Xochitl Ashe (02:13)
Welcome everyone. I'm so happy to invite you to another episode of Future Proof Earth. And we're here with a beautiful, beautiful being friend, teacher of mine as well. And I've been wanting you on the podcast for a really long time. And I'm so happy that all of our schedules got coordinated and here we are together. And...

Marysia (02:37)
I'm so happy to be here too.

Xochitl Ashe (02:43)
I wanna introduce you, I wanna introduce you to the folks that don't know you in my community. And I'm also very, very happy that the folks that do know you get to listen to this podcast. Because I think that you have so much to contribute to what is happening during these times and how we can thrive during these times. So. Marysia Miranowska is an herbalist, teacher, author, earth activist, gardener, and Green Witch rooted in the wise woman tradition of healing. Her work and devotional practices are centered around the mission of supporting a deepening of the love and regenerative relationship between earth and people for the mutual healing of both human and plant communities. Marysia is the director of the School of Sacred Wild and runs a yearly online apprenticeship teaching herbal medicine, regenerative farming practices, earth magic, holistic healing, and plant spirit communication. A multicultural and multilingual devotee of Mother Earth, Marysia has grown up internationally and traveled extensively, learning different ways of tending to the earth and sharing regenerative grass roots earth medicine. As an activist, she draws on her background of community organizing. She keeps her feet rooted by design and tending medicinal and sacred gardens using permaculture and biodynamic practices. She consults herbal companies and farms, formulates natural remedies, writes and speaks and teaches internationally. She has authored the book, The Witch's Herbal Apothecary. rituals and recipes for a year of earth magic and sacred medicine making. Anne is the formulator and co-founder of Ritual Beauty, an organic regenerative anti-aging skincare line. You can follow Marysia on Instagram and also sign up for her 10-month long apprenticeship by visiting the School of Sacred Wild website and of course, We're gonna put all the links so you can connect with her after hearing her. And I just wanna say, I'm so happy to be here with you. Hmm. Yeah. And I'm so loving that behind you is my favorite tree, which is the called the California Pepper tree. But we know it's Peruvian. Thank you. Yes. So I wanted to bring you on to the podcast because we we just saw each other at our friend's birthday and.

Marysia (05:33)
Yes, but we know it's Peruvian.

Xochitl Ashe (05:51)
we were starting to have conversations of this time that we're living in, like what's happening? How are we going to move forward and show up? And I've always loved your, I'm gonna call it earth-based activism. I've always loved being a student of yours. You know, like how important it is for us to know plants at this time. You know, I teach about mushrooms and plants, but what I think was really important that I learned from you was like how these plants can really support us emotionally in times of big, big change. And... Yeah, so have you been? Also congratulations on the new baby. Yeah, which is also like why I wanted to have you on the podcast because I think it's such an important conversation bringing new life to this earth that is in this moment. Like how as a mother are you present to the moment and what is possible?

Marysia (07:21)
Mmm. Oof! Girl! That's a good question. So much there. Yes. Yes, yes. Well... Yeah. there's a lot to share about, yeah, that beautiful question of how can we be present in the moment and how can we meet what is happening, what is occurring, right? How can we stay grounded and rooted enough to take good care of ourselves and our loved ones and to stay connected to the grounding pace and like geological time of the earth and not get spun out. And how do we stay in the heart, right? How do we stay in the heart so we can be really predominantly embodying and vibrating from a place of heart centered relationship, whether it's with a new baby or our partners or our community or our friends or our students or our teachers or our strangers and neighbors, which I think is the most important actually. Yeah, and I love that you mentioned that one of the things that you got out of journeying with me and the apprenticeship was, was this deepening of relationship, like realizing that the earth and the plants can support us emotionally, right, and that there's so much emotional healing. I love that you mentioned that because I think it speaks to this place where we can really turn our attention in these difficult times. And the reason that the plants can really offer profound emotional healing and emotional support and also like emotional endurance and tenacity is because they are these multifaceted beings. And you know, it's like the bumper sticker, plants are people too. But They are. They are beings, spiritual beings, physical beings that have been on the planet longer than we have. They've adapted and experienced immense geological challenges and stressors. And so they've adapted their bodies and their physicality in order to be able to endure and thrive amidst really difficult conditions. And that kind of from just like a physiological and physical and medicinal perspective points us to a whole body of plant medicine that some people like to call the adaptogens. Other plants are the nourishing herbs. These are plants that give us... vitality, energy, groundedness, they support our immune system, they rebuild our frazzled nervous systems, they support balanced hormones, they do everything. they do it and like physically, they share that kind of intelligence that they've gathered through all the changes that they've had to adapt to. And then energetically, they ground us and root us and allow our bodies to just come back to the earth and our roots and our kind of listening sense to be able to plug into the mycelial network, to the energetic body, the hum of the earth. And I think that is so important, so important because some of the chaos that is happening is coming from people who have really spun out and they are so spun out and in their heads and focused on money and greed and even like going to Mars. That's such an energetic. illustration of where their attention is. It's out of the body. It's out of the human community, the earth community, the plant community. It's out of this planet, right? It's this perpetual colonialism, this perpetual hunger to conquer more, to have more, to grab more, to dominate more.

Xochitl Ashe (11:35)
Yeah.

Marysia (11:46)
And man, these guys, really need some earth medicine and some earth healing. But in the meantime, us who are influenced by their orbit, we can really do ourselves and each other and humanity a service by grounding on behalf of all. and it's from that place of groundedness and deep relationship to the earth that we can make better decisions and we can guide ourselves and one another and support each other and take turns, know, being the ones who are feeding and being fed. That is how we can really... get through this because we have a long journey ahead. You know, I was thinking about this and your question about like, how do you bring a child into the earth at this time? Something I've thought about. And there's this, you know, like we are humans and as humans, are animals. And so there's a part of us that is animal and and and that wants to make life whether it's through creating a baby, you know, when we're in love. respond in that way and and like we can and we choose to say yes or whether it's you know tending a garden or or creating life and tending life like this is our most human instinct and gift but looking ahead like I think about my my daughters I have two daughters Flora who's 12 and Lucia who was just born who is two and a half months And you know, like, gosh, she's going to be 70. Like just before it's like what? 2300, right? Like what? Or 2000? Yeah. Wait, I'm doing the math funny. I'm so sleep deprived. It's 2024. 2100 She will be about 75. So she'll still be, you know, like an older adult. What will the earth be like then? And so, you know, with climate change and all of the changes that we're going through, the earth that we inherited, our generation, like what our parents hoped for us, what kind of they promised in their own naivete, right? Like things will be okay. My parents, you know, we came from Poland, really affected by the wars there. I remember, I remember being little and my parents being like, People have learned from their mistakes. Now we have democracy. Like fascism is over. No one will do that again. You are not gonna experience war in your lifetime. And I was like, you know, I remember this, like I can remember where we were, where I was standing. I was six. I was like, yeah, yeah. Amazing, humans have learned, yeah. And, and, and,

Xochitl Ashe (14:38)
Hmm. ⁓ Mm.

Marysia (15:01)
And you know, I think a lot of us in our generation were going through the grief of realizing like, wait, that beautiful hope of our parents, like it's not true. That was what a lot of people thought and hoped. And so we have, yes, yeah, yeah. And then to think ahead for my child, it's like, I know that we have a long road ahead.

Xochitl Ashe (15:13)
Yeah. It's like healing from the heartbreak, right?

Marysia (15:30)
and things are going to be tough. Like that's just the reality. We are under pressure as a planet, as a human species, the plant species, animals. So the more awake we can be, the more honest, while staying rooted, grounded, connected in relationship to each other and to the plants and the earth. That's what's going to help us make good decisions and really create beauty.

Xochitl Ashe (16:06)
You know, we usually start with a prayer, but it was I was so excited to get right into it. So I love your prayers. And I want to invite you if it feels good, which I know you love you love praying. We've prayed together. Can you do a short and sweet, powerful prayer to just open the sacred space? I really feel like these conversations. are so needed at this time. And, you know, the intention of this podcast is that it be a resource and medicine to to keep us all in the vision of this earth that we can create this this beautiful vision of a new earth that I feel like I feel it in my bones. Right. Like it's it's possible. And I decided to have these conversations because I want to keep that possibility. I want to I want to talk every week with people so that that possibility is alive. So if you could just, you know, just open this space up with prayer, your beautiful prayers that I've missed.

Marysia (17:18)
Thank you, sister. would love to. And I will just pray and cast a circle and ground us by invoking the seven directions. We begin by facing the east, the place of the rising sun of new beginnings. We call in these energies of renewal of the budding spring. of the flight of birds, of the hum of bees. We ask for this energy of innocence, perspective to be with us so we can dream beautiful visions for a beautiful world ahead. And we turn to the South, the place of fire. We call in the flame in our bellies, the place of power within us. We call in our capacity to transform ourselves and the world around us. Our digestion, our ability to digest information and take what helps us grow and compost and release the rest. And we call in and ask for the spirits of the South to help us create magic, to help us be alchemists of these times, to fuel our courage. We face the West, the place of the waters, the womb from which we all crawled out of the ocean mama. The rivers, the thunder clouds, the rain. We give gratitude for the blessing of water that gives us life. And we pray for all rivers to run free, for all water to be revered, for rain to quench the thirst of the lands we call home. And we ask for the waters within us to awaken our intuition so we can feel and dream and birth beauty and wholeness for generations to come. And we face the north, the home of the earth, calling in the trees, the evergreens, our elders, calling in the stones, the bones, the mushrooms, the soil, calling in the wild weeds, the plants that give us food and medicine. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, beloved earth. for feeding us, giving us shelter and clothes. Thank you, Mother, for caring for us. We pray for your wellbeing, for all humans to awaken in their love and protection of you. And we ask you to be with us and to ground this conversation in your truth, in your dreams, in your love. We reach up to the heavens and call in our guardian angels, calling in the great mystery, the spiraling galaxies, the wonder and awe of this universe. And we ask for this space to be attuned to the vibration of unconditional love, divine guidance. And we feel our connection to below, turning our attention and our heart to our ancestors, to the mycelial network, the fungi, the bones, the stones, the soil, those who came before us, honoring that we are here thanks to those who walked the lands before us, honoring the Tongva and the Chumash people. upon which we both live and gather honoring our ancestors and asking for their blessing for we are the ones that are here now and so we ask for them to guide us in wisdom and to bless us so we can be bridges for those that came before and for that which is yet unborn. And lastly, we bring our hands to our heart. Breathing and feeling our heartbeat, this drum at the center of our medicine wheel. We call forth our heart, asking for our hearts to be connected during this conversation. to connect with all who listen beyond the laws of time and space, and to allow our hearts to guide this moment and all moments for the greatest love possible to bloom forth for all living beings on earth. And together we cast our circle. Our circle is cast. We are in between worlds. And all that happens in between worlds affects all worlds. And so it is.

Xochitl Ashe (22:42)
So it is. Thank you for that. I love the part that you said, what is yet unborn. I haven't had that concept in my mind. And I love it. What can we pray for that is yet unborn? To pray for something that hasn't been born yet. to come at this time when we need it the most. So I wanna talk about, there's so many conversations we can have because I think you are so masterful in terms of talking about plants. But what I think that would be really, really interesting is talking about this time and like how do we... support ourselves. You you mentioned before we press record, like I want to talk about joy and resilience. How we bring that into this time. And so how do you bring that into this time?

Marysia (24:09)
Yeah, well, I've been really feeling how focusing on like the lower three chakras is a really good simplified way of helping us orient to how we can stay grounded and nourished and connected to community and the earth. Stay present in our feelings, allowing our feelings to continue to move so there isn't stagnancy and inviting in pleasure into the body. And to fuel our courage and experience joy, even when things are tough and things look really dark, you know, how can we stay? awake and alive, emboldened, and how can we be the light really, you know? And so I think that focusing on these three chakras can be a good compass for folks and it can kind of simplify it and I'm happy to kind of elaborate, but I certainly have been. continuously kind of bringing myself back down to the physical. The three lower chakras are connected to the element of earth, water, and fire. And the four chakras with the heart being the fourth. are the four elements that make up the earth. And then the upper chakras are more ethereal and that's where we can get into the thoughts and sound and they're very beautiful, very, very mystical and divine. And... if we spend too much time in the upper chakras or focus exclusively on opening up the upper chakras, we can get ungrounded. And we can see that even in the best intentioned spiritual communities that are constantly bringing the energy, constantly opening up the third eye. And it can be really quite ungrounding. And I think in these times, actually grounding and focusing on those lower chakras is what's going to give us endurance, stamina. It's going to keep us connected to community, which I think is hugely important for our wellbeing and the wellbeing of the earth. And so yeah, I think that's a good place to start actually is that like broadening of relationship. I think it's so important that we fight isolation.

Xochitl Ashe (26:32)
Mm-hmm.

Marysia (26:48)
And that means that we have to really be mindful to not withdraw. And when we're feeling lonely, to reach out. And then I think the invitation is for us to expand even more, expand our circles and our communities.

Xochitl Ashe (26:48)
Mm.

Marysia (27:08)
And I think this is really important because fascism, is kind of what right now we're facing, we're facing a very real threat of fascism. It's in the United States, it's in other countries. And fascism only thrives when people feel fear of others. When people feel that they are better, different, and when they create story that isn't true about other populations, typically minority populations. And fascism only can thrive when there's fear. And so it's this like, have to be alchemists in these times because it's very easy to fall into fear. You you start looking at the news and what's happening and, and, and it's, it's scary. It's very concerning. And so this is where like a vast nervous system, a vast root, a very healthy sacral chakra and solar plexus can allow us to not look away, not bypass. not try to hide, but to look at what's happening, be with what's happening and be able to respond instead of react. And so, you know, when we're seeing, like ICE and the attacks on here in Los Angeles, we have a huge amount of, folks from Latin America. who are being targeted. European immigrants aren't getting stopped on the street. So it's actually not even like a fight for illegal immigration. It's a racist agenda. And so in those moments, by broadening our connections and community by creating more relationship by checking in on each other by reaching out and those of us who are not affected we can be the folks who are sending resource and support and protection to those who are affected. And what's important to know is that we are all affected and we're all going to be affected at different moments. And I think that that's something that we can really take for these times as well is like this concept of taking turns. There's gonna be a moment where I feel resourced and energized and capable. And then there's gonna be a moment where I feel depleted and tired and burnt out and I need help and support from my community. And so creating and feeding community is so important so that we can take care of each other and we can take turns and we can say to each other, all right, like I'm gonna spearhead this movement or this initiative. And then to say a month later, cool, now I need to tap out and like just kind of draw my energy in and take care of my family a little more. And actually I could use a little support and a meal train or like. you know, a friend to talk to or whatever it might be. So community, community, community. That is the number one thing we need to focus on. And community is connected to the root chakra and a healthy root.

Xochitl Ashe (30:36)
Hmm.

Marysia (30:39)
is connected to a vast network of community and that's human community and that's plant community. So what I've been doing to support my root chakra is I am I am drinking my herbs. You know I'm drinking my herbs. I am drinking my nourishing herbs. I am drinking my nettles pretty much every day and I am you know focusing on whole medicine. I am eating potatoes and sweet potatoes

Xochitl Ashe (30:53)
Yes.

Marysia (31:09)
and grounding foods and healthy fats and I am taking care of my physical body as best as I can I am I am taking in nutrition and that's something that like when we get spun out in our head, you we can forget to eat or we just start drinking coffee. That just makes the whole situation worse. And so coming back to the body, remembering that we are made of the earth. We are just humans and we need our vitamins and our minerals really in order to think well. And when we're not nourished, we start to spin out. And we can make really bad decisions when we're ungrounded. I'm really, I'm drinking metals every day. Right now you see me drinking Shessandra, one of my favorite adaptogens that gives me energy and clarity, feeds my heart. taking these adaptogens, the mushrooms, you know, that's, that's one of the ways and eating, eating with my family, eating with community, ⁓ something so simple that we can overlook, we can think it's trite or, you know, unimportant, but it's actually foundational. It's, it's actually what can keep us, nourished and thriving. Yeah. So that's a little bit about what I'm doing with the root chakra.

Xochitl Ashe (32:35)
Yeah, thank you so much. As you were sharing about, you know, the importance of community, I've been really present to that. But sometimes I come upon folks that, you when I speak about community, they're like, well, I don't even know, like, I don't even know where to start. I think that a lot of people, if they weren't good at making friends before COVID, they became worse after COVID. And the other day I was hanging out with my partner and I was like, I don't know, you know, like it's so interesting how people, we were at this party and it was a new, you know, a new space for us. And I was like making new friends and I was noticing how like some people just were like keeping to themselves. And I was like, wow, that's so interesting. like such an opportunity to connect. And he mentioned that he had read that social anxiety is like super high right now. Like people just have forgotten to make friendships. And one of the things that I loved about, because I studied with you and it was live. So we really got to be in circle and it was so joyful to be with other folks that loved plants and were communicating with them as well. But one thing I really admire about you Marysia is that you have been really good about bringing community together. What would you say to someone? You know, because I often hear this is like, well, I don't even know, like, how do I start building community? I don't have any friends, you know, because that's a huge problem. And I feel like we can talk all day about, the importance of community. But we also need to talk about, like, well, how do you build community if you don't have it or how do you make friends if you don't have that many or you don't have any because you've been in so much isolation?

Marysia (34:56)
Yeah. ⁓ thanks.

Xochitl Ashe (34:57)
⁓ and you're so good at that. What's your secret?

Marysia (35:02)
Well, I think a really good tip actually would be to go on like meetup. There's like a right meetup.org is it is it I don't know if it's dot org or dot com maybe it's dot com. But it's this really cool website that exists all over the country and maybe even all over the world. And people there are different meetups that people organize around different interests and they're all free. It's like a very grassroots initiative. And so you can go on and be like, you know, I love still life painting, or I want to play chess, or like I want to sit and talk about politics with people, whatever is your cup of tea, or like I love kayaking, you can join a group and they're just people that you don't not paying anyone. There's no hierarchy. There's no teacher leader. You're just getting together with folks who are interested and excited about the same things. And I think that's such a good place to start is going to something like that and you have some There's something in common, like a shared interest, but there's also difference. And that's what's so important about community is we need diversity in our community. And so, you know, the earth teaches us that, like the gardens that thrive, the ecosystems that thrive have a lot of diversity. And one of the pathologies of our time that creates fascism and is so dangerous is that we begin to only hang out with people that are like us. And so that's actually something that we just have to like make an effort and kind of like push ourselves a little bit, you know? I think as healers, there's this interesting tension and these two different polarities of energy when we are supporting someone. One is this very like motherly energy of like anything is allowed. I have that so strongly. have like this very feminine side that's just like... Come to my bosom, be exactly as you are, whatever you feel is legit. And that's real, that's true for me. And if we're only in that energy, we become very weak and kind of flaccid. And we need this other side as well that's like, all right, little bird, now just jump out of the nest.

Xochitl Ashe (37:30)
Hahaha

Marysia (37:45)
You know, it's gonna feel a little scary. You're gonna experience a little discomfort. I think in the healing realms, we've become like so into making sure everyone's comfortable. But the reality is... Life is not always comfortable. And for us to be able to create what we want to create and experience what we want to create experience and just live a whole life, we have to kind of become more comfortable with being uncomfortable. And so, you know, I think for folks who want to experience more community and connection, yeah, there are going to be moments where you feel uncomfortable or where social anxiety comes up. And so that's a great opportunity to call in some tools. You know, if you notice that you're going out and you're like, okay, my heart's starting to beat faster or my breath is quickening and what, what tools can help you grounded and be in your body? You know, maybe it's like for me, I love like massaging my feet with oils to ground myself and to come into the body and to relax my nervous system. drinking plants like kava kava. Oof! That is a great herb for social anxiety, for public speaking, for connecting from the heart, for just totally down regulating the nervous system. So you can drink really safe teas, even like a cup of chamomile tea. You know, don't go drink a cup of coffee and then go out to a social situation. You know, down regulate your nervous system and use your breath and affirmations and talk to

Xochitl Ashe (39:04)
Hahaha

Marysia (39:11)
yourself with love and be like, Hey, we're doing this to expand, you know, the growth edge is beyond the comfort zone. So in order for us to grow ourselves or our network or community, we have to move out of our comfort zone.

Xochitl Ashe (40:17)
Yeah, think it's, I mean, you know, the other day I was really aware of, like even in the healing community, it's been so polarizing, right? Like since COVID, it's like, I'm like, how did you, what happened? Like you turned Christian, like in the midst of COVID or, you know, like, right? Like.

Marysia (40:29)
Yes. It's very polarized. Yeah, people are either vax or anti-vax. They're either this or this. And suddenly it's like, where can we all just, like, we all have to be able to continue to have conversations, even if we don't agree, especially if we don't agree. We need to be able to have conversations with each other. And you know, you made this great point, so true, that COVID really shifted.

Xochitl Ashe (40:45)
Yeah.

Marysia (41:07)
our capacity for social engagement and I felt that too. you know, a part of me is a hermit for sure. You know, I love being at home in my garden. I love my alone time. And there's something that I think can help us to understand what's happening. It's very helpful if we become aware that social media... It satisfies our need for connection, but it is a false satisfaction. It's trickster energy.

Xochitl Ashe (41:40)
Yes.

Marysia (41:42)
And so we will stay at home, not interact with any people, but we'll be on our phone and on Instagram. And that's where we're getting that need met for seeing what is happening out there, for seeing other people, for hearing different stories. And we're getting this dopamine hit. We're experiencing what we would experience through actual organic village life, human relationship. But... It's causing more loneliness, more isolation, and more polarity. And the algorithm is created for us to fall into smaller and smaller and smaller groups of ideology. And there's a great documentary called, gosh, you know what I'm talking about, the one about social media?

Xochitl Ashe (42:34)
yeah, the one I yeah, we both recommended you recommended origins and did you watch it join or die? you got to watch that one. I'll put it in the link, everybody.

Marysia (42:41)
I haven't yet. I will, know with a baby it's like impossible for me to watch a movie with a baby right now but I'm very excited to see that. Oh, Social Dilemma is the documentary about, about, and I really recommend everyone see it because we're all on social media so it's really healthy to understand how it works. You know, people who created social media aren't on social media. People who created the iPhone do not give the iPhone to their children. And the problem with social media is that the algorithm gives you material for you to respond to based on how it sees you responding. So you made this point, so you're like, what happened to my friend that suddenly became like Christian or something, right? And I have nothing wrong with Christians. My family's Christian. But let's say like someone who became like, fascist because that's happened. And so it's, it's what happens is that something that they respond to they liked or the algorithm sees that they looked at it longer. And then suddenly all of this other media is being fed to them. And then suddenly they think that that's actually all that's happening. And so we are living in this vacuum. It's so dangerous where whatever kind of chaotic thought or suspicion we might have is then