Lords and Ladies: Arum maculatum
Element: Earth and Fire
I have finally managed to get out and do the first recordings of 2026. I had been watching the Lords and Ladies emerging under the hedges for the last few weeks, but hadn’t been able to slip away to sit with them.
It was an interesting experience with this plant – one that I have not had since I started.
The process of recording is dependent on the strength of the signal. When a signal is intermittent or weak, most of the instruments simply won’t work. When I resort to wind chimes, it is normally because this is the only instrument that will play for the plant.
But with Lords and Ladies, despite choosing the most challenging instruments for any plant and with a signal that oscillated wildly, the music kept coming.
Lords and Ladies has a multitude of folk names, the most common of which is probably Cuckoo Pint – a name I knew as a child but in my innocence did not know its true meaning. The etymology of pint in this context is the Old English word pintle which refers to a peg or a penis.
It is fair to say that the majority of common names are sexual in nature. It is no surprise that the symbolism of this plant is firmly rooted in fertility.
I choose instruments intuitively. It was only when researching the symbolism of the plant that I realised the significance of choosing two instruments for this track. The creation of a whole through duality is central to this plant’s structure and energy.
It is perhaps a symbol for our times when there is so much division all around. The plant is both beautiful and toxic. An invitation and a warning.
Yet it exists in harmony.
As I sat with the plant, the early spring sunshine warming head, heart and soil, I could not help but feel a deep sense of peace.
Lords and Ladies
Recorded March 2026