#nature

« The gardener working under my window is an admirer of the world. He doesn’t think in terms of ‘producing’ plants. He cultivates. He helps grow that which exists without him. He doesn’t create, doesn’t build; he takes care of. Hence his humbleness. […] Plants often outdo him; he doesn’t feel shame or bitterness, but rather the dignity of belonging. »

— Chantal Delsol, La haine du monde

« […] Were it not for the way you taught me to look
at the world, to see the life at play in everything,
I would have to be lonely forever. »

― Ted Kooser, “Mother” in Delights and Shadows

The world is spending at least $1.8 trillion every year on subsidies driving the annihilation of wildlife and a rise in global heating, according to a new study, prompting warnings that humanity is financing its own extinction.

From tax breaks for beef production in the Amazon to financial support for unsustainable groundwater pumping in the Middle East, billions of pounds of government spending and other subsidies are harming the environment […]. This government support, equivalent to 2% of global GDP, is directly working against the goals of the Paris agreement and draft targets on reversing biodiversity loss, the research on explicit subsidies found, effectively financing water pollution, land subsidence and deforestation with state money.

The authors, who are leading subsidies experts, say a significant portion of the $1.8tn could be repurposed to support policies that are beneficial for nature and a transition to net zero, amid growing political division about the cost of decarbonising the global economy.

“Nature is declining at an alarming rate, and we have never lived on a planet with so little biodiversity,” [the former head of the UN climate change convention] said. “[…] The report highlights how redirecting, repurposing, or eliminating subsidies could make an important contribution to unlocking the $711 billion required each year to halt and reverse the loss of nature by 2030 as well as the cost of reaching net zero emissions.”

— The Guardian, “World spends $1.8tn a year on subsidies that harm environment, study finds”

Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn.

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Many fairies are linked to just one tree or plant, or to a group of trees. Trees are extremely special - a fact recognized by the Native Americans, who call them “The Standing People”. Often you will come upon a tree and be very aware of its spirit, which is usually warm, wise, and welcoming; it can be very healing to be close to such trees. Occasionally, however, a tree may be not to well disposed towards humans (as the hobbits found in “The Lord of The Rings with Old Man Willow), and then it is best to keep your distance.

In times gone by,the earth was covered in forest, and when we go deep into the woodland, we really are in the presence of beings that are unutterably ancient, for all the accumulated wisdom of the ages is embodied in each tree. The primeval forest is also a metaphor for our unconscious, our deepest and most primitive impulses and yearnings. Tree fairies can teach us a great deal about ourselves, if we have the courage to listen. When we are alone in nature we are able to hear our own thoughts and feelings more clearly, and it is easier to be trustful with ourselves.

Long ago, many trees were considered to be the home of oracles, with deity whispering through the leaves.

The Fairy Triad

Oak,ash,and thorn are termed the Fairy Triad,and where three grow, fairies can easily be seen. Many fairies are reputed to live in the majestic oak,and to feel one is to risk the wrath of the Old Gods- namely,fairies. Druid worship took place in groves,and the oak grove was especially sacred. Ash may be used to protect against fairies,when carried as a staff or wand, but also offers a potential gateway between the worlds,as it was the tree upon which the Norse god Odin hung, to gain the secret of the runes. The twisted shape of hawthorn is magical indeed,especially when growing near a  barrow mound or in groups of three. It is courting disaster to damage such a tree, and even dozing beneath one may be to risk fairy displeasure.Like much of nature, trees have been abused. Always proceed with respect  for trees in order to retain the goodwill of the Fairy Folk.

Do this meditation outside, if you can find a quiet spot. All the natural scents and sounds will intensify your experience. However, it is very important that you should not be disturbed.

Method

1. Start by relaxing completely. Close your eyes and either imagine the actual place where you are sitting/lying or that you are somewhere else in Nature. Take the time to see this in detail. If you are using the place where you are, do not be surprised if it changes in some way.
2. Around you there are soft sounds of rustling and scuffling. The undergrowth seems to be moving here and there,this way and that, as if there are creatures within it. Each time you turn around to get a better look, the movement seems to stop. You feel that you are being watched by curious eyes.
3. The vegetation around you is becoming indistinct. You realize a soft gray mist is rising from the ground,slowly obscuring all that you see. Up, up goes the mist, around and above you, until you find yourself in a bell jar of whiteness. Peace surrounds you, and you wait patiently.
4. Now the mist is clearing in front of you, revealing a different scene entirely. You see there is a forest path,dark and over-arched by thick branches, winding deep into the heart of the woodland. You know that you must take this path.
5. You get up and begin to walk into the tunnel of green. Bird calls echo overhead. The air is still and cool, and there is a scent of moss and soil. The earth beneath your feet is springy and even, although the forest grows thick on both sides. As you walk, you are aware that the undergrowth on either side of the path is moving from time to time. Gradually you realize that beings are walking alongside you. As you walk on, they become clearer and clearer, until you can see their faces and fairy forms.
6. Ahead you can see a dark shape looming. The earthy scent intensifies, and you realize you are approaching the mouth of a cave. You stand before it, and the beings on either side of you stand still too. Beside the path there is a flat stone. You sit on it and wait.
7. You are becoming aware of a rhythmic sound, like a heartbeat or a muffled drum. The noise is steadily getting louder, and you realize that it is the sound of footsteps approaching. You feel a little apprehensive, but notice that all your companion earth spirits are clustering expectantly at the mouth of the cave, as you also watch patiently and hopefully.
8. The sound intensifies to a steady boom, until a figure appears in the shadowed arch of the cave. This is a mighty creature,which looks as if he has been hewn from solid rock: gnarled,gray-brown, and sinewy, His feet are like tree roots and his arms like the branches of an oak, and he carries a great club over his shoulder. For a moment you feel afraid, until you notice that above his tangled beard his eyes are brown and twinkling.
9. This being squats down, and as he does so he looks much more homely. All the gnomes and nature spirits throng around him and he laughs a deep,booming laugh as they climb upon his knees and shoulders and whisper in his ear. All the while he looks sidelong at you, winking and nodding, until you approach a little closer. “Look around you.” he says, and his voice is surprisingly soft, like the rain falling on thirsty ground. “Look around,listen around,feel around!” You look about you, into the green fertile forest. “Here.”. he says, “Is where it all happens. Do you understand? All takes shape,you take shape,everything is.”
10. Thoughts rise in your mind and feelings within your heart. Ask questions of the Gnome King. Speak to him especially of your plans and ambitions, your practical difficulties, and matters to do with your home,money,and body. Ask how you can proceed in love and harmony with the earth,while finding fulfillment. Don’t be surprised if some of his answers are quite short and to the point.
11. Soon the time comes to take your leave. Do so respectfully and thankfully. Walk back along the forest path,with such of the earth spirits have chosen to accompany you. As you approach to the place where you began, see that the mist has disappeared and all is normal.Come back gradually to everyday awareness.

(ART LINK) - Rossdraws

Pōwehi: “embellished dark source of unending creation.“