Yesterday was the third day of global rituals led by The Warrior’s Call, a group of pagan dedicated to the eradication of extreme fossil fuel extraction like fracking. October 4th’s Earth Web ritual was designed to create a world-wide network of protection against fracking via a sigil net. While my land is not yet threatened directly by fracking, it is being threatened by a possible gas pipeline in the near future. Our town has been fighting this on a local level, but I figure adding a bit of mojo to our efforts wouldn’t hurt.
After completing the ritual, I strolled under a chestnut tree. Looking down, I spied dozens of glossy nuts (some having been sampled by squirrels) and popped five relatively unchewed ones into my bag. I was also lucky enough to find one whose outer shell had only partially opened. The chestnut became my touchstone, a ritual anchor, holding the memory of the Earth Web rite and feeling the return flow of blessings from the Earth as we fight to protect her. As a symbol, it personifies the defense of valuable resources. Feeling its spiny husk in my hand, I thought about some of the prickliest people I know, and how they are much like a chestnut–pokey and a bit rough on the outside, but sweet and slightly nutty once you get past their defenses. Those spikes are there for a reason, the flesh within being too tender to defend itself.
Humanity has bored its way past the Earth’s natural defenses, though her rocky skin to tap the black blood of a million years’ sunlight. She doesn’t have another way to defend herself. It’s up to us to become the spiky hull and stop the reckless extraction of fossil fuels, be it though protests, lifestyle changes, or magickal acts. It’s so easy to become discouraged and apathetic, but we can’t afford that luxury any more. Stop passively absorbing the horror of the inevitable decline we now face. Yes, be informed, but do not become paralyzed. The smallest amount of action, no matter how imperfect, reaches further than reading a hundred blog posts or listening to a thousand pundits.
“The fish trap exists because of the fish. Once you’ve gotten the fish you can forget the trap. The rabbit snare exists because of the rabbit. Once you’ve gotten the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words exist because of meaning. Once you’ve gotten the meaning, you can forget the words. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so I can talk with him?”
― Zhuangzi
Be the chestnut. Save our world.
The Druid's Well 
“I thought about some of the prickliest people I know, and how they are much like a chestnut–pokey and a bit rough on the outside, but sweet and slightly nutty once you get past their defenses.”
Only slightly? 😛
“The smallest amount of action, no matter how imperfect, reaches further than reading a hundred blog posts or listening to a thousand pundits.”
^this.
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Yes, only slightly. 😉
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