Thursday 21 April 2022

Earth Day: Our Roots Reach by Imelda Almqvist

I asked some of my friends and fellow Moon Books' authors what they were doing for Earth Day, which is on 22 April. Imelda Almqvist, author of  North Sea Water in My Veins and Medicine of the Imagination, wrote this beautiful post ahead of the day:

Our Roots Reach

For two weeks I sat out in the forest, in Sweden, daily, a spiritual practice called utiseta in Old Norse. Acutely aware of all the suffering in our world I asked the trees how they relate to an area where drastic logging had occurred. The answer was immediate and simple: “Our roots reach!” They collectively sent me a mental picture of a mycelium: underground and invisible, tree roots also make a vibrant and huge web. Like a safety net it extends, deep down in the Earth, even under areas of total devastation.

I created runes on the forest floor from twigs, anchoring illumination/enlightenment (the rune Dagaz) and also anchoring the presence of the Divine Mother witnessed by silver birch trees (the rune Bjarka or Berkana).

I sat out and reflected on what resurrection or rebirth means to me. I feel that our chances to heal the world and make it a better, fairer, balanced and more peaceful place depends on the capacity of all individuals to accept and grieve loss, to stare Death in the face yet cherish Life, to heal and transform and constantly rebirth ourselves. Giving - and forgiving - others the space to roll through intense processes of deep soul transformation too, which is not always pretty or predictable. I see that as the only way to illumination and enlightenment. I painted rune Dagaz on my forehead.

For two weeks I ran with deer (quite literally), offered both sacred tears and drops of blood to the Earth, walked snowy deer trots in the dead of night, gazed in wonder at halos around the Moon, chanted at the Bears in the Night Sky - and asked them for more stories for picture books for children. I woke up to giant crane tracks in the snow outside my window, briefly wondering if Mother Goose had stood there in the night, looking in while I slept.

I hiked out to visit forest temples, natural places of great power where I chanted the runes and performed ceremonies focussed on healing through rebirth. I asked for both personal and collective healing. I sang songs for the healing of Mother Earth, as our life-giver and Ultimate Mother. On Earth Day, I will revisit and re-power the work I did in Sweden, from London in the UK, using soul travel and linking locations.

You can view North Sea Water in My Veins on Amazon. I will be sharing more Earth Day posts tomorrow. 

Previous related posts:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/04/spells-earth-dragon-drumming-chant-for.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/03/pagan-eye-house-of-stories-by-imelda.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/06/book-excerpt-shadow-side-of-creativity.html

2 comments:

Pearl said...

What's with that very tiny baby? If that a symbol of rebirth?

Badwitch said...

It is a doll baby - not a real baby. I assumed it was a symbol of rebirth.