and do Step 9 (close the coning).
Steps 5 and 6. First, don't let the term "NS Application" trip you up. "NS Application" means "nature shift application." It describes when you put drops on a spoon and ask nature to transfer the pattern in those drops for a specific purpose. It may feel awkward to put drops in a spoon and hold them out in front of you, waiting 10 seconds for nature to complete the "shift." You will get the hang of it quickly.
If you're using the same spoon for the ETS and Essences Processes, you'll need to wash it with soap and water between each use. To avoid roundtrips from the desk to the sink, and ensure you're not mixing patterns, use a different spoon for each. Pick up a few special tablespoons just for your SLG work next time you're out. After you've washed and dried them well, use a permanent marker to write on the handle of each one. Then you can wipe the spoon off with a clean patch of cloth or paper towel after each use, and only wash them with soap and water before or after a session.
For those wondering, "Why ETS for Soil? I thought this was for gardens with no soil!"
Everything we're working with has soil supporting it in one way or another. When using ETS for Soil, the focus is the soil that supports and stabilizes the soil-less garden and its DDP. Often, it is not apparent just what area of soil is providing that support. The coning will "plug" into those aspects of the soil that provide the supporting foundation for your soil-less garden. When you set up for the tests as written, nature identifies those different soil elements for you.
Step 7. There's no need to understand the inner-workings of a Calibration to do it perfectly. Just follow the steps. Set an alarm, then sit quietly and remain comfortably focused on the purpose of the Calibration during the time allotted. It's not a guided meditation or religious experience. A thought or image may occur to you naturally. If so, make a mental note of it, stay in the moment, and write down your insights, pictures or feelings after you've completed the Calibration.
When splitting your Starting Process over two days: On Day 1, when you've completed Steps 1 through 7, skip Step 8 and do Step 9 (close the coning).
It's okay to take a short break, especially this first time. Do what you need to focus, relax and enjoy this. If you're feeling energetic and want to keep going, then by all means, keep going!
Step 8. Do a General Balancing.
You'll need a blank Perelandra SLG Troubleshooting Chart for this step.
Some folks look at that chart and think, "Oh, no. I'm going to have to do all of this. It's going to take forever!" Your faithful QL Duo are here to tell you that we have rarely tested to do more than 5 things on a single chart. The Starting Process troubleshooting is often quite simple, especially if you followed our instruction to begin with a simple, fun first soil-less garden! The strength and support you gain for your project by following all of the Starting Process steps and completing your SLG Troubleshooting Chart are invaluable.
To get familiar with the terms used and the processes that may come up on your chart, and more importantly to build up your confidence, we suggest you read Chapter 4 (pp. 33 to 69) of your SLG Companion one time all the way through, before you need to use the chart.
In the next installment of this series, Day 2: The SLG Troubleshooting Chart, we'll walk you through the Chart step-by-step, and give you plenty more helpful tips.
Step 9. Thank all of your teammates and close the coning. Take a dose of ETS for Humans (10-12 drops) before you get on with your day.
If you have no idea what this is about, but you're intrigued, start at the beginning of our Soil-less Garden Series here.
If you feel overwhelmed, get stuck or have questions about these instructions, call our Question Line. We enjoy helping you through blocks, and keeping the steps manageable and simple.
Question Hot Line
1-540-937-3679
Wednesdays, 10-8 ET
The Soil-less Garden Series