I write this as rains pour from the sky blessing the parched soil of Heart Springs Sanctuary. My Heart overflows with gratitude and joy at the sight, the sound. My body relaxes, as I imagine the Plants delighting in the caress of Water.
I realize that I have been holding my breath and unconsciously stressing for the past six weeks as I have watched the soil drying out and the mown areas turning brown. It is quite unusual for us to have a drought at this time of year.
On top of this, last week our air quality was so bad due to the enormous forest fires in Canada that I didn’t garden for days and whenever I did go outside, I wore a mask. The apocalyptic pictures of New York City were quite jarring. The forest fires yanked me out of a fantasy of being safe in the Northeast.
The truth is that there is no escaping climate change. Some areas of the globe are feeling the effects more than others and are our frontline communities. However, we all live on this Planet, what affects one affects us all. We are much more connected and interdependent than we realize.
Today, I hold the grief of the drought and forest fires and I also stare in amazement at my overflowing gutters. The rain reminds me of a lesson that I’ve learned again and again from my more-than-human kin, change is inevitable. Often when we are in a difficult situation or even a joyous one, we think that this is how it will always be. Those challenging times can feel Soul crushing, we might not see a way out or a different possibility. Sometimes the challenges seem to last for eternity. But you all know the saying, “this too shall pass.”
Our more-than-human kin encourage us to be patient, have some fun (they say we take life too seriously), and remember that this is all temporary. Which also means that when we are experiencing those joyous moments, we need to drink in the bliss, storing it deeply in our cells, our bones for the inevitable dry times.
I was recently asked if I have hope for our future. I answered unequivocally “Yes!”
I can get caught up in fear, especially when I'm experiencing or witnessing great Earth changes. However, when I shift my perspective and look at what is right in front of me, I see other changes.
As you may know, we have been looking for another Sanctuary to steward. We greatly love Heart Springs Sanctuary. However, we need more facilities to accommodate our classes and other work. I have been frustrated at the seemingly slow process of finding another Home. Some days I have moments of despair wondering if we will ever find one. Fortunately, I remember feeling the same before I found this Home.
I still remember the day that I met Heart Springs Sanctuary. With the first step, I knew that this would be our Home. The Nature Spirits here captured my Heart even amidst a small snow storm.
Recently, my frustration has been replaced with moments of awe and gratitude. I have been living here for six years. During that time, I have engaged in co-creative partnership with our more-than-human kin. They have guided our projects, informed our planting, and taught me so much. The Nature Spirits told me that this is my University.
By staying here longer than we hoped to, we have been able to watch the Trees that we planted tower over our heads. It feels like they grew exponentially in the past year. More birds and new (to the Sanctuary) species of birds have joined us, like Hummingbird and Baltimore Oriole. I smile every time that I see one sit on a Bush or Tree that we planted. One of the sweetest blessings that we’ve received recently was a mother Deer left her baby fawn in the sanctuary of our woodland garden under the Sugar Maple. We’ve witnessed other animal species either come to the Sanctuary for the first time or get closer to the house. The diversity of Plants has also grown since we’ve been here and not just by our hands.
My Heart fills with joy at the sight of this broadening family. They are what give me hope. They teach me that when we work together, we can heal and recover faster than we think is possible and in more glorious ways. They show me that while Earth changes are inevitable, we can affect the types of change.
By engaging with our more-than-human kin, we can create a thriving future for all. I hope that wherever you are, you are able to spend some time with Nature (including yourself) and find your own hope and resiliency for navigating these changes.
If you would like to learn how to work with our more-than-human kin, we have two upcoming opportunities:
This workshop is geared more towards working with the Unseen world, though we will also engage with Plants to support each direction. Developing a deep, personal relationship with the Directions and Elements, helps us find our way through the World and is one of the fundamentals of Magical and Alchemical work.
During this weekend, we will experience several ways of connecting with our more-than-human kin, as well as the fundamentals for creating a Sanctuary of any size or place. This is hands-on and immersive. We will experience how to engage in co-creative partnership; how to assess the energy of a particular place and help to enhance, heal, or balance this; and how to work WITH the aspects of Nature that we feel as challenging (such as Mosquitos or “Invasive Plants”). These are the processes that I have used to co-create Heart Springs Sanctuary.
You, of course, can also learn how to engage with our more-than-human kin by following the exercises in my book Communicating with Plants: Heart-Based Practices for Connecting with Plant Spirits. This book is obviously focused on communicating with Plants; however, I find that once you understand how to do this, you can broaden your communication skills to work with any aspect of Nature.