“When spiders unite, they can tie down a lion.” Ethiopian proverb
When I went to get out our Christmas tree from under the deck, I discovered to my dismay that a squirrel had found a way in and built a big messy nest near the door with every boot and box filled to the rim with pinecone bits. So while silently cussing the critter while cleaning away, I had to admit to myself that he had given me an opportunity to dejunk by recycling, re-gifting and retiring stuff to the landfill that had been in there for years. This not only gave me a sense of a fresh start to the new year, but it also allowed me some time to contemplate and re-evaluate my values, how I live my life and where I could make changes.
According to the ancient texts and predictions of the Mayans, Egyptians, some famous fortunetellers, the Zodiac and even some religious writings, this is the time – the age – in human history that will make room for the new values of love, unity, integrity and to live harmoniously with nature. However, a lot of poop will have to hit the fan first because everything will be exposed and taken down – governments, corporations and individuals – and the world will appear to be in chaos.
Last year, our young teenager was one of hundreds of local and international students who spent a day at UVic to listen to speakers of varying backgrounds. The last one to talk – a syndicated columnist – stated as a fact, that this run-away global roasting, if not entirely arrested and reversed, would render all the lands near the equator uninhabitable within the next 10 to 20 years with the rest of the world following right behind it, so basically life was a done deal because it was unlikely that it was doable. This deeply rattled them and the mood on the bus going back was sad and subdued, which made me stew, because who was he to dim the hopes and dreams of all those bright lights in the room? I agree that we’re in a planetary pickle in plenty of ways, but I’m not buying into his negative news of doom, because if there’s one thing my lessons from the Gaia College taught me, was that nature has some pretty powerful tools, which would take care of a lot of our problems before this time bomb stops ticking and our poor old planet spins out of control.
Heide Hermary, co-founder and president of the college, says this in her book: Working With Nature – Shifting Paradigms: “Our societies have entered a period of intense change. As we become aware that our actions are affecting the equilibrium of our planet, it becomes clear that many things need to be done differently. More and more consumers are willing to pay a premium for goods and services that are guaranteed to embody ecologically sound practices, and more and more producers and service providers are able to meet those needs.
“If our actions are to be inclusive and supportive of Nature’s needs, then we must already integrate Nature’s needs into our questions. We need to think in terms of ‘we’ instead of ‘me,’ and deliberately set out to cooperate rather than exploit. Perhaps we can start by intending to cooperate with Nature to make this planet – or our little piece of land – a healthy and prosperous place for all its inhabitants.”
We are each being asked to make a choice: we can cling to the old outdated values and ways we live or embrace the new evolving ones, with the ultimate outcome depending on those choices.
Poop happens, but ‘shift’ happens too – and it starts with one garden, farm, landscape and choice, at a time.
