A young father balances his baby sons in his arms as he shops for ingredients for the family’s meal at the local market. One baby howls while the other is placid. The dad compares prices and weighs options for dinner while simultaneously soothing one baby and hugging the other. The West African symbol on his Read more

Three women make tinctures, teas, salves and other healing concoctions out of the herbs they’ve gathered in gardens and fields.  They work joyfully together to create aromatic medicine for the good of the community.  A traditional meaning for this card is “building the house of the Goddess.” In this case, the temple of the Goddess Read more

On a beautiful autumn day, a grey squirrel pauses to nibble on an acorn as he gathers nuts and seeds to save for the winter to come. He is surrounded by a stash of acorns, and even more tumble out of an opening in the trunk of a maple tree. In Inuit culture, an inukshuk Read more

A hiker finds himself lost in the deep woods when a storm blows in. He builds a debris hut and hunkers down inside it to wait out the night. Even though he’s cold and uncomfortable, he knows he has the skills he needs to survive and make it safely out of the wilderness once the Read more

At a local Farmers’ Market, vendors and customers exchange energy in the tangible form of money for goods. We buy our greens and carrots from the farmer who lives down the road, and in doing so we support her commitment to farming organically and sustainably. In return, we receive fresh and delicious foods that nourish Read more

A woman plants a red cedar sapling near a creek where salmon spawn. She is volunteering for a habitat restoration project in an area that was once heavily logged. Alder trees have since sprung up, working to restore the land to health by breathing nitrogen into their leaves and transfer- ring it into the soil Read more

Like a master craftsman and his apprentice, a father teaches his young daughter to drum. He is a mentor and role model to her, and the devotion be- tween them seals the lessons of rhythm and tempo. As she learns the intricacies of drumming, she cultivates patience, as skill is developed over many long hours Read more

A woman stands in the midst of a lavender field in full bloom on a sacred island where she has put down roots and made her home. She’s reached a time in her life when she is fulfilled, content and at peace with her home and her creative work. Even when she spends time in Read more

In the deep forest, we come across a “nurse stump” or “nurse log,” a tree that has fallen during a storm or been cut down. As the log decays, it provides fertile ground for new growth to take root in its dying body. Insects and fungi hurry along the decomposition process. Squirrels and other creatures Read more

The Child of Earth holds a ripe apple in his small hands. It’s fresh-picked, right off the tree, and its tangy aroma tickles the Child’s nose. It feels heavy, solid and grounding in his hands. He gazes at the apple as if it holds all the mysteries of the universe — and perhaps it does Read more

The Explorer of Earth is a tracker, one who knows how to read the stories imprinted on the earth by the birds and animals who live there. Her awareness of the life of the forest is keen. She has been examining the duff at the base of the fir tree, looking for tracks or scat Read more