On Being a Vengeful Earth Mother for a Day

Last updated on: August 26, 2014 at 11:05 am by Melissa Hill

On Being a Vengeful Earth Mother for a Day 2014-08-26T11:05:00-04:00 Melissa Hill

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Somehow this pagan priestess ended up playing the part of Ravaging Nature in a short horror film this weekend.

I pretended to stab a lot of people with a long spiraling horn that apparently came from a Kudu. I had to go look up what a Kudu is. In case you were wondering, they’re a kind of antelope from East Africa. I also made weird growly noises and was instructed to push someone over and pretend to eat them. My lines were all in the form of angry haiku.

I was playing Nature Enraged.

I was cranky.

The thought has crossed my mind before that we are pissing off Mother Nature with our mountains of plastic crap and miles of paved parking lot. Certainly when I think on the possible release of the methane trapped beneath Antartica or the tide of trash, I feel pain. Honestly, I feel something that seems a lot like failure.

Today was a day where I delivered lines filled with anger and power. I got the chance to be the wounded party. I could be filled with the rage of extinction and the sorrow of death. But really, I just ended up feeling sorry for the characters I was supposed to be splattering with their own guts. I felt like the bad guy.

I was evil.

Me and Voldemort might have been buddies. (I get to say his name when I’m in the bad guy crowd. Oh yeah, I’m cool like that now.) Maybe I was taking revenge for all the horrible things that people have done to their home. There was a thing called a “gore cannon”. This movie is meant to be a messy bloody allegory for our issues with the environment. I’m certainly looking forward to seeing how the finished product comes out. But in my heart, I can’t hate us for what we’ve done to the earth.

Mostly it made me realize that even as much of a eco-hippy-feminist that I am, in my gut and in my heart, I’m human. I identify with humans in a story where I can choose who the bad guy is. Even when I’m given a story where it’s made pretty clear that humans have done some major damage and this is their payback, I choose the poor, foolish humans.

That doesn’t negate my sorrow, or relieve my guilt for my part in ecological damage. Just like the realities of being a white woman living with white privilege, I live with the realities of the damage that my life brings to other beings. In both cases I work actively to learn better ways of living. I try to communicate honestly. I live with less and more thoughts. I build my skill sets so that I am more competent. I try to make better choices every day. I accept that I will fail. The attempt is worth it.

I don’t want nature to take revenge on us. I don’t want an escalating battle between the forces of wind and plague versus people. I want, more than anything, to find a way to walk in balance. That’s why I grub in the soil and why I mend clothes and make Christmas presents. That’s why I’m a Druid. Within the cultures that I am studying there are interlocking concepts of The Order of the Cosmos. The Vedic Rta, Lithuanian Darna, Norse Orlog, all of these words and more attempt to get at an idea across that there are ways of being that are in harmony with how things work and ways of being that are not. The idea that there is a sacred dance that the whole of existence moves within resonates within me. The idea that I could find my own tiny part in that dance sounds like a worthy life goal. I’m pretty sure filling the world up with trash ain’t it.

The experience of pretending to be Nature was worth it. I got a tiny glimpse of how the Earth Mother might feel about her exuberant, technology-wielding children. In the end I think the word for it was:

Compassion

Everyone I know is trying hard. I hear so many stories of how people want to live more sustainable lives but they’re stuck paying off debt, or don’t know how, or are busy with meaningful work or kids. I get it. I think the Earth Mother does too. My hope is that if we all just keep trying our very best, we will get to a place where technology isn’t about cheap plastic crap and grubbing in the earth is a game everyone plays. Compassion is a huge part of that vision for the future. I think it’s the wise choice.

In spite of all of my deep pondering, it was hilarious when my eldest daughter pointed at me and said, “Watch out! Nature’s going to get you!” and all the kids hollered and scattered. In the end, it was pretty fun being the bad guy.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

August 19, 2014

My Experience With The Order of the Dead

Next Post

September 3, 2014 Cleansed by the Ladies of the Lakes

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category animism Cermony and Liturgy Columns Community Dandelion Seeds Health and Wellness History Holidays Magic Nature pagan parenting plant animism Politics Ritual and Practice symbolism and science Theology, Ethics, Philosophy Uncategorized

Select a Month August 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 January 2014 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 February 2013 January 2013 July 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

According to 1 John, what commandment have we had from the beginning?

Select your answer to see how you score.

To keep the Sabbath holy To forgive our enemies To love one another To believe in Jesus Christ