Dear Becoming Ones: Someone recently told me they don’t have nice hands. I had not been expecting this quality of description of her body. I think women tend to prefer nice hands. Don’t we all like a sturdy yet gentle embrace?
As I look at my hands today, they are a shaded indigo, dirty from hand dying some things today at an indigo gathering in Santa Fe, NM. The gathering started with story, stories of tradition and family, and the story of indigo.
I’m thinking about my hands. They are dirty; they are stained with plant medicine. Shades of Indigo have stained my hands.
My hands are stained with the respect, prayer, and blessing of Indigo.
My hands have been governed by white serving institutions.
My hands, trained to be just as genocidal as the next person, long to be gentle and tender in a world of violence.
In fact, I will burn the logic of violence on a strip of Korean paper that will turn to ash.
My hands, dirty from Indigo, remind me that I want to immerse myself with the wounds of the world. It’s why I wrote Activist Theology.
We dyed garments today in a plantcestor. Look to nature, she told me in London. Nature will guide you into folds of belonging and freedom.
Then, someone else encouraged me to let nature romance me. I indeed think we need more romance in the world. Love will guide us.
We need more romance in the world and a better way to talk about love as a governing principle on this side of the veil.
Indigo. A plant of medicine. Of love, even, he told us.
Indigo. A plant that has dirtied my hands today.
Indigo. Medicine that speaks in shades of blue. Darker then blue, he told me.
Beneath the New Mexico sky, I danced with shades of blue. Danced with indigo. She loved me today and her scent and shades linger on my hands.
What if we each got our hands dirty in the medicine of Indigo. Or, is there another plantcestor that calls to you?
I’ve been in ceremony for 3 days in Santa Fe, NM. Writing from the Land of Enchantment, I have known this land before.
The land of enchantment. The land has held me, even as I slept on a floor mattress.
I’m grounded with stonecestors and plantcestors. Indigo is guiding me, poco a poco.
What part of nature lures you?
What repetitions need to occur in your life. I’m endeavoring to be intentional in all things.
Paz, -RCE+