AISHA HAUSER, MSW, CRE-ML Lead Ministry Team, Church of the Larger Fellowship
One of the most impactful trips I have ever been on in my life was with a friend to Olympic National Park in Washington State, specifically the Ancient Forest, an area that dates back to pre-contact, when only the indigenous people lived and thrived on this land, before the arrival of European settlers.
We were completely cut off from any of the digital and online life we were living. Being this off the grid took a bit of getting used to, however I quickly found something shifting in my physical body and my emotional state.
I felt calmer and inching closer to feeling relaxed. I hadn’t fully appreciated that there is a different kind of relaxation one feels when fully unplugged from anyone who isn’t in your physical presence.
Going into the ancient forest helped ground me while paradoxically allowing me to become more expansive at the same time.
Old growth and ancient grown forest ground contains layers upon layers of flora and fauna. In fact, the word “flora” means goddess in Latin. How fitting that divinity is part of the naming of these natural and sacred living entities.
The quiet of the forest is not silent. There is the rustling of the trees, the sound of a stream, birds chirping and the muffled sounds of our feet along the forest floor.
I felt myself release tension as I walked.
I placed my palms on the trees, leaning on them for comfort and solace.
It was truly a cleansing experience, a forest bath.
According to the National Geographic website:
The term emerged in Japan in the 1980s as a physiological and psychological exercise called shinrin-yoku (“forest bathing” or “taking in the forest atmosphere”). The purpose was twofold: to offer an eco-antidote to tech-boom burnout and to inspire residents to reconnect with and protect the country’s forests.
While the term ‘forest bathing’ may be relatively recent, humans have found ways to heal and cleanse while communing with nature throughout millenia.
Jesus prayed at the foot of olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane.
The Bodhi tree also known as the Ancient Forest, continued on page 5
“The land is the real teacher. All we need as students is mindfulness.”
robin wall kimmerer
in this issue
IN AN ANCIENT FOREST
Aisha Hauser
NATURE
Multiple authors
NATURE & I Light
DREAMS OF NATURE
Frances Koziar
THE NATURE WITHIN
S Renee Sye
NATURE
What does nature mean to you? How do you relate to it?
JACOB
CLF member,
incarcerated in AR
Nature, or the natural order of the planet and universe, is the power/ energy that we should all learn and harmonize with. Nature is balance. Nature is both creation and destruction. Nature is the unperverted energy of all things. It is the balance we need to learn, harmonize with and accept. Realizing life has to be accompanied by death or else life cannot begin again; realizing growth comes from learning and being; realizing that we are all a part of a web of natural energy is to me the thing so many on our planet have forgotten, and need to remember. ¢
JACK
CLF
member, incarcerated in MA
In 720 BCE, Greek poet Hesiod in his poem, Theogony, wrote that: in the beginning all was chaos, The Earth, time, the heavens, the skies, the waters were commingled and without order — yet chaos contained all that world ever be though none yet existed.
Out of chaos arose love, Eros, without which nothing would change. Out of love would come Gaia, earth, and from Earth would come Unenus, the
sky, and Pontes, the waters. And so, Nature was born.
Gaia is a living thing. Continental plates move; mountains rise and over the ages erode into the sea, to be born anew; volcanoes spew forth to build and rains fall to erode. Nature lives.
Man, animals, plants, trees, the soil, and the rock, are all interwoven as one, all a part of Gaia, nature, the Earth; each doing its part in the cycle of Gaia’s life, her birth, death, and rebirth.
Each is ageless. Every atom making up all existed in chaos, and each atom is eternal, changing form from one from one being to another — rebirth and death.
We too often forget that Gaia, our kindly mother, did not create all to serve us but that we are a part of Gaia’s eternal cycles. We live in a mutual bond with Gaia and all her gifts. We are nature. We are all Gaia. We are all one. And we would not exist if not for Love. ¢
PHOTO BY AARON BURDEN ON UNSPLASH
Of Ash & Elm
LEIF REDWOLF
CLF member, incarcerated in TX
Modern man seems to have a complex about their relation to nature. They wish to elevate themselves above it, or at least separate themselves from it. As a Norse Pagan Priest, I would like to share a story from our Sacred Lore showing this to be inherently
false, and hopefully broaden humanity’s view on the subject. Some time after creation, three of the Gods were walking along the shore of a beach and came upon two trees that had been uprooted. Odin, the Allfather, gave them breath and life, his brother Vili gave them form speech, hearing, and sight, while the third God, Ve, gave them consciousness and movement. By the acts of these three Gods, the first of mankind’s ancestors, Ask and Embla, formed of an Ash and Elm,
were born. While we are distinct in our position, having been given these gifts from the Gods, we still stem from nature itself. We are neither separate from, nor above nature, but rather tied intricately to it. To be disrespectful, apathetic, or downright hateful to nature, is the same as to do it to your fellow man. Remember that you are as much a part of nature as it is a part of you and show the proper reverence when you can, teaching it when you must along the way. ¢
GEORGE P.
CLF
member,
incarcerated in TN
As a pagan Unitarian Universalist, nature to me is all about the great outdoors. The plants, trees, animals, insects, from water to the earth itself. Nature is a living part of all of us. We live because nature does.
The plants and trees provide clean air for us to breathe. They provide fruits and vegetables for our nutrition. They give us shelter and scenery. The animals and insects help to pollinate the earth. They give us food to eat and leathers to craft from. We keep them as pets to give us something to love and care for, and they can lower our stresses and anxieties. Nature is all around us all the time, even in a big city, if you look for it you will find it.
In the book 21 Lessons of Merlyn by Douglas Monroe, Merlyn is talking to a young Arthur. He points and tells the boy to look. Arthur looks out
across the meadows and asks, “what are we looking for?” Merlyn instructs him again, “just look.” Again, young Arthur asks, “what am I looking at? The trees, the sky, or the meadows?” Merlyn replies, “You just ruined it. Once you put a name on it, you ruined it. Nature simply is. You need not name it to enjoy it.”
This story hits close to home for all of us. We get lost in our need to place everything in a box and label it. We can not seem to get away from it. We as a people desire to be in control so much that we label everything so that we can have dominion over it.
Have you ever taken the time to actually enjoy nature? To just go with the flow and rhythm of nature? Like hiking to a waterfall and then sitting down and watching it, listening to it, feeling its power in the vibrations of the ground. Or took some time to watch a squirrel playing in the park. You can get lost in time. You sit there for a few minutes, then realize that an hour has passed. But the other thing you realize is that your stress level is also much lower. Depression dissipates as a gentle calm takes over. That is when you know that you are one with nature. It’s like getting a hug from the Earth Mother. ¢
PHOTO BY AARON BURDEN ON UNSPLASH
Nature & I
LIGHT
CLF member incarcerated in SC
The Earth and all that resides on it is one of the many great things that connect us to a sense of higher existence. A higher power that inhabits each and every living creature. There are those that believe that life exists even in objects like rocks, mountains, and even the waters on our planet. To me, all of these forces from the tiniest and to the Amazon Rainforest that supplies much of our oxygen is a part of a greater whole. Each plays a part in the tapestry of life here on Earth and each is just as important as the other..
Who is to measure the worth of a human to that of a tree or a boulder? Each serves a purpose, though whose purpose that is, is varied. A tree provides a hundred homes for a multitude of critters. A boulder is a place for sanctuary for the snake, the worm, and a great place to hide small things. If I am a part of this cosmic force that is “mother nature,” then what is my part in it all?
I find peace in knowing that I am a piece in this great puzzle that is our universe and that I serve a higher force. I may not know every consequence of my actions but I do know that I strive to do “good.” I try to be kind, understanding, loving, and helpful to all though the environment I am now in often emotions and actions as a sign of weakness. I believe this exhibits the exact opposite, a sign
of strength in the face of the cruelty of the penal system. This certainly is reinforced when I look at nature and how it seeks to find a foothold no matter the environment, from a mouse in a concrete prison cell to the wild flowers that dot our prison yard. If life can simply be no matter the landscape it finds itself in, then why can’t I be myself, be the man I want to be, what I endeavor to be with every fiber of my being? If nature knows no other way than to survive and be itself, why shouldn’t I do the same? Am I not a part of this greater force, after all?
Some people think of the trees, the bugs, and the deer outside in the forest as nature. But I say, why stop there? Is not nature to be found in the stones, the river that runs into the sea, the crystals in a clandestine cave? This too might hold life, a life we as human beings may not be able to perceive (yet). And there is the spiritual too. Ghosts, specters, those ethereal beings who have died but go on in some state of half life. These too are nature, just another side of the same coin. Perhaps one day we Earthlings will be able to grasp a knowledge of their existence as well. A deeper understanding why some move on and other “souls” linger.
I believe nature is inescapable as it can be found anywhere and everywhere. Whether we are aware of that is another matter. The tiniest single cell bacteria dominates every millimeter of this planet. Is it not too a part of nature? Because from these little building blocks of life the
multicellular complex organisms that we humans are were created. When we think of bacteria, why should we shy away from their microscopic yet pervasive presence? Is not the bacteria just as important to life as any man? Were it not for them, every organism would die. The bacteria in our gut break down food to provide nutrients to our brain and body, right? And this applies to every living organism on our planet. I say let us embrace every facet of nature, but also respect its timeless wisdom on how to live as well. Look to the trees that bend in the wind of a storm, but do not be afraid to let go of life, when Nature decrees that our time is up. Because this life, this awareness of our existence, could be only the beginning of a longer journey. We have only to look to the spiritual to see evidence of this. ¢
PHOTO BY ARTEM SHUBA ON UNSPLASH
Dreams of Nature
FRANCES KOZIAR CLF member
(Fibonacci syllable poem)
Soft nights tremble with summer’s touch. Walk / with me and feel the air / change with the wind’s promises, shimmer with old voices. The water ripples / with footsteps of nymphs: quiet as unseen blessings. Slip / between the notes, between the spaces: for in / the hush of the rain in / the melody of whispers, beneath these ethereal / mysteries we breathe in / home.
Ancient Forest, continued from page 1
Wisdom Tree is believed to be where the Buddha found enlightenment.
Integral to Pagan practices are com-
muning with nature often among the trees.
While I did not find enlightenment during my time in the ancient forest, what I did find was a deeper connection to myself and the earth. ¢
PHOTO BY ABHI DASARI ON UNSPLASH
The Nature Within
S RENEE SYE
Member of the UU Congregation of the South Jersey Shore, Galloway, NJ
This quest for an authentic link between nature and me has been foremost in my Spirit for a few years. Truth be told, I was feeling an interconnectivity long before I completely understood its powerful significance in my life! For a long time, I have enjoyed windy days, the smell of Spring, the change in temperature upon entering the woods, on a hot Summer day. I’ve spent hours gazing up into an illuminated celestial sky. I have set my clock for an early morning Sunrise and I’ve taken a chair to the beach to marvel at the Sunset. As a hobbyist photographer, I have been drawn to photo shoots of the mountains just before light and the woodlands in Winter. Generally speaking, all of Nature is a wonderment. I have even written descriptions about nature, like witnessing it snowing and the sound it made on the recently snow laden ground. Or during a time of grief when I found respite watching the calmness of the ocean waves at Sunset. Yet, at those perfect moments it didn’t resonate as an enduring Soul interaction.
There was a specific Autumn morning that told me I was profoundly linked to nature in a strong and insightful way. I stepped outside and automatically inhaled deeply, inviting the cool moist air to fill me. The Sun rays seemed to redefine everything in
my path. The warming glow on my face intensified as the golden yellow sphere grew larger than life against the blue-blueness of the sky! I should note that during the “shutdown” my only true solace was a daily walk through the Refuge during the early mornings.
I would choose different trails, totally aware of the moving shadows of the trees as the Sun trekked upward. I would feel the breeze gently moving across my face or witness the wind blow strong enough for me to hear the creaking of the trees. I distinctly heard early morning birds calling to one another and noticed that smell, that only Autumn brings, lingering in the air.
On one of those days, my full attention became focused on a large oak tree; it was in that moment that I seemed to come into a complete awareness of my alignment with Nature. Mother Oak Tree was on a curve of a path I had traveled a number of times before, and there she stood, grounded and majestic in her full fall colors. As I got closer it was as if she was calling me. I stood at her base and admired the textures of her trunk slowly and with purpose. I looked up noticing the branches and limbs stretched out and upward toward the sky, claiming her grandness to the Gods. The multi-colored
The Nature Within, cont. on page 7
PHOTO BY SABIN ZABLAU ON UNSPLASH
leaves of green, brown, and gold seemed to glimmer like her crown. I heard myself gasp as though giving honor to her strength and beauty. She beckoned me to hug her. Yes! I became a “tree hugger.” And on that day, in that moment as I held Mother Tree, I felt an indescribable interrelationship, a vibration deep within me and I began to weep! It was as if she said, “it’s ok give it all to me, I can hold it as you let it go.” I don’t know how long I stayed there hugging Mother Tree and weeping, from a mystical, other worldly place within, but when I slowly let go, running my hands along her rough but rugged base I felt differently, lighter. I thanked her for allowing me that time, for taking
away a heaviness I wasn’t even aware I needed to let go of.
deeply appreciate the rain, its purpose, how it sounds and smells and how the Earth welcomes it. I complain less about the hot and the cold as Mother Earth turns. I admire the little things like learning that Lichen is found in areas with good air quality and according to a social media science page mushrooms “…are one, they are many, they will outlive us, you will eat them. They will eat you…” Yes, I’ve found a deeper reason to love all of the seasons. Still, I continue to appreciate the Autumn season as a sign of change and reinvention similar to the colors and smells not noticed during any other time of the year. I now positively relate to the sensations of Nature and this compels me to celebrate being alive, often changing, as I live within the elements of Nature, in Exaltation. ¢ The Nature Within, cont. from page 6
I’ve been back a few times since then, always greeting and praising her for her grandeur and power, sometimes taking off my shoes in honor of the ground on which I stood. I have also thanked her for awaking my Spirit to the interconnectivity between me with nature, between me with Mother Tree, between me with Mother Earth. I’ve made it my purpose to understand the importance of Earthlings to the “interdependent web” connection with trees.
I believe this experience was the turning point for me and how I relate to nature and the seasons. I now hear the birds differently; this season of the cicada has been fascinating. I
FOR YOUR REFLECTION
In this section, we offer questions for reflection based on ideas explored in this issue. You may wish to explore it individually or as part of a group discussion. To submit your reflection for possible inclusion in a future issue of Quest, tear off your answer and mail it back to us using the envelope included in the middle of this issue, or mail a longer reflection separately.
How have experiences with/in nature shaped you?
If you would like us to be able to publish or share your writing in the future, remember to include “You have permission to edit and publish my words” somewhere on your submission.
Angus MacLean
Church of the Larger Fellowship, UU
24 Farnsworth Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02210-1409 USA NONPROFIT
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BOSTON, MA
PERMIT NO. 55362
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Quest Monthly Editorial Team: Aisha Hauser, lead ministry team, Rose Gallogly, publications coordinator, Rev. JeKaren Olaoya, copyeditor
CLF Staff: Aisha Hauser, Christina Rivera, Michael Tino, lead ministry team; Jody Malloy, executive director; Beth Murray, prison ministry administrator; Rose Gallogly, publications coordinator; Cir L’Bert, Jr, prison ministry manager, David Pynchon, data services coordinator; Ashley Parent, communications specialist
CLF Unitarian Universalist, 24 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210-1409 USA
Copyright 2024 Church of the Larger Fellowship. Generally, permission to reproduce items from Quest Monthly is granted, provided credit is given to the author and the CLF. ISSN 1070-244X
