Stars Within the Earthfeatured

Soil health has been a passion of mine for quite some time 💚. I often think of the herd of microbes thriving beneath our feet. Trillions of bustling organisms—stars within the earth! Their light hidden in the dark richness of organic matter.

Humans spend most of their time towering above, but when we kick off our boots and place bare feet upon the ground, our hearts connect with the heartbeat of the Earth. When we hold soil tenderly in our hands, we remember a long-forgotten song, one our ancestors still sing, “Take care of the land.”

In the summer of 2017, I was on a small island in British Columbia volunteering at Hollyhock, “a holistic retreat and leadership centre dedicated to renewing the connection with self, each other, and the natural world.” While I was there being of service, soaking up rays, and frolicking in the wild Salish Sea, I heard a quote from Black Elk. I cannot recall his words verbdom, but it was something to this effect: If you want to be an environmentalist, find a place you love, then live there and take care of it.

“Pour your love into it. Your whole being” is what I heard.

This synergistic sentiment sticks to me like glue, more than glue, it is woven into who I am, and who I believe us all to be; nature itself. As we live and breathe in the natural world, we too are that very breath. It is thus our simultaneous responsibility, and joy, to discover present-moment ways of living in harmony with Mother Earth.

Black Elk’s words speak to the truest form of environmentalism; one all humans can contribute to. Wherever you live, whoever you are, you can, and you must bring about more life, beauty, and purity to the places you reside. It is your sacred duty. It is your calling. It is the only voice of reason. For you too are the stars of the earth.

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