Except for a few short warm spells, Duluth has not been as hot as elsewhere in the country. And for a few more days it will be coolish and rainy before heating up; at this time of year, the "cooler by the lake" effect usually starts to fizzle out. All winter, I had dreamed of sitting outside with friends, and this weekend it was possible and comfortable. Even so, I had to remember that 75 degrees was a full 100 degrees hotter than common on a day in January, and that those frigid winter conditions are this region's "payoff" for summer comfort, you might say. Looking across the pond, it has been hard to watch the death of my assumption that the UK would forever stay within temperate range (about 30 degrees F to 80 degrees F). The meteorologically unexpected can -- and will -- happen from now on.
Scanning the various morning TV news programs this weekend, it seemed as if every aspect of our life was described in terms of "overheating" or fire. Yes, there are the literal fires around the world, a volcano in Japan, etc. But the metaphors referencing COVID and monkeypox, the economy, politics, Ukraine, gun violence, naming but a few, were also all about heat. If they weren't about heat, they were about "fighting". Al Gore was interviewed about the extreme weather conditions, and I honor his longtime efforts on behalf of the environment. But his focus is on what we need to do, and my gut feeling is that we have long since passed the point where such action, alone, will have any permanent effect.
In the end, these ills are primarily manifestations of belief. In the environmental arena, we have believed it appropriate to abuse the earth for the sake of "free" resources. Earth has effectively been our slave, a worker with no pay and no say. We have insisted on flow with no ebb, progress with no periods of rest and reflection, profit at all costs. None of this reflects the values I believe to be of the divine feminine. What's challenging is that fighting the old mindset will only add to the heat. (I wonder if any scientists have studied that!) It's important to find a way to stay physically cool right now, but once we do, staying mentally cool -- or at least ratcheting down the Old Paradigm "fight or flight" impulse -- will help. Mother Nature needs to do what She needs to do to rebalance this precious jewel of a planet. Whatever the cost to myself, I'm going to allow Her to be Her whenever I can, because there is no doubt in my mind that She knows more about balance than we do.
Many years ago, well before I consciously became so clear about my Goddess orientation, I wrote an interesting list of "Goddess Words". I came across it the other day, and in the spirit of articulating and grounding the building blocks of a potential future era, I'll start featuring these words from time to time. I've never had a job I loved, but oh, do I love this writing!
