earth-based spirituality | These Light Footsteps

Yesterday, a hike through one of my favorite places to be in nature revealed several gifts.

First, was a reminder of impermanence. Everything is always changing and it is best not to become attached to any objects, people, or situations. Strive to find happiness in each moment.

Everything will return to the Earth in time.

Second was a gift of free nourishment! We found wild ramps (Allium tricoccum), a perennial wild onion.

Patch of ramps

When you get closer, you can tell they’re ramps by the slight reddish-purple color where they meet the ground. And when you pull them, you’ll know they’re ramps by their characteristically onion smell.

Reddish-purple: yup, ramps!

I harvested several. It’s important that we’re not greedy when wild harvesting things so that we (and other creatures who depend on them) will have these foods in the future. Always leave many more plants than were harvested (some suggest harvesting every 4th ramp). Another idea is to just pull the ramp up from where it meets the ground — you’ll still get some of the onion, but the bulb will be left to grow again. Or even consider being regenerative with the onions and if you take some bulbs, use a few to start a new patch elsewhere.

Ramps for me; ramps for free

Ramps have sulfur compounds that are detoxifying for your body — try some today!

Also, did anyone else participate in this year’s Earth Hour?

It’s a fun way to show support for the Earth, be reminded of how much we depend on electricity, and to unplug for awhile! The camera-flash makes it look bright, but we had fun with candles as our only light for over an hour. I’d like to do this more often!

Candlelight night!

Steps Back to Nature: Harvesting Wild Chives (theselightfootsteps.com)

Regardless of what you like to call it, today is the Spring Equinox in the Northern hemisphere and we have again returned to a time where day and night are equal. This time, daylight will win and we will continue to experience more light until the summer solstice returns.

Following the wheel of the year and the turn of the seasons is one of the best ways to connect with nature and to feel a greater sense of being a part of the all that is. I find it especially whimsical and meaningful to think of my ancestors and other nature-based cultures of the past who would have felt this day on an extremely intimate level. This balance between night and day means that winter is officially over and that soon food will be plentiful again — this is literally a time to be thankful that life can continue on. I think we still feel a part of this as we open our windows, spend more time outdoors noticing flowers, and feel a sense of renewed energy in our lives. The return of the Spring season still represents a time of renewal, rebirth, and fertility.

Luckily, even the idea of taking time to celebrate a day like Ostara isn’t all that foreign to most of us — the concept of rebirth and fertility as symbolized by eggs and rabbits appears in other holidays around this time of year (hello, Easter!).

Whether you celebrate it now, or in a few weeks at Easter, take a few moments to think of how and why these holidays began and how intimately humans have always depended on the Earth for our survival.

Usually, Ostara is a time where I’m just starting to feel like Spring might come again. This year has been a little different and Spring is in full force. Here are some Spring-things that I’ve noticed over the past few days…

The magnolia tree is back! I feel like I should just spend all of my time underneath this tree appreciating it while it’s in bloom. It comes and goes so quickly!