Winding Down 2024

As we make our way through the final days of 2024, it’s a time for slowing down and catching up, so with that in mind, I wanted to share a Top Five reading list of the Gaian Reflections from this past year.

One: I’m gonna cheat on this first one as I’ll actually highlight a dozen reflections: The Cycles of Gaia series. These posts, by Angelina Reddy, examined some of the species included in the calendar (launched at the start of 2024) and are really interesting reads, offering new insights, from better understanding the serviceberry (also the title of a beautiful new book by Robin Wall Kimmerer), and exploring how the mountain laurel catapults its seeds, to explaining how witch hazel got its name, and of course, the story behind the Cycles of Gaia calendar, itself, written by the artist Jon Schroth.

Two: John Mulrow wrote about the hard truth of degrowth, crystalizing some key points and shaping the discussion of our Gaian Degrowth Pod (GDP) discussion group, which John led in 2024. Most exciting is that the GDP helped launch the new Degrowth Institute!

Three: Robert Engelman wrote a beautiful reflection on Gaia’s place in the universe, which includes a thoughtful meditation exercise on attuning to Gaia’s movement by observing heavenly bodies. As Robert notes in the essay: “holding the image of a spinning, living sphere moving through a mysterious cosmos around a steadfast life-enabling Sun helps me fends off despair about Gaia’s and humanity’s current predicament.”  

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We are embodied to our core. Knowing this changes how we live, act and relate to the larger world we’re part of.

Four: If I had to highlight to one essay I wrote (which I admit isn’t easy, because looking back I grappled with a wild and fun set of topics this year: from Zombies vs. AI and de-sugared juice, to the polycrisis and adaptation, even to how the energy transition is like farting under the covers!) I’d have to say the most important reflection I wrote this year is how Gaians are “embodied to the core.” We are not dualistic souls tethered to bodies temporarily, but from birth to our return to Gaia we are our bodies (made up of many different species). That deeply shapes this Gaian philosophy, religion, and our practices (from meditation and fasting to being outside in nature). I encourage you to give it a read.

Five: This reflection introduced another big project of 2024, the ecospiritual radio program, Earth Eclectic. In it, Bart Everson explores the first episode in depth, and now, seven months later, he and his co-creator, Laura Dedleaux have so far created 37 episodes! I find myself eagerly waiting for the next episode each week, and am always surprised by the breadth and depth of the music—from folk to techno, to William Shatner singing David Bowie’s Space Oddity! Check out Episode 36, which features some solstice selections.

Thanks for being part of this ongoing journey, and this community.

Until next year, go with Gaia!

Erik

What was your favorite reflection of 2024? Share your comment below.

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