“Every traditional culture originates from the deep bond that exists between a territory and its inhabitants. It is the land that people inhabit that has shaped, informed, and inspired them, whispering the language they speak – sounds and words specific to the landscape. The landforms, climate, animals, vegetation, minerals, spirits, and other ancestral beings that inhabit these lands have inspired and communicated the songs, dances, rituals, and practices needed to maintain these intimate, reciprocal, and multidimensional relationships. These are respectful relationships in which humans receive from the Earth and give in return.

If the cultures, practices, and traditions of other lands can be a source of inspiration for those who have forgotten their roots, it’s essential to remember that our ancestors also maintained this sacred link with all living things. Hearing the voices of the Earth is an innate capacity of our human essence, as we emanate from it; it flows through our veins.

Being able to communicate with what we now call the invisible does not make us special but simply human. Beyond any spiritual practice or proclaimed status, remembering these intimate relationships begins by hearing and respecting the earth beneath our feet.

It’s time to slow down and relearn how to listen to the environment in which we live, allowing it to inform and guide us toward the practices and rituals necessary for our times. These practices should serve our local human and more-than-human community. Our ancestors, many of whose wisdom, songs, dances, rituals, and stories we have forgotten, are there at the crossroads of the worlds, waiting for us to remind us of them and help us reinvent practices that are specific to our land and the reality of our time.”