It can be hard to keep our eye on the big picture when we’re busy cleaning up the messes of daily life.
Just 30 minutes after I finished hosting my first journey circle from my office this past Wednesday, I discovered water seeping up from between the planks of our brand-new flooring in the bathroom.
It seems the toilet wasn’t seated correctly and water has been trickling out, undetected, beneath the new flooring for the past 3 weeks.
The sound of fans and dehumidifiers roars once again from downstairs as I write from my bedroom, which is once again doubling as my office. The damage appears to be far less than from our last flood, in part because the new flooring is waterproof, but we won’t be certain for several days.
But it’s hard to feel sorry for myself when I recall the challenges our children face due to climate change.
Reading the Guardian this morning from my office/bed, I came across an article written by Greta Thunberg. In it, she quotes a German oceanographer and climatologist Stefan Rahmstorf: “We have enough ice on Earth to raise sea levels by 65 meters–about the height of a 20-story building–and at the end of the last ice age, sea levels rose by 120 meters as a result of 5C of warming.” Thunberg continues: “Taken together, these figures give us a perspective on the powers we are dealing with. Sea-level rise will not remain a question of centimeters for very long.”
Cleaning up the mess from Hurricane Ian, or rising sea levels from melting ice sheets and glaciers is the real challenge for which all this water cleanup in my home is but mere preparation.
Embracing the truth isn’t easy, especially when the truth is as big and overwhelming as the reality of climate chaos.
And yet, against all odds, you and I are counted among the souls who are alive on this beautiful planet at this decisive moment.
Surely we are here to act, to witness and speak the truth, and to bring the full force of our ancestral powers to bear in helping to shift the balance of these times.
Intention
I suggest that we journey to our ancestors this week and ask for their assistance in facing hard truths honestly. Maybe there are practices that would help us feel more connected and rooted so we are able to stand in the face of truth. Or maybe your ancestors have other forms of healing, wisdom, or guidance to offer.
How might we become worthy “ancestors” for future generations? Let us begin to answer this question together in the journey circle.
If you are interested in reading the article by Greta, it is here:
RSVP
I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, October 12, from 4-6 pm PDT/7-9 pm EDT
Feel free to email me at anna “at” gaiashamanism “dot” com for this week’s zoom invitation. All skill levels are welcome.