The forest pedestal altar
On Friday for the Taurus new moon, I returned to our forest altar. On Tuesday we were looking for a place to do our ritual for Jupiter in Taurus. We were heading for water, and didn’t find any (it’s the tail end of dry season here), and were led - it really felt like we were led - to a spot at the edge of the forest where we found a pedestal.
The pedestal has clearly been there for a long time. While it doesn’t take things long to grow here in the rainforest, in the tropics, it is covered in moss and looks like there are even roots growing under it. It is no newcomer to this spot, and yet it felt like someone had placed it there for us, at the edge of the forest, a short walk from our offices.
So now we have a forest altar. Another time, I will share with you the story of the tree altar in Colorado Springs. But I conjured - emphasis on the con-, the etymological roots, to swear together, to band together with an oath, to conspire, to plot - so much magic with that altar, and I am beyond delighted that we have found a spot here - or a spot has found us - to make offerings.
Taurus New Moon - Rooting Dreams and Community Abundance
This Taurus season, in our Taurean department of Peace and Conflict Studies (we are all Tauruses), has been magnificent, magical, abundant. Each office decoration got more elaborate. There were more cakes than I can count. Birthday songs in multiple languages echoing the halls. We celebrated beyond well, in abundant earthly delights and pleasure of Taurean style. We truly lived Taurus season to the fullest.
On the Friday Taurus new moon, as I stood at the edge of the forest next to the pedestal altar, I realized this year is about grounding. Rooting and grounding these dreams I am living, into the earth and sky, growing up and down like vines. Deepening them, giving them sustenance, sustainability, longevity, stability.
With Jupiter moving into Taurus, I have been thinking a lot about abundance, because that is what it is about - bringing abundance and expansion to this part of your life, which for me is the 9th house of teaching, learning, spirituality, travel, publishing…literally all of my favorite things, and where I am already dwelling in richness and abundance and so much gratitude at the moment. What more could I ask for?
Community abundance and thriving. Dreams deepening and taking root.
And as I stood at the edge of the forest, I contemplated how for me to live an abundant life, I need abundance for my community. For my livelihood to be flourishing, I need a thriving institution, a thriving community. For me to thrive and dwell in abundance, we need to dwell in abundance, together. Abundance is not an individual matter (mind you, nothing is). Abundance is collective, communal.
This is obvious, and profound.
What I want for myself, I want for everyone else, in a metta meditation sense of the word. (As a little bonus, here is a metta meditation I recorded on my phone a couple of years ago - nothing fancy, but may you enjoy :)
I want all beings everywhere to be happy, healthy, free from suffering, living in ease and well-being. What I want for myself, I want for the world, honestly, sincerely (and know that other people have different dreams and I want those for them, too, unless their “dreams” are rooted in others’ oppression in which case I hope for them to wake up).
So for this Taurus new moon,
I root my dreams like vines on trees
growing in all directions.
I ground them
and give them stability, sustenance, longevity.
I deepen them into place
and into my communities.
May this Taurus new moon support us in rooting and growing our dreams for peace, justice, communal abundance, collective liberation, thriving for all life on earth. May these dreams grow deep and vast, grounded and stable, sustainable, nourished. Able to weather storms, in harmony with life, pura vida. May our deepest dreams for collective well-being be supported by these energies.
I left the pedestal, and walked towards the peace park. I reflected how, 14 years ago, on my first day in Costa Rica, I arrived to this park for the first time, filled with hopes and dreams and aspirations for peace, dreams that remain and shapeshift and weave like the vines through the trees at the edge of the rainforest. Dreams that continue to root and grow and expand in the container and community that is this special place, the University for Peace. To be standing there today is a trip, a time warp, to touch the me-then and the me-now, so unbelievably grateful for the endless conditions that allowed me to return and be here at this moment.
I walked up to the monument, which marks the founding of UPEACE in 1980, with these thoughts on my mind and heart. As I approached, a bird flew over my head, whose named I learned later is a pecho amarillo. It flew to the hands of the monument, which are releasing a dove.
I looked closer and there was a nest - a nest in the hands at the heart of the monument in the heart of the peace park. This bird has nestled into the very center of this sculpture, raising its young there, building home there.
Nesting peace. We are nesting peace here. Sometimes it feels fragile, like a storm could blow it all away, like a toucan could come a snatch the eggs (I love the toucans, but they do eat baby bird eggs. The circle of life can feel cruel sometimes but everyone has to eat). And sometimes it feels sturdy, like this monument, stone and grounded, withstanding weather and rainy season storms, monumental. And both exist together, the monumentally sturdy peace, the fragile nesting bird’s egg peace.
We are approaching the end of the school year and our beautiful bunch of students will fly from this nest on a hill, returning to their homes in all parts of the world to carry the seeds of peace that they have learned here with them. It is so sad to see them go, and yet it is their time to fly.
Nesting peace
In this place, we are nesting peace
We are making a home for it, branch by branch,
Strand by strand.
We make use of the materials on hand
To grow what we can.
In this place, we are growing love
Beloved community
Love of learning and of life
Love for a peace for which we will fight.
In this place, we are planting seeds
Of hope and prosperity
For all beings
Of love, nonviolence, compassion, generosity
That they may grow abundantly.
In this place, we are nesting peace
Monumentally
Rooting it in stability
Casting mycelial webs we weave
Extending from sea to sea
That we may slowly and organically, emergently
Fractally
Root it so deep
That it becomes the foundation of all things.