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The World of Small

5/23/2021

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PEGI EYERS


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"Moth Wing Woman" © Dorrie Joy

Pandemic restrictions aside, I have grown weary of late with "wilderness adventure" and "nature experience" narratives that involve counting the miles, scaling the heights, penetrating the off-limits, traversing the most rugged terrain,  finding rare species after a day-long search, or  paddling like mad to reach that overnight camping destination. Nature excursions have been commodified for decades now - a mega-industry tiered to income - and today privileged folks spend lavish amounts of money to go "rock climbing," "mountaineering," "canyoneering," "whitewater rafting," "fly-fishing" or "wildlife viewing."  And for any "helicopter expedition, personalized tour, whale-watch or safari" there is always a luxury lodge waiting at the end of the day. 

And yet nature is not a "challenge," a set of hurdles to overcome, a place to "survive" or improve your personal score. These are all outdated concepts held over from the  Euro-Colonial era, that pit "man against nature" through high-powered conquest. Based on fear and loathing, there is no genuine respect or love for nature, in the worldview that western men carry in their colonial souls.

"How far and how fast can my ATV go? How can my pickup truck compete with this run-off, this muddy backroad?  Where is the most spectacular scenery for my rappelling, surfing, zipline, hang-gliding, bungee-jumping or sea-kayaking? How deep in the forest can I go, to reach that palatial, fully-stocked hunting camp?" Modernity has produced people so callous, and so focused on centering themselves in every location, that they have lost the actual ability to see, or feel that nature is alive and sacred.


These "extreme" activities are also deeply racist, classist, ableist and misogynist, by leaving out the wishes and desires of BIPOC,  low income, disabled folks, or women. Not everyone is physically, mentally or financially equipped, or even interested in, superficial encounters with the wild!

In counterpoint to the
über-man who takes up space with his "power over nature," I'm seeking narratives of nature connection that are scaled to the human body, to our wonder at the "small" and our most intimate expressions, and to seeing the tiniest organism with a soft touch and a gentle heart. This is the worldview of simplicity and immediacy, that favors the delights in our own orbit to the lofty heights of "eco-adventure."  Even in a few feet of water, sunshine, or soil there is so much going on!  I have a friend who takes the most astonishing pleasure in her tiny backyard garden.  In my own case, the story of my Cabbage Butterfly Friend is a great illustration of "embracing the small."

Cabbage Butterfly (Pieris Rapae)

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One afternoon in early March 2021, I noticed a Cabbage Butterfly with beautiful markings, lying sideways on the dining room floor. This was not surprising, as a cadre of eight had already emerged in January from the potted kale moved indoors last autumn.  Being hatched in the warmth of the house out-of-season, there was nothing in the immediate environment to sustain this wee being, and her chances of living past "day one" were slim. Nevertheless I lifted her frail body up with my “insect catcher” (small plastic sheet and glass lid). Placing her upright on the counter, I watched her struggle to regain her footing, and quickly set up a “feeding station” with the felt stamens, punctured container and sugar-water on hand from the last off-season emergence. She seemed content to stay on the stamens, so I left her without a cover or netting. 
 
So many “lucky incidents” followed to extend the life of this tiny being, that I feel compelled to bear witness and tell her story. The first challenge (aside from being prone on the floor) was that when I set up her sugar-water station, the stamens overflowed the saucer area. I checked on her 30 minutes later, and was dismayed to see that she had landed in a pool of nectar, and was immersed on her side struggling for life.  With a small wooden skewer under her footies, I lifted her up and placed her on a dry layer of paper towels. Hoping the sticky nectar wouldn’t permanently damage her wings, I spritzed her with water, and much to my relief she dried off and revived over the next couple of hours. 
 
Then it was on to some serious feeding.  What a delight to watch her delicate proboscis twirling in a spiral, finding a juicy patch and settling in. She soon became my special friend, who I nurtured and cared for, like any beloved pet. When the sugar-water got low or the stamens began to dry, I changed the feeding station, and redirected her to it if she flew off-course. After hours of feeding I would find her perched on other objects in the  kitchen – plastic cat food containers, a glass bottle, or other items.  But she never flew too far – until I began to find her perched upright on the kitchen floor.
 
There were exactly five incidents when I arrived home and clumped into the kitchen, only to miss stepping on her in my “assumption of human space.” Each time I lifted her with the flat plastic and returned her to her place on the saucer or the stamens, and each time she was safe. The next dangerous incident occurred one day when I lifted the cat food tupperware in a rush, filled the kitty bowls and clicked it back on the counter, only then looking for my little butterfly friend. I immediately realized I had seen her perched on that exact container only an hour before, but I had forgotten all about it. In a state of upset and fear I began to search the kitchen and dining area, thinking she was smashed to bits, crushed under my own foot, or thrust into some crevice, never to return.
 
Imagine my relief and surprise when I saw her perched upright, hidden by leaves under the plant stand on the kitchen island.  I gently lifted her up again with the plastic sheet, and she seemed to be in fine shape. What a resilient little being!  So the days passed, far beyond the 3-week life cycle of a Cabbage Butterfly. She was in a warm, sunlit space, next to the conversation and commotion in the kitchen, and didn’t seem to mind one bit. In the evening I turned on a small tube light to give her a few hours of extra light, and then she settled into the darkness like the rest of the household, to be greeted in the morning with activity and a warm breeze. In the middle of the day, or at other times, I would gently spray the top of the feeding station and the stamens with a mist of water, to keep her environment from drying out.


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On my birthday in March I returned home from a lovely celebration lunch, and a few hours later dipped into the take-out cake (of course), accidentally knocking the top of the container onto the feeding station. Oh my god!  I looked for my butterfly friend, and there she was, fastened to the styrofoam lid, none the worse for wear. I’m not sure how she jumped so nimbly onto the lid without getting hurt, but I was so glad and relieved.

As the days passed, I checked on her often, blowing on her wings to create a warm breeze and imitate the elements she might have encountered in the wild. I talked to her, put her back on the stamens if she wandered too far, and just generally studied this delicate and wondrous being. She started to turn her wee body to face me, with her little eyes looking up into my own. I felt in my bones a connection between us, and that she was telling me she was unhappy but grateful for this small chance at life, that she trusted me implicitly, and that she was fulfilling her own destiny as a member of Earth Community. 

I also communed with the Cabbage Butterfly Deva, or archetypal spirit, and with metapoetics and prayer, interacted with the sacred network and important niche of this species. I wondered about my butterfly friend’s impression of this strange environment, for like any other being, she held epigenetic memories of her normal passage through life.  It also crossed my mind that some aspect of the Cabbage Butterfly psyche may now hold a new adaptation in their memory from care in captivity, and how would that affect them?  Such things remain a mystery.
 
At one point I thought my friend was ailing as she sat still for so long, so I gently separated out her wings with the point of my wooden skewer as she let me caress her. Her wings were so much more sturdy than they appeared!.  As her wings separated they began to dry, and over the next couple of days she was energized and fluttering around the kitchen, again with my help returning to her station.  A few times I touched her wee antenna and she stepped up onto my finger, sitting there with an expression of contentment, basking in my admiration and love. She never seemed to lag, and at the end of the 4th week I began to call her my “Miracle Butterfly” after all the NDE's she had survived.  


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Toward the end of the 5th week I came home one day, and my Butterfly Friend was nowhere to be found. I searched the kitchen counter, front and back, the entire  area and the dining room for 30 minutes. It finally occurred to me to look under the layers of paper towel holding the sugar-water, and at that moment a giant Wolf Spider zipped out, and ran away.  As I lifted the paper towel higher, there she was, right where the spider had been sitting.  She was dead, killed by a mortal blow, captive to the Wolf Spider. In that moment of shock and sorrow, I continued to speak to her and honor her spirit, and  was sadly reminded of the predator-prey dynamic that rules our planet.  I placed her wee body in a sweet nest of cotton with her other kindred, and noticed that in death the Cabbage Butterfly loses absolutely none of its beauty, poise or vital earth essence. In the kitchen I went to where her feeding station used to be, felt her presence still, and thanked her for being my companion on the journey. 

A few weeks later on a cool spring day, a beautiful white Cabbage Butterfly flew toward me in a friendly  manner - right at my front door - and continued to soar around the yard in circles and swirls. I responded with the joy of connectivity, and with pure delight, to see a member of this species outdoors where they belonged!

Encounters with minute elements or beings in Earth Community - The World of Small - can open our hearts, bring gratitude and care, and create powerful bonds to place. These are the missing elements in our lives, since techno-capitalism has taught us we never have enough, we have to "keep moving," or what we really need, is always "over there." We do carry enormous hungers, and yet meaningful soul contracts can be found right next to us or underfoot, in loving relationship with the other-than-human world, in our indoor or outdoor gardens, and in our local green spaces.


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RESOURCES

Investigating Life with the Cabbage White Butterfly
and Brassicas    >PDF<



Tiny Hummingbird Stops Construction on the Trans-Mountain Pipeline for 4 Months


Is it Time to Stop Climbing Mountains? Obsession with Reaching Summits is a Modern Invention



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Pegi Eyers is the author of  "Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community," an award-winning book that explores strategies for intercultural competency, healing our relationships with Turtle Island First Nations, uncolonization, recovering an ecocentric worldview, rewilding, creating a sustainable future and reclaiming peaceful co-existence in Earth Community.
Available from Stone Circle Press or Amazon  


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Resilience, Renewal and Love

4/27/2021

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PEGI EYERS


The Legacy of the Ancestors

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"Ancestor" mixed-media © Pegi Eyers

“Are you, like me, feeling that the mythology of your life is now divided between the eras of pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19?” When I wrote those words at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, I was experiencing confusion and unease, in what felt like a menacing new reality.  Being part of a “lockdown” was totally surreal. Was this really happening? Did our public health authorities actually have the power to shut down our civic spaces and amenities, and restrict our movements?  Apparently they did.  For most of us, this was a totally new phenomena. And to top it off, how could a “state of emergency” be declared on my own birthday, and what was I doing enjoying a celebration in a restaurant that should have closed their doors? 

It’s now a full year later, my solar return has come and gone, and the entire world has been forced to reconcile with great disruptions, tragedies and impossible events. Like everyone else, I’ve been stripped down to the essentials of refuge, food, medicine and other basic needs, with the comfort of social life relegated to the sidelines. Even going for a walk is daunting, with the potential of a deadly virus waiting around the corner to contaminate our lives. And how dis-empowering, to think of the people, places, and objects of our desire as a hidden source of danger! 

New words are part of our vocabulary too – terms like  “self-isolation,”  “shelter in place,” “quarantine,” “essential workers,”  “community spread,” “flatten the curve,” “online reality,”  or  “covidiot” (covid denier). Instead of café culture, bookstore browsing, visiting art galleries and going to spiritual gatherings and conferences, we now spend our days in our homes - humble or palatial as they may be. Except for the super-rich, everyone is suffering an economic hit, and the ability to keep a roof over our heads is in jeopardy.  Knowing how capitalism is structured, without the daily intake of profits our beloved community restaurants and shops will never rise from the ashes.  And right now, it’s hard to imagine what the world will look like, in a post-COVID era.

Intellectually I understand that the virus will run its course – some will catch it, others never will; some will die and others recover.  These are plain truths I can deal with, with a grudging acceptance and communal grieving.  But still, there is stress in the disruption of my routine, plus the ongoing worry of falling ill. COVID-19 has changed our world on a scale never seen before, and yet we had so much to begin with!  Until 2020 I was feeling the irony of living in an era of hope and cultural renaissance, at the same time that western civilization seemed to be collapsing under its own weight.  For many years I watched for omens of the apocalypse, and as a society, we’ve been comfortable with “the sky falling” for decades now.  Warnings of monumental change and the breakdown of ecosystems have been part of the public discourse for my entire adult life.  A civilization that destroys the natural world to live, will destroy itself.  It’s a given. And altering the balance of nature by massive deforestation and the annihilation of natural habitat, can unleash viruses like COVID-19 on the world.  

During the summer of 2020 as the pandemic set in, and after a proper time of adjustment and bemoaning, I finally went, “wait a minute!”  As a Celtic Animist with a focus on Matriarchal Studies, I had an epiphany that the clanswomen in my motherline would also have endured times of dire deprivation, as no era is exempt from the cyclical forces of birth, life, death and rebirth. They would have found their ingenuity and strength when the rains did not come, when the ground was barren, when the forest was on fire, when the storm lashed the valley, when the river flooded the land in the middle of the night, when disease gripped the babies and the Elders, when a horde of marauding horsemen threatened their borders, and when the cold and ice was so unrelenting they thought it would never end. And to withstand all this, and more, without electricity, hot baths, craft rooms, Netflix or gourmet food delivery! 

Our Ancient Mothers love us so much, they are always there to support us, and patiently guide us. Working from an eternal place of continuity and care, our motherlines have prepared us for a “time of awakening,” when the power of the Eternal Feminine is rising once again. The gifts of the Ancestral Mothers are manifesting in every sphere – in the urgency of women’s leadership, the revival of the gift economy and egalitarian social organizations, the emphasis on the “we” instead of the “me,” the double roles of the birth and death doula, the need for wise elders, the supremacy of unconditional love, and the passion for venerating our Beloved Ancestors in the here and now.  As in ancient times, on the rise today are the green seers, mystics and spirit-walkers, those skilled with oracles, dream and vision interpretation, storytellers, gardeners, artisans, warriors and guardians. We have re-discovered our skill with animist lifeways, interspecies communication, plant-spirit medicine, important rites of passage, magical intuitive “knowing,”  honoring the sacred, reciprocity with Earth Community – and finally, making decisions that honor the Seven Generations yet to come.     

Drought, fire, flood, hurricane, war, famine, disease – all these and more we have endured and will endure again.  Keeping the era in perspective, there is also a “destroyer” aspect to feminine deity, and goddesses like Kali and Coatlique bequeath the land and all beings with cataclysmic events in the “great re-balancing” – cycle upon cycle through the great wheel of time.


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Fortified with a new-found faith in the resilience of my ancient Clanmothers, I was able to cope, unlock my capacity for grief and compassion, find patience and perseverance, and understand that all things have a beginning, a middle and an end.  To embrace the “silver lining” of pandemic times means reconnecting with what is most important, and to adapt and thrive.  Isolation offers us the gift of time, and the space to retreat from the world.  We can make the most of the opportunity by reviving our ancestral wisdom, honing our craft, singing, dancing, laughing, crying and telling the stories of our lives.  The darkness in hard times can also feed us, nourish us, wake us, and ground us.

So what is the best way forward? The stress and grief we are facing is real. And yet, we need to keep our spirits up and stay positive!  To trust that the Primordial Mothers - the weavers embedded in the land - are summoning us back to our most ancient selves, to the Ancestors and wild nature. For the first time in many years, Mother Earth is flourishing from reduced pollution, and the portal is open wide to animist connections and nature bonding. The natural world remains the foundation of all life, and the sacred wisdom of re-connection has not wavered.  Even in the modern era we are still “People of the Earth” and our true power is found in our ancient communal past, when we remember the sacred essence our bodies evolved from, so many aeons ago. 

As we connect to the land, the Ancestral Mothers witness us from the thin place between the worlds, know our hearts and souls, and help us to heal from trauma. They send us the message that we will recover from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger, smarter and more compassionate, and new initiatives will manifest as we rise to the challenge.  And at some point in the not-too-distant future, the impulse to find our kindred spirits will bring us back to each other again.  As we gradually emerge from this traumatic time over the summer of 2021, I intend to find a Grandmother Tree, curl up in her roots and pray - pray for the revival of our beloved Earth Community. 



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Read more on social justice, ethnocultural recovery, re-landing, rewilding, ancestral connection, sacred land and animism in "Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community" by Pegi Eyers.
Available from Stone Circle Press or Amazon


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European Roots ~ A Call for Leadership

4/17/2021

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PEGI EYERS


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Celebrating the European Old Ways and building a movement to reconnect with earth-emergent wisdom means reaching out to other spiritually-bereft diasporans, who are also seeking alternatives to Empire.  Brilliant leaders, authors, ceremonialists and seers in Celtic Reconstruction,  Ásatrú, Norse Heathenry, Sinnsreachd, Faery Faith, Druidry, and others who have been on the path for decades, are perfectly positioned to mentor and promote European Ancestral Knowledge to the culturally-deprived, as we participate in our collective journey to authenticity.  

With the beautiful renaissance of ancestral connection happening today, we need to “go wide” with our learning and sharing, and reach out in our community-building. There is a model from ancient times to follow, whereby religious and community leaders would offer up their powerful talents, knowledge, guidance and mysticism for the greater good, and this dynamic needs to be stepped-up in today’s world.

Going beyond the Christian notion of proselytizing, becoming proactive in informing those with shared heritage that a thriving movement of cultural reclamation is possible, is exciting and fulfilling work. Paradoxically, it is our privileges that have given us the leisure to recover our European Ancestral Wisdom in the first place, and these same entitlements may induce us to cling to the knowledge we have so painstakingly collected.  Yet if we can bypass our internalized conditioning in regard to cultural insularism, intellectual detachment or spiritual materialism, we can naturally and organically help to build, and restore, ancestral-sourced community.


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People are starved for European Indigenous Knowledge (EIK), and letting go of the tendency to over-protect means learning from one another, sharing our gifts, and connecting with kindred spirits as we return to our Sacred Ways. Reconstructionists and Traditionalists who are adept with EIK after years of immersion have the unique opportunity right now to assume major leadership roles, and by declaring themselves fully representative of their pre-colonial ancestral culture, speak for those of European identity at conferences, symposia, and even gatherings of Indigenous peoples.

As those of European  descent become more  adept at declaring ourselves to be part of the worldwide circle of diversity, our appearance at tribal gatherings will not be as host, or financier, or apologizer, or journalist, or scholar, or anthropologist, or collaborator, or spectator, or as a wannabee aligned with the lifeways of a tradition not our own, but as an equal and full participant, secure in our own ancestral knowledge.

If those of European heritage have also done their uncolonizing work by rejecting the memes of Euro-domination, and are clear about holding a position in solidarity with all those decimated and oppressed by Empire, this will naturally form the circle Mother Earth in Her infinite wisdom has been waiting for, as we express our mutual love in Earth Community.    


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“Attuning ourselves to the long-forgotten tides of moon and season, sun and sea, of land and circling stars - our connections with the cog wheels of
creation have deep roots in antiquity and are our oldest inheritance
.” 
Marian Green, The Elements of Natural Magic


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Read more on social justice, ethnocultural recovery, re-landing, rewilding, ancestral connection, sacred land and animism in "Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community" by Pegi Eyers.    Available from Stone Circle Press or Amazon


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Settler Re-landing: Reclaiming Patterns of Connection

2/9/2021

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PEGI EYERS


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image © Debbie Arnold

As societal problems worsen and environmental degradation intensifies, re-landing ourselves in place is rapidly becoming an essential component of a post-colonial future.  In fact, the revival of bioregionalism, our collective eco-awareness and other revolutionary acts, will defy the nationalism, capitalism and materialism of hegemonic Empire. At the intersection of our bonds to place, contradictions arise in our relationship to the original First Nations, our status on the land, and locating earth-rooted culture.  How do Settlers reconnect to earth-emergent patterns here on Turtle Island?  

Engaging successfully with the uncolonizing process both in ourselves and others will naturally lead to a reciprocity with Earth Community, and a myriad of resources are available for these “future primitive” forms of self-identity. We can follow paths such as animism or ecopsychology, or narrow our focus along ethnocultural lines. Yet for those of us of European descent, it may not be clear where our own ancestral knowledge is located.  Empire is the great leveler of all cultural diversity, and as the multi-generational members of the Canadian or American nation-state and beneficiaries of white privilege, is it even plausible to imagine ourselves as i.e. Celtic, Baltic or Nordic peoples once again?  Instead of homogeneity and the default of whiteness, can we embrace our own heritage and the ancestral arts as acts of interruption and resistance?
 
As the paradigm continues to shift, many Turtle Island First Nation visionaries, academics and activists are inviting Settlers to “reindigenize” ourselves to our local bioregions.  This mandate suggests a review of the Settler use of the term “indigenous” as a marker of self-identity, and highlights the need for a strong moral code and a solid understanding of social justice. How do we embrace time-tested First Nations values and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) while respecting boundaries?  What is the difference between cultural exchange and cultural appropriation? As Settlers, our uncolonization must go hand-in-hand with taking responsibility to undo the damage leveled against people of colour in the Americas by white supremacy, genocide, slavery, eco-fascism, oppression and assimilation.

Organizing against Settler-Colonialism in our time, we can work to establish the equity that will lead to equality, as well as creating opportunities for reconciliation, restitution and emergent solidarities.  Understanding how we have all inherited trauma from colonization, and stopping the "cycles of harm"  will lead to healing and collective liberation. Working toward mutual anti-colonial futures and resilience in times of massive change, we must also consider the possibilities of the commons, peaceful co-existence on the land, a diversity of ancestral wisdom(s), and earth remediation. 

 



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Read more on social justice, ethnocultural recovery, Settler re-landing, rewilding, ancestral connection, sacred land and animism in "Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community" by Pegi Eyers.    
Available from Stone Circle Press or Amazon

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Waeccan Means to "Wake Up"

8/10/2020

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PEGI EYERS ~ Author of Ancient Spirit Rising


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What inner promptings or outer circumstances guide us along the path of ancestral connection?  In my own case as a life-long animist, at times I had felt drawn to a few practices in the New Age world, due to the plethora of books and products in metaphysical bookstores and fairs, and also for the social life and connection offered by local community.  For many years I was non-judgmental on the more bizarre manifestations in New Age going on around me, such as cult-like hierarchies, the guru complex, "ascension," fake shamans and healing circles led by abusive and harmful people. But eventually it dawned on me that the New Age practice of constantly picking up new books and modalities was not sustainable, and was deeply hypocritical by being connected to capitalism, consumerism and the addiction to shopping.

When the absurdities, contradictions and outright lies in my local New Age community finally became clear to me, I disconnected myself from those people and activities. And at the exact same moment in time, the beauty and wonder of my own roots, and the hard work of the Celtic Reconstructionists that came before, quickly came into view. Why hadn't I seen it before? Beguiled by the "next shiny thing" and the aggressive marketing of New Age, finding my own heritage as a "soft landing place" and the source of connection I was seeking, was deeply and truly empowering. Here is a poem that I wrote from that time.

“I leave behind the person I once was, who cared so deeply for so many
wonderful people, places and things, finding it was all dust.
 
Then, moving down the trail I am met by everyday magic,
as I stir my solitary dust into the sacred cauldron we call life.
Newly awakened, or waeccan, to my Celtic roots,
kissed by the sun and blessed by the moon,
I am infused with an inexplicable desire to SPEAK OUT
 ~ on behalf of our Mother the Earth,
and all those who would live in harmony with Her.”
 

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A deep love for our Sacred Earth is contiguous with Druidry and Celtic Spirituality - no wonder that connecting to one's heritage brings such joy!  What have been your own experiences of disillusionment with the world of New Age Spirituality?  And what has prompted your own return to your Ancestors?  I  would love to hear your stories!

                                                  BACKSTORY
My own spiritual journey was deeply informed by Indigenous Knowledge, and this process is described in Chapter 2 "I Am Interloper" in Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community.


                                                   WAECCAN
“Waeccan” or “to be awake” in Old English simply means to be in tune with the presence of the mystery in nature, and I use it to align with my earth-wise Ancestors. When we are waeccan, our heart, mind and soul are open to the beauty in ourselves and all of creation.   The term “waeccan” may be the root for “wicca” or “witch,” but  I do  not  practice  wicca  or  witchcraft.   Drifting  far  from  respectable  roots  in  Old  English  and Germanic paganism, the etymology of “wicca,” “wiccan” and “witch” became progressively dire as a result of Christian oppression. Today, the brave tradition established by feminist foremothers Starhawk, Z Budapest and others to reclaim and embody the term “witch” as a valid, empowering and positive contemporary identity is admirable, and many have been able to disconnect the identity markers “wicca,” “wiccan” and “witch” from their negative associations.

                                FEMINIST GODDESS SPIRITUALITY
Many aspects of Feminist Goddess Spirituality have been entwined with New Age, but I continue to embrace Matriarchal Studies as an honorable direction for cultural transformation.

                                                  RESOURCES
A curated collection of resources for those awakening to their Celtic Roots can be found here: www.stonecirclepress.com/celtic-reconstruction.html
                           

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Pegi Eyers is the author of  Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, an award-winning book that explores strategies for intercultural competency, healing our relationships with Turtle Island First Nations, uncolonization, recovering an ecocentric worldview, rewilding, creating a sustainable future and reclaiming peaceful co-existence in Earth Community.
Available from Stone Circle Press or Amazon.


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Initiation Now: Rethinking the World as Alive

7/6/2020

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PEGI EYERS


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"Piel de la Tierra" © Gabriela Campos

For every age and demographic today, our lives are keeping pace with climate disaster events, in an unprecedented era of massive change.  Culminating in a perfect storm of toxic technologies and tropes such as the endless growth paradigm, ecosystems and human structures worldwide are beginning to crumble. Warming temperatures are unleashing fires, floods, hurricanes and rising oceans as never before, and late-stage capitalism is also a time of eroding (if not disappearing) social programs that used to serve the common good. But we are not going silent into that dark night. Resistance to Empire has been mounting for decades, and new initiatives today hold hope, largely due to the protests of young people as led by Greta Thunberg, Autumn Peltier, Isra Hirsi, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez and many others, and “on-point” movements such as Extinction Rebellion.  As Greta Thunberg is telling us, “This is a crisis. We have to act like our house is on fire, because it is.”  Young people from Standing Rock, Houston, Flint, Mauna Kea and countless other places are declaring an urgent, major crisis, and they are right.  Following their lead, and in collective response to the emergency, radically different modes of engagement are needed to contend with the existential, spiritual, political and civilizational crises of our time. 

Understanding root causes, or the “cause and effect” for any scenario is always a good idea. Today’s crisis is the result of the rise of capitalism and imperialism, the hegemony of land ownership, and a long-held worldview that separates us from nature. And yet, Euro-colonization is NOT inevitable, or part of human nature – it’s a set of very specific decisions that led to the way technologies and worldviews were forced on lands and peoples.  Knowing the full backstory may empower our perception to shift from fear and uncertainly (although that is certainly present) to wonder and awe, as we ask ourselves why we were born to "be witness to" such a momentous era. Times of collapse and extinction are impossible for anyone to comprehend, and yet facing reality is our best response.  The youth of today are not turning away, but are creating their own “rites of passage” though rigorous activism in anti-gun legislation, climate change action, lawsuits filed against governments and corporations, and other creative forms of resistance.  Momentum is building, and young people are fully prepared to achieve their goals, such as winning lawsuits that require an immediate shift to the divestment from fossil fuels.


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© Morgan Wade Photography

In dire times of shifting foundations, asking “what are we initiating into?” is a valid question to be sure.  As guardians, teachers and mentors, we need to seek new possibilities, instead of replicating colonial (or western) thinking. Solutions and actions can be sourced from praxis as old as time, such as forming healthy group culture modeled after ancestral wisdom and Indigenous Knowledge (IK).  Under the layers of modernity, our Earth is still a primal planet, every natural process is still part of an ancient tradition, and we can still live for the wild, revere the land, and discover that the other-than-human is not quite as “other” as we had once believed.  "Rethinking the world as alive" is the fierce promise we make when we spend more time in nature, bond with the earth, discover what our local bioregion has to offer, and find new skills and community supports in the process.  For initiation ceremonies and rites of passage we offer or participate in, we are all on a journey to decolonize ourselves, as we partner with the other-than-human, re-frame our identities, and re-imagine our place in the world.

For a powerful example of a living worldview embedded in the land we can look to the great Okanagan storyteller and orator Harry Robinson, who was wholly immersed in the natural world in every waking moment. During the transcribing of his priceless story-cycles, scholar Wendy Wickwire tells us that “Harry traveled to Vancouver to undergo medical treatment under the care of an elderly Chinese herbalist. Only then did the depth of Harry’s mythological world become truly apparent. As we passed through downtown Vancouver on his visits to the doctor, I realized that all the traffic lights and cars meant nothing to Harry.  They were almost an abstraction, an interesting but fleeting diversion from the timeless real world of Coyote, Fox and Owl.”[1]   In our own work to reject the failed experiment of industrial civilization and connect deeply with the land, can we also have no doubt that entering urban space is an illusion and an aberration, an insult to ourselves and Earth Community? Can we too walk among the ruins of Empire and see it as an abstraction, a fleeting diversion that for a long and merciless time tried to demonize Gaia and separate us from our one true home?



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"Soul Encounter" © Doug Van Houten

The land is both archive and ally, and the source for both our resiliency and our roots. It’s time to turn to the Ancestors, dust off the old texts, find the enchantment that lives in the dark, and “go underground” again to feel the messages of the land. What are the trees asking of us?  What does the salmon and cougar want us to do?  What are the lessons we are learning from our ancient elder the snapping turtle? Remembering our interdependence and recovering deep listening skills, enhances our adaptability and resilience, and revives our love for self, others and the land.  Having somatic body experiences in the wild, and creative expressions such as singing, dancing, drumming, painting, storytelling and ceremonial art, allows us to work through our fear, anger, grief, yearning, guilt and tenderness, in response to massive change and climate disaster.  And to arrive full circle, embodying our eco-self and holding the land in our bones, leads us to participate on the front lines, and ongoing activism on behalf of Earth Community. 

The ability to listen to nature’s promptings cannot be overstated. Many are already suffering from the catastrophic effects of climate change such as fires, hurricanes and floods, and are experiencing displacement and/or the loss of hearth and home, and having to start again.  Perhaps the lesson is to live minimally with few possessions, as many of today’s youth are already doing. Rejecting the values of the dominant society, “going feral” and shifting to holistic solutions is the best way forward in times of massive change and climate disaster.  Extreme social dysfunction, mental suffering and a sense of powerlessness have been generated by Empire, but we can temper these dire realities by acknowledging that human beings are not in charge. Mother Earth holds us all in her embrace, and as we  trust in Her antediluvian forces we give way to the wisdom of the land. Going forth into an uncertain future, we already have everything we need in the regeneration of our hope and  resilience. The eternal power of the "green fuse" continues to spark the growth of new life, and the love at the heart of the interconnected web empowers us. Be ready, be flexible, guide each other, and prepare each generation to live sustainably on our beautiful planet!



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© Sacred Feminine Art


NOTES
[1] Harry Robinson and Wendy Wickwire (editor), Write it on Your Heart: The Epic World of an Okanagan Storyteller, Talonbooks, 1989.  From the first of three volumes, the stories of Harry Robinson (Interior Salish, Lower Similkameen/Smelqmix, B.C.) as collected by Wendy Wickwire.

RESOURCES
Pegi Eyers, Chapter 6 “We All Have IK,” Chapter 27 “Entwining Heart and Mind,” Chapter 28 “Ancient Spirit, Modern Voice,” Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots and Restoring Earth Community, Stone Circle Press



"Initiation Now: Rethinking the World as Alive" was written for the Youth Passageways project LAND {CULTURE} CLIMATE in 2019.


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Pegi Eyers is the author of  "Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community," an award-winning book that explores strategies for intercultural competency, healing our relationships with Turtle Island First Nations, uncolonization, recovering an ecocentric worldview, rewilding, creating a sustainable future and reclaiming peaceful co-existence in Earth Community.
Available from Stone Circle Press or Amazon 

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Dangerous Women

6/23/2020

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Author Spotlight ~ Pegi Eyers

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Interview by Abrisham Ahmadzadeh
Re-Print from Unbound ~ October 11, 2019

This week, we chatted with Pegi Eyers, a Dangerous Women author who is a devotee of nature-based culture and all that is sacred to the Earth.  She lives in the countryside near Nogojiwanong in
Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg territory (Peterborough, Ontario, Canada) on a hilltop with views reaching for miles in all directions. Her piece targets the passive white woman in the struggle for intersectional feminism. I’ve asked Pegi three questions, in an attempt to see the book through her perspective.

Abrisham >> What is your writing process/routine?

Pegi >> Whether I am writing a book, paper, article or blog, I’ve become accustomed to the discipline of spending at least 5-6 hours a day developing research and capturing different themes in new stories and non-fiction.  I love both the writing and editing process, so that makes my daily process a joy instead of a duty or a task! That’s not to say I don’t have uninspired days, but there is always so much to do in terms of responding to correspondence, planning for conferences, general promotion or graphic design my schedule never gets boring.  Some of my best ideas arrive full-fledged in the liminal time between sleep and waking, so it’s imperative to have writing materials at hand.


Abrisham >> What did the Dangerous Women Project mean to you?

Pegi >> The Dangerous Women Project has been an integral force in furthering women’s voices and perspectives into all sectors of society.  Leading the way in supporting the freedom of expression that is due all women, the DWP has provided an amazing platform for our objections as we continue to rage against the injustices of a male-dominated world.   Let us hope that as our collective defiance gives rise to a new era of empowerment for ourselves, our communities and the wider world, we stay focused on positive social, economic and political change for the greater good of all.  Such is our power!


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Image © Leah Tinari
Who is your favourite woman from history and why?

Pegi >> My favourite woman from history is Lozen, a Chihenne Chiricahua Apache oracle, healer, warrior and resistance strategist who lived during the 19th century. Beyond what the western lens considers suitable gender roles for women, Lozen was highly skilled in skirmish and evasion tactics in response to the European takeover of the Americas.  Born during the 1840s on the borderlands of what is now New Mexico and Arizona, her leadership was considered equal to other freedom fighters like Geronimo, and her brother, the famous Apache chief Victorio. 

Focused on the protection and well-being of every member of her matrilineal tribe, she inspired, encouraged and guided her people through the most dangerous situations imaginable.   In addition to skills with battle strategy and weapons, Lozen was a fierce and unrelenting warrior on horseback, and also possessed remarkable spiritual powers in service to the struggle.  Through chant, prayer, visions, remote viewing and prophecies, she provided direction by consistently identifying the location of the enemy (the American military) over great distances and diverse terrain.  According to Alexander B. Adams in his book Geronimo, "she would stand with her arms outstretched, chant a prayer to Ussen the Creator, or Giver of Life, and slowly turn around."  Lozen's prayer (below) is translated in Eve Ball's book In the Days of Victorio.


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Image ©Rori Comics



Upon this earth
On which we live
Ussen has Power
This Power is mine
For locating the enemy.
I search for that Enemy
Which only Ussen the Great
Can show to me.


As the unrelenting juggernaut of Settler-Colonialism advanced over the homelands of the Apache, Lozen never capitulated to oppressive forces, but maintained her integrity and honor to the very end.  Without romanticizing, whitewashing, or performing a "Settler Sidestep", I continue to be forever haunted and heartbroken by the multiple layers of meaning in Lozen’s story, and at the deepest level, the full implications of the genocide that occurred in the Americas. 

The stories of all those who lost their lives to colonial violence continues to remind me of my own responsibility to make reparations, and restitution for the unforgivable racism of my ancestors.  Instead of peaceful co-existence, or being good guests on lands already inhabited by a myriad of civilizations, the imperialist powers are still focused on control, religious conversion and white supremacy, and the same patriarchal domination of Indigenous peoples and Indigenous lands continues today.  Instead of cultural amnesia or normalizing Empire, my hope is that Dangerous Women everywhere will continue to embrace the critically important work of social justice and challenging the patriarchy.

Abrisham >> Thank you Pegi! The conversations that have stemmed from the making of this book so far, are what the book is all about.  The sheer volume of voices coming together for Dangerous Women is the most exciting part, and being able to bring so many powerful women together.

Who is your dangerous woman from history?
 

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Dangerous Women: Fifty Reflections on Women, Power and Identity is due for publication in 2021 ~ watch this space for announcements and ordering information ~!!

By Jo Shaw, Ben Fletcher-Watson and Abrisham Ahmadzadeh


                                            DANGEROUS WOMEN
But what does it mean for a woman to be dangerous? Who, or what, does she present a danger to? Who gets to say she’s dangerous? Why do they want to say it? Does she consider herself dangerous? Is feminism dangerous? And what do the answers to those questions tell us about societies past and present? About our social and political structures, about our everyday lives, our attitudes and our very identities? 
Dangerous Women gives fifty wide-ranging perspectives on these questions.

We have welcomed poets, playwrights, artists, academics, journalists, historians, performers and opinion-formers, and indeed anyone with an angle on the theme, to reflect on the danger of females. Speaking from a variety of ages, ethnicities and cultures, we have come together from all over the world to give agency to any woman dismissed for her power, talent or success, trivialised as a threat or condemned for challenging the status quo. We are here to celebrate these women and applaud them for their strength.

In doing so, we have reclaimed the right to be dangerous, and highlighted the power of otherwise dismissed female figures. If you lack female idols, this book is for you. If you want to challenge the narrative that a powerful woman is a threat, this inclusive and diverse book is for you. Dangerous Women is for anyone and everyone who questions how to be dangerous, and indeed what that means.
  Jo Shaw, Ben Fletcher-Watson and Abrisham Ahmadzadeh
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Pegi Eyers is the author of  "Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community," an award-winning book that explores strategies for intercultural competency,  uncolonization, creating a sustainable future and reclaiming peaceful co-existence in Earth Community. Available from Stone Circle Press or Amazon 

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Ancient Covenant

6/7/2020

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PEGI EYERS


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What [most] modern human beings don't seem to realize is that each blade of grass, flower, tree, plant, element and creature in Earth Community is offering us unconditional love, to nurture us, sustain us, and empower our joy and deep connection. This love is at the center of our miraculous relationships with the other-than-human world, and Earth Community provides us with all the grace and beauty our souls will ever need. 

Precious ecosystems continue to offer the living world nourishment; shade; sanctuary for countless organisms, birds, insects and other creatures; cool respite in the heat of the summer; and a wellspring of ancient myth and knowledge. There is no other force on the planet that can weave the timeless elements of earth, water, air and fire together, for the benefit of Earth Community and all life.

All that is asked of us in return, is that we extend the same deep love, care and respect back to Earth Community. To take more than what is freely offered is an act of contempt bordering on criminality, and severs our Ancient Covenant with the land. Acts of murder, terror and ecocide are unforgivable, and the Great Spirits of the earth and the human allies who love and protect will never forget how the Original Instructions were defiled.  We all belong in the Sacred Circle, and our automatic return, or access to this blessed existence, is dependent on only one thing - humility, remaining in balance and living within natural law.


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REMEMBER
Remember the sky that you were born under,
know each of the star's stories.
Remember the moon, know who she is.
Remember the sun's birth at dawn, that is the
strongest point of time. Remember sundown
and the giving away to night.
Remember your birth, how your mother struggled
to give you form and breath. You are evidence of
her life, and her mother's, and hers.
Remember your father. He is your life, also.
Remember the earth whose skin you are:
red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth
brown earth, we are earth.
Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their
tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them,
listen to them. They are alive poems.
Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the
origin of this universe.
Remember you are all people and all people
are you.
Remember you are this universe and this
universe is you.
Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you.
Remember language comes from this.
Remember the dance language is, that life is.

Remember.

Joy Harjo

"Remember" © Joy Harjo from She Had Some Horses, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1983


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Sacred Circle space delineated in the Canadian Shield near the Haliburton Highlands in Ontario ~ ready to be activated by quiet contemplation, Earth Blessing, grief ritual, edgewalking with the spirits of place, community ceremony and song.

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Pegi Eyers is the author of  "Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community," an award-winning book that explores strategies for intercultural competency,  uncolonization, recovering an ecocentric worldview, rewilding, creating a sustainable future and reclaiming peaceful co-existence in Earth Community. Available from Stone Circle Press or Amazon. 


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"Earthing" in the Garden

6/6/2020

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PEGI EYERS


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We are Children of the Earth. Yet we have been hoisted away from Her by the hypertrophy of the rational intellect, and we have strayed far from our own sensate groundedness and presence. To come fully to rest on the ordinary Earth is to rest in the present moment. The tyranny of time dissipates, and we find that we are simply here, belonging to the place our senses have newly discovered. [1]
 
As children, we instinctually know that physically connecting our body to the Earth, stretching out under the trees on a hot summer day, rolling in the grass, or thrusting our hands into the soil of the garden makes us feel wonderful, alive and free. Called “earthing” and touted as a new discovery in recent times, our pre-colonial ancestors embodied this miraculous energy and well-being, gained from physical contact to the land. Spending time in the garden gives us the perfect opportunity to merge with these healing and energizing properties, which have been identified by modern science as the transfer of electrons (the earth’s natural, subtle energy) into our bodies. Without a doubt, our immersion in the green space of the garden, and our bodily contact with the Earth, promotes tranquility, reflection, and restoration for the human spirit!
 
And yet, the philosophy and material culture of our high-tech post-industrial society conspire to keep us from connecting to green spaces, and their boundless storehouse of healing and energizing electrons. Walking on concrete with rubber or plastic-soled shoes, living indoors buttressed with insulative materials, travelling by  vehicle from place to place, working under artificial lights, and spending hours on electronic gadgets all take their toll on our physical health and spiritual well-being. Studies that reference the disruptive and negative effects of synthetic environments on human vitality such as “sick building syndrome” point to this malaise, and an overall reduction in well-being.


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As long as I remember, I have wanted to be in natural spaces. I instinctually began an “earthing” practice for solace and healing many years ago, spending hours whenever I could stretched out in the forest or the garden,  gazing at the blue sky, interlace of branches, flowing green leaves, small plants, shrubbery and flowers, breathing in the scents and sounds of nature’s perfection in harmony with the “ground” of my being.  By staying in one place and just be-ing, I discovered the holistic benefits of bodily contact to the Earth on the emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual levels of existence simultaneously. Even if the effects were not immediately apparent, after a “timeless time” I was firing on all cylinders, and ready to face the man-made world again. The most amazing thing about the soothing, strengthening, grounding and cleansing practice of “earthing” is the simplicity and access – our backyard gardens are perfect, and parks and green space are all nearby.
 
Revisiting our reciprocity with the land requires the ethics of genuine care, and as every good gardener knows, the soil itself needs to be nurtured and tended. Age-old practices in subsistence communities honour the Earth under our feet as alive and divine, a sacred and life-giving force that can be enhanced and nourished for greater yields, and for the vitality of all beings. Indigenous societies know the soil to “have human form, and we hint at the same spiritual insight when we speak of rich soil as humus – a word having the same etymological root as human – for when we care for the soil we care for ourselves.”[2]  Composting methods, vermiculture, and transferring lawn clippings back to the Earth instead of sending them to the landfill, are all soil-building practices we can adopt today.


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Part of the “New  Story” for our transitional society, are the many prayers that express reciprocity for the infinity of gifts we receive from the garden, the ground of our being. Gratitude rituals can also be personalized, to express our human niche in connection to the ever-welcoming embrace of the land. It has become my practice to place special containers of sacred soil or sand on my household altars and decorative spaces, to honour the centrality and importance of the Earth from birth to our final resting place. From the special magic of the Scottish Highlands to Port Dover to El Santuario de Chimayó, these small glass bottles are among my most precious treasures.

The soil is the great connector of lives, the source and destination of all. It is the healer and restorer and resurrector, by which disease passes into health, age into youth, death into life. Without proper care for it we can have no community, because without proper care for it we can have no life.
[3]  
 
The more we engage with re-connecting to our essential eco-selves, the more apparent it becomes that the Earth is the ultimate source of all wellness and invigoration!  In our time and place, the flow of healing and energizing power from the soil that interacts with the intricate mechanisms of our physical body is another major reason for spending time in the garden. Being outside, absorbing nature’s limitless conducive energy systems and “getting grounded” can reverse chronic health conditions, enhance our immune system and keep us young. And gardening is the perfect way to refocus our thoughts, uplift our spirit, open our intuitive channels, enhance our physical endurance, and revive our connectivity to the rhythm and energy of the land.  In addition to enhanced health and wellbeing, our sensate animal body experiences a pure joy and happiness when we are physically connected to the Earth, and we can access this miracle at any time!


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NOTES
[1]  Philip Shepherd, New Self New World: Recovering Our Senses in the 21st Century, North Atlantic Books, 2010
[2]  Patricia Monaghan, Magical Gardens: Cultivating Soil and Spirit, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2012
[3]  Wendell Berry, The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture, Sierra Club Books, 1996

"Earthing in the Garden" by Pegi Eyers was originally published in One Thousand Trees Magazine, May 2020.



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Pegi Eyers is the author of  "Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community," an award-winning book that explores strategies for intercultural competency, uncolonization, recovering an ecocentric worldview, rewilding, creating a sustainable future and reclaiming peaceful co-existence in Earth Community. Available from Stone Circle Press or Amazon  


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The Promise of Ecopsychology

6/4/2020

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PEGI EYERS

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It is Theodore Rosack who emphasized that we are on the verge of discovering that the deep unconscious is not sexual (Freud), or spiritual (Jung), but related to the ecosystem in which we live. And in that regard we must understand how Western people have diverged very far indeed from their unconscious in a destructive way. The destruction of the environment goes hand in hand with the destruction of our relationship to the unconscious, which is at its very depth our natural habitat and ancestral culture. [1]  Helene E. Hagan
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As the urbanization of the world continues to interfere with our awareness of nature, we are being denied our connection to the Earth as our primary source of healing, growth and mystic inspiration. Removing humankind from the sacred crucible of the natural environment has had devastating consequences, some masked by denial and societal distractions, and others highly obvious in the manifestation of psychopathic behavior. Industrial and urban spaces affect us physically, mentally and spiritually, and modern ills such as environmental sensitivities or allergies, frenzied highs and lethargic lows, delusions, and the lack of focus, purpose or spiritual meaning are all endemic of a disconnect from the natural world.  In response to the modern dysfunction of “nature deficit disorder”[2] as fully examined by Richard Louv and others, the mainstream promotion of spending more time in nature for mood enhancement, health benefits, better concentration and an overall re-enchantment with life is on the rise.  As part of the re-balancing that is occurring in western society, the new field of ecopsychology (alternatively framed as “terrapsychology,” “ecotherapy,” “Gaia psychology” or “nature relatedness”) focuses on methods for breaking the stranglehold of industrial society. A blend of ecology, sociology, philosophy and environmental science, ecopsychology explores the psychological benefits associated with nature, as well as introducing practices that ultimately reconnect us to our “ecological unconscious.” Compared to the eons that human beings  have spent embedded  in the  primal matrix and in close kinship with the other-than-human world, our current malaise of modernity is the result of quite recent domestication, and ecopsychology reminds us of familiar strategies for overcoming the emotional trauma of our alienation from the Earth.
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“This was a great joy – to be out in the air….a pure and intense joy, a blessing, to feel the sun on my face and the wind in my hair, to hear birds, to see, touch and fondle the living plants. Some essential connection and communion with nature was re-established after the horrible isolation and alienation I had known.  Some part of me came alive when I was taken into the garden.”[3]  (Oliver Sacks)
Being drawn to places that enliven us, appreciating the beauty of green space, interacting with animals and participating in nature firsthand are fundamental human needs that ecopsychology addresses. For decades now scholars, social and natural scientists, humanists, practitioners and eco-therapists have advanced the practice and theory of ecopsychology into the public sphere. Ecotherapy rituals and exercises bring us into direct contact with the knowledge that our lives are deeply entwined with the natural world, and deepen our spiritual experience of the timeless human/nature/cosmos relationship. Cultivating awe and wonder in the face of the Earth Mysteries, developing conscious intention, using guided imagery, and re-centering ourselves in the grounding of our own sensate bodies are all ways to promote the healing of self, family and community.  A wide range of natural places like our own backyards, wildlife preserves, urban parks, or remote wilderness places can speak to us of our membership in biotic community, and offer us the benefits of enhanced mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being.   
 
As dreams are the healing songs
from the wilderness
of our unconscious --
So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes
are the healing dreams
from the deep singing mind of the earth.[4]
  (Dale Pendell)

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It terms of western scientific studies, data has shown that the brain-wave patterns of those in urbanized, busy areas are frustrated and aroused, while the brain-wave readings of those in woodlands and parks tend to be meditative and focused.  Studies have shown time after time that people prefer green space over cities and urban sprawl - which is not surprising, since human beings  are hardwired to position our relationship to nature at the core of our psychology.  The sights and sensations of a vast expanse of water, green landscapes and panoramic views are a basic human necessity.  It is also our eternal nature to interpret the connections between phenomena in the natural world and ourselves in a holistic loop, or back-and-forth dynamic.  Our minds possess an amazing ability to translate outer events into inner ones through symbols and motifs that heal and inspire us, and make us happy and productive. A flowering shrub can easily become a metaphor for our own blossoming, a tree in winter translates into a symbol for strength and resilience, a turtle outlines our own steadfastness and self-protection, and an otter becomes a representation of playfulness and spontaneity. For millennia human beings have acknowledged the land, elements and creatures as living beings deeply implicated in our psychological life, and we know that encounters in nature are healing both to the psyche and the body.  The practices of ecopsychology today are intent on reclaiming this enchantment with the world, returning to the wild for our “ensouling,” uncovering authentic truths and ancient origins, and re-establishing the connection to nature that is so vital to our well-being.
“Humans have long recognized the healing power of nature, the peace of wild places, and the more than physical craving for clean water and space, all of which are no more than a recognition of the human need to be in harmony with the natural world.”[5]   (Ian Mills)
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To enhance our biophilia and self-realization through “re-earthing” we need to go wild (!) by walking in the woods, hiking, canoeing, camping, wilderness trekking, survival training, climbing trees, wildcrafting, bird watching, going on retreat, meditating in nature, journaling, or having a beacon bonfire - all activities that put us in “the flow” and generate  vitality  and  happiness.  Other direct  pathways to  “re-inhabiting what was taken away – our spirituality, our imaginative resources and our unity with nature”[6] (Lorenna Bousquet-Kacera) are found through ritual dance and primordial movement, or by exploring the powerful tools of imagery and eco-art therapy for self-discovery and healing.   The sights and scents of the green world uplift, de-stress and open our hearts, and we can find healing in the garden too, as our mental well-being is definitely enhanced by “horticultural therapy.” Being near the calm profound life of trees in the forest (and tree hugging!) has been scientifically validated to improve many  health  issues  such   as  attention  deficit hyperactivity  disorder  (ADHD),  concentration levels,reaction times, depression, and illnesses such as headaches and arthritis. The vibrational properties of trees, plants, and green space can slow us down, quiet our nervous system, release endorphins, lower blood pressure, restore our ability to concentrate, and generate feelings of calm, tranquility and transcendence. The contemporary practice of “forest bathing” (“shinrin-yoki” in Japan) allows us to soak up the scents, sights, sounds and atmosphere of the forest for protective and healthful effects on the human body, mind and heart. Walking or spending time in the forest boosts immunity, relieves stress and promotes energy, and studies have found a high level of anti-cancer cells in blood samples after forest bathing. Similar to the benefits of aromatherapy, the natural essential oils of the forest that we breathe in have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial effects, and enhance our overall mood and outlook on life. Without question, our capacity for healing, happiness, insight, emotional catharsis and ecomystic experience blossom with our immersion in deep forests and wilderness places.   
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“Primal natural forests are temples of magnificent peace.
Saturated in Earth’s ancient stillness,
sanctuary for the human soul.
Focusing our profound affinity with Nature.
In deep, sleeping dreamtime, as in a trance,
we rediscover lost, forgotten dreams,
recharging passion and following our hearts
to health and harmony.”[7]     (Mark Berry)


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Experiencing the “earth matrix”[8] firsthand is especially important for children and youth, who may be deprived of meaningful nature connection in this extreme era of monolithic technology, artificial environments,  über-consumerism and eco-fascism. Instead of the “nature deficit disorder” that results from the emphasis on human-centric activities in simulated spaces, children and youth who are offered opportunities to interact with the natural world exhibit heightened creativity, enhanced cognitive abilities, emotional mastery, and improved health and well-being. Nothing  could be more important  than to teach  the adults of tomorrow the spiritual, emotional, physical and mental benefits of interacting with nature, not to mention that bonding deeply to place encourages the love of the land that can lead to activism and environmental protection. Placing our relationship with nature as central to our existence reconnects us to our own personal mythology, the timeless realm of spirit, the eternal cycles, and the ongoing progression of life itself.  The more deeply we embrace nature as a healing force, the more balanced we will become as true human beings. Overall, adopting the theory and practice of ecopsychology reminds us of our value as essential to the whole, and gives our lives deeper meaning and sacred purpose. 

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NOTES

[1] Helene E. Hagan, “The Plastic Medicine People Circle,” Institute of Archetypal Ethnology Newsletter, September, l992
[2] Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2005.  Nature deficit disorder (NDD) is defined as living in an urban environment without contact to nature, with a wide range of symptoms and physical or emotional illnesses appearing as mood disorders, childhood obesity, diminished use of the senses, myopia and attention difficulties.
[3] Oliver Sacks, A Leg to Stand On,   Touchstone, 1998
[4] Dale Pendell, Living With Barbarians: A Few Plant Poems, Wild Ginger Press, 1999
[5] Ian Mills (editor),  A Sound of Thunder: A Green Anthology, Addison-Wesley Publishers, 1993
[6] Permaculture educator, gardener and eco-creativity guide Lorenna Bousquet-Kacera is the founder of the Living Centre and Living Arts Institute in London, Ontario, and she offers open circles, ritual dance, primordial movement and workshops such as “Reclaiming Ourselves in the Age of Nature,” “WomanEarth: Living in the Heart of Gaia” and “Spiritual Ecology”  www.thelivingcentre.com
[7] Poetry by Mark Berry, Gaia: Journey into Vanishing Worlds, by Paige Deponte, Global Art in Action, 1999
[8] Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2005


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Pegi Eyers is the author of  Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, an award-winning book that explores social justice, nature spirituality, the ancestral arts, and resilience in times of massive change.  Available from Stone Circle Press or Amazon


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    ~ BLOG ~
    Ancient
    Spirit
    ​Rising

    Pegi Eyers

    Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community


    ஜ
    The recovery of our ancestral roots, and the promotion of social justice & environmental activism as interwoven with our spiritual life. Engaging with the interface between Turtle Island First Nations and the Settler Society, rejecting Empire and embodying the paradigm shift to ecocentric society.





    Ancient Spirit Rising
    is the recipient of a
    2017 Next Generation Indie Book Award
    in the Current Events/ Social Change category!
     

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    ARCHIVES

    Between Worlds
    ​

    ​Holders of Staff and Bone

    ​Passage to Dartmoor

    ​Oceans Divide Us

    ​Ancestral Motherline ~ Guided Meditation

    ​The Life Force: Restoring Sacred Myth
    ​

    Eco-Soul

    Shifting Borderlands of Tame and Wild

    ​Ancient Spirit Rising is Recommended Reading-!
    ​

    ​Earth First 

    The World of Small

    Resilience, Renewal and Love

    European Roots ~ A Call for Leadership

    Settler Re-landing: Reclaiming Patterns of Connection

    Waeccan Means to "Wake Up"

    Initiation Now: Rethinking the World as Alive

    Dangerous Women

    Ancient Covenant

    "Earthing" in the Garden

    The Promise of Ecopsychology

    Kinomagewapkong ~ The Teaching Rocks

    The Ecomystic Experience

    Controversies in the Ancestral Arts

    The Sacred Balance

    Uncolonizing the “Bounty of the Land” Narratives

    We Live in a Death Culture

    Customary Law

    Earth Love


    The Green Burial Movement: In Conversation With Emma Restall Orr

    Letters to the Earth

    I Walked and Walked

    Sacred Tears

    Taking Issue With "We Are All One"

    Dear Greenmantle ~ Review Rebuttal

    Finding Our Long-Lost Ancestral Traditions

    Ancestor Quilt

    Our Struggles Are Not the Same

    Ally Mistakes - Oops ~!

    Love from the Earth

    The Problem with Far-Away Ecotherapy and Nature Connection Retreats

    Earth-Emergent in the City

    Voices of Earth ~ Archaic Whispers

    Good Allies 
     

    Song of the Ancestors

    Decolonization ~ Meaning What Exactly?

    Animism Unbound

    More Settler-Colonialism: Boomers and the Rez (True Story)

    What is Cultural Appropriation?

    The Story Behind the Story

    Cultural Appropriation in Goddess Spirituality and Matriarchal Studies

    Climate Disaster & Massive Change 

    We Are the Ancestors of the Future

    Earth Mother Magic

    True Reconciliation Requires Restitution 

    Are White People Indigenous?

    Full Disclosure/My Positionality on New Age!

    Allyship and Solidarity with First Nations

    First Nations on Ancestral Connection

    Pagan Values - "Know Thyself" 

    Welcome to Stone Circle Press!

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