I love this one! It makes me think about the potential for ambivalence in nature. What might be a sanctuary one day could be a prison (or worse) the next. I haven't yet reached the point in my journey where I find comfort in this paradigm, but I do love thinking about it.
Reminds me of Julia Butterfly's relationship with Luna, the ancient redwood tree she spent 2 YEARS in, a 1000 yr old giant... she's still telling her story, 20 years later: "we are the ancestors of the future" https://juliabutterflyhill.com/
I just finished the book Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Kimmerer and she plunges the depths of this question too. Her conclusion—after chapter upon chapter of gorgeous prose that marries traditional knowledge with her more scientific training—is so simple, yet so profound: gratitude. We are here to participate on this exquisite earth with gratitude for all we encounter. Meaning making can take me too much into my mind, but perhaps this is just my wiring and too many years of needing to control and order my reality. So resting in my heart with gratitude and a hefty “I don’t know” feels good and connects me to a celebration of the mystery.
So beautiful! Thank you Kimberly! Connecting to a celebration of the mystery. My goodness, that's gorgeous, I love it! Braiding Sweetgrass is an amazing book, isn't it? After reading it, I got the audiobook and will sometimes just listen to random segment, letting my soul rest in her words. I also just started reading a book you might like called Piko by Jennifer Lightly. It has a similar feeling to Braiding Sweetgrass, but with a delicious layer of ocean spray.
Oh!!! Thank you for the recommendation. I will check it out immediately. I'm so glad you resonated with what I shared... I was actually worried that it could be misinterpreted as a "thumbs down" on meaning-making. Totally not the case, and I am grateful that humans have such powerful, insightful capacities to create meaning in this strange existence. I've just found it important to balance it sometimes with not having or needing meaning, and trusting that the mystery is enough. xo
Oh I didn't take it as a thumbs down at all! And I completely get what you're saying...sometimes that type of meaning making when we expend a lot of mental energy just trying to get to the bottom of what the thing means is exhausting, and it can make me miss out on just being present with whatever it is. Other forms of meaning making are more automatic, more in-flow so to speak. For me, gratitude is one of those.
This is beautiful Jenna. Thank you. There is such wisdom in nature, in the human and deceased custodians of a particular time and place - past and present, in our ancestral lineage and in our own hearts - what we need to do is pause and listen and be open.
I am travelling at the moment, spending short periods of time in different lands, and in different landscapes. Nature is speaking to me, sharing with me their story, telling me something for my own story. Fleeting moments sometimes. Other times lengthy sharings. Each time an initiation into something greater within me. You have a beautiful invitation here. thank you.
Oh, Sam, I can't wait to read about some of those sharings you've received on your travels! How marvelous to weave all that wisdom and knowing, from all those different placetimes, into yourself. That must bring such incredible depth to life experience. 💖💖
This is such a beautiful insight Jenna and one that I feel is being echoed throughout the lands. They are finding the guardians and saying please speak of our plight, please speak for us and tell our stories. Please discover our stories as they are already there waiting to be told. You just have to listen. I’ll tune into this invitation and see where I go! Thank you! 🙏💫
I love this, Louise! "Please DISCOVER our stories". That gave me chills. Thank you for that wisdom. I'm so looking forward to finding out where you might go with this too! 🤗🤗
An irresistible invitation Jenna... thank you. I am always happy to find a kindred spirit who converses with nature, who believes in the connections between us and our beautiful planet 🍂
You have invited me into wonder about meaning-making and storying. Thank you. This reflection that our listening can tell the trees’ stories is beautiful. Thank you.
Ahhhhhhh my heart ached so much to read the opening section about people perceiving humans as only taking from nature. But it is also an amazing awareness shift, part of the process of awakening to acknowledge the ways in which we have unconsciously caused harm. It’s a starting point.
And a resounding yes to communication with the beings here! They are so happy to hear you say that! 🏔️🍄🍃🥰🌧️🌳🌸🌝🐿️
Appreciating your take on nature-communication. We have indeed been tasked with helping convey the messages of the natural world, and helping other humans relearn communication with nature is our truest service. The human-nature relationship is helping shift the collective from scarcity/separation to Source / unity consciousness, which is the direction we are headed.
It is an honor to do this work with you! 💜⭐️🐿️🍃🌳🏔️🌧️
♥️♥️♥️♥️ Thank you so much for this, Carrie! I'm always being guided to look for/at relationship. Where's the relationship here? That's pretty much the ongoing mantra of my guides. So I love that you named the human-nature relationship as part of what's helping to shift the collective. That just feels so GOOD! And I'm reminded once again of your practice of tonglen with the other-than-human beings. Such a sacred practice!
I really like the idea of us contributing with stories! I’ve been thinking about that lately too. In my opinion, we’re here for the same reason as everything else on this planet - to make everything go around. I believe we fulfill our purpose here by simply existing (if we choose to live in peace with nature and the animals around us). I don’t know if we ever will find out why we or other animals exist, but maybe there’s beauty in not knowing too 🌻
This is so beautiful, Julia, thank you! I agree that there is so much beauty in not knowing too. For one thing, we get to experience discovery that way and that is one of my very favorite things. 🤗 I remember one of my teachers once said that asking, "what is the purpose of MY life" is not a very important question and that a more worthwhile question would be to simply ask, "what is the purpose of life". Like you said, we'll probably never know the answer, but I think it brings its own kind of depth just to wonder about it. ♥️
We often forget that, fundamentally, we are creatures of story in ways that make us unique on this earth. I wonder if our role is to observe, to partake, to wonder at the world around us. What more purpose do we need?
I really love this, Allyson, thank you so much! I feel like there's so much truth in this. Observe, partake, wonder, and then make whatever meaning we can (each in our unique way). That gives me an image of a giant piece of art and each of our lives adds a brush stroke. 💕💕
https://youtu.be/CifqEDVSugg?si=Fhsm9SP5SYm_pvC1
I co-wrote a song with a Cottonwood once. I would say she wrote about 1/2 the lyrics and I thought she had a great sense of humor.
I love this one! It makes me think about the potential for ambivalence in nature. What might be a sanctuary one day could be a prison (or worse) the next. I haven't yet reached the point in my journey where I find comfort in this paradigm, but I do love thinking about it.
Reminds me of Julia Butterfly's relationship with Luna, the ancient redwood tree she spent 2 YEARS in, a 1000 yr old giant... she's still telling her story, 20 years later: "we are the ancestors of the future" https://juliabutterflyhill.com/
Wow! Thank you for this! I'm going to need to spend a lot of time on her website. ❤️❤️
I just finished the book Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Kimmerer and she plunges the depths of this question too. Her conclusion—after chapter upon chapter of gorgeous prose that marries traditional knowledge with her more scientific training—is so simple, yet so profound: gratitude. We are here to participate on this exquisite earth with gratitude for all we encounter. Meaning making can take me too much into my mind, but perhaps this is just my wiring and too many years of needing to control and order my reality. So resting in my heart with gratitude and a hefty “I don’t know” feels good and connects me to a celebration of the mystery.
So beautiful! Thank you Kimberly! Connecting to a celebration of the mystery. My goodness, that's gorgeous, I love it! Braiding Sweetgrass is an amazing book, isn't it? After reading it, I got the audiobook and will sometimes just listen to random segment, letting my soul rest in her words. I also just started reading a book you might like called Piko by Jennifer Lightly. It has a similar feeling to Braiding Sweetgrass, but with a delicious layer of ocean spray.
Oh!!! Thank you for the recommendation. I will check it out immediately. I'm so glad you resonated with what I shared... I was actually worried that it could be misinterpreted as a "thumbs down" on meaning-making. Totally not the case, and I am grateful that humans have such powerful, insightful capacities to create meaning in this strange existence. I've just found it important to balance it sometimes with not having or needing meaning, and trusting that the mystery is enough. xo
Oh I didn't take it as a thumbs down at all! And I completely get what you're saying...sometimes that type of meaning making when we expend a lot of mental energy just trying to get to the bottom of what the thing means is exhausting, and it can make me miss out on just being present with whatever it is. Other forms of meaning making are more automatic, more in-flow so to speak. For me, gratitude is one of those.
This is beautiful Jenna. Thank you. There is such wisdom in nature, in the human and deceased custodians of a particular time and place - past and present, in our ancestral lineage and in our own hearts - what we need to do is pause and listen and be open.
I am travelling at the moment, spending short periods of time in different lands, and in different landscapes. Nature is speaking to me, sharing with me their story, telling me something for my own story. Fleeting moments sometimes. Other times lengthy sharings. Each time an initiation into something greater within me. You have a beautiful invitation here. thank you.
Oh, Sam, I can't wait to read about some of those sharings you've received on your travels! How marvelous to weave all that wisdom and knowing, from all those different placetimes, into yourself. That must bring such incredible depth to life experience. 💖💖
Oh it does! And in that depth is a deep awakening, shedding and renewing. I look forward to sharing more soon.
This is such a beautiful insight Jenna and one that I feel is being echoed throughout the lands. They are finding the guardians and saying please speak of our plight, please speak for us and tell our stories. Please discover our stories as they are already there waiting to be told. You just have to listen. I’ll tune into this invitation and see where I go! Thank you! 🙏💫
I love this, Louise! "Please DISCOVER our stories". That gave me chills. Thank you for that wisdom. I'm so looking forward to finding out where you might go with this too! 🤗🤗
An irresistible invitation Jenna... thank you. I am always happy to find a kindred spirit who converses with nature, who believes in the connections between us and our beautiful planet 🍂
Me too! 🤗♥️🤗♥️ So glad to meet you, Susie! I look forward to sharing many tales of our talks with nature in the days to come.
Jenna,
You have invited me into wonder about meaning-making and storying. Thank you. This reflection that our listening can tell the trees’ stories is beautiful. Thank you.
As always, Renee, I so look forward to seeing what comes from your wondering! I'm certain it will be something that fills my soul.
And so it is to me with you, Jenna. Thank you for being you.
Ahhhhhhh my heart ached so much to read the opening section about people perceiving humans as only taking from nature. But it is also an amazing awareness shift, part of the process of awakening to acknowledge the ways in which we have unconsciously caused harm. It’s a starting point.
And a resounding yes to communication with the beings here! They are so happy to hear you say that! 🏔️🍄🍃🥰🌧️🌳🌸🌝🐿️
Appreciating your take on nature-communication. We have indeed been tasked with helping convey the messages of the natural world, and helping other humans relearn communication with nature is our truest service. The human-nature relationship is helping shift the collective from scarcity/separation to Source / unity consciousness, which is the direction we are headed.
It is an honor to do this work with you! 💜⭐️🐿️🍃🌳🏔️🌧️
♥️♥️♥️♥️ Thank you so much for this, Carrie! I'm always being guided to look for/at relationship. Where's the relationship here? That's pretty much the ongoing mantra of my guides. So I love that you named the human-nature relationship as part of what's helping to shift the collective. That just feels so GOOD! And I'm reminded once again of your practice of tonglen with the other-than-human beings. Such a sacred practice!
I really like the idea of us contributing with stories! I’ve been thinking about that lately too. In my opinion, we’re here for the same reason as everything else on this planet - to make everything go around. I believe we fulfill our purpose here by simply existing (if we choose to live in peace with nature and the animals around us). I don’t know if we ever will find out why we or other animals exist, but maybe there’s beauty in not knowing too 🌻
This is so beautiful, Julia, thank you! I agree that there is so much beauty in not knowing too. For one thing, we get to experience discovery that way and that is one of my very favorite things. 🤗 I remember one of my teachers once said that asking, "what is the purpose of MY life" is not a very important question and that a more worthwhile question would be to simply ask, "what is the purpose of life". Like you said, we'll probably never know the answer, but I think it brings its own kind of depth just to wonder about it. ♥️
We often forget that, fundamentally, we are creatures of story in ways that make us unique on this earth. I wonder if our role is to observe, to partake, to wonder at the world around us. What more purpose do we need?
I really love this, Allyson, thank you so much! I feel like there's so much truth in this. Observe, partake, wonder, and then make whatever meaning we can (each in our unique way). That gives me an image of a giant piece of art and each of our lives adds a brush stroke. 💕💕
I love the idea of us all adding brush strokes to a blank canvas. Beautiful insight ✨
Yay! I'm so looking forward to what you create. Thank you!