A Little Taste of Miracle
by Clea Danaan

Even as an infant, I loved dirt. Plopped in a patch of soil, dressed only in a cloth diaper and a sunhat, I would clench this best of toys in my fat little fist, shake it up and down, and grin. My parents dreamed of homesteading, so there was plenty of dirt to be had. Our bit of heaven, a tiny cabin on a little island, came with a goat and a pair of peacocks and acres of fields to cultivate. I grew up with a garden—bugs and soil and seedlings—as a central part of my life. Now I see gardens as the key to a healthy future for our species and the earth.

Big business is taking over our food stream. Food production and transport depend on petroleum. For these reasons alone we all need a food plot of our own. But more than this, gardening heals. It returns us to the miracle of life and connects us with a truth our technological society tries to forget: we live on a planet. We depend on the same planet that our ancestors have for tens of thousands of years. A garden reminds us we are in relationship with the Earth with whom we co-create life. This reconnection with our ancient and contemporary birthright has the power to save both the planet and us.

If you didn’t grow up with a garden, a grandparent or parent who grew the best tomatoes ever, sweet off the vine and tangy with the summer sun, then your first gardening experience probably involved a Dixie cup, some dirt, and a handful of dried beans. Your first garden flourished in the windowsill of your kindergarten classroom. Though you were probably unaware, those little cups connected you to the land, human history, and your ancestors. Those little bean plants probably didn’t grow enough food for an afternoon snack unless you were lucky to have a plot outside to transplant them, but your body knew the ancient feeling of food cultivation. Your body remembers those first mothers pressing beans into the soil to feed their families. It knows the smell of dirt, the freshness of a green leaf. Most children love to dig in the soil and plant seeds, because it’s fun—and it reconnects us with our past.

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An Interview with Clea Danaan, Author of Voices of the Earth
by Llewellyn

1. In both Sacred Land and Voices of the Earth, you speak of “green spirituality.” How exactly would you define “green spirituality?”

We are both spirit and body, manifest here on earth to learn to love and grow and evolve towards God/dess. I believe the earth offers us key insight into who we are and who the Creator is, and by tuning into the natural cycles of the earth (seasons, life, death, birth) we can grow as souls opening into God/dess. Including the earth in our spiritual practice is what I call green spirituality. This path may be a part of Paganism, Christianity, Buddhism, or another sacred path. Or all of the above! The planet does not follow a religion. It is miraculous, though, and we can participate in that miracle daily by being present to nature.

2. Another term you use is “intuitive gardening.” How do we take gardening from just the act of planting to something that is innately spiritual?

By becoming aware of the spiritual nature of the craft of gardening. The gardener actively participates in a miracle: soil microorganisms, sunlight, rain, the transformation of a seed into a plant that creates more seeds. We place our hands on these miracles. That to me is deeply spiritual.

We can also tune in more deeply to gratitude. What a blessing to be here on earth! To have food to eat, to watch something grow from seed to fruit. A garden teaches gratitude, a deeply spiritual quality.

3. For many, the idea of an earthly connection conjures up images of gardening, with hands connecting with the soil. Are there ways that we can connect to the earth besides gardening?

Playing outside. This might be fly fishing, hiking, swimming in a lake, sledding, or building fairy towns out of sticks in the backyard. Returning to play opens our creative energies. Then we can take time to slow down and listen. The earth speaks constantly, though rarely in words. By simply being in nature (from a park to wilderness) we can hear her. Once you truly hear the earth speak, your life will never be the same.

4. For you the connection to the Earth is more than just a simple appreciation. When did you first realize that you had such a strong union with the natural world?

I’ve always been a nature child. I grew up in rural areas near beaches, so my playthings were often trees, rocks, and waves. In high school I read about fairies at Findhorn, and started my own herb garden. My deepening connection grew when I began to study Reiki and magic. My connection is still growing.

5. “Going green” is the hot trend these days. However, it seems like many people do so more for the label than for the results. To you, what is the importance of being green?

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Alternative Healing from Japan
D. Davidson 

People will never stop trying to find ways to heal themselves. In the past few decades, the Western world has grown increasingly intrigued by Eastern forms of alternative healing, including those from Japan. What is the fascination with the mysterious "chi," around which these healing alternatives revolve? How can we benefit, both physically and spiritually, from that which we cannot see?

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Living Paganism and Witchcraft: Meaning, Purpose, Identity, and Integration
by Gede Parma 

Pagan, Witch, Wiccan: all of these terms are used to describe someone who follows an earth-based spiritual path. But what do they really mean? Gede Parma, author of Spirited, explains what it truly means to live life as a Pagan.

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Pluto in Scorpio Generation from an Evolutionary Point of View: “Generation We”
by Deva Green
Pluto was in Scorpio from roughly 1983 through 1995. All those that have Pluto in Scorpio will have the same core evolutionary intentions, ones of personal re-empowerment and of purging all emotional and psychological limitations that are preventing further growth. Deva Green, author of Evolutionary Astrology, details just what it means to be a part of the Pluto in Scorpio "Generation We."

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How to Ground and Center

Rite for Tarot Magic

Contacting the Archangel Uriel 

Alternative Healing from Japan

Living Paganism and Witchcraft: Meaning, Purpose, Identity, and Integration

Pluto in Scorpio Generation from an Evolutionary Point of View: “Generation We”

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