Synthesis of Earth, Word, and Love
Note:: A paper I have wrote for my ecopsychology class taught by Jeanine Canty. It really inspired me, and would love to continue with this, (maybe publish).
We are all born of the Earth. We are composed of the same molecular atoms that created this solar system; each and every one of us is cosmically made. In Western society we are taught to believe we are inherently separate from Gaia through our numbed interactions, relationships, and habits. However, as a whole we are relearning that we are all interconnected not only with one another, but with the pulsating forests, the sumptuous streams, the all encompassing oceans. Chellis Glendinning calls this connection to our planet the primal matrix; we came from the Earth, we live on this Earth and we are meant to live with the Earth (1994, p16). As a product of American culture, many feel a sense disconnected depression, and with realization the heartjoy of being with nature one can heal on many levels.
Staring into the full moon I felt a sense I was living as my ancestors did. My friends new and old decided to forgo the drunken poet society and venture into the mountains for a drum circle. The adventure starts as we walk down Pearl Street, setting the contrast as the manufactured street lights and rows of stores line our path. Walking down the stree we were setting the tone of the night, gathering apples and appreciating the gifts the fruit trees gave us. We finally reach the flatirons. The path leading up hill seemed daunting, but the light of the moon told me it was okay. I took off my shoes when my feet started to feel imbalanced and slippery. The cool ground felt comforting yet tough on my feet as I walked. We continued through the thickets even though most of us felt doubtful of the supposed drum circle, but it didn’t really matter. Suddenly we reach a flat enclave with a Rusted Olive tree in the center, the ancient wiseness encapsulated me. I stood with the tree appreciating it. We continued up the mountain.
"Sh!" My confident friend Jaira hushes us as we look to see to the side a majestic deer with beautiful antlers. We stood in appreciation, as he seemed to be the guardian of these hills. We're almost there. I am looking at the ground and then I look up to see the massive red rocks that grace the top of the hill, and I am in awe. I feel the sacredness of this land. I am instantly reminded of the stories I’ve heard of the aboriginal Australians who use their sacred mountains for dream time. We continue up and rest on the rocks and observe the flickering lights of Boulder. I take some time for myself, to climb and stare at the sky. I feel at peace with the world, I surrendered to my experience. Walking down from the perch, I encounter the sound of drums and singing. I can't help but dance. Dancing on the rocks with the moon aglow, and my friends beside me, I felt dazzled with the magnificence of my reality. I have heard stories of the Native Americans gathering in Boulder to hunt, and perform their sacred ceremonies, and now I feel like I truly understand why the land of Boulder was choosen. Starhawk calls this connection to land Earthwalking, the ancient tradition of knowing the place in which you live, the Earth, its topography, plant, herbs and medicinals (2004, p. 5). By cultivating more time in nature in respect and gratitude and educating my peers about these simple acts, I feel it can make a huge difference. Gaining a knowledge of the plant life and topography develops a huge difference in my well being as well. Many plants and herbs on our sidewalks and in our front yards are edible and medicinal! The connection I feel with this land constantly inspires me to go forward in creating more of this in my life and help others realize it as well
As a culture, we have lost our sense of wildness. One who lives in the city may only encounter the trees in square parks that are surrounded by noisy streets and tall skyskrapers. Our wildness is channeled into an artificial landscape, "wilderness transformed into city streets, subways, giant buildings, and factories resulted in the complete substitution of the real world... warning signals are not the shape of the sky, the cry of the animals, the changing of the seasons, but the flashing of the traffic liaght and the wail of the ambulance and the police car, urban people have no idea what the natural universe is like..." (Glendinning, 1994, p. 108). The landscape that the majority of the western population live in is manufactured. As a society we have utilized a defense mechanism of displacement, as we are displaced from our own land. More people have to venture out of their comfort zones and into nature to truely feel the magnificence of what we are apart of. To see the beauty I felt in the flatirons, to truely feel the primoridal beauty of this planet on a regular basis, would help people realize their connection to Earth and themselves, and inspire them to create acts of beauty on this planet everyday.
As I was living in Brooklyn, I I felt encroached by the business, and lack of connection I felt to my experience. I tumbled into a sense of dull depression and anxiety, unaware that maybe the fact that I didn't take myself outside of the city to encounter the Earth in it's beauty was a factor. I felt my responsibilties of working a full time job and going to school were too great to take off from. I developed a defense mechanism of dissociation, I detached from the reality of my mind and body's experience. This led to my greater dissociation from the Earth body. At that time in my life I had caught beautiful glimpses of the earthen world, but the city life sucked me in. Gerald Halsm provides the western drama I felt in story, " Hawk found himself feeling a strange kind of pity for those hopeless creatures who poessessed no magic at all, no union with Earth or sky...They were sad and dangerous like a broke rattlesnake (Glendinning, 1994, p. 88).
It keeps coming back to me, we have lost our wildness. I feel a personal responsibility to pray with the Earth, walk shoeless with the Earth, to give thanks to this planet. Honestly, it has become an obsession at this point, and I am okay with that. I know I have to be extreme in these times of extremities. At times I feel manic, and encroached in Boulder as I felt in Brooklyn, but this time I have the power to lead a vibrant life of happiness. Even when I do feel down, I always know the restorative power of earth, the wind touching my face and clearing my head, the rockiness of the Colorado ground embracing my feet, the sun enlivening the cells of my being. I must remember the pain that I feel is felt by many, and can even be felt by the Earth, “We cannot restore our own health, sense of well being- unless we restore the health of the planet” (Roszak, Gomes, Kanner, 1995, p. Xxvii).
For nine months our mother's womb cradled us in a cocoon of gentle darkness. Then suddenly, we are burst into a room of flourescent ligthing in a stark, sterile hospital being caught into gloved hands of an expert doctor. Mother is often time on sedatives, confused, and isolated. This is the first trauma that a most of us in the United States have experienced. Comparatively in Earth centered society , we are thrown into the arms of our extended families, we are held with love and care, "nature-based children come to know life as an experience of security and connectedness in a way we can barely imagine" (Glendinning, 1994, p. 23). I feel this contrast between the worlds is because of the lack of communion with nature. In Western Society, we think we have to work 40 hour work weeks, live in our large homes, and eat our lovely packaged food. In nature-based society, work is in and around the home; the people know the land they are raised on.
In the past century we have faced great change in how we live not only as a society, but as a global community. We have shifted from living with our families our entire lives, whether it be on a farm, as artisans, or trades people to moving away from our families into cities and creating the diverse lives we all lead. The industrial revolution radically changed our way of living by bringing the car, factories and "going to work" to the fore front of this time. The majority of us are not crafstpeople, we are consumers. Consumerism has led us to a plethora of issues we face today, “Consumerism is on the central roots of the environmental crisis” (Roszak, Gomes, and Kanner, 1995, p. 68). As a child I was introduced to the wonders of toy stores, and feeling the love of recieving gifts from my family. I remember as a child looking through the JCPenney catalogs with my Grandma and picking out what I wanted for Christmas. Looking back I realize that in my family I was taught that buying things equated to love. Equating Love with buying can be seen through on television in commercials, especially in Winter when many religious holidays culminate. Spending may be replacing the ritual we may have participated as a culture; the ritual of being with seasons, of being with the land. Media outlets and companies realize the neurosis of the human person, which muffles the true ceremony and togetherness the original holiday represents. We consume our products, then we throw them, unconscious, or even conscious of the garbage that is piling up in the incinerators which then cuts at the atmosphere we breath in everyday. It is a cyclical addiction that can be healed if we utilize our resources in a healthy sustainable way.
Getting myself involved with the local gardens and farms connects me tremendously to my wellbeing and the land. Being directly involved in where my food comes from improves my sense of health and trust in the world. There is an uprising of the local food movement and I see this as a great symbol of getting back to our roots both literally and figuratively. Organic food provides a face to our food, and lets us know the food we are eating is nourshing and good for us. Unfortunatley most people go to the supermarket and buy prepackaged processed food, unknowing of the damage is does to their bodies. The masses have not yet made the nutrition connection of dis-ease and wellbeing; our food directly effects our bodies and minds. If more people are educated in how food is made, where it comes from, and the benefits and joys of a living whole foods diet, I feel a greater shift in awareness would ultimately happen. I hope by the demand in organic food and the creation of more local gardens, the price will go down and the availability will go up making organic food accesible to a wider range of people.
The love I feel for this planet and its inhabitants pushes me to continue to learn about how I can shift my life. Even though there is mass consumerism, pain, dissociation and disconnection, I choose to acknowledge these ailments in myself. Ailments are capable of being healed if the energy and time is put into resolving the issues at hand. Everyday I have a chance to look my own destructive habits in the face, and change them. Although as a society we struggle to connect with the planet, the wildness is here,we have to go out and embrace it.
Glendinning, Chellis (1994). “My name is Chellis and I'm in Recovery from Western Civilization.” Massachusetts:Shambhala.
Roszak, Theodore, Gomes, Mary, and Kanner, Allen (1995). “Ecopyschology: Restoring the Earth Healing the Mind.” California: Sierra Club Books.
Starhawk (2005). “The Earth Path: Grounding Your Spirit in the Rhythms of Nature.” New York: Harper Collins.
