I remember a few years ago walking in the wild lands of western Tasmania, North of the Tarkana, and entering an aboriginal land.
Something struck out to me. The immense aliveness and high vibration of the land. It is the best I can describe it. I was like the trees, the birds, the rocks, were more alive than a few hundred feet before entering that space.
I could feel how the 1000s of years of prayers, caretaking, and deep intimate relationship of reciprocity between the land and the people had created a paradise despite hundreds of years of oppression and genocide of the native people that tried to erase it.
I could hear their song. Their love. Their care. Their hearts. I could see their faces in the trees.
When I walk on the land of the Sanctuary, I often can feel where the land needs attention. Where she is happy. Where she needs care. Where some trees and Native plants need to be planted. This deep intimacy did not happen overnight and is still a work in progress.
The blessings of the past 2.5 years of quarantine and less travel have opened my heart to see the Land more deeply than ever. And in that process, I discovered that She was a reflection of the love and care She receive.
That quote resonates deeply to me as that connection I feel here, I often experience it when I visit other Lands.
Feeling how She is treated. What She needs. And ultimately who the caretakers truly are. She never lies, never hides Her desire. Never hide Her pain. Never hide Her calling.
We just have to keep listening to Her, keep giving to Her, keep planting and loving Her. We have to keep nurturing that ancestral relationship humans have had with Lands since the dawn of time.
In turn, we will finally remember who we truly are as we remember who She truly is.
Lands are not places to visit but are alive beings to meet.
Lands are not destinations, they are relationships.
Come visit Her not for what you can get from Her, but for the gift you want to give Her. It will change everything.
Angell Deer @TheSanctuary.AngellDeer
