Home » Get Inspired

LOVE FLOWS THROUGH ME

This poem flowed out of me today as I connected to the LOVER in me.

LOVE FLOWS THROUGH ME

In every breath, in every heartbeat, in every moment, in every second of every day,

Love flows through me

Love within & Love without

I feel the sweet nectar of Love filling & softening all of my body, inviting me to open to Life, to Love it all,

I feel myself shining, sparkling within, tingling, pleasurable sensations rushing through my body simply by connecting to the Lover in me,

What a bliss to be alive in this body, what a gift

Love from Above & Love from Below,

From the light of the stars, enlightening our darkest nights, inviting us to remember where we came from

To the warmth of the sun, brightening up our days, its soft warmth joyfully melting our hard edges, teasing our hearts to open,

Love form the Earth, our mother, our home, the great womb of Life,

gently cradling us within her protective arms, creating a membrane of Love for life to emerge,

Our great mother providing, nurturing, generously nourishing us with all of her gifts,

Pure Air, Water, Soil, the foundations for Life in its multitude of forms to flourish,

Love from the fresh, pure air,

We are surrounded with life giving substance,

A substance that awakens and infuses all of our cells with love,

Life force pouring through us, the ultimate energy of love.

Opening up like a rose to receive the gifts of love, of Life

Every breath is a blessing, every moment, a miracle, an opportunity to feel deeply the bliss of being alive in this living, breathing, dancing body,

An ocean of love flows through me, pure crystalline waters, inviting me to love all the parts of me, the light and the darkness, the shame, the fear dissipating as it is seen, felt and Loved,

Taking it all in, Feeling it all, embracing it all, loving it all,  

Every moment an opportunity to embody Love,

Love is abundant, Love is for sharing,

Love wants to speak, to express, to create beauty all around,

Love has no end, love overflows, love pours from me

Love opens my eyes and heart as I breathe in the world around me,

Love sees the beauty in everything and everyone, the universe in every being, and all that connects us into this wondrous Web of Life that is Love’s expression,

Love flows through me as it flows through you and every Living Being,

Love want to play, to savour, to wrap itself around and merge with all of LIfe,

Love feels the winds though all directions, Love from the West, Love from the North, Love from The East and the Love from the South, caressing my face, whispering love songs from distant places, uniting us through time and space. Love hears the sweetest bird songs inviting my heart to sing along, Love tickles the soft grass on my bare feet and charms me into dancing to the beat of my own song,

My love song resonates in harmony with the Earth and all beings partaking in this endless dance of Life, that has no end and no beginning, that is boundless and eternal, soft and fierce, powerful beyond measure, as is LOVE.

The LOVER in me embraces all that is with nurturing arms and invites the magic of Life to Flow,

The magic is LOVE

The Power of Intention & Attention

Our intention creates our reality.

– Wayne Dyer

Every action originates in the mind, it starts with a thought. If we are on autopilot, this process can be largely unconscious, we just run off habits of mind. However, when we become conscious of an unmet need and feel a desire for change to meet this need, that thought becomes what we refer to as an intention.

Etymology of intention : to stretch towards

From Latin in- “toward” (from PIE root *en “in”) + tendere “to stretch,” from PIE root *ten- “to stretch.”

Old French entencion “intent, purpose, aspiration; will; thought” (12c.)

Every transformative process starts with an intention. This intention often arises from a need, a longing. Something in our life isn’t aligned with who we are and what we believe in, our values and needs. When we notice this, there’s the intention to move ourselves towards what we long for, to stretch or extend towards it. To bring about change so we can experience more well-being, balance and alignment. Setting an intention can be like a course correct : noticing you are aren’t heading in a helpful place and reorientating yourself towards where you want to be, where you intend to go, what feels right for you.

An intention can be very specific such as landing your dream job or finding as soul mate and it can be more linked to qualities you want to embody, what matters to you, your purpose.

For instance: I intend to be kinder towards myself, I intend to bring more presence into my day, I wish to bring more peace in my household.

An intention holds in itself immense potential for positive transformation. It is nothing less than the voice of your soul emerging to remind you who you are and what you are here to do. An intention when nurtured, has the potential to expand well beyond what we think is possible (our minds are limited in many ways).

And how do we nurture intention? By bringing our attention, bringing our focus to it. We bring our mental energy to the intention, and more importantly, we bring our heart to it, we take care of it.

When we keeping our minds focused, our vision clear, our heart open and really embody the qualities of our intention, it starts to unfold and become our reality as we walk through life.

Intention + Attention = Transformation   

I like to think of it as Magic because it is a process that involves a lot of trust. Sometimes the outcome may surprise you, be different to what you expect. Because it is not a process of control, it is a co-creation with Life. By focusing on your intention, you begin to embody it and attract that reality. Your environment responds to the energy you emit sometimes in very creative ways, remember everything is vibration. We attract what we emit, our beliefs become our reality to an extent. Our reality is in large part constructed by how we view the world, whether through thoughts or conscious intentions.

Nature is always a great mirror to illustrate this principle. Think of the potential that there is in one tiny seed. With the right conditions (fertile soil, water, sunshine, etc.) and the right care, a tiny acorn can become a great oak!

 

“An intention is the budding flower given life by all of the underlying thoughts, words, and actions in the rich soil below the surface. Intention gains its true power through the focus of your attention on what you may do in the present moment to bring your intention into physical manifestation. Attention energizes and intention transforms… Whatever you put your attention on will grow stronger in your life. Whatever you take your attention away from will wither, disintegrate and disappear.” – Deepak Chopra

 

Whereas an intention describes something that you desire to take place in the future, your attention is what you can do right now to make that intention a reality.

 

It can first help to formulate an intention, reflect or journal on why this is really important for you and visualise it manifested to embody its energy. To empower your intention, you can take a few moments to focus on it in your daily practice. And also at the end of the day perhaps notice moments in which you honoured it.

The Web of Life – A work that Reconnects meditation

Do you walk through life with deep appreciation and awareness of everything that sustains your life? The Earth that carries you, the air that fills you with life energy, the soil that nourishes you, the sun that warms you, the trees that offer cool, fresh air, timeless beauty and wisdom, your numberless ancestors laying the foundations on which you rest, billions of years of evolution weaved into your body, brain, nervous system. Who we are and what we do today as a species will determine the foundations on which future generations lay on for better or worse.

Imagine if we actually evolved daily with awareness of and reverence for this interconnectedness, the world today would look pretty different… it is time to integrate this knowledge and let it be our compass as we move forward in these chaotic times.

Here’s a meditation to integrate awareness of this interconnectedness inspired by Joanna Macy’s amazing work.

Live with the world inside of you, appreciating the rich heritage you inherited simply by being Human now and create conditions nurturing the well-being of future generations.

Marjorie Lumet on Instagram: “The Web of Life meditation Inspired by Joanna Macy – The Work that Reconnects This meditation invites us to sense deeply our…”

#interconnectedness #protectingLife

Acting in Service of Life

How are you acting in service to Life as this beautiful butterfly is?

Business as Usual, the industrial growth society so many of us are evolving in today is clearly no longer sustainable. With the latest IPCC report there’s no denying this fundamental truth and the challenging present and consequently large scale life-threatening future we’ve created for ourselves and all living beings. As human beings we need to live in a radically different way for complex life forms to continue. We need to stop doing anything that is harmful to the greater web of life which we belong to, change radically our belief systems and engage in life-sustaining behaviours. This is certainly no easy task. It requires great awakening, inner and outer transformation, freeing ourselves of past conditioning and dysfunctional belief systems, creating new ones, and tremendous bravery and supportive communities as we step into not knowing and creating a new way.

At my micro, humble level, with determination and at times hope, joy, confusion, insecurity, fear and plenty of not knowing, learning and exploring I’ve committed to walk along this path of transformation. I am opening up my antennas to those that are agents of change that I can learn from. I am open to discover how I can contribute and engage in this Great Turning that is asked from us all. I don’t have the answers but my purpose drives me: “being the nurturing arms that invite the magic of life to flow”

I am blessed that so, so many are further along this path than me, that there’s so much collective wisdom I can draw in, so much ancestral knowledge, many open minds and hearts, goodness and inspiration. I feel so much gratitude, it is so empowering to realise that we never walk alone but with a collective of light warriors who care about acting in service to Life.

Citing some of my recent inspiration below, certainly not exhaustive. Please feel free to share yours so we can harvest more collective wisdom here?

#mindfulness #spiritualecology #activehope #extinctionrebellion #workthatreconnects #transalquilmia #treesisters #demeditatietuin #pachamamaalliance #roseauxdansants #plukcsa #getdowngetdirty #ecofeminism #offgridliving #kaskantine #resurgencetrust #icanchangetheworldwithmytwohands #nayanature

Autumn Equinox Gathering – Tend to the Fire Within – 22 September from 18h to 22h

Let’s gather together to welcome and celebrate the Autumn Equinox.
After buzzing, bountiful, blissful, bustling summer adventures, we are landing back into our daily routines. The sun and warmth are still lingering to the delight of many (and the despair of other living beings yearning for rain). As the daily amount of light continues to decrease, we are slowly but surely invited to move inwards, to begin to slow down as we move into autumn. Energetically speaking we are already in autumn. The energy of the trees and plants is retrieving inwards and downwards, animals are harvesting and preparing for winter.
We can sometimes forget we are part of this natural world unfolding, but deep inside we know how intrinsically interconnected we are to it and how wise it is to follow its rhythms that support our own existence in every way. Becoming totally out of sync with these rhythms (as modern, fast-paced life often is) harms our environment and threatens our own health and wellbeing.
Let’s gather and remember this wisdom that we once lived by, that we still hold deep within for our own well-being and the vitality of our community and natural surroundings.
Join me for an evening to honour the Autumn Equinox, this moment of transition that, as any moment of change, brings with it an opportunity for awakening and transformation.
Together we will engage in practices to honour the seasons, to tune in to what is present within and around us, to what wants to be known, to reflect in meditation and share together in community, in circle.
What you can expect?
– Gratitude practices for the abundance of what we have received and harvested, for the gifts and lessons learned
– Releasing ceremony to let go of what is no longer serving our growth and the world around us
– Nature connection practice to listen deeply, intuitively & gather wisdom from the Life around us
– Clarifying, setting intentions and voicing what we want to embody or create in the forthcoming period
We will engage in practices inside and outside, meditations & visualisations as well as group/pair inquiry practices & explorations, circle sharing, ritual and ceremony, including moments of song and/or dance. The flow of the day and many practices are sourced from or inspired by The Work that Reconnects * to which I weave into my own unique experiences, creativity and grounding in mindfulness.
Practical Details
Registrations: send an email to marjorie@experiencemindfulness.nl by 18th September to reserve your spot. An email will follow up with practical and payment details.
Date: 22 September 2022
Time: 18h – 22h (including some autumn delicacies, everyone is invited to bring something to share)
Location: Embodied Empowerment (in a cosy wooden cabin surrounded by trees on the Sloterplas lake)
Price : €60 euros
In the spirit of conscious contribution, as well as openness through hopefully accommodating diverse social groups, I am happy to accept student/low income fee /exchange of services so please do get in touch if you are interested but cannot pay total amount or if you have something specific to offer.
* The Work that Reconnects is sourced from the vision and teachings of Joanna Macy and supports us to develop our well-being & vitality, our inner resources and community in the face of uncertainty around social and ecological transition. The Work that Reconnects offers a rich variety of profound psychological and spiritual practices inspiring a shift in consciousness and transforming our denial or helplessness into empowered, creative and collaborative action. These practices are interwoven in a dynamic Spiral structure across the following 4 stages: Coming from Gratitude, Honouring Our Pain for the World, Seeing with New and Ancient Eyes, and Going Forth.

A few days living in an off-grid eco-community with my girls

 

Back in Amsterdam after a 7-week summer break filled with adventure, nature, wonder, community & blissful shared moments.
After enjoying the Mediterranean sea, we hiked and meandered through the breath-taking Pyrenees and we spent the last days of our holiday in a small, cosy ecovillage in SW France “La Ferme Légère”. They are living “off grid” on a beautiful farm totally renovated in an ecological way and completely autonomous in energy, water and vegetables. La Ferme Légère (https://fermelegere.greli.net/) facilitate many workshops on food, water, energy autonomy as well as retreats around “The Work that Reconnects”. This is how I ended up there through my friend Sylvie Chasselay who lives there and trained with me as a Work that Reconnects facilitator last autumn.
It was special to experience this lifestyle with my girls and the first time we had an immersive experience in an eco-community together : we slept in Sylvie’s beautiful yourte, made our own delicious sourdough bread, our cheese, took care of the many animals there, helped in the huge vegetable garden, mixed up different textures to create nourishing soil for seedlings we planted, we harvested and enjoyed delicious vegetables and fruit, helped prepare meals for large groups in the kitchen cooked on woodfire and with solar ovens. We could participate in and witness eco-construction as they were adding a ceiling to the bakery (with the plan to bake bread for the neighbourhood as an additional source of revenue). We learnt about the healing properties of many plants and flowers which we identified during a foraging walk and in a short time we learnt tons about macerating flowers, roots & leaves in oil or alcohol and made some of our own healing balms. We had many moments of sharing our feelings and thoughts about various topics in community with a large group of adults and children as young as 3 participating.
Here’s a little glimpse into some moments there as I was mainly without my phone (and one of the few there with a Smartphone…). See the video here Ferme Legere
I was grateful to have a taste of this experience with my girls. It certainly sparked some reflection in them and it inspires me to do my best to live in a more conscious and harmonious way … as challenging as it is in a city and a fast-paced society where living in harmony with the Earth isn’t the norm … yet:)

Active Hope – The Cairn of Mourning practice

I am currently following a training with Chris Johnstone & Madeleine Young to facilitate Active Hope Circles. This training will come to an end before the summer and it is my intention to start hosting regular Active Hope Circles in Amsterdam in the near future .

I shared the “Cairn of Mourning” practice together with one fellow trainee last week.

This practice in essence consists in spending some time (ideally outdoors) reflecting on the following question: What is being lost in our world that you mourn for?

As strange as it may seem for the uninitiated, having a space to mourn and share our pain for the world is perhaps the most powerful way to wake up and feel our interconnectedness, to start healing individually and collectively and to free us to take meaningful action or to continue doing so without burning out.

In this post, I wish to share with you some of what came up for me in this particular Cairn of Mourning practice I did recently. Sharing this is a gift to the Life within and around us. So here goes, prepare the tissues …

I mourn the loss of fresh air, clean water and healthy soil. I mourn the loss of purity of air, water, earth that we as humans have caused through our industries adding toxicity to all that is offered to us, sustaining our Life. I mourn that instead of appreciating and taking care, being guardians of these amazing elemental offerings we suffocate Life including our own human bodies made mostly of water, air and earth. I mourn the loss of vitality, the destruction of habitat, the disappearance of species happening at an unprecedented rate, almost 1000 times quicker than before we humans appeared. I mourn that these species aren’t properly mourned, that they disappear in a huge silence in the midst of our frenetic lives often unfolding in corporate towers through all sorts of digitalised devices.

I mourn that our activity and way of life has destroyed most wild mammals, 83% are the latest statistics I remember. I mourn that our once beautiful oceans are now overfished and full of toxic plastic that will linger there for hundreds of years. I mourn the loss of over half of the world’s colourful and magnificent corals due to the warming ocean, the loss of 90% of big fish and countless others.

I mourn that we spend more time on screens than outdoors. I mourn that we are so busy and disconnected that we barely take the time to pause and feel deeply what is happening to our world. I mourn our loss of freedom, we have become slaves to systems and modes of consumerism that do not serve us and are largely destructive. I mourn the many humans who suffer the consequences of “modern” lifestyles, the poor, the oppressed, the displaced, the indigenous people, the victims of climate change, of conflict, of discrimination.

beginner'smindI mourn the loss of wilderness, the loss of untouched natural spaces where one can go and not hear a human sound or the sound of some human-made machine for days. I mourn the melting ice, the flooded regions, disappearing under the rising oceans, the many lush and ancient forests being burned away, the desertification of so many regions losing their natural fertility due to rising temperatures, the loss of habitats, the loss of beauty, the loss of softness, the loss of feminine values, the oppression of the feminine, the disrespect of women who are sacred givers of Life, the loss of value we place in care and nurturing, the loss of treading lightly on this beautiful planet that is our mother, the source of all Life. I mourn the loss of life, the destruction of Life that we are causing directly through violence and wars or indirectly through the modern industrial lives we have created and come to think of as normal.

I mourn with all the fellow humans who have the courage to stop, to feel how much they really care. I mourn the loss of intimacy and community and places to mourn as well as places to celebrate, give thanks and rejoice through song and dance.

I mourn that we suppress and numb feelings of helplessness, despair, fear, sadness grief when faced with the state of our world. These feelings are natural and healthy, they make us human. Feeling them allows life intelligence to flow. It takes a lot of energy to suppress and numb then and cuts us off from our power to respond appropriately to the challenges we face.

I mourn the loss of meaning of what it means to be alive, to be a human at this particular time, to belong to this world.  

What is it that is being lost in the world that you mourn? I would like to hear and receive that and make space for your process. I know how much moving through our pain opens us to Life.

Our mourning is natural and healthy. Our tendency to resist pain is dangerous. Through numbing our pain, we cut ourselves from our life energy and our ability to respond appropriately to the challenges we face.. It is very draining to suppress difficult emotions & overtime causes dysfunction and disease.  When we allow ourselves to feel it all, Life flows again in us and all around, our hearts break open, we get in touch with the depth of our longing and from this incredible creativity can arise.

 

 

 

The Great Turning Towards Life – Summer Solstice Gathering on 20th June

The Great Turning is the name for the essential adventure of our time : moving away from an Industrial Growth Society that is incompatible with life on this planet to a Life-sustaining Society. This shift is happening and gaining momentum through the actions of countless individuals and groups around the world.
photo credits : Noah Buscher
We invite you to join us and celebrate this turning towards Life together at this special moment of the year. During the Summer Solstice, Life is at its peak and nature is abundant. Our own projects may be showing signs of blossoming or perhaps our motivation to create, serve and take action is rising substantially.
During this evening we’ll hold a nurturing space in which you can explore where you are called to in this Great Turning, honouring your unique longings & gifts and deepening your contributions. This vibrant time of year invites us to rise fully into who we are, who we are becoming and what wants to be born through us.
Our intention during this evening is to offer a space for support, celebration & inspiration as well as community sharing to nourish and empower us as we move forth into the Great Turning.
We (Marjorie and Suzanne) have connected through this beautiful course we are both following at the moment “The Great Turning Experiment” from the Findhorn community. The Great Turning Experiment. All the precious learnings and community received there have energised and inspired us to host this evening together, share our own journey and insights from the course.
Marjorie draws her inspiration mainly from the work of Joanna Macy (The Work that Reconnects) and Suzanne from the teachings of Michaël Derkse (pioneer and expert in transformation, founder of Pulsar Visie). We’ll be weaving some foundational practices from these sources into our evening together whilst bringing our own unique flavour to these.
You can expect an empowering and inspiring evening with:
• Deeper insight into your own journey and contributions to The Great Turning
• Celebrating the Summer Solstice and abundance of life and light
• Space to explore as a community our grief and concern for the world. Moving through these feelings opens up the door to deep connection and creativity.
• Connection & community as you navigate through this Great Turning.
“The most remarkable feature of this historical moment on Earth is not that we are on the way to destroying our world – we’ve actually been on that way for quite a while. It is that we are beginning to wake up, as from a millenia-long sleep, to a whole new relationship to our world, to ourselves and each other. This awakening makes the Great Turning possible.” – Joanna Macy, Coming Back to Life
Practical Details
Registrations : send an email to marjorie@experiencemindfulness.nl
Date: 20 June 2022
Time: 17h30 – 22h (including a potluck dinner, everyone brings something)
Location: Embodied Empowerment, Christoffel Plantijngracht 6,
1065 DA Amsterdam Nieuw-West
In the spirit of conscious contribution, as well as openness through hopefully accommodating diverse social groups, we are offering this evening on a sliding scale.
• €90 support fee (enabling us to offer student/low income fee)
• €60 standard fee
• €30 student / low income fee,-.

Spring Equinox Spiral – The Work that Reconnects

 

Note : This workshop is offered in English language. Both facilitators also speak Dutch if occasional translation is needed or you are more comfortable expressing yourself in Dutch.

What will we do

To celebrate the Spring Equinox and the transition into Spring, we will immerse in a full day journey of the Work that Reconnects.

This work is based on the vision and teachings of Joanna Macy and supports us to develop our well-being & vitality, our inner resources and community in the face of uncertainty around social and ecological transition. The Work that Reconnects offers a rich variety of profound psychological and spiritual practices inspiring a shift in consciousness and transforming our denial or helplessness into empowered, creative and collaborative action. These practices are interwoven in a dynamic Spiral structure across the following 4 stages:

1) Coming from Gratitude,

2) Honouring Our Pain for the World,

3) Seeing with New and Ancient Eyes,

4) Going Forth.

During our day together we will propose a series of practices that are an invitation to explore these four steps through our imagination, intuition, emotions and creativity. This will help us to restore our sense of belonging to nature so we can find the strength and clarity to better define the role we can and wish to play in a social and ecological transition.

Benefits

Join us for a day of deep connection with self, others and Nature, which will leave you feeling resourced, energised and inspired to live in a balanced and harmonious way with all of Life.

For whom

For everyone who is concerned with the current state of the world and wishes to put their energy towards the creation of a life-sustaining society.

Everyone is welcome, whether you are familiar or new to this work, engaged with social and ecological work, aspiring to engage, or simply craving some time for yourself to recharge your batteries.

Facilitators Marjorie Lumet & Annette Wijbrans

This work was passed on to both of us during a Work that Reconnects facilitator training in the fall of 2021 by Roseaux Dansants & Transalquimia; two organizations that continue the Work in the same line as its root teacher, Joanna Macy.

Marjorie Lumet

I’ve been facilitating mindfulness trainings for 8 years, guiding others to awaken to the fullness of each moment. As a nature lover who feels rising concern around the ecological crisis, I was however missing a more engaged form of mindfulness. I also became well aware how much being outdoors in a mindful way was so essential to our vitality & well-being.

The Work that Reconnects is a deep work that encompasses all these dimensions of mindfulness, nature connection, meaningful community as well as engagement in service of Life. It is a real honour to be able to share this beautiful body of work around me.

Annette Wijbrans

I’m a member of the scouting association ‘les Eclaireurs de la Nature’, in Grenoble, France, where I live and organize nature outings and summer camps for children and young people, with the goal of helping them find a way to live comfortably in Nature, find their place in the world and to learn mindfulness.

I’m also a student in the realm of medicinal and edible plants, which for me is a way to profoundly connect to the natural world, through reciprocity and gratitude. Practicing the teachings of Joanna Macy in daily life helps me find the strength to sustain the gaze of the suffering in our world and helps me to strive for a more life-sustaining direction of our society.

Practicalities & Price

In the spirit of conscious contribution, as well as openness through hopefully accommodating diverse social groups, there is no fixed price tag for this event. Decide for yourself if you are able to pay 30, 60, 90 euros for this full day event. Part of your contribution will go towards Voedsel Park Amsterdam to support organic local food, local nature and biodiversity, check it out here  Home – Voedselpark Amsterdam, more information will be shared on the day.

There will be some snacks on offer but please bring your own lunch and anything you wish to share with the group.

 

Indigenous Wisdom – Gratitude to all that sustains us as a way of life

“Every being has a sacred duty to protect the welfare of our mother earth from whom all life comes” – chief Leon Shenandoah
photo credits : Noah Buscher
In The Work That Reconnects, we start our journey through the Spiral with Coming from Gratitude.
To be truly grateful, to live in appreciation firstly we need to be present and actually pause to feel the many gifts that the moment offers. Gratitude opens us to receive these gifts and allows us to remain grounded and stable in uncertainty. Gratitude is a deeply nourishing state that strengthens our capacity to rise to the many challenges we face.
In many indigenous cultures there are important rituals and practices to cultivate gratitude. Something that is sadly mostly lost in our modern industrial society relying to an extent on human chronic dissatisfaction and greed to fuel consumption and economic growth (largely detrimental to the natural world).
In the Haudenosaunee Native American culture, gratitude is at the essence of their way of life. Before every meeting or gathering, the Haudenosaunee give thanks to everything that surrounds and sustains their wellbeing. Animals, trees, plant life, medicinal herbs, water, etc. are all considered as part of their extended family and referred to as Mother Earth, brother Sun, Grandmother moon. Every day is thanksgiving and words of thanks are “the words that come before all else.”
Awe
Here is a version of this Thanksgiving address published by the Mohawks
“The People
Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living things. So now, we bring our minds together as one as we give greetings and thanks to each other as People. Now our minds are One.
The Earth Mother
We are thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we need for life. She supports our feet as we walk upon her. It gives us joy that she continues to care for us as she has from the beginning of time. To our Mother, we send greetings and thanks, Now our minds are one. “
In the Autumn of 1977, The Haudenosaunee travelled to a UN conference to share both a prophecy and warning referred to as “Basic Call to Consciousness”. In this address the following paragraph was contained : “The original instructions direct that we who walk about on Earth are to express a great respect, an affection and a gratitude towards all the spirits which create and support Life. We give a greeting and thanksgiving to the many supporters of our own lives : the corn, beans ,squash, the wind, the sun. When people cease to respect and express gratitude for these many things, then all life will be destroyed and human life on this planet will come to an end.” …
– text adapted from Active Hope by Joanna Macy & Chris Johnstone