From Erosion to Regeneration

A Flood Myth Full of Hope?

All of my work, all of my life, is rooted into eroding soil.

What if yours is, too?

And what if that is ok? What if erosion is intimately interwoven with regeneration, and together, they’re at the core to this whole adventure of being alive?

We associate erosion with loss - of territory, of resources, of connection

Erosion is terrifying. Something to be stopped all costs. (Unless that cost means giving up our collective addiction to carbon based fuels, of course.)

But wait. This is the moment to remember the first law of thermodynamics and find some comfort there: energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another.

Ok, so erosion of all kinds is happening all over the place, but what if that doesn’t mean all is irretrievably lost?

Even if the land erodes, even if culture erodes, there’s a chance (though by no means is it a given), that anything that dissolves into the waves or tumbles into the sea just might rise somewhere else.

What if we could take the shifting sands and sheered off cliffs that are part of this life, and we created new beaches, new islands, new oases?

What if we could take our broken traditions and craft new stories?
What if we could take our tattered communities and forge new bonds?
What if we trusted that, rather than simply mourning all that we can’t access, we could be inspired and informed by the presence of that absence?
What becomes possible when we braid our awareness of the unknowable past with the wild potential of the imagination?

In this week’s KnotWork Myth & Storytelling, I offer you a new poetic take on the story of Cessair, the first person to set foot on Irish soil. It’s also Ireland’s most powerful bit of flood mythology.

I tell the story from the perspective of the ocean, who grieves the drowning of her beloved “little sister” Cessair, but who has no choice but to follow her own fathomless nature and rise.

And, in this episode, I share my emerging project on the power and potential of erosion.

Join Us for a Chance Explore and Build Up Your Own Creative Landscape

All of this talk of erosion comes from my own deep love and understanding of the power of landscape. The earth herself shapes and holds our lives, and the imaginal landscape within shapes our creativity.

During our three hours together (June 25 from 2 - 5 PM ET), we’ll travel from the cave to the cliff to the castle to the cottage, and more. Each space will reframe your own relationship to your creativity and to your voice.

You can expect a guided journey, a lot of time to write, and chances to dive into conversation with other myth-minded participants.

This retreat is open to all paid Myth Is Medicine subscribers. Please consider joining us by upgrading your subscription today.

You’ll receive the Zoom details on Wednesday, the day of our call.