This experience has come through my awareness of a large construction project at my living community, Rose Villa. Due to begin actively this coming winter and to last perhaps eighteen months intensely, this project will be big (about half of our landscape), disruptive (right in the middle and affecting everyone), noisy, dusty, messy, and totally transformative of the area affected. Landscape will be vastly changed and nothing will be the same, except that this will remain our home, for about 200 of us, throughout and afterwards.
Over the months, I have felt awareness of this grow beyond my mind’s edges, into and throughout my body — every fiber and every cell bracing themselves for the coming impact. Several months ago I knew there was impact also on the body of the Earth and all its local living systems of this landscape, soon to be so altered. I knew this in my own body, “picked up” somehow from the land of our home here. I suddenly knew I must respond to this knowing. It was my part of helping the ground, water courses, living things–parts of the community to which my own body belongs.
Landscape intuitives have said each of us can do this. Oh my, I thought with my brain.
But I set out, walking in and out all the paths and streets and alleys that would soon be impacted by change. With good Benedictine attentiveness, I “listened with the ear of my heart” to everything here in the “Zone”. I returned heart prayers to it all in response: seeking strength of belonging, encouraging hope against chaos and despair, affirming our continued mutual care, being present. In this way I shared experience with the Earth community where I live. I have tried to listen for its responses or needs but I have so much to learn about how to listen with my body this way.
I have done this four or five hours a week, since February, to continue as long as I can through the time ahead. I am learning to tune my body to this Earth where I live. This is a part of my “service” to the Creator and all her creation. I am a part of it. We will all survive together.
—Carol Bosworth