When my son Orion was growing in my womb, his spirit shared with me that one of the many blessings he brings is a “deepening of all I Love”. I have shared this before, and I see this truth, this blessing unfolding all the time. Many of you have known me for many years now. I’ve shared much about my passion and love for our beloved Earth and this love is again deepening even more as I am Mama to Orion.
Like many of you, I feel deep concern, distress, sadness and grief in the ecological turmoil and destruction happening in our local ecosystem and ecosystems across the planet. So many trees have died in just the past few years alone. The rising temperatures and extreme heat and now wildfires and smoke in the summers are a huge stress on all life, and I particularly am called to Trees. I see in the mountains, the older trees and forests that have each other are doing much better than the younger, more separated trees in cities, the countryside and valley lands. Older trees have more resilience and forests have each other to help one another navigate these changes.
What I find distressing is the continual cutting of forests when we so need these trees in the ground! How will new trees grow in this changing climate? We depend on the old and big trees and large mountains of forests to help life navigate a new way.
Listening and learning from the other than human life
In my ever-deepening love and growing concern, I feel a passionate yearning also building in my heart. I desire to learn as much as I can from all the other than human life.
As a human, I am here to Listen to the trees, the waters, the winds, to breathe the mountain airs, to feel the presence of bear, wolf, raven, to feel the coming of the salmon, to know when the rains are returning, to welcome the winter migration of the swans and the return of our resident eagles. I am here to hear the great horned owl at night and to be present when a visiting barred owl practically flies into my face looking into my soul with its midnight black mystery eyes. I am to stop and be still with the Great Blue Heron who flies into the Douglas fir tree right above me while practicing qigong, or sits just below my sit spot at the river silently waiting as I look into it’s golden ringed eyes in awe. I yearn to know our stars and Moon deeper and closer than ever before – to feel their twinkling tales as they shine upon the land and to receive the gifts of the billowing luminous white clouds drifting and opening to the brilliance of the full moon….as a magical “moonbow” rainbow slowly grows to encircle the whole moon! Being human is to truly be present with and listen to and learn from all life.
These are experiences I’ve been gifted lately, and I thirst for more. Our human world holds much beauty and has also gotten us into much trouble. I desire to listen to, learn from our other than human life as a way to be of service to all life. This is a yearning both my husband Nate and I are feeling.
As I do my daily outdoor qigong, my nature wonder wanders, my earthgym and animal forms in the forest and sit spot by the river, I’m listening and also asking for our solutions and vision for a new way going forward on our planet. On a recent wonder wander through the forest and by the river, I asked and received four pillars of guidance that I share below. I would also love to hear from you what you’re learning from the Earth and steps you’re taking for a new direction for humanity, for the health and wellness of our planet.
Four Pillars in moving forward…
- Simplify. I am passionate about simplifying my life to what is most important. I’m finding this brings fulfillment of purpose, clarity, nourishment and love and harmony. This fall I participated in an online course called Uncluttered. It was awesome!!! While I have just scratched the surface in my uncluttering at home, I have found that not only does clearing things bring harmony and ease into our living spaces at home, it also frees up internal space for new creativity, clarity, insight and inspiration into my life! Yay!! As a past participant, I can offer my friends and family a 25% discount on the next course in January 2019. Here’s the discount code…(coming soon :)).
- Get outside and be outdoors as much as possible. Life and the living pulse of our Earth and all her creatures are outside. As our Earth is changing rapidly, for me to listen and learn as much as possible from Her, and to be a vessel to give back, I must be outside and in nature as much as possible.
I recently listened to a great podcast by David Abram, Magic and the Machine on Emergence Magazine podcast (thanks to my Mom for forwarding it to me! :)). In the podcast, he reflects on our undying urge to recreate a primal experience of intimacy with the surrounding world, offering notes on technology and animism in an age of ecological wipeout.
- Write often. Share what you’re learning. I’m committed to writing – as it’s a way I learn and I feel we all learn from each other’s stories. As Plato said, “Those who share their stories shape society.” 🙂 And, I’d love to hear from you what you’re learning!! 🙂 I will be posting new musings and learnings on my blog at least monthly.
- Love. Love your son and family well. Love is the strongest force in the Universe and marks my way forward, and I believe our collective way forward.
