Earth Pathways Showcase

All Life is responding to its own essential energy and whatever is brought to this essential energy grows, multiplies and manifests. The more I consciously strengthen my realisation of this, the more I seek to strengthen my connection to the positive threads of my thinking, and the more I acknowledge the living interconnected web of the Life Force. Everything multiplies and everything changes with every connection I make, whether it is through my thoughts, my words or my actions. Whatever I give my attention to will grow.

We are the quintessential Unity of the Life Force. We are the Oneness. We are of the essential energy of Life. There is no separation at the level of energy. Our core energy simultaneously extends inwards as well as outwards, and we influence how we interact with the world around ourselves and therefore what comes back to us. As we strengthen the changes in ourselves, the world changes with us. We are all responsible for what happens next.

Whatever We Give Our Attention To Will Grow. Extract: Between the Worlds © Glennie Kindred 2022

Connection to wild Nature is a subversive act of personal reclaiming and empowerment and helps us to reset and begin new life-affirming cycles. Spending time outside in any natural environment changes us. Being with trees, or by flowing water, or climbing high to look out over far-reaching views, shifts our thinking. We breathe more deeply, we slow down and let go of the busy edges that fuel so much of our adult lives. Being in wild nature resets us if we allow it in. Filtering through our intuitive senses, it sparks them into life, awakens our heart’s intelligence.

When we still our busy overstimulated minds and drop into our heart space, we expand into relationship. Once there, what might we receive? What might we understand at the deep heart-level of interconnectivity? Here lies the edge, the bridge, waiting to be crossed, the beginning of the journey between the worlds of the known, and the vast interconnected unity of the possible.

Subverting Our Conditioning © Glennie Kindred 2022

Standing at the threshold of
deeply interconnected life
Opening to my own wise self
and my co-operative longing
I am reaching out and reaching in
Inviting communion
Expanding beyond this surface reality
to embrace a deeper kinship
Alive with belonging
Alive with connectivity and receptivity
Alive with the call of
the seen and the unseen…
Between the worlds I expand
into joyful relationship
There is no separation
All is connected
I am awake.

Standing at the Threshold © Glennie Kindred 2022

We are being triggered from deep within; to reach out and reach in;
To find ever deeper levels of connection
To each other and to the natural world around us.
We are reaching out with our hearts... Alive to possibilities, and
Open to levels of communication with trees, plants, and animals
That we had previously thought impossible.
Worlds within Worlds... Connections ripple... Energy shifts...
Our hearts open and we bow our heads in deep respect.

A heart that is filled with gratitude sends healing energy
To giver and receiver alike.
We are waking up and responding to a deep internal call
To change our relationship with Nature;
To give something back; to stop demanding of the Earth,
And to say thank you.
From there, made compassionate by humility, we ask the Earth
“What can I do for you?”

Between The Worlds © Glennie Kindred 2021

I am seeking out those off the beaten track places where I can feel myself open and form a bond with the spirits of the place, with trees, rocks, springs and clearings. I welcome this sense of ‘presence’ that changes me when I am there. The Genius Loci of the land has always been there. It is us who lost our way, and it is us, by dropping the old confines of separation that have set us apart, who are re-finding our bond with the land once again. What if our every thought either opens or closes the flow of energy we receive? What if each time we let our heart open to something, we expand, and are able to enter into the complex, interconnected web of life, alive with multi-dimensional possibilities? Do we increase communication with life by being open to that increase?

I feel my heart reaching for sacred partnership with the land. I stand at the threshold, with a smile in my heart, and an ever-deepening sense of belonging; sensing the integration that is possible, and the huge and infinite relationship and resolution that begins now with each and every one of us, who dares to step into the flow of integrated life.

A Bond With the Land © Glennie Kindred 2020

Using our power as ethical consumers is a political act and an act of creative change and influence. When we stop supporting the industries that are causing environmental problems and use our money to support those who are not, we become part of the change we wish to see happen. We become part of the solution.

From our everyday lifestyle choices, from the food we eat, to the things we buy for our homes, to our choice of transport and our awareness of air-miles, we create a new future that protects the Earth and her eco- systems. We have to ask ourselves: Who are we supporting with our money? What are we supporting with our money? Do we support those who have no care for the Earth, or do we support those who do, who are farming ethically and trading fairly, supporting their workers and protecting the environment? One by one, each of us adds our weight as an ethical consumer, to collectively influence what happens next, and create new beneficial cycles of change.

Shopping locally will create an increase and greater diversity of local resources and availability, and support people in your local community. Shopping ethically will keep our money out of the hands of big corporations. The more people who choose to take this route, the faster the beneficial changes will grow and the Earth will begin to recover.

As Ethical Consumers © Glennie Kindred 2020

The movement towards caring for our unique and astoundingly beautiful Earth grows every day, and this gives me hope for the future. I know that I am just one of many people making this journey, and I align myself, my kinship and my heart with all the people who love the Earth as I do, who are redefining themselves as one of many interconnected complex intelligent life-forms sharing the Earth’s resources; who are filled with a deep desire to help the Earth restore and heal the damage we have done. Each one of us has our own strengths and parts to play as we collectively do what we can to bring about intelligent compassionate change. Together, our many actions, both overt and subtle, are creating the great transformation of our time.

Expanding Into Interconnectivity © Glennie Kindred 2018

There are three Hawthorn trees behind my house that constantly call to me. They have what you might call ‘presence’ and are certainly older than the house. Twilight is a special time to be out in the garden and I’m often drawn to sit with the old Hawthorns at the end of the day. A great calmness descends on me as I sit here and watch the colour and light fade, listen to the calls of the birds finishing their day, the tawny owls hooting to each other across the trees. There is so much to see and hear once you become still and nature accepts your presence. To be out in nature in the dark unlocks a part of me that has become neglected in our well-lit modern world and restores something of my basic humanity. I am brought back to ground zero, and to a humility and smallness that only sitting out under the night sky can bring. At the base of each tree I have created two small shrines. Here I make focused intentions to help the Earth and especially the trees, and send love, kindness and compassion out to where their healing energy is needed. Sometimes I tie a ribbon on to their branches as a focus for my intentions. Always I give thanks to the wild spirit of these beautiful Hawthorns and sometimes to the wild spirit in me, bravely exploring the edge-lands of my soul’s inner knowing. I feel very blessed to have them in my life.

Extract from Walking with Trees © Glennie Kindred 2018

Imbolc

Imbolc is a celebration of the awakening Earth, of the light returning and new life stirring. At this time, nurture a gentle pace that keeps you connected to the deep roots of your inner power and all the possibilities that are rising within you. Make space to listen to your intuition and your heart by walking in nature whatever the weather. It will help keep you connected to the Earth and lift your spirits. Breathe deeply whenever you remember. What do you hold dear as you emerge back into the world? Strengthen your intentions with positive acts of clarity and Love. This will create the seeds of what will happen next. Your creative juices are rising... Make good use of them! Plant seeds of Love.

It is time to cleanse, clear out the old and revitalise your sense of direction. Choose to act with Love, integrity, beauty, co-operation, right relationship and all things that bring out the best in you and in others. At your Imbolc ceremony, make declarations and dedications for your way forward. Pledge your allegiance to the Earth. Her need is great and we are rising...

Wren calls you to be aware when it is best to keep silent and stay hidden, and when to speak out your message clearly and loudly so all can hear. Celebrate all that makes your heart sing! Defending the Earth can take many forms and can be achieved on many different levels, both inner and outer. Find your own strengths and ways to serve her. Great healing begins with positive affirmations and clear intentions.

Imbolc © Glennie Kindred 2017

Spring Equinox

Spring Equinox is a celebration of the spring: of days lengthening, of unions, fertility, new life and new growth. It is time to gather a clear sense of direction for the year ahead. Whatever you give your energy to now will grow. Draw towards yourself all the threads of your Love for the Earth and celebrate her beauty and life force every day. Union is the goal this year, so look for positive partnerships, acts of co-creation and community.

Do not tolerate injustice to the Earth. Become a defender and protector of the land, the waters, the trees, the melting icecaps, the ozone layer and endangered species. Focus on the things that you CAN do in defence of the Earth. Share your thoughts with others. Build bridges not walls. Spread benevolence to increase benevolence. Support the efforts of others, and remember that you are part of a big and beautiful movement of Earth- Protectors, and never give up! For your Spring Equinox ceremony make a list of all the things that you bless and appreciate about yourself and read them out loud to each other in sacred space. Look at how you can use these gifts to help the Earth.

Hare calls you to know when to move swiftly and when to stay hidden and watch. Invoke Hare’s gifts of poise, balance and alertness and be ready to run with the potential genius of inspired solutions. Out and about at night, and at the edge times of dawn and dusk, Hare reminds us to step between the worlds and work with subliminal energy and intuition.

Spring Equinox © Glennie Kindred 2017

Beltane

Beltane celebrates the beginning of summer, nature’s rampant growth and the abundant fertility of the Earth. We too are part of this Earth energy, so at this fertile time dare to be your wildest and most expansive self, and manifest what you truly want to happen next. Live your life in a different way, one that respects and cares for the Earth and all her inhabitants. Be an inspiration to others. Everyone has their part to play. Each person makes a difference and adds to the whole, and from our collective actions an Earth- centred future will evolve.

Extend your Love to reach out and experience the expanding life force and the wild edges of infinite possibilities. All of life is in communication at this time. Learn to join in the dance! Love unites the worlds and transcends the boundaries of separation. Fear and doubt block the flow of the life force. Keep connected and earthed by putting your bare feet on the ground often. This time of high energy can make us feel unstable and scattered, so at your Beltane celebration seek clarity of direction, remembering the power of simplicity, and the necessity of protecting yourself. Hold in your heart your sense of our co-existence with all life and your fierce Love for the Earth. Your positive thoughts will bear good fruit.

Adder calls you to shed your old skin and begin something new: heal old separations; take up a new direction; change your lifestyle to consciously minimise the harm you do to the Earth.

Beltane © Glennie Kindred 2017

Summer Solstice

The Summer Solstice celebrates the high point of summer and the height of nature’s active power. Everything is happening fast now, so make your every thought, word, emotional response and choice make a difference. Be guided in all things by your desire to live in right relationship with the Earth. Change begins with you and me. Share positive solutions for change with others. Seek friendships and like-hearted community, for they will sustain you, and creative partnerships will grow from here. Live outdoors as much as you can, walk the land, and explore your authentic connection to each of the Elements of life, experiencing them as part of yourself.

Solstice is a moment of pause, a still point of reflection in the midst of great movement. Gather your power and strengths, both outer and inner and celebrate all that you have achieved this year, especially in your quest to be of service to the Earth. Use this moment to affirm new directions, new thinking patterns and new strategies for change. Stand at the threshold, between the worlds, and celebrate your inner path, the power of Love, generosity and kindness.

Fox calls you to hone your survival skills and to learn when to come out into the open and when to stay in the shadows and be watchful. Being cunning is being astute, as long as you hold your integrity and honesty close. Find ways to connect to the wild edges of yourself and the land; learn how to adapt quickly to new situations with diplomacy, clear vision, wisdom and a deep inner knowing.

Summer Solstice © Glennie Kindred 2017

Lammas

Lammas is a celebration of the first seeds forming, especially the grasses and grains that sustain life and feed the world. Through listening to our feelings and inner wisdom, our own new seeds of awareness begin to form. This is holiday time, a time of fairs, festivals and community gatherings. Strengthen your friendships and alliances, and never miss an opportunity to speak about your fierce Love for the Earth. Let go of old beliefs and separatist thinking. Transform the ‘us and them’ mentality into ‘unite and heal’. Be receptive to other people’s ideas and practise reconciliation, but not at the expense of your integrity. Take time out to be alone. Traditionally this is the time for a vision quest to seek your own deep wisdom. Reach out to connect to the spirits of the land, the trees and the native plants, and pledge them your help and allegiance.

At Lammas time, celebrate and give thanks for the abundance of the land. Celebrate your generosity of spirit and deep joys, the things that make your heart sing and spirit fly. These are the seeds of your future, to use in defence of the Earth. The more we give from our hearts, the more returns to us and the more we experience ourselves as intrinsically part of the power and flow of the life force.

Heron calls you to embrace your inner wisdom and medicine song. Learn to watch silently, with patience and perseverance, but know when to act swiftly to achieve your goals. Set your intentions to transform through Love.

Lammas © Glennie Kindred 2017

Autumn Equinox

At Autumn Equinox day and night are equal again, reminding us to maintain balance and equilibrium, to listen to our intuition, our heart’s response and our inner wisdom. The time for outer action is shifting: it is time now to remember the power of inner work, the deep magic of intention and protection, and the power of Love to transform and heal. Integration, and seeing ourselves as part of the interconnected web of life, anchors us firmly in the knowledge that everything we do, think and say adds to the whole. So make it all count.

At your Equinox celebration affirm your allegiance to the Earth. Give thanks for all the food the Earth gives us and for all the Earth’s resources we use. Count your blessings, and through your appreciation and gratitude, your relationship with the Earth is transformed. Our tribal ancestors did not take from the Earth without offering something of themselves back... What do you give back? Celebrate your personal harvest and intuit the seeds within your harvest. What will you take with you into the dark of the year? What do you leave behind? Make positive changes that affirm your chosen direction. Your calm insights will be an anchor for your own life and your steady actions will help others who need trailblazers to show the way.

Mare calls us to look for solutions and directions within ourselves and the inner realms. She brings us deep connection to the land and reminds us to keep moving forwards and never give up.

Autumn Equinox © Glennie Kindred 2017

Samhain

Samhain is a celebration of the ending of the Earth’s year, and marks the beginning of shorter, darker days. The Earth teaches us that everything in nature is cyclic, and death will inevitably lead to rebirth. Welcome these dark days as an opportunity to shift your focus from achieving and doing, into reflecting and assimilating all that comes to rest in you now. A daily walk, whatever the weather, keeps you healthy and connected to the Earth.

At your Samhain celebration, let go of the old year, old beliefs and old attitudes that dampen your life force and the life force of the Earth. Honour what has finished and the lessons you have learnt. Seek the blessings hidden within them and plant the seeds of your future in your heart. Where we put our energy influences what happens next. Light candles for the Earth and pledge to give something back by being part of her human support system. Pledge to stop doing the things that are not helping her eco systems to repair. Name these in sacred space. All your actions, whether outer or inner, make a difference. Acknowledge the ancestors, those who have walked before you and ask them for help and guidance.

Crow calls you to take time out to gain perspective and insight, to keep alert and watchful and to push beyond the boundaries of what you think you know. As a spirit guide, Crow is connected to the deep mysteries. Metaphysics, guided by Love, aids our shift into a holistic interconnectedness and deep unity with all of life.

Samhain © Glennie Kindred 2017

Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice marks the shortest day and longest night. It is a celebration of the beginning of a new outer growth cycle and the light that will return. The time for dreaming is not yet done. Strengthen your deepening awareness that all life on Earth is interconnected and follow where this leads you. Use your power as an ethical consumer to only buy products that support fair trade and responsible agriculture. Spend your money wisely, and only support good people who are producing good products. Give thanks for the Earth’s resources that make our present lives possible. Count your blessings. Aim to plant some trees this winter.

At your Solstice celebration take a moment to stand in stillness and ask what you want to grow in this new cycle. What do you take forward? What seeds of new beginnings are you nurturing in the dark? Look for the changes you can make in your life that will help the Earth to regenerate. Embrace the certainty that all your positive loving actions are helping to change your life and the world. Envision the changes already in motion. Let parts of your old self die and draw the new towards yourself. Dream a new dream and walk towards it. The future begins now.

Owl calls us to be patient and to temper impulsive actions at this time. Tap into your inner wisdom. Be clear what you choose and where your choices lead you. Select the attributes you want to live by, and live by them. Embrace simplicity

Winter Solstice © Glennie Kindred 2017

Peace is Active ~ Peace is a Choice!
Peace is not passive ~ Peace is Dynamic!

Peace in our hearts; Peace in our minds;
Peace with ourselves; Peace with each other;
Peace with our neighbours, our family, our friends;
Peace in our community; Peace in all our relationships;
Peace with all forms of life;
Peace with the Earth.

Bowls of rainbow ribbons are passed round. Everyone chooses a ribbon and takes a moment to contemplate the many different ways to bring more Peace into their lives. Each then gently ties their ribbon onto a tree with an intention to create more Peace... through all that we say, think and do.....

This was our community peace ceremony one year.
World Peace Day is on the 21st of September, every year.

For more ideas and ways to join in:
peaceoneday.org
un.org/events/peaceday

Peace is Active ~ Peace is a Choice © Glennie Kindred

Guerrilla gardening as a movement is spreading fast. It involves planting seeds or plants in forgotten or neglected places It is such fun to do! A simple act of beauty! There are many different ways to guerrilla garden and many different reasons to want to do it. It may be that you simply love gardening; it may be that you have no garden of your own; you may want to get more involved in your local community and plant community vegetables, edible plants and fruit trees; you may want to improve the look of a neglected or run-down area; you may want to plant more trees; you may want to help the bees and plant more of the native plants they love; or your passion may be to plant herbs and medicinal plants. You can work alone and unnoticed and also be part of a larger more focused guerrilla gardening group.

Scout out and about for land that could be used for guerrilla gardening this year. Look out for any forgotten or neglected corners or verges, forgotten town planters, alongside footpaths or walkways, land beneath high-rise flats, or playgrounds. Dig the edges and make a garden. Plant trees and give them a stake. Chances are no one will object and your care will be appreciated by many.

Guerrilla Gardening (Extract from ‘Letting In the Wild Edges’) © Glennie Kindred 2013

We have lost 96% of our native plants in our countryside. Once we begin to value them as things we can eat, with extensive medicinal properties, and as part of the intricate web that our native bees, insects, birdlife and wild life depend upon, we can no longer dismiss them as weeds. Time for a little guerrilla gardening!

Using a mixture of sand, clay and compost, mix with native wild flower seeds and then add a little water and press them into balls. Leave to harden off a little in egg boxes, but it is good if they are still damp inside. It is always best to scatter them when it’s likely to rain. The seed bombs can be thrown along footpath edges, and any other place you can find in your locality where there is already some soil and native flowers have a chance of being left to grow.

Alternatively grow native plants in your own garden and then as they spread, dig them up and plant them out, creating beautiful wild edges as you go! Choose places to plant that you walk by often so that you can keep an eye on how they are doing. And don’t forget the after-care, going out with a bottle of water to give the plants a drink if it is dry and in some cases weeding around them while they become established.

Making Seed Bombs (Extract from ‘Letting In the Wild Edges’) © Glennie Kindred 2013

The wild gardener is a new breed of gardener, one who works with nature’s natural inclinations to self regulate and create balance, by letting in enough of the wild edges to let natural ecosystems evolve.

The wild gardener re-thinks what we think we should be doing in order to be a good gardener and redefines gardening with a holistic perspective in mind, aware of the bigger picture and the inter-connective web of life.

The wild gardener encourages the wild edges to flourish in the garden, lets nature’s rampant energy thrive and find its equilibrium. The wild gardener encourages a diversity of native creatures, insects and plants, and lets nature do what it does best, which is create interconnection.

The wild gardener doesn’t tidy up too much but in the autumn creates compost heaps in out of the way corners, so that the insects can find places to lay their eggs and hibernate for the winter, and leaves seed heads and long grass and fruit on the trees to feed hungry birds.

This is a whole new adventure that is full of delight and surprises but do remember to keep the borders of your garden tidy for your neighbours who may not appreciate your wild edges invading their space!

The Wild Gardener (Extract from ‘Letting In the Wild Edges’) © Glennie Kindred

Winter is the time that the guerrilla gardener looks for young self-seeded native trees, either in their garden or growing where they obviously have no chance of reaching maturity. These can be dug up and planted out. You can spot them now as the vegetation begins to die back, and the young trees have enough leaves on them for identification. Mark with coloured ribbons or wool, with a colour code to identify each species and then dig them up over the next few months and move them to a better position. If they are small then pot them into large plant pots with plenty of compost and nurture them until they are big enough to plant out in a year or two.

Native trees particularly suitable for rescuing and re-planting are elder, hawthorn, rowan, crab apple and hazel. All are very useful to the hedgerow forager and are all fairly small hedgerow trees.

Native perennials and first year native biennials can also be transplanted from your garden out into the wild edges’, to cheer a place up and to provide foraging opportunities for the coming years.

Guerrilla Gardening: Digging Up and Planting Out (Extract from ‘Letting In the Wild Edges) © Glennie Kindred 2013