The Magical Battle for America 1.13.19

Teddy Roosevelt was quite a character.  Like many of our ancestors, he did some very good things and some really rotten things.  One of the best things that he did was to set aside areas of American wilderness, to protect them, to make them available to all Americans who want to spend time in nature.  Subsequent presidents have preserved even more places.  For generations, thousands of rangers and other workers have kept those parks in good condition, preserving their natural beauty.

Today, those sacred sites are in danger, due to traitorous Trump’s government shutdown.  Without park rangers, forest workers, and others to protect them, many of them have been trashed.  Recent reports indicate that, in particular, Joshua Tree National Park in California’s Mohave Desert has been subject to terrible degradation, with the Joshua trees cut down to allow motorized vehicles to drive through previously-protected areas.

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Now’s probably a good time to remind everyone to check/refresh the wards on your home or wherever you do this work.  (No, really.  You really need to do this.)  Be sure that you’re rested, grounded, and in a comfortable position.  Maybe wrap up in a blanket or cloak and grasp an herb, 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.  Does your landbase have anything to tell you today?  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.

As you sit in power, look to the Southwest.  See the Cowboy Banner growing larger and larger until it fills the entire sky.  As you watch, it becomes three-dimensional and you find yourself riding lookout next to a silent cowboy.

Your horses pause from time to time to drink from a small stream or to crop some grass.  You are surrounded by silence and by the ancient joshua trees.  You ride quietly for some time, simply soaking in the quiet majesty of the place.  In the distance, you see a rider coming towards you.  As he nears, you realize that you have been joined by one of our American ancestors, Teddy Roosevelt.  He asks if you have seen anyone harming the wilderness area.  You shake your heads and Teddy smiles.  “Bully!” he announces and rides off, doing his best to protect this sacred space.  You continue to ride and, as you do, the land begins to speak to you.

What does it tell you about its need for protection?  What does it say about how humans can come into right relationship with it?  Does it have any special requests?  You may feel called to dismount and to kneel, or lie, or dance upon the land.  You may want to gently hug one of the trees.  What do they have to tell you?

When you feel that you have finished, climb back on your horse.  Wave to the cowboy and ride back out of the banner.

Breathe.

Slowly, come down from your hillock and begin to walk back to your own landbase.

Open your eyes.  Rub your arms and face.  Notice the detail that you selected to call yourself back.  Drink something, maybe melted snow or apple cider.  Have something to eat, maybe beef jerky or a handful of granola.  Maybe you can set up a small altar dedicated to preservation of our sacred wilderness.  (If so, please post a picture!!)  You may want to repeat this working several times this week.  You may want to journal about it.  Are you inspired to make any art? If you’re willing, please share in comments what happened and how this working went.

Picture found here.