Now’s probably a good time to remind everyone to check/refresh the wards on your home or wherever you do this work. Be sure that you’re rested, grounded, and in a comfortable position. Maybe wrap up in a blanket or cloak and grasp a stone or talisman that matters to you. Grow your roots, send them deep into the soil, let them intertwine and grow small hairs to attach to the mycelia in your own landbase.
Breathe.
Anchor yourself firmly to your landbase. Notice a small detail that will call you back when this working is finished.
Ground and center. Cast a circle.
Breathe.
As you move to our American plain on the astral plane, you can see again the safe hillock where you do your work. You can see the five giant banners, shining in the sky: Walden Pond, the Underground Railroad, the Cowboy, the Salmon, and Lady Liberty. Do they seem more defined since we began our work? Do they have anything special to tell you this week?
For a few moments, just sit on your hillock and allow yourself to become comfortable. This place should be feeling very real to you by now; we’ve been working together to create it for months and months. What’s become familiar to you? A tuft of prairie grass? Buffalo off in the distance? The scent of sand carried on the wind? You’ve been involved in a months-long magical working here, joined with magic workers from across the globe. Feel your connection to this place on the astral plane. It is always here for you, always a source of strength.
America is a land of trees. There are nearly 1,000 species of trees that are considered native to North America and, of course, we’ve imported many more. There are 228 billion trees in America, or 716 trees per person. As you look at each of the banners, you begin to see the trees that populate each area. New England is home to hemlock, white cedar, and red maple. In America’s South, you can see palmetto trees, bald cypress, and magnolias. In the Southwest, you see American elms, white oaks, and California live oaks. In the Pacific Northwest, you see apple trees, holly, and yew. Tulip trees, cottonwood, and mulberry trees grow near Lady Liberty.
As we now know, trees are connected underground, and communicate with each other, by a gigantic network of fungi.
As you watch the trees growing across America, one in particular calls to you. It may be a tree that you know in the material world. Or, maybe a palmetto that stands near the route of the Underground Railroad reaches out to you. Is there a giant redwood in California that watched your ancestors come to this country and that wants to work with you? The tree that calls to you may be deep in a forest, or it may have its roots in a sidewalk box alongside a busy city street. Squirrels and birds may have nests in its tallest branches or it may provide holly berries, nuts, or fruit that feed local wildlife.
As you watch, the banner where that tree resides grows larger and larger in the sky. You stand up and walk into the banner and find your tree. At this time of year, the sap is beginning to rise in the trees in some places. There are leaf buds and the tree is preparing for a season of growth. In other parts of the country, the trees are still resting, but they are conscious and aware, nonetheless. Stand beside your tree and introduce yourself to it. Can you make it an offering? Some water, a spoonful of compost, a shiny pebble? Is there dead wood or trash that you can clear away? Or would your tree prefer a poem, a song, a hug?
After you have become familiar with your tree, tell is about the danger that America is in, especially the danger to our environment and parks. The EPA has become a fire-sale merchant, auctioning off our country to Trump-favored bidders. Regulations meant to protect the environment are being trashed by the moment. Of all the danger that this administration is doing, the damage it is doing to the environment may be the most difficult to reverse. Ask the tree to warn all of the other trees, via the network that connects them. Remind the trees just how powerful Ents can be when roused and tell your tree how much we need its help.
Listen, patiently — tree time is much slower than our time — for anything your tree has to tell you. Ask your tree if you may return in the future for more help. Thank the tree for accepting you and for any advice it has given you.
Is there anything “tangible” that your tree wants to give you? Maybe a fallen leaf, a broken twig, the scent of its wood? If so, and if you are willing to accept this gift, thank the tree and begin to withdraw. Walk out of the banner and back to your hillock on the astral plane.
Breathe.
As you sit and rest, know that you are not working alone. The Resistance — both magical and in all of its mundane (phone banking, check writing, representative calling, letter writing, canvassing, voting, volunteering, tutoring, restoring wetlands, growing plants for bees) manifestations — is huge. Know that you are a powerful worker of magic, rooted in your very own landbase, working with the strong archetypes of this land, assisted by countless unseen others who labor in league with you. You are brave and growing braver. Your magic and your practical workings can make the difference. The five banners and your magic wand are always available to you when you want to do magic to strengthen America.
Breathe.
Return to your own body, your own landbase. Open your eyes. Rub your face, move your arms and legs. Notice the detail you selected to call you back from the astral. Open your circle. Drink something, maybe cold water or dandelion tea. If you like, have something to eat, maybe some slices of apple or a mug of soup.
During the course of this week, you may want to visit the bannered prairie several times in order to strengthen its presence on the astral. You may want to repeat this working. You may want to place something on your altar to help you to remember your tree. Are you inspired to make any art? Can you sit beside a warm fire, or light incense, or stare into a candle? What actions are you inspired to take for the Resistance? If you’re willing, please share in comments what happened and how this working went.
Picture (of an American chestnut tree) found here.
hecatedemeter 
Reblogged this on Pandoras Shadowbox.
Thank you for sharing; the more people doing this work, the better!
Wonderfully, I felt the bark on my skin, and the leaves in my hair. Thank you for leading these.
So glad this worked for you! And thank you for doing this work; I think it matters a lot.
I don’t thank you often enough for doing this work! I don’t have my own group– just too damn cantankerous– so this is the nearest I can get. But, I’m in for as long as. And thank you, because I know it can’t be easy.
Thank you!!! Virtual groups are as important as in-person groups, in my humble opinion. I know it’s not easy to show up and do this kind of work every week, so I’m grateful to those, such as you, who do!