Nov 12, 2022·edited Nov 13, 2022Liked by Sophie Strand
I am so glad to see all of the comments of hope and perspective shifting.
So much of what you are doing for me and evidenced that you are doing for others in the mass response to your work, is giving us a vernacular—based in the histories and myths and deep research (another skill and magic you bring to this era)—for not only coping and getting us out of the maw and overwhelm of "The Magnitude of All Things," (a movie i dont even think I will watch) but a fundamental shift in thinking, a filling in the blank spots or zones of stasis, stuckness or repetitive narratives that although well intended and perhaps useful at one point, are clearly not working any longer. A non-hierarchical and brilliantly invasive—or reverse colonizing(!!)—vernacular that takes a straight forward honest look at the poisons, waste, and extinction that we are all implicated in, culpable; generously holding us and all the stories so that we can and will MOVE INTO IT. Techniques and strategies for living the questions of how to proceed when "knowing otherwise" (Alexis Shotwell) in all that we are implicated in. You bring me back to MY life, back to our meaning as a species of holobionts nested in the results of extraction, hierarchies, extinctions, rot AND the absolute perseverance of life. A vernacular that brings us back to our own damn selves and ecosystems, to be "one word within a multi-species syntax" (SS). Last night I watched the documentary: Palestine 1920: The Other Side of the Palestinian Story, where a 90 year old Palistinian man was telling of watching when the Zionists bulldozed his family's farm, but it was not until they bulldozed the olive trees that his grandfather had planted 70 years prior, when his grandfather "cried like a small child and collapsed on the spot." The grandfather of the man died in the hospital 2 days after those trees were bulldozed. You iterate and reiterate how we are multi-species-beings, shifting modernist ideas of - and retelling - our purpose as a species. It is not the Earth that we need to worry about after all. Rather we need to be worried if the Earth is going to shrug us humans off. A sacred/profane vernacular to ride the waves into death, rot and the absolute perseverance of life in its most unlikely forms, a sacred language for human entry into future islands of cohesion.
Saint Pigweed - I ♥️ this sooooo hard! In spite of the apparent destruction of the natural world by the current capitalistic patriarchy, I have always instinctively known that Mama Gaia’s regenerative powers were so much greater than we humans could even begin to imagine. I’ve seen how quickly the forest takes over an abandoned house, how the oceans’ storms demolish entire cities, how the cyclonic winds across the plains literally blow structures to pieces. I have no concern for the ongoing life of the Earth and her ‘lesser’ species, even as we destroy our own. And Saint Pigweed leads the way! I’ll be locating and/or planting Her next spring in our new Vermont home, as a sacrament and with the intention of not just surviving but thriving. You da best, Sophie - thank you!!! ♥️
Two months ago, on a visit to my nephew’s organic farm North of Toronto, we had a long discussion about ‘weeds’ and how resilient they are. I didn’t know why then but I was intrigued by why we call them weeds and classify them wholesale as a sort of ‘other’, like an enemy. He enlightened me. Then a few weeks later I discovered your work.
I love this so much. Thank you Sophie for the hope you plant amid the hopelessness and nihilism I see all around me, usually expressed as frenetic consumption.
When will we ever collectively learn to learn from nature? You offer so much hope and insight into what our path forward should be! All beautifully and magically spun with the most glorious construction of breathtaking intellectual/scientific detail, and fantastically meticulous word weaving! Your writing hooked me, and your scientific applications encourage me! Thank you 🙏.
Weed-saints! Yes! I love this story! It sounds, too, like your explanation of Jesus’ parable of the kingdom of heaven living in a mustard seed. Weeds are so odious to civilization because the authorities can’t tax them or control them in any way. They offer food, textiles, and medicine to real people, proving that nobody actually needs to rely on civilization for food, textiles, and medicine. How threatening to the establishment! I love how pig weed is resistant to poisons, prolific, and healing to disturbed soil. Saints can also be someone we look up to as role models. Your writing suggests that not only should we look to the land for our healing, but also for how to live in our place. Who are the “saints” to seek for ailments and to teach us how to be here, now. Thank you!
I am so glad to see all of the comments of hope and perspective shifting.
So much of what you are doing for me and evidenced that you are doing for others in the mass response to your work, is giving us a vernacular—based in the histories and myths and deep research (another skill and magic you bring to this era)—for not only coping and getting us out of the maw and overwhelm of "The Magnitude of All Things," (a movie i dont even think I will watch) but a fundamental shift in thinking, a filling in the blank spots or zones of stasis, stuckness or repetitive narratives that although well intended and perhaps useful at one point, are clearly not working any longer. A non-hierarchical and brilliantly invasive—or reverse colonizing(!!)—vernacular that takes a straight forward honest look at the poisons, waste, and extinction that we are all implicated in, culpable; generously holding us and all the stories so that we can and will MOVE INTO IT. Techniques and strategies for living the questions of how to proceed when "knowing otherwise" (Alexis Shotwell) in all that we are implicated in. You bring me back to MY life, back to our meaning as a species of holobionts nested in the results of extraction, hierarchies, extinctions, rot AND the absolute perseverance of life. A vernacular that brings us back to our own damn selves and ecosystems, to be "one word within a multi-species syntax" (SS). Last night I watched the documentary: Palestine 1920: The Other Side of the Palestinian Story, where a 90 year old Palistinian man was telling of watching when the Zionists bulldozed his family's farm, but it was not until they bulldozed the olive trees that his grandfather had planted 70 years prior, when his grandfather "cried like a small child and collapsed on the spot." The grandfather of the man died in the hospital 2 days after those trees were bulldozed. You iterate and reiterate how we are multi-species-beings, shifting modernist ideas of - and retelling - our purpose as a species. It is not the Earth that we need to worry about after all. Rather we need to be worried if the Earth is going to shrug us humans off. A sacred/profane vernacular to ride the waves into death, rot and the absolute perseverance of life in its most unlikely forms, a sacred language for human entry into future islands of cohesion.
This response is poetry in and of itself!! Thank you for your weaving 🪡 💫
Saint Pigweed - I ♥️ this sooooo hard! In spite of the apparent destruction of the natural world by the current capitalistic patriarchy, I have always instinctively known that Mama Gaia’s regenerative powers were so much greater than we humans could even begin to imagine. I’ve seen how quickly the forest takes over an abandoned house, how the oceans’ storms demolish entire cities, how the cyclonic winds across the plains literally blow structures to pieces. I have no concern for the ongoing life of the Earth and her ‘lesser’ species, even as we destroy our own. And Saint Pigweed leads the way! I’ll be locating and/or planting Her next spring in our new Vermont home, as a sacrament and with the intention of not just surviving but thriving. You da best, Sophie - thank you!!! ♥️
Oh I love that you will be planting her! Thank you for troubling these vegetal questions alongside my Betz. As always
Oh how you open my eyes. St. Sophie.
Thank you Youssef although I assure you I am no saint!!
Two months ago, on a visit to my nephew’s organic farm North of Toronto, we had a long discussion about ‘weeds’ and how resilient they are. I didn’t know why then but I was intrigued by why we call them weeds and classify them wholesale as a sort of ‘other’, like an enemy. He enlightened me. Then a few weeks later I discovered your work.
YES...all of it
I love this so much. Thank you Sophie for the hope you plant amid the hopelessness and nihilism I see all around me, usually expressed as frenetic consumption.
😌🌿🍄💜
When will we ever collectively learn to learn from nature? You offer so much hope and insight into what our path forward should be! All beautifully and magically spun with the most glorious construction of breathtaking intellectual/scientific detail, and fantastically meticulous word weaving! Your writing hooked me, and your scientific applications encourage me! Thank you 🙏.
Thank you so much for reading Vicki!
Weed-saints! Yes! I love this story! It sounds, too, like your explanation of Jesus’ parable of the kingdom of heaven living in a mustard seed. Weeds are so odious to civilization because the authorities can’t tax them or control them in any way. They offer food, textiles, and medicine to real people, proving that nobody actually needs to rely on civilization for food, textiles, and medicine. How threatening to the establishment! I love how pig weed is resistant to poisons, prolific, and healing to disturbed soil. Saints can also be someone we look up to as role models. Your writing suggests that not only should we look to the land for our healing, but also for how to live in our place. Who are the “saints” to seek for ailments and to teach us how to be here, now. Thank you!
☺️🙏🏻💙
I'm inspired to discover organisms that hold the story of my body as pigweed holds yours. Thanks for growing that curiosity. J
🙏🏻🌿💜