Earthdreaming
We envisage five ways of bringing movement, activism and shamanic practice together:
(there may of course be more.. or less.. as they merge, reproduce and evolve)
Dreaming – using ecstatic dance, shamanic practice and other ways of entering conscious dreamtime, as our vessels for aligning with the dreaming of the living Earth, and so listening for what we are called to bring forth in service of healthy planetary evolution. Dancing, drumming, walking – alone or together – opening up to the deep wisdom of organic potential and co-creation – whether that manifests as direct action, campaigning, creative projects, ritual, or community and/or family life & work.
Healing – using movement as a vessel for experiencing and processing our feelings around the world situations we face and hear of. Dancing with and through the fear and denial, the anger and frustration, the grief and despair, the impotence, nihilism and resignation… – and dancing also with and through the gratitude, the joy, the hope, the strength, conviction and belief in possibilities for constructive change and real solutions.
Training – using dance and movement as a training and preparation aid prior to engaging in direct action, campaigning or protest. Using tools and methods from 5Rhythms, Movement Medicine, the Work That Reconnects and other bodies of work, to explore and practice different ways of feeling and being in different situations, and to develop more effective strategies for our work. Using focused movement in a safe space to gather energy, define the ground we stand on, and centre ourselves – taking a breath before moving into action, and taking another when it is done, with a space for debrief, processing and learning from what has happened.
Action – using dance and movement as a primary tool of direct action. This could mean taking to the streets in a dancing bloc as part of a mass demonstration, or dancing in a particular location as an act of targeted protest, occupation or civil disobedience. Trying ways that dance and conscious embodiment can be used both as creative political action and as empowered tactical response to the methods of the police, security and others employed to defend the structures that are destroying the earth and hurting us all.
Ceremony – holding dancing ceremonies with sacred intent. Using movement as a shamanic dreaming tool and prayer vessel – with the purpose of raising energy for the planet’s resilience, and sending support, healing and love to those peoples, beings and lands facing direct challenges to their existence or well-being.
We consider that our most powerful work as Earthdreamers will emerge from engaging with a combination of the five ways mentioned above, and, we honour people’s strengths and welcome involvement & contributions focused on just one or more specific areas.