Reenchantment as Resistance
Nature brings a sense of awe, connectedness, and curiosity. In a world where we are overwhelmed by media, separation, and loneliness, nature can provide a balance for disenchantment and grief. In the therapy world, we call moments of mindfulness, beauty, and joy “glimmers.”
As an Ecotherapist, I refer to this as reenchantment. As activists, we aim to live in a reciprocal relationship with the natural world. Nature lovers often approach the wild with curiosity and awe. Some of us have not allowed this childlike wonder to dissipate. What narratives were you told about the aliveness of the world?
In this time of great change, there is an opportunity to ask what cultural narratives we want to invest in and what narratives we want to let go of. Extraction culture would have us believe that everything is for our taking. Instead, I see nature as an ally and teacher that speaks to us through metaphor.
Why not experience joy with and alongside our other-than-human friends? Why stop frolicking? Why stop making daisy chains? Why stop fort building? Why not befriend that tree?
Relearning Our Place Within The Natural World
We are beautifully entangled in a web of life, and the dominant narrative is that humans are at the top of a chain of hierarchy. I disagree. Those who love nature understand the beauty of interdependence: we are stronger working together than we are separate. Survival depends on diversity in the natural world.
The older I get, the more I realize that personal growth has come from unlearning cultural narratives and embracing my inner compass that leads me back to nature as a friend, ally, and mentor.
My favorite symbol of resistance or reenchantment is the dandelion. When I see a dandelion in the sidewalk or in a field, I am in awe of its medicine. I admire its tenacity, beauty, and adaptability. Dandelions were once so beloved that they were brought to America as medicine by European colonists, only to be cast aside as weeds centuries later.
Humans try to eradicate them, and they always return, thriving in their soft power. They are beautiful and resilient. Their sunny, fuzzy yellow brightens the urban landscape and feeds the pollinators that we depend on for survival. I still seek an opportunity to make a wish whenever I can. To wish on a dandelion and blow the seeds of tomorrow is the hope that we need in the world. In this time of great upheaval and grief, I can count on dandelions as my allies to reseed the future.
Letting Nature Hold What Feels Too Heavy
It is certainly a lovely world when we can see so many allies and mentors around us at all times. My favorite sanctuary is a hammock, where I hang weightless and feel a light breeze, the sun on my skin, the rustling of leaves, and the scent of whatever is in bloom.
While we are holding grief for the world, nature holds us as we seek answers. Ecotherapy can help us deepen this relationship and rediscover the comfort, wisdom, and sense of belonging available in the natural world.
As Albert Einstein wisely said, “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”