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I have come to Know that foraging IS a form of Prayer.
Foraging IS more than a practical means of gathering reSource(s); it IS an enchanting and enLivening pilgrimage INto connecting WITH (the) SOURCE (of Creation).
The Earth IS our ORIGINal Church and House of Worship. It’s the ORIGINal place WE HUMBLY got down on our knees IN recognition and remembrance that WE are a part of a cooperative, and that WE are a member withIN the Assembly of All of Creation. BEINg a member of this cooperative and Assembly comes with the RESPONSIBILITY to participate with care.
Foraging offers us a profound opportUNITY for communion with God. With Spirit. With Source. When WE walk barefoot on the Soil, feeling The Earth’s Heartbeat BEneath our feet, WE connect with the primal energy that sustains All Life. As WE Breathe IN the fresh Air, WE are reminded of the INvisible thread that binds us to every LivINg BEINg. The rustling Leaves, the chirping Birds, the electric impulses of the Mycelium network, buzzing BEes, fluttering wings, Flower frequency’s, and flowINg Water … All sing a song of synarchy and INterconnectedness, reminding us that WE are part of a vast and INtricate WEb of existence. A Choir of Creation.
It came to me the other day while I was face deep IN spider WEbs, scratched up from Rose thorns foraging for wild Asparagus … that when WE forage, WE get to experience the INtangible Love, Beauty, Bounty and GLORY of the Heavenly Father actualized through the tangible provision of The Earthly Mother. God impregnates Her with Life … and She impregnates us with Life. How WE continue to affirm Life IS not by abstaining from foraging … but rather foraging with reciprocity, respect and reverence.
Foraging encourages a profound sense of Gratitude for the gifts provided by The Heavenly Father and The Earthly Mother. Learning from our Earthly Family, deepens our BOND to Life itSelf BEcause it INforms and INspires a sense of BElonging, provision, care and LOVE. WE learn to cherish and respect the Natural World, acKnowledging our role as guardians, stewards and custodians of The Earth. This Gratitude extends BEyond the act of foraging, causing an INner paradigm shift and INspiring us to Live IN Harmony with the LivINg World.
Foraging INvites us to step INto the Present moment with heightened awareness. As WE walk through Forests, meadows, or along shorelines, WE BEcome attuned to the surrounding environment and the frequency at which it vibrates and operates. Each step IS INtentional, each Breath Purposeful. Through this penetrative Presence, WE learn to observe and engage with Nature IN a way that transcends the everyday hustle and bustle. The everyday automations. The act of foraging BEcomes an opportUNITY to cultivate and deepen our connection to Self, the Natural World, to God, to LIFE, to Creation.
Engaging IN foraging awakens our senses, opening doors to a rich tapestry of sensory experiences. WE BEcome attuned to the Holy orchestra of Creation. By sharpening our senses, WE heighten our awareness of the INtricate BEauty and Bounty that surrounds us and permeates every moment. This enhanced perception deepens our connection with and appreciation of the subtleties of Life that often go unnoticed, but that INvoke awe and wonder. That enLiven and enchant us. That are simply, MIRACULOUS … and therefore, INspiring (Breathing Life INto us).
BEfore foraging and harvesting anything I first and foremost INvite you to INteract with the Plant with All of your senses, IN order to connect with the Anima or Spirit of the Plant you are foraging.
Connecting with the Anima or Spirit of the Plant you are foraging IS how you come INto right relationship. How you forage with reciprocity, respect and reverence IS through the recognition and acKnowledgment of the ANIMA / Spirit of what or rather, who you are harvesting.
This IS the Language / Grammar of ANIMACY. Which speaks to the aLiveness IN everything, or rather, EVERYONE.
An Animistic orientation to Life IS always asking WHO AM I relating to? Rather than, WHAT AM I relating to? BEcause no-thing IS an INANIMATE object. Everything IS personified, BEcause everything IS aLive, BEcause everything IS ANIMA.
In language, Animacy IS an expression of "how sentient or aLive the referent of a noun IS.” When WE refer to something as "it," WE are saying that the subject IS INanimate — without feelings or agency. That “it” IS passive … rather than active, participatory and agential.
English doesn't give us many tools for INcorporating respect for Animacy. IN English, you are either a Human or a thing. Our grammar boxes us IN by reducing a nonHuman BEINg to an it. Which IS All kinds of peculiar given how much tangible evidence and proof there IS revealing that both INterspecies and INtraspecies communication occurs … not that I need proof personally. However, I respect that many do. But even then … so many are SO disconnected to their own aLiveness and therefore other BEINg’s aLiveness. When I forage, I AM continually reminded of the LIFE that IS imbued IN ALL of existence.
COMMUNION WITH THE ANIMA / SPIRIT OF THE PLANT:
Presence the Plant with your hand / touch first.
Take a few Breaths with the Plant, to come INto co-regulation, resonance and coherence with the Plant.
Sense of sight ~ taking IN the FULL spectrum of colors of the Plant
Sense of smell ~ taking IN the aroma, essence and fragrance of the plant (noticing how it INteracts with your olfactory system ~ which represents One of the oldest sensory modalities IN the phylogenetic History /Herstory of Mammals)
Sense of hearing ~ taking IN any subtle soundscapes that vibrate from the Plant
Sense of touch ~ running your fingers across the different parts of the Plant
Sense of taste ~ tasting just One petal, One Fruit or One stem
Once you have connected with the Anima or Spirit of the Plant you are foraging by engaging All of your senses ... take a moment to ask the plant for PERMISSION / for its Blessing for you to forage it.
Asking permission slows us down to reflect on the fact that WE are fundamentally disrupting and impeding on a Life. On an ecosystem. It INvites us to LISTEN MORE. How can you listen to what the Plants have to say? To what the Plants are telling you and teaching you?
They are your Ancestors. They are your Kin. your Brothers and Sisters. Related through and by Water, the Blood of The Earth and by Spirit, The Breath of God.
It can BE as simple as: “may I recieve this offering?” Then await a response, which Will BE received INtuitively. Once you have received a response from the Anima / Spirit of the Plant, SINCERELY and WholeHeartedly thank the Plant for it’s Grace and generosity and then you can start to forage.
Forage with INTENTION. Forage with virtue. Take as much as you Will make use of (and not more). Forage with gentle and Loving hands. If there are other BEINgs on what you are foraging (like Ants, Ladybugs, Beetles and so on) leave the Plant and the BEINgs as they are.
Ensure that you give THANKS again to The Earth for Her offerings and provision upon completing your foraging.
I also frequently sing as I forage, continually affirming thank you, thank you, thank you, through my song. This enriches and elevates the Holiness of the experience even more. So if you feel the call, aaaaaaanswer it.
Notice: what IS the orientation you have when foraging?
Are you recieving the Gifts of The Earth (with reverence and respect)? Or, are you taking the Gifts of The Earth (with dominion and disrespect)?
At first glance, the Words "taking" and "receiving" may seem INterchangeable, however IN reality, they have very different energetic signatures.
As Humans who have BEen colonized, and who have a colonized consciousness to whatever degree, WE can unconsciously go from receiving what IS BEINg offered, to TAKING without consideration. Humans have BEcome and are disconnected from the reciprocal relationship WE share with Nature and INstead are driven by a modus operandi of accumulation and hoarding.
When WE take something, We are exerting our Will to acquire something that We BElieve WE need or Desire IN order to fill our percieved deficiency. It IS an action that comes from a place of lack or scarcity - WE are taking something BEcause WE feel WE do not have enough and therefore like WE need to overcompensate or hoard.
On the other hand, when WE receive something, WE are operating from the Truth of our INnate WELLth, INHERitance, fortune and provision and simply, allowing for its arrival.
Recognizing The Earth as our ORIGINal church INspires a deep sense of stewardship. When WE recognize the Natural World as sacred and ANIMATE / ANIMATED, WE are compelled to protect it, nurture it, and Live IN Harmony with its delicate ecosystems. This perspective encourages us to adopt regenerative practices and to cultivate a reciprocal, respectful and reverential relationship with The Earth and All of Her INhabitants.
Reciprocity, IN its essence, teaches WE about the profound responsibility WE have towards Nature and the INterconnected WEb of Life. It IS the INnerstanding that WE are not separate from Nature, but rather INtegral participants IN a complex system of give and recieve (NOT TAKE & TAKE). When WE take from Nature, WE are taking from ourSelves. When WE extract from Nature, WE are extracting from ourSelves. When WE disrespect Nature, WE are disrespecting ourSelves. When WE exhaust Nature’s reSource(s), WE exhaust our own.
Foraging IS just as much a practise of coming INto right relationship with The Earth, as it IS with Self, for there IS no separation. If you are to respect and HONOR the Earth’s reSource(s), you must also learn to respect and Honor your own. WE must All do, and more importantly, BE this, together.
Honoring reciprocity means INnerstanding the INterdependence of All Life forms and the delicate dance of giving and receiving that occurs IN the Natural World. A delicate dance that promotes WELLBEINg and affirms Life & continual Creation.
Amen.
Faithfully yours IN God’s Truth,
Anja
