The Earth Spirit Hearth and Home: A Seasonal Guide for a Nature-Based Home

By Solstice

A seasonal guide to living in harmony with nature

• Language: English
• Publisher: Earth Spirit Press
• Release date: May 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662913839

Book preview

Part I

The Home Hearth

But it was home. And though home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit answered to, in strongest conjuration.

—Charles Dickens

We are dwellers by nature. From the earliest times, we have sought out places where we feel at home. Even in nomadic cultures, dwellings are often carried along as the tribe journeys between seasonal homes. To dwell is an act of belonging. It is a mutual caretaking between dweller and dwelling. We keep up the home and care for the land and in return we are offered food and shelter. We belong to a place just as much as a place might feel like it belongs to us. The word dwelling refers to the home itself, but it also refers to the act of living within the home. The word holds within it the active energy of that mutual caretaking.

The word dwelling also differentiates between a structure and a home. It suggests a spirit of place that exists in the current moment and our energy intermingling with the energy of a living structure. A well-built home is designed to function with the land and its weather patterns, and in turn the land welcomes the shape of the home into its landscape. Likewise, our visions of function and beauty helps shape the home and in turn the flow of the dwelling’s energy shapes our lives.

Historically, the center of our dwelling was the hearth-fire. As a sacred resource within the dwelling, this central fire was a source of comfort and survival. It was the place where we cooked our food. It was a source of warmth, safety, and illumination. It was the place where we gathered to share our stories at the end of a long day.

It can feel like we have lost the connection to this sacred hearth fire, but the sacred life-giving energy of the hearth fire flame is still alive within our dwellings. It is more muted and dispersed, and therefore perhaps less obvious. On the other hand, it is safer and more dependable, and it is available throughout the dwelling. The furnace that distributes its warmth throughout the home, the electric circuits that bring light to every corner, the stove in the kitchen that cooks our food, even the TV in the living room that entertains us with its stories in the evening, all contain within them a piece of the ancient hearth fire spirit.

Beyond comfort and survival, the hearth fire was also woven into our spiritual practices. The spirit of the fire received our stories, invocations, and blessings, and carried them out into the greater universe. We may not use fire in this way in our modern homes, but our ancient spiritual connection to the hearth fire can be felt anytime we gaze into a flame. As we gaze, we find that all our collective stories, invocations, and blessings still dwell within.

Part of our spirit also dwells within these stories, invocations, and blessings. As humans, we are storytellers and myth creators by nature. It is, in part, how we understand our lives and our place in the universe. It is how we perceive and talk about the vastness of time. It is how we remember. What we honor shapes our conscious and unconscious connection to our world. Story and myth shape the energetic space of our spiritual consciousness in the same way that the lives we live within our dwellings shape the energy of our homes.

In a similar way, a building dwells within its own history and myth. Its spirit of place is shaped by the stories of the land. It is shaped by all those who have lived there and all the times it stood empty. These stories infuse the energy that a dwelling embodies. And even when we are not consciously aware of a dwelling’s stories, we still feel them. When the energy of the home feels good, we say that a home is welcoming, loving, or peaceful. On the other hand, we describe a home that feels agitated or abandoned as heavy, unsafe, or even haunted.

When we approach the act of dwelling with choice and intention, both within our homes and our mythology, we deepen our sense of belonging. We feel more grounded within ourselves and our homes. And when we align our dwellings and our personal mythology with the spirit of place, this feeling of belonging grows deeper still. Our sense of home expands outward to include the surrounding landscape. Our personal mythologies intermingle with the myths of the land. We become part of a place and its history. And even when we do not originate from a place, dwelling with intention helps us be of a place. We become local. In other words, to dwell with intention is an act of homecoming.

Earth Our Home

To be admitted to Nature’s hearth costs nothing. None is excluded, but excludes himself. You have only to push aside the curtain.

—Henry David Thoreau

If we span out from our immediate landscape for just a moment, we see the larger ecosystem where our neighborhood resides. Span out farther and we see the planet where this ecosystem resides. This beautiful green and blue planet, in this solar system, in this corner of the galaxy, in this corner of the universe, is our celestial home address. We are children of the Earth. But also, we are Earth. Not just as her children, but as an integral part of the living biosphere that makes up the conscious life web that is the planet. All life on Earth, including the sentient energy within the rocks, water, soil, and air are all part of this interlinked continuum. Yes, we are individuals, divided into families, communities, nations, and species. But we are also, along with all other life on the planet, one living organism. This planet-wide life web is often referred to as the Gaia Hypothesis.

The Gaia Hypothesis states that all living organisms, both organic and inorganic, collaborate within the Earth’s biosphere to form a synergistic and self-regulating system that supports life and its collective evolution. In other words, life in all its self-organized forms is an interlinked energetic consciousness with the shared goal of survival and balance. This principle looks past the modern interpretation of Darwin, as survival of the fittest, and embraces the original view that life evolved more as a collaborative collective. We may compete, but we also co-evolve because it increases all our chances of survival.

Within the life web, each ecosystem is also self-organized. Every forest, grassland, desert, and ocean is its own self-organized being. Within each of these ecosystems are smaller and smaller overlapping ecosystems. The bedrock, water, soil, fungi, plants, insects, and animals are also their own self-organized beings, part of the whole, separately supporting their own lifeform while helping to maintain the life-supporting balance within the life web.

As humans, we are also an interlaced system of self-organized beings. Our bodies are made up of self-organized tissues and organs, which in turn are made up self-organized cells, which in turn are made up of self-organized molecules, deeper and deeper into the tiniest particles of life. Each is a self-organized part and a building block of the whole. Each part contributes to the whole in return for its share of nutrients and oxygen.

We can look at society from this perspective as well. A country, for example, is its own version of ecosystem. It is made up of smaller self-organized parts like counties, cities, towns, neighborhoods, buildings, and homes. All these parts are their own being that both contributes to the larger ecosystem and ideally receives support in return.

As we have seen in both nature and society, this interdependent balance becomes disrupted when one species or group loses its ability to see its place within the web and gains the ability to take more than its share. It is not hard to find evidence of human-caused imbalances. Our self-focused consumer habits and industrial practices are both based on an assumption of ownership. This assumption makes it hard to see our place within the life web. Even as we are beginning to understand our effects on the planet, we tend to see it from the perspective of otherness. We talk about restoration in ways that dismiss the voice of the land. Even the idea of stewardship can imply a top-down, parental management of lesser-abled beings. When we do not listen to the planet and its life web, we struggle to invent solutions. What we learn when we listen is that we are not in this alone. Nature, with its healing powers and desire for balance, will always meet us halfway. The life web will teach us what we need to know on our path toward wellness.

This life web perspective is named after the primordial Greek goddess Gaia or Gaea, meaning Earth. In Greek mythology, this goddess is the ancestral mother of the Earth. She creates all life, and all life returns to her after death. The difference between the Gaia Hypothesis and Gaia the goddess is personification. This personification creates a being separate from us, a divine being that creates life. We are her children, but we are not her. The Gaia Hypothesis does not see this separateness. Here we are all created and creators both.

In this perspective, we are not problem children, cast from the garden of Eden. Rather, we are an integral part of the garden. And just like all life within the life web, we are dreamt into being by the collective whole. However, somewhere along the way we have lost sight of this belonging. We placed ourselves above all other life, believing that our place at the top entitles us to take what we desire. We often dismiss the understanding that we are not outside the nature we are harming.

We celebrate this place at the top as a divine right, yet our souls remember this deeper belonging. In the midst of all our advancements and material comforts we feel alone. This estrangement has left an empty place within us that cannot be filled by human-created solutions. Although we certainly have tried. To heal this empty place within our soul we must shift our perspective back to one of belonging. Our deeper-self knows this. Yet we resist, in part because our ego does not wish to reconnect and in part because we are afraid. Our fears tell us that this place of belonging is not real, that we don’t know how to return, that we will not be welcome. But this returning is simple. We are already there. When we allow ourselves, we awaken to this belonging. This awakening is the homecoming our soul craves.

Home Is Where the Hearth Is

The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.

—Maya Angelou

Bringing our focus back to our dwellings with this renewed understanding of interconnected belonging, we can better understand what it means to be at home. Our perception of spirit of place, as an energy that has been collected within a building, shifts to a perception of a home as a living ecosystem with its own living spirit. And like all living beings, it is made up of smaller, self-organized beings. In this case, rooms, hallways, attics, and basements. And within these beings live smaller beings still, like closets, cupboards, and drawers.

As dwellers within this ecosystem, we are part of its life web. When we open ourselves up to this interwoven consciousness, we begin to feel the life-energy of our homes. We are better able to contribute to and receive the balanced wellness available within its web.

Beyond our homes, we can now feel the life-energy of the greater ecosystem. When we open ourselves and listen, we are better able to connect with the larger spirit of place and the energy of its seasons. We can more easily find ways to align our homes and our lives with this local energy. We can more easily find ways to live in a reciprocal relationship with the land. And in turn, the spirit of the land meets us halfway with its wisdom, love, and guidance. The peace and wellness alive within the local life web become our guides.

But before we begin this journey of homecoming, before we begin to build this new reciprocal relationship, we do well to ground in the present. Right here, right now, how are things? We take some time to honor what is good about the here and now. Beginning the journey from a place of love and appreciation gives us a solid foundation from which to grow and learn.

From this perceptive of appreciation, take some time to consider your home. In general, how is the balance and wellness of your ecosystem? Is the dwelling well adapted to its purpose? Does each part, rooms, hallways, attics, and basements alike, feel at peace with its designated purpose? Does each part contribute in a positive way to the whole? And in return, does each part receive the care it requires? How does your energy interact with the energy of the home? What parts feel welcoming, relaxing, or inspiring? Are there parts that feel heavy or abandoned? And how well connected are home and land? Can you feel the spirit of the greater ecosystem within the home?

The wellness of the ecosystem, that is our home, is a balanced interplay between matter and energy. A room that is well-organized and well-suited to its purpose draws us in and wraps us in its positive energy. A well-stocked kitchen, for example, that smells like home cooking, will inspire the enjoyment of food.

On the other hand, if a room in the home has become a place where all things, from unused clothing, old magazines, or unfinished projects get stacked, it takes on a heavy, discouraged energy. Each time we enter the room, or even walk by, we can feel our mood shift. We feel a little of our energy drain away. The room is not able to support the whole in this state; rather it drains energy because it is out of balance. This same concept applies to unstocked kitchen pantries, faltering appliances, broken furniture, and squeaky door hinges alike.

From this place of love and appreciation, take some time to reacquaint yourself with your dwelling. Instead of looking at what needs doing or what you would change, simply sit in each space and listen and give thanks. Ask the space how it is and feel for the energy of the response. This is not meant to create a map of home improvement projects; rather it is intended to deepen connection between dwelling and dweller. The question itself acts as a grounding experience.

Once you feel more acquainted with the spirit of the home, expand the question to the land. Take some time to explore, to feel the energy of the home and its interactions with the surrounding landscape. Where do they connect? Where is the connection weak? Consider how this energy influences your life.

If the question how are you? feels like too big a leap, begin by asking what are you? And in turn, answer these same questions as if the spirit of place is asking you.

Getting Started

There are many benefits, both spiritual and practical, to consciously aligning self and home with the land, to becoming a true local. This grounded sense of connection and belonging supports both mental and physical wellness. It also supports a more Earth-conscious lifestyle, which, when done with patience and common sense, is good for planet, self, and pocketbook.

When we approach life from this grounded place, we are better able to navigate the stress and messaging of society. We can live from a place of peace and love instead of disconnected consumption.

This balancing is particularly timely given the amount of access the outside world has to our modern homes. Many activities and moments of human connection that used to require us to leave the home now come to the home. News and entertainment stream into our homes via television and other smart devices with the click of a button. Updates from family, friends, acquaintances, and other social groups can be had via social media any time. This can bring joy, but it can also have an unbalancing effect on self and home as our energy gets drawn outward. Being intentional with outside access helps the energy of the home incorporate this outside influence in a more grounded way.

Our homes are also where we do more and more of our shopping. As online shopping grows, the world of consumerism streams into our homes as well. The energy of the marketplace joins the energy mix, not in terms of crowds or noise, but in terms of the energy of marketplace offerings and consumer decisions. This consumeristic energy draws our attention span further outward as it feeds feelings of need and inadequacy.

In contrast, there is a growing trend of individualized spiritual practices. Many of us are shifting our attention away from organized religions to spiritual experiences and practices that feel more personal and relevant to our lives. As we explore our own spiritual paths, our homes take on the function of spiritual center as well. This, in a way, is a return to an ancient time, before organized religions, when all homes had altars for their deities and ancestors. And while we may not necessarily have deities that we look to honor and communicate with, we still might feel the need for a corner that is set aside for spiritual practice.

It is not surprising then that all this new energy entering our homes adds to life’s overwhelm. As our world gets busier and more complex, we find ourselves craving simplicity. It is tempting to look backward to those simpler times even though we know they are fictional, even though a closer look reveals that they were just complicated in other ways. This desire for simpler times is the driving force behind the many books, blogs, and shows about homesteading and living off the grid. While these ideals have some kernel of a holistic, grounded life, they are often over-idealistic and packaged for consumption. The reality is that the planet could not support a homestead for everyone. In fact, by living in an urban setting, we allow more of the surrounding ecosystem to remain wild and well. So, no matter where we find ourselves at home at the moment, we allow simplicity to be our guide.

The question then, is how do we live a more grounded life in the midst of all this input? The first step is to recognize that the past is not our destination. That while our lives are richer and more grounded when our foundations include the wisdom of bygone eras, there is no returning to those times. What we can return to, or rather reawaken to, is nature. That is where we will find the belonging and simplicity that we crave.

The Earth Spirit Home

This book looks at the journey of homecoming from the perspective of hearth and home. It explores how we might craft our daily habits and our holidays to support this homecoming. It offers simple ways to weave intention and love into our relationship with home and land.

An earth spirit home creates belonging and simplicity in two ways. It aligns the home with the energy of the land and its seasons, making it easier for us to hear and understand the wisdom and guidance of the greater life web. And, in doing so, it also becomes a place where human mythology and the stories within the land are woven together to create a more meaningful experience of life, because healing is about environmental solutions and change, but it is also about belonging to and loving what we are healing.

We might ask ourselves why now, when there are so many other stressful societal elements to deal with. Why spend our time on spiritual attunement and change in this era? The answer is twofold. The most pressing reason is environmental. Human-caused climate change has led us to a crossroads. We can continue as we have and push our ecosystem over the tipping point toward destruction or we can correct our course and heal the damage. Choosing this path of healing is not an altruistic journey we take to save the planet. Whatever happens, the planet will survive without us. We take the path of healing to save the ecosystem for our future generations as well as our fellow lifeforms.

The other reason to choose this path now is personal wellness. It is much easier to act from a place of hope and love than from a place of anxiety or fear. When we feel grounded, we are better able to see the path ahead.

The next question we might ask is how? How do we become part of the solution? How can one person’s actions matter in the face of such a global problem? The answer to that question is connectivity. As a species disconnected from the life web, our search for solutions takes too much time and they often do not work as anticipated. When we reconnect and learn to listen, we find that the Earth has been waiting to join forces and get the work done all along. Connected collaboration can bring about faster and more sustainable healing. Even the smallest change creates a ripple effect in the world. What happens in one part of the life web happens in all parts of the life web.

As mentioned above, exploring how and why is also about understanding that guilt, fear, and worry are not good motivators on this journey. Healing, like creating, works better when