“I give so that you may give. We give so that they may give." - Druid sense of Reciprocity

This one gets personal right away. Buckle up and remember to breathe with me...

Acknowledge Earth Is Our Home

Many cultures have stories that explain the great mysteries of life. Origin stories, love stories, myths, and those of the gods. And these stories hold fascinating qualities of natural law, ecology, characters, poetics, and lessons.

I got a powerful dose of that this weekend when I practiced a Hellenic Druid ritual honoring the turning of the seasons. We told the tale of Kore (which means maiden) who was abducted by Hades to be his wife. It just so happens that this was the daughter of Zeus and Dementer. And when she couldn't find her daughter, Dementer roamed the earth in the guise of a mortal, forbidding the trees to bear fruit and the earth to nurture vegetables and herbs. Aka winter.

Now, before this ritual, I didn't have a personal relationship with these energies. I just knew to bring some barely, show up, and participate. And I'm glad I did. The group of 35 or so of us entered the stone circle, opened the gates, called in the ancestors and nature spirits and gods, and then offered our gifts.

I still had no idea what I was going to say. But one by one people went up. And out of a fog, an idea got more and more clear. I needed to offer the barley into the fire for mothers who have lost their daughters -- especially Dementer, my biological mother Connie, and my maternal grandmother Ruth.

At the group fire, I kept it that simple. But the next night the magic seeped in.

With the song sheet in hand, I recreated a personal version of the ritual.

This time, saying all that needed to be said about how Dementer lost her daughter to patriarchy,

Connie lost me to her traumas, and how Ruth lost Connie to her cancer.

Once empty of that story, a new one emerged. Connie has been dead now for close to 7 years. And I've been glad of it for most of that time.

But she has pricked me a couple times this year. And this time, a new and healing idea arose...

Perhaps Connie and Ruth are now together...holding one another. Getting to be mother and daughter in the ways they couldn't in this life.

And now, as I continue to relate to Earth as my Home...I get to hold nature and be held in return.

As a core tenant in Druidism states...

"I give so that You may give. We give so that They may give."

Reciprocity was in full effect this weekend.

And I am grateful.

Discover Your Earth Archetype

Speaking of the equinoxes, it's interesting that this Wild Developments podcast episode was just released after being recorded in the spring.

Thank you Lauren Connolly for a great conversation.  You asked such great curious questions!  

Perhaps that’s because of how wonderfully you balance the Metaphor and Network types.  

It’s also interesting to notice how much Earth Archetypes has continued to evolve in the past 5-6 months.  

Work Together in Community

Last week, I shared about the systemic foundations of the term "imposter syndrome." You can check it out HERE if you missed it. I also promised to talk about what's going on that makes it feel so real.

After all, the issue is not totally made up. Those that create such things to promote division often base it on something noticeable. And in this case, our bodies are indeed doing something.

In a recent group practice the Founder of Via Lucent Laurie McGinley shared that our bodies really like habits. They keep us safe...and stuck.

So when we take on that new, exciting project, our bodies can go...."WHAAAATTTTT'SSSSS GOOOOOOIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGGG OOOOOOOOOONNNNNNN?"

I've certainly felt that each time I've pivoted careers. I usually balance it out with a whole lotta research.

But as a creator, research can only go so far. At a certain point, one has to stand tall, look people in the eye, and say....

What?

For me, it's happened at several stages of developing Earth Archetypes. The framework. The tv shows. Calling myself Chief Relationship Officer, Filmmaker, and Podcast Host. Heck, editing the first 3 podcasts required me to sequester myself on a farm for days to keep myself from doing other "important" to do list items as a fear filled procrastination technique.

This all makes looking back on my convo with Lauren that much sweeter.

What is it that you want to step into?

Let's support each other. Give encouragement. Celebrate wins. Give honest feedback. Ask our questions. Help each other step into the versions of ourselves we want to gift the world. And keep walking the 3 Step Reciprocity Cyle.