Mycorrhiza

How often I’ve closed my eyes wishing, imagining, willing for the stars to start dancing… It was a Milky Way layered night on the Pyrenees when it finally happened. Casparo was playing the guitar while some of the people in the group chatted, played or meditated. It took me by surprise when I saw that shooting star. I thought I had seen many before but I had been wrong. Perhaps this time I had the right wish to ask. 

While some stars moved elliptically, Casparo began telling us the story of this land…

Once upon a time there was a war between the anarchists and the fascists in Spain, they fought across the ridge from where we were staying. A family in this area took an anarchist in their home and hid him from the fascists. Their 6 year old daughter brought him food everyday. On an unfortunate day when the fascists came looking for the fugitive, while shooting him, they also shot the little girl. The anarchist didn't make it, the little girl survived; however, the wound left her unable to bear children. All of us who now visit Ecodharma are her heirs and we are forever indebted to her. 

I had been meaning to do a Permaculture Design Course for over 5 years now and I guess I had to wait this long, otherwise I would not have met my tribe. People from all over Europe and the US (plus another Ecuadorian - what are the odds?) came together for this learning experience. Our facilitators are some of the most knowledgeable and engaging people I’ve ever met. While testing the textures of the soils around us, slowly but surely we rooted ourselves as family. While observing the succession of the forest and recognizing the living organisms around us we were nurtured by something much bigger than us. And it was while holding hands every night for thanksgiving before dinner that we became a nervous system. Just like the mushroom-looking fruit of the mycorrhiza under the earth that connects all plants in a network of hyphae and synapses, our thoughts started syncing with the drum that would accompany our chanting at night; the cicadas flapped their wings in accompaniment. Our blood flow was strengthened with each pinch of the thorns and nettles on our legs and arms during our hikes- suddenly we were all awake and present.

My morning meditations saw the blossoming of a rose in the back of my nose and the opening of petals behind my eyes. With every bite of phenols and juicy mulberries along the way I felt more and more empowered. I was finally connecting the dots of all of the science I had learned with its true applications beyond sustainability focused on human survival and more interested in the regeneration of a symbiotic rather than a parasitic relationship with Earth. With the mycorrhiza, the permily (permaculture+family) I visualized my own dream of the land I want to take care of - my grandmother’s land. I believe more than ever that I can make it happen. I also visualized their dreams, got purged of my nightmares and fears. I feel so incredibly free in this reconnection with Earth. (Yes, I am aware that this all reads as some hippie story and if I told you that we were screaming Aramile (my body is well) of the top of our lungs in the morning, you could easily dismiss this as just a peace and love story. But there is a big difference- among this group there were some of the most educated, experienced and passionate people I know, the true doers. We are not throwing flowers around, our spades and minds are our tools instead of weapons and we are powerful. More powerful than ever. 

Casparo told us the story of One-Eyed.

One-Eyed was a native american man who had been captured by the colonizers while trying to fight for his land. He had lost his eye in battle, hence the nickname. After decades of being imprisoned, a law was passed for compassionate release and the prisoners had to be interviewed in order to make sure they were no longer a threat to society.

One-eyed, already in his 80s, was carving a bow on his cell- his bows would be sold easily outside of the prison due to their high quality- when the commander came and asked: One-Eyed, how does it feel to live in a conquered land?

One-eyed didn't even look up, he continued carving. 

The commander asked again. How does it feel to live in a conquered land?

One-eyed stayed quietly carving.

The commander, losing his cool said: One-Eyed, can’t you see I am trying to help you? Answer my questions! Don’t you know you live in a conquered country and your people are locked in a reserve?

One-eyed, after the insistence stopped his carving and serenely said:

My people lived from the buffalo and the buffalo lived from us. The neighboring tribes were jealous of us because our women produced the finest jewelry and we had the best crops of the entire land. We knew how to take care of our soil and as long as we do not forget, we will never be conquered. In my view, you and I are in the same position, locked in this cell. 

This reawakened knowledge is our most precious possession, because it is everyone’s. It is our privilege and responsibility to continue spreading it. 

Every day during my time at Ecodharma, my awareness was intensified just with the spelling of the options. Just as soon as Carlos had told me there were woodpeckers around the forest, I was able to see one next to the tree holding the hammock. There is so much more I could say about my time there- carving, the three sisters, acroyoga- and specially about the people I met there, but I will leave with this:

As one of Mollison’s principles of permaculture says, the yield of the system is unlimited or limited only by the imagination of the designer. 

Let your imagination go wild. Can you imagine the network of mycorrhiza doing just that?

Mel.

Lou's picture of the tribe.