Our world is grievously sick. Our cultures and communities are sick. We ourselves have embodied those wounds of that sickness. To restore balance in our world we must take up these ancient contracts again. We must learn to honor the Holy Powers, the Elemental Powers, and the ancestors once more. We must re-learn respect. It's not so hard a thing. It begins with the smallest of epiphanies. It begins with listening to the song of the mountain and honoring it. It's truly not a burdensome job. But it is a crucial one.
For the record, am I against all mining? No. I think with moderation and respect we can all share in the earth's resources. We can partner with our mountains. We can be their voice to those who lack the sense to hear. Speak out against destructive practices like fracking. Write your state representatives. Educate your family and friends. That is mountain work too: being the voice of the mountain and carrying the reality of the need for respect and partnership into those places most hostile to the message. Fight in whatever way you can, even if only by writing a letter (words are powerful!) to protect our ancient memory keepers. It is, after all, the least that we can do, by way of reparation and by means of respect.
Like us, mountains are the descendants of our eldest ancestors, that primal being birthed from the conflagration of ice and fire and, like all Elements, they remember; and they can teach us how to do this work right.
Links of Note
Monstrous and atrocious, please read these links and decide what you can do to make your voice heard:
Friends of Brook Park Fracking Petition
Save the Water Table Fracking Petition
At least there's some hope that people are waking up:
Pittsburgh Bans Natural Gas Drilling
And here is a holy man worthy of honor. This is mountain work. This is honoring the mountain. This is a man to be honored. There is much we can learn from him and his sacrifice.
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