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Post by Allec on Mar 5, 2015 23:23:43 GMT -6
I asked Jace this on Tumblr already, but I figured I'd bring it here too. How do I start to connect to the land in a place that gives me agoraphobia?I feel so out of place here. I grew up in the mountainous forests of Western PA, and now I'm in the desolate plains of Nebraska. I have to scavenge to find trees and save areas outside. I managed to, I think.I originally liked Luc's advice to bring the land inside, but it's feeling more...difficult, because I still feel threatened by the presence of it. I feel so unwelcomed here :/How do other people connect to their land, if at all? Is it important to you as a Gaelic Polytheist? Do you have any tips to add? |
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Windy
Newbie
Posts: 31 
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Religion: irish polytheism
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Post by Windy on Mar 6, 2015 9:16:54 GMT -6
I live in an area with few parks close by, and where everyone knows my dad, who is a Catholic. In fact, I am living with my family at the moment, and they are all very Catholic, so I don't have a lot of space to do things. That being said, I have always had a knack for visualization. What I do is go to my floating isle. It's just an island that I can close my eyes and visit anytime I want. My altars are set up there, and there is a pond at the edge, so I have land sea and sky.
Maybe you could create a space like that for you? It's not a perfect solution, but it's something...
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Kerry
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Post by Kerry on Mar 6, 2015 12:13:22 GMT -6
I'm planning on starting a small indoor garden using pots come spring, as I get nervous being outside a lot. Maybe you could plant some things that remind you of where you grew up?
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wickedlittlecritta
Full Member
A tempest in a teacup
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Religion: Gaelic polytheist
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Post by wickedlittlecritta on Mar 6, 2015 17:19:57 GMT -6
Oh geeze. I can't say I can relate first hand (I've always lived in New England), but I can sympathize. No trees. What the heck.
The land is important to me but only tangentially to my practice, if that makes sense? It's my home and I love it and try to take care of it as best I can, but it's not Ireland, so it feels wrong to approach it from a Gaelic context.
I guess if I moved somewhere that I felt uncomfortable/unwelcome, and knew I was stuck there for a while, I'd try and make friends with it. You don't have to be outside a lot, at least at first--maybe water some plants or something as sort of an offering to it?
The only way I've really ever gotten to know a place is by exploring it. Maybe find a buddy who's comfortable with the area and go for a short walk every so often?
Idk this may all be way off base, I've never really been someplace I've felt unwelcome the way you're describing. :/
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Post by Allec on Mar 6, 2015 21:30:14 GMT -6
I think I'm going to venture tonight for a plant to take care of and keep inside. And then also try to go to this park that doesn't trigger my agoraphobia (though it's a bit of a drive to get to it.) wickedlittlecritta : Walking and venturing would all be fine if I didn't get this intense dread while doing it! Being with other people doesn't seem to help :/ But I think starting small with a park and then also with a house plant will do me a lot of good... |
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wickedlittlecritta
Full Member
A tempest in a teacup
Posts: 169
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Post by wickedlittlecritta on Mar 6, 2015 21:33:33 GMT -6
Allec: Aw. At least you have a plan! Baby steps in large enough numbers will lead to world domination.
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Post by Allec on Mar 7, 2015 10:20:37 GMT -6
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wickedlittlecritta
Full Member
A tempest in a teacup
Posts: 169
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Religion: Gaelic polytheist
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Post by wickedlittlecritta on Mar 7, 2015 14:00:20 GMT -6
EEEEH! They're adorable!
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cass
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Post by cass on Mar 8, 2015 14:58:58 GMT -6
it's really awesome that you're finding little things! i've alway had major difficulty changing environments like that. it took me 4 years to start feeling really connected to the land in michigan, which i never thought would happen because i missed having giant mountains!!!!! but there's so much wooded area in michigan, eventually just going out and wandering once in a while got me really attached to the place. getting connected to the place i'm living now... has been up and down. the climate here is so foreign to me; there's basically only 2 seasons, it doesn't snow, the trees are all weird, and it's freaking green during the wrong time of the year! and with the way climate change has been affecting the area, it feels like every time i figure out a pattern, it changes substantially. so i've kind of just... stopped trying to accomplish that haha. and the move i'm making later this month is going to be another drastic change, and i have no idea how i'll deal with it. a big part of the difficulty i've had since moving here though is that my mental and physical health have been rather awful, and that really keeps me from exploring and connecting the way i'm used to. it's difficult to connect with nature when getting out of bed is a challenge, and even worse when you use a cane to get around and the area you live in is pretty unaccessible... something i've been trying to do more of lately is just to get myself outside for a few minutes a day. mostly this just means sitting out on the front lawn and watching the birds and the way the wind makes the grass look like waves and how the sun makes the hills look different as it moves. observing has changed a lot of the ways i see this area. would it be possible to get a chair or bench to sit on your balcony? sitting out there and watching how the land around you works, while still having the safety of your home right behind you, might be a good step? i'm not sure if something like that would still be triggering though. connection to the land is important to me because it's always been a big part of my life, it doesn't necessarily have to be completely connected to my religious beliefs. and it seems like you're starting to find your own ways to learn about where you live. there's nothing wrong with having to do that learning inside. i think there's a lot of expectations of the 'right way' to do this cuz of how pagans look at the whole nature based thing. honestly, it feels ableist because there are so many people who find that inaccessible one way or another. you do your thing  |
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Post by Allec on Mar 8, 2015 19:10:03 GMT -6
With the weather getting nicer, I definitely plan on going out on the balcony of my apartment more! It was one of the reasons I liked this apartment, because the trees between this building and the next make it feel like an enclosed space. I think it'll be nice to whittle out on the balcony. Give me something to do while I'm outside and observing things.
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veritywhitethorn
Junior Member
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Post by veritywhitethorn on Mar 10, 2015 20:26:09 GMT -6
I LOVE your new plants, they look terrific with your hearth set up!
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galdrofnaumkeag
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Post by galdrofnaumkeag on Mar 16, 2015 22:54:39 GMT -6
Awesome idea of starting with the house plants. I'm totally jelly of your Baby's Tears. They immediatly got put on my houseplant wishlist after I came across this pinterest pinWhen you feel comfortable enough, you should definitely give growing a larger plant outdoors a try. Many small bushes, vines, and even some trees can be grown in a pot on your balcony where they'll do their part to help out your local ecosystem. Producing berries/nuts for the birds, providing shelter for insects, pollen for bees, etc. I'm getting ready to plant a couple of trees and bushes in my front yard, so I spent a considerable amount of time this winter looking up which native species are beneficial to the wildlife in my area. It's definitely made me feel more connected to the land, so I'm guessing it might do the same for you. |
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Post by Allec on Mar 18, 2015 13:19:17 GMT -6
Oooh! That's gorgeous!
And that's not a bad idea! Maybe for Beltaine, I'll gift myself a new plant for the balcony. Just gotta find something cheap and easy to carry up a few flight of stairs >.<
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Post by Allec on Mar 18, 2015 13:19:24 GMT -6
Oooh! That's gorgeous!
And that's not a bad idea! Maybe for Beltaine, I'll gift myself a new plant for the balcony. Just gotta find something cheap and easy to carry up a few flight of stairs >.<
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spiralthicket
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Canadian Branches Gaelic Roots
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Post by spiralthicket on Jul 23, 2015 16:59:15 GMT -6
Yes perfect topic. I've honestly lucked out when it comes to land and places to connect, I've grown up in a place with lots of woods, trees, thickets, forests, fields and other such dwellings. In fact spirits of place are a huge part of my practice and everywhere I go I set up roots.
That being said that can also be a bad thing. When it comes time to move, it can be incredibly hard, and I've unfortunately had my fair share of sacred spaces being cut down or destroyed completely.
There are places I only visit once a year if that, and not all of the land I worked with were forests, sometimes all I need is one tree, and that might be all I have. It doesn't make up for the beautiful strange old forest's and groves, but ive learned to work with what I have.
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