Listen to Nature
I’m still adjusting to being back home and finding my rhythm for the next three months of work and life after five days of (mostly) solitude and retreat in upstate New York.
I spent a lot of time listening to Nature. So for today I want to share a few of the messages I received along with some photos that I hope will nourish you and provide answers to some of your questions - even though your life situation and questions are undoubtedly different from mine right now.
Message from the gulls - Glide. Let the wind carry you.
Message from an animal skull - Love is always present. Even in death.
Message from skunk cabbage - Let them come to you. Put forth a strong scent that attracts the right pollinators for you (and potentially rebels others!)
Message from the waterfalls - You are not alone. You have never, ever been alone.
Message from Seneca Lake (or, Mother Seneca, as I think of her) - There is deep calm beneath the surface. You are deep calm.
Here’s to thriving and equity,
Deb
Resources:
I’m in a season where I’m receiving clear instructions—not to dive into more new learning, but instead to revisit what I’ve already learned. Or maybe more accurately, to sink deeper into it. Let it settle into my bones.
Here are some things that are alive for me right now:
Transform Energy Around Your Body:
One book I recently returned to was The Body is Not an Apology. And if there’s a book that’s as relevant now—or even more so—than when it was first published, I don’t know what it is. You’ll likely hear more from me about it in the coming weeks and months.
When I first read it, one of the most striking aha moments I had was about jeans.
How, when we try on jeans (or bathing suits, I might add) and none seem to fit or flatter, we tend to judge our bodies—instead of questioning the systems, structures, and beliefs that make it normal for jeans not to work for most of us.
It’s been life-changing for me to, bit by bit, transform the energy I once used to hate and hide my body into energy for creating a world that celebrates and supports all bodies.
(Also—FYI—Sonya reads the audiobook edition, and it’s awesome.)
Us AS Nature:
I also came across a new-to-me podcast interview: “Nature’s Embrace: The Way of True Reparations” with Myra Jackson.
Technically it’s “new learning,” but I decided to listen anyway. It was recorded in 2022 and—like the book—it couldn’t be more relevant right now. I especially love how she talks about Nature and us AS Nature, not separate from it.
Nature and Cards:
The podcast was recommended by Lisa Estabrook, so let me use this moment to once again urge you to check out her Soulflower deck and journal, if it’s calling to you.
It’s very good medicine for this time.
And it’s a gentle, accessible way to begin using Nature and cards as guidance tools.
If you’re not sure about the woo-woo stuff (I sure wasn’t a few years ago), I invite you to be your own scientist.
Try something that piques your curiosity and see how it impacts you:
Do you feel more anxious, or more at peace?
More courageous, or more afraid?
More loving, or less?
Intention and Astrology:
Finally—over the past 2 years or so—I’ve been experimenting slowly with astrology, and I’ve found it surprisingly helpful.
FYI: The next few days are astrologically intense. We’ve got an eclipse, a new moon, and something about Neptune moving into Pisces—which hasn’t happened since 1875.
Here’s what I want you to know:
If things feel intense, it’s not just you.
Astrologers say we’ll get a little breather in April.This Saturday is a powerful day for setting intentions.
It’s a good time to plant seeds for who you want to be, what you want to do, and what kind of world you want to see emerge from this intense time.
Take a little time to reflect and choose intentionally.
(And maybe don’t spend time on Saturday focused on the intentions or actions of leaders whose values don’t align with yours. Focus your energy on creating the life and world YOU want. You can catch up on the news on Monday.)