We begun this week with a real curiosity into what distinguishes humankind from the so called “beasts”. Aren’t we animals too?
There is too much to explore here, just like in every other realm we have touched on. So I surrender to the fact I can’t do it all, and make a hopeful commitment to this tradition whereby if we revisit each of these realms each year, we will glide our awareness over more and more. Next year, maybe feathers, fur, silk, and more.
WOOL DYE
Animals provide such gifts, like wool from their coat. A simple fun activity was dyeing a section of an old wool blanket in natural food colouring and vinegar hot water solutions. It felt safe for my daughter to get her hands in. And now we have beautiful coloured felt to make some creations.
What could you make with wool?
FARM
Koa had a desire to milk a cow to understand where her cows milk comes from as opposed to her soy milks. So we made it out to Golden ridge farm as a last minute easy access to domesticated farm animals. We help baby ducklings and chicks. We fed goats, kids, lamas and horses. It was a kitschy but necessary experience that I feel sad is so far from our current lives.
We milked a cow and it felt wrong because she was mostly empty from feeding her calf earlier, and I connected it to when my kids have drained my breastmilk.
My son was sitting on the ground and a beautiful horse reached over the fence and dragged his beautiful huge nose along my sons face. I wonder what it was like for him. The whole experience tapped me into the fact that I feel scared when I’m with other animals. I felt how unpredictable they are maybe because I don’t spend a lot of time with them. They feel so foreign. And so they draw a huge sense of mystery within me, mainly unease but this desire to understand and this acceptance that I can never fully understand. Whilst I appreciate all the scientists and trackers who research animals, I just feel like there is more magic to it. Just like with research into humans, I don’t feel like we will ever be able to predict what and why we are. To find such hard truths is to not understand the mystery in spirit.
What is your response to animals?
ROCKPOOLS
Our closest access to an array of wild animals is the ocean. Whilst im playing defence for my son trying out every shell led animal in his mouth, this week, dear friends have led my daughter through exploring the rockpools. They each have their own wonders they wish to share with her. In particular it’s different types of slugs and their slime. But we don’t touch the blue ones - blue in nature is often some kind of warning.
What is your memory of rockpools?
MAGPIE
One night I had a dream or a thought that I wanted to feed a magpie and befriend it, so I wouldn’t get swooped this season and so I could have a birdie friend. The next morning I went out to collect my laundry from the garden and a magpie arrived. It never has before. It looked and me like - go on, give me the food you were offering. So I went inside and so began our regular feeding visitations. A few days she would show her mate who I was - as if to say - do not swoop this one, and if I die, come here for food. And this week (after months of visiting us), she finally brought her juvenile bub to us. People say not to feed birds. I’m grateful for our relationship and I’m curious to see where it takes us.
How do you interact with your local birds?
As far as I can see, this week we have learnt that animals or beasts have so much to teach us. They remind us of primal instincts including caring and fear. I feel like their gift is softness. And in a mysterious way, they connect us to the oneness of creation.
But I truly do wonder.
What do you think makes us different?
With gratitude,
Clio
b e a s t s
.
relating in a way of
tending not only to receive
but to revere
the tamed and the wild
I wonder
about you
day and night
a mirror
traversing the unknowable
foreign of the same kind