Gifts for the Earth

 

This is the time of gift giving.  I imagine that gifts were given once upon a time to build and strengthen relationships between people and groups of people, between people and animals, water and the land.  However, capitalism and its inevitable child, the consumer society has managed to make gift giving a stressful and sometimes wasteful exercise.  Many businesses rely on Christmas giving to stay afloat.  Black Friday, in which these businesses get out of the red of debt into the black of profit is a notable example of this.  Giving Tuesday which follows on its heels is another day to give gifts to people and causes who need donations.  And then there are the Boxing Day sales.  It can all feel a bit much.

One email that was asking for donations came from the group O.N.E. (Organization of Nature Evolutionaries).  The author of the email wrote about the importance of reciprocity in any relationship.  We all know what it’s like to give time, attention, help and perhaps gifts to someone who never seems grateful.  For a relationship to flourish, reciprocity is essential.  Indigenous worldviews stress that point in relationship to the land.  O.N.E. agrees that reciprocity with the land who gives us everything we need to live is crucial.  They provided a list of ways to reciprocate this generosity to the land, to Earth.  Here is their list.  See if any of these ideas spark your imagination.

“the ways of giving back are as plentiful and unique as each of us — like 

·      singing,

·      Earth art,

·      rights of Nature,

·      land stewardship,

·      Nature gratitude ceremonies and offerings,

·      forest walks,

·      fostering relationship between children and Nature,

·      composting,

·      eating local,

·      caring for our water,

·      herbalism,

·      ecological design,

·      knowing our rivers,

·      creating sanctuaries,

·      being part of regenerative heart-based economy,

·      reusing,

·      honoring our food,

·       listening and speaking to Earth and her creatures,

·      being in co-creative relationship with our landscapes,

·      stopping to smell the flowers,

·      loving mycelium,

·      renewable energy,

·      healing the web of relationships within our human family, \

·      and all the many other creative ways, often inspired by the Earth herself, that we know to give back and honor her.”

Perhaps as an antidote to the consumerism of Christmas, you can pick some of these ideas of reciprocity and give gifts to Earth, our mother. Perhaps, you can do it with friends and family. I guarantee that Earth will appreciate it.