Now more than ever, the earth is crying out for our help. Natural disasters have become an unnatural common occurrence on every corner of the globe. To turn a blind eye on what we see going on around us every day, even if it doesn’t effect us directly, is akin to being the monkey who sees no evil until it is too late. Our neglect and willful ignorance on this matter is most definitely to our own peril. The common question is often, “Well, what can I do? What small difference can I make?” A lot my friends, a lot. Every little bit helps. According to recent expert reports, at this point we have roughly three years to act, otherwise we’re pretty much screwed. Of course, we already should have been taking steps back in the 70s when the first Earth Day was introduced by Environmentalist Senator Gaylord Nelson, from my home state of Wisconsin, no less, but we still have a small window to make an impact.
GET INVOLVED
Many communities have river cleanups and activities not just today, but throughout the year. Look up what’s going on close to home and start there.
"Every day is Earth Day to a Pagan," quipped our recent podcast guest, Amanda Marie Parker, aka Belle Be Damned. The latter moniker is her burlesque stage name in the Houston-based troupe, Bewitched Burlesque. A creative brainchild of Parker and Jessica Anderson of the Thorn and Moon Magical Market, they are now performing socially safe, in-person shows after launching virtually a year ago* in the wake of the pandemic. Parker also performs in Houston with Strange Bird Immersive, which recently a shout-out from The New York Times. Strange Bird Immersive includes Bradley Winkler, who acts with them and also handles some sound design, PR, and marketing. A longtime actor and friend of mine, Bradley and I met in the Boulevard Theatre community here in Milwaukee. He was the one who had the foresight to introduce Amanda and I for a podcast chat.
What Can We Do?
Amanda has a point about Earth Day that is easy to forget. We should be mindfully living with reverence for Mother Earth each day with gentle and kind intent. If it weren't for her, we wouldn't be here after all! Whether it's keeping up with our recycling, using non-toxic products in our food purchases and lawn care, carpooling, biking, and hoofing it whenever possible, or making a point to clean up trash in our local waterways and parks, there are so many ways we can help. Make no mistake, it's never too late to make a difference and if enough of us do, it can still make enough of an impact to heal some of what we've wreaked over time. We owe it to the young people in our lives that we cherish, as well as the animals, trees, and all of earth's living creatures dependent on her intricate ecosystem.
How can you write with flowered praise of shining skies and magic days? Don’t you know there are bones in the grass and fear in the air and things that lurk on every stem to suck your blood? Snakes are eating baby birds and a bobcat is even now crushing through the skulls of a nest of soft baby rabbits. How dare you claim there is beauty, that the world is woven from love? I claim it because I see it. Yes, I’ve dripped blood on stones as thorns drag across tender flesh, uncovered worn femurs and ragged hip bones in fallen leaves, scratched my own ankles bloody after being fed upon as I walk. I have faced unnamed skulls on mossy beds, small jaws cracked in two, a pelvis resting nearby catching the rays of the setting sun. I’ve wept over shattered eggs and the blue jay’s screaming. I have also borne witness to endless joy. The mother deer nestling twin fawns by her side, the riotous blooms blanketing the thorns, the courtship dance of red-shouldered hawks as they spin across the sky, vultures skating gracefully on thin air, violets blooming in the center of stones, blue butterflies and singing bees across the plum blossoms. I know there are phoebes who return year after year to the nest they’ve built sheltered under our eaves, and hummingbirds that traverse endless miles to alight on our windchimes and to live in the mulberry trees all summer, our feeders their ancestral lands. I have spotted rich mushrooms nestled impossibly in curving roots of elm and ash, I’ve plunged my arms into ancient water fresh born from between the earth’s bones. I’ve come eye to eye with crows, black eyes alert, wings shining, with a coyote, both of our heads lifting to sniff the air. I’ve eaten redbud flowers straight from the branch and watched the swift and patient passage of time across the faces of those I love. If there is one thing I know to be true, it is that great currents of love and beauty co-exist right beside great stripes of pain, and I still choose to celebrate this now: the flowers in the trees, the bones in the grass, the blood on my knuckles, the curving leaves, the sweet berries, the joy that bubbles up right where I am.
During a stay-at-home order, if it’s not a complete lockdown, reminding yourself there is still an outside beyond your four walls has become imperative. Unfortunately, some areas, including my own in Wisconsin, have had to close our beautiful state parks in order to protect them. They were being flooded with folks desperate for nature and something to do. Although the majority were most likely there with good intentions and to appreciate the parks respectfully, some were definitely not practicing good social distancing guidelines with their fellow park-goers and worse still, were littering and vandalizing. Not cool. This has also been the case with many of our national parks. Sadly, some park workers were starting to test positive for COVID-19. Interestingly, in places now temporarily closed like Yosemite, the animals are having a party. Bears are out and about in high numbers without the usual throng of visitors. At Kruger National Park in South Africa, a whole pride of lions were happily lounging in the sun all along what would normally be frequently traveled road.
I see my friends online, myself and my significant other have become creative as to how, when and where we seek refuge off the beaten path into the woods, prairies, and meadows. The heart of the city can feel not unlike navigating a minefield in pandemic conditions. If you want to go out for a walk on a nice day, a drive to less-populated area is key. Do some research online ahead of time and find out what is and is not available to the public in your area currently. Even if state parks are closed, many smaller county parks remain open. Try to plan to your visit so it wouldn’t be at a peak time that everyone would have the same idea to be there. Wear gloves and masks and maintain the safe six-foot distance on all trails when coming into contact with others. Taking the high road has come to mean, “I will be the one to always veer off the trail if necessary,” to me. You can still be friendly and say, “hi.” Just do it from behind your bandanna, please.
Pagans get ready to celebrate Earth Day. Oklahoma Pagans face persecution from neighbors. And the role of magic in anarchism is considered. It's Watery Wednesday, our weekly segment on news about the Pagan community! All this and more for the Pagan News Beagle!
For Earth Day this year, I suggest keeping it simple. Pack a handful of your nearest and dearest in a roomy auto and go road-tripping. It could even be more fun if you have no particular destination in mind. You can call on the directions to help guide you to a beneficial place for all. There really are only a few prerequisites to make for the optimum road experience: gas, tunes, and snacks.
To be fair, why not have each rider pitch in with a playlist of road-worthy songs and take turns playing them? Speaking of pitching in, if you're not the driver, don't forget to offer some cash for fuel. The other kind of fuel you require is of course, munchies. You should cover sweet, salty, crunchy, protein-rich, and throw in something healthy if you can. Veggie Straws, celery and carrots, apples, grapes, cheese, hummus, trail mix, and fair trade dark chocolate all make my list. These don't really require a cooler, either. The other thing you don't want to be without is beverages. Water, iced tea or coffee drinks, and juice are all good bets.
Try to get rolling by high-noon so that you still have plenty of daylight to get out and go for a hike, if you choose. Crank the windows down, sing along, and let the good times roll. There is a lot of gorgeous green earth still out there. Get out and enjoy her while you can.
COLLEEN'S CRAZY TRAIL MIX A perfect blend of salty, sweet and spicy. organic dark chocolate-covered cranberries organic Dried Turkish Figs sesame sticks (Cajun) brown rice miso crackers roasted, salted Peanuts organic raw pumpkin seeds Greek yogurt-covered pretzels wasabi peas All of these items should be available in your friendly neighborhood bulk foods section. You can use equal parts of each, or go heavy on your favorites to create your own mix! (Recipe concocted by Colleen DuVall, due to the tree-nut heavy trail-mixes already out there)
BEET HUMMUS Start to finish: 20 minutes Servings: 5 This hummus is a vibrant bright pink thanks to the addition of steamed beets. 1 beet (small, trimmed and peeled, cut into chunks) 1 1⁄2 cups cooked chickpeas 1 clove garlic (coarsely chopped) 3 tablespoons tahini 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1⁄4 cup water (plus up to a 1/4 cup more if needed) 1 1⁄2 teaspoons cumin 1⁄2 teaspoons salt Place the beet in a steamer basket above simmering water and steam, covered, until tender, up to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the beet pieces. Place the garlic and chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the tahini, lemon juice, 1/4 cup of water, cumin, salt, and cooked beets, and process until smooth and creamy, adding more water, a couple tablespoons at a time, to reach the desired consistency. (Recipe adapted from www.dailyburn.com by Willy Street Co-op in Madison)
Mark Green
Absolutely, it has.It has confirmed my values and strengthened them. Deepened my love for the Earth and Cosmos. Sustained my activism. And encouraged ...
Jamie
Molly,Nicely done as always. It brings back all the memories of the warm fires and the crystal clear, starry sky. No Milky Way that I can ever see, bu...
