Soul tending as sacred activism
With so much going on in the world (what an understatement), it can be hard not to feel overwhelmed, helpless, or simply paralysed with disbelief about some of the ways in which the Earth is being exploited, and some of the directions humanity is taking. Everything is moving at lightspeed. New technologies are expanding rapidly and nobody really knows where that is going to lead us. We hold our breath and watch the world stage, wondering what we can do to support the emergence of a timeline that is in harmony with the living world and that brings joy, health, peace and abundance to all of life.
There is a mythic tale* from the Quechua people of the Andes that tells the story of the hummingbird and a great fire that ravages the jungle. When the fire breaks out, threatening to destroy the home of all its living creatures, all of the animals flee in terror. They make their way beyond the flames to the edge of the jungle, where they huddle together, shivering in fear and feeling completely powerless as the fire destroys their home, their way of life, and everything they have ever known.
Tiny hummingbird (siwar qenti - royal hummingbird) is the exception. She refuses to sit by helplessly and watch the land and her home become consumed by the wildfire. Instead, she flies to a stream nearby and gathers a single drop of precious water in her tiny beak. She then flies fearlessly over the raging fire and releases the single drop of water. She does this again, and again, and again. Never stopping.
All the other much larger animals, renowned for their fearlessness, mock the hummingbird for her feeble attempts to save the jungle. They laugh, they shout. They tell her she is too little and the fire is too big. Still flying, the hummingbird calls back to her larger brothers and sisters and tells them: “I know it is not possible to put out the fire alone. But this jungle is my home. It gives me food and shelters my family. I belong here. And I must do my part, however small that may be”.
In some versions of the story, the jungle spirits and the goddess of rain are so moved by the tiny bird’s courage and devotion, they send a downpour to extinguish the fire.
This story has always inspired me, especially in those moments when it feels that the world is on fire. It helps to break the trance of wanting to escape, bring me back to my body, and realign me with my work and my purpose. It reminds me that even though the work I do can sometimes feel too small or too insignificant to make a difference in the world, I am still doing my part - and that is what matters.
My work is soul tending work. And I believe that it is through the tending of our individual soul that we contribute to the greater fabric of life, and help to restore the Soul of the World (Anima Mundi).
I describe the work I do, both in my own personal practice and with the people I work with, as a form of sacred activism. I see it as an antidote to an industrialised world that seeks to devour and overpower life. The work I do is slow, unforced, and spacious. Intentional. Embodied. When life feels it’s moving too fast I take a moment to deliberately slow down. Literally taking slower steps and slower breaths. I speak more quietly or not at all. When my heart aches for the planet and her creatures, I go out into the garden and take time to experience and drink in the magic, the nectar of nature and I fill myself with that joy. In my work with others, I create spaces that support them to find their own personal soul rhythm. I share practices and tools that help us to submerge ourselves beneath the rolling, turbulent seas and find a place of calm and stillness. We then become a presence of calm and stillness in the world. We share our energy of inner peace and coherence. It ripples out through the ocean, through the threads and the weave of life.
As renowned storyteller and mythologist Michael Meade says:
“If we want the world to change, the healing of culture and greater balance in nature, it has to start inside the human soul”
Meade describes the times we are living in as a crisis of disconnection. He says that the mass global conflicts, polarisation, and environmental crises are really the symptoms of a much deeper cultural disconnection from nature, from community, and from our inner lives - our true selves. And yet, as Meade often says, underneath this outer chaos, is a living and underlying unity that connects us all. Every individual soul is connected to this greater Soul of the World. So instead of focusing outwards on the surrounding chaos, and attempting to fix and repair the societal and environmental problems we are facing, our work is to turn inwards. Again, and again. This era of chaos we are living in (known in the Andes as a Pachakuti) requires us to move through a journey of deep, inner transformation. It is through healing our inner world that we contribute to the healing of the world.
I couldn’t agree more. But where does one start when it comes to tending the soul?
Soul tending isn’t complicated. It doesn’t have to involve elaborate ceremony or practice. It’s more about being in ceremony with our daily life. Soul tending can be woven into our everyday through the choices we make and the actions we take. It is about leaning in and listening to the deeper voice of the heart, trusting that we can follow that map even when we don’t have the answers or a clearly defined outcome. For me, when I honour the voice of my soul in my day-to-day life, it means:
Making time, rather than saving time. Asking, and choosing, what matters most at the time
Being present with my family and friends
Choosing the wisdom of embodied, lived experience over accumulation of information and non-living intelligence. Mystery and adventure. Because unfoldment is sensuous. Alive.
Collaboration over competition. Every time. Parties are so much more fun when everyone is dancing.
Holding a gentle and generous space for the messy tangles of our lived human experience
Noticing. Savouring. Acknolwedging.
I may not chain myself to trees, or protest on the streets. I may not be the person combing the beach for plastic, feeding the homeless or saving the whales. But I know I am doing my part, every single day.
What does soul tending look like in your everyday life?
I am forever grateful that I have been privileged enough to learn teachings and practices from two living lineages of the Andean tradition. The generosity of my teachers and the wisdom-keepers of the tradition has gifted me with a language for understanding the human experience, and a set of powerful tools to walk my path with courage, love, and sacred purpose.
*this traditional story of the Quechua people of the Andes was brought into the global sphere thanks to the work of Professor Wangari Maathai - a visionary Kenyan environmentalist and human rights activist, and first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.