63. Earth Day Musings
This year of all years, many of us are hyper-focused on the planet. Covid allowed us to see firsthand the effects intervention can have on the planet. When industries were shut down, the atmosphere cooled, air and water pollution was reduced, and the planet began to heal. The message is that we are interconnected, inexorably linked to the environment around us.
We’ve also come to understand that the viruses that have been devastating humans are the result of inhumane animal practices. It has been speculated that variants of the Coronavirus made their way through the animal population without an effect on them or us. However, when the animals were placed in live markets for consumption, the virus mutated (the animal’s immune systems were compromised by stress and their environment), and the virus became infectious to us. Since humans were in proximity to these animals, the virus passed from animal to human and then from human to human, broadening its spread exponentially. We’re linked.
The photo below is a combination of an image from a microscope and an image from a telescope. Micro/Macro perspectives. The microscopic image (top) is of our Microbiome and the trillions of microorganisms that live in and on our bodies. The bottom image is a photo from the Hubble telescope, captured over 10 days. They are not stars, they are galaxies. We are a blip on the radar in relation to the galaxies and the microorganisms are a blip on the radar in relation to humans but we are connected.
Our government spent $107 million studying the Microbiome. We now know that not only are “good” microorganisms essential to digestion but that when they are out of balance they cause disease. Research has linked the microbiome to everything from Diabetes, Autism, Immunity, Our ability to fight the symptoms of COVID, Anxiety, Depression, IBS, Alzheimer’s, etc.
Alien species are essential to our existence because they are in a mutualistic relationship with us. We give them a warm, moist, nutrient-rich place to live and they keep us healthy.
If you want to know more, have questions about how to avoid killing off your healthy microorganisms, and how to grow a healthy microbiome, sign up for a 1-hour consultation or a free 15-minute zoom call via my website. I’ve been teaching about this on social media for years and now in the Herbalism Course, I teach as well.
Perspective has taught us that plants heal humans as well. Why? For the same reason. They are part of us, we are part of them, we are connected in this giant microcosm called life. This knowledge is the basis of my practice as an Herbalist. The 13 years I spent working as a Registered Nurse as well have allowed me to see the big picture. So much of what humans have put into the realm of magic or religion is being re-“discovered” by science. Healers have always known that our relationship to the planet, plants, and other species is essential to healthy living. Now science is unpacking it as well.
There’s room to share space between these practices. Science has a tendency to negate ancient knowledge and try to supplant it with its own “new” perspective. The irony is that as science repackages these ancient discoveries, more of our population has learned about Herbalism and the wisdom and healing of plants.
On Earth Day, I offer the bounty of the planet through Spiral Herbal Remedies, and Organic, Plant-Based Healing. Use the code EARTHDAY for a 10% discount now through May 6th.
