Foresight Friday: While Gathering Holiday Gifts, Don’t Forget Mother Earth

 

Foresight Friday: While Gathering Holiday Gifts, Don’t Forget Mother Earth

Divination Method: The Goddess Guidance Oracle

Card(s) Drawn: Mawu

Key Words: Mother Earth

Basic Message: "You are called upon to help with environmentalism." 

My Foresight Friday Interpretation:

The Thanksgiving Holiday in the U.S. has come and gone, and December is now upon us. Most of us have already decked our halls, or will be very shortly (The hubs and I will be getting that done this weekend).

The holidays (whichever ones you celebrate) will likely be a bit different for most of us this year, but the hustle and the bustle of the season can already be felt.

We mustn’t allow ourselves to get lost in all of it. And that brings me to today’s card.

Mawu, the West African Moon Goddess, comes to us today. 

She is known as the Creator of All things, and as such, is one to call upon to learn how to live in harmony with Nature. She is here to let us know that we can make sure our needs are abundantly met without doing harm to the earth.

A lot of us already try to do things that help Mother Earth…but do you apply these principles to your holiday gift shopping/giving? I honestly hadn’t given it much thought this year. I’m rather ashamed of that, and want to scold myself with a firm “Bad Pixie!” but, I think I’ll opt for just acknowledging this message, and begin to do better.

So how can we heed Mawu’s message? Well, as we continue our shopping and gift giving, we can look for ways of trying to do so more sustainably. Purchasing from businesses that use recycled materials, little to no packaging (and/or packaging that is reusable, recyclable, or compostable), or those that make donations to environmental causes with each purchase are a great place to start.

Also, gifts of memberships to museums, zoos, and annual State or National Park Passes make great gifts for nature lovers and families. The purchase of which helps to fund the amazing conservation work done by these organizations, as well as provide memories and irreplaceable experiences for your loved ones.

Some Businesses to Consider for Earth Friendly Shopping:

Ten Tree sells sustainably made clothing and accessories. They take their commitment to the environment even further by planting 10 trees for every purchase made. As of this writing, that is 50,749,987 trees.

Gifts With Humanity sells a wide variety of Fair Trade merchandise from artisans and craftspeople around the world. Jewelry, Home Décor, Incense, Candles, and Handbags are just the beginning (The bags are amazing); there’s even Holiday Décor & More! While Fair Trade is largely about making sure people working to craft these pieces are fairly compensated, and that they are able to do so in a safe work environment, they also cultivate environmental stewardship. Artisans reduce, reuse, reclaim, and recycle materials wherever possible. They are also encouraged to use environmentally sustainable practices throughout the entire trading chain.

Package Free is a company that says they are “an ecosystem of brands on a mission to make the world less trashy.” They’ve got multitudes of items for around the Home, Bath & Body products, Cosmetics, Shopping Bags, Zero Waste Kits, and more. They have Zero Waste & Plastic Free Shipping practices as well.

Wholesome Culture has a wide array of ethically produced clothing. Their goal is simple: to make the world kinder and more sustainable. They use sustainable materials in their products, water-based ink, and items are shipped in biodegradable or recycled packaging. On top of all that, they donate 10% of their profits to Animal Rescues and Environmental Organizations.

Parks Project sells all sorts of outdoorsy and National Park related items. Perfect for the outdoor lover in your life! Purchases fund projects in parks throughout the National Park system. For a current run-down of projects and partnerships go to: https://www.parksproject.us/pages/parks-project-our-contribution

Other ways to have an Earth Friendly holiday include:

Shop Local:  Don’t forget your locally owned small businesses! Shop locally if at all possible (while wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing guidelines!).

Wrap Your Gifts Sustainably: Reusable gift bags are the way to go. They can be the paper ones most of us are used to, but there are plenty of drawstring fabric bags that will do the job nicely as well. If you must wrap it, try wrapping in brown paper, or - if you actually get a physical newspaper - the comics section (these paper options are recyclable, while traditional wrapping paper usually is not).  

I could go on, and on, and on (as most of you are well aware by now), but I’m gonna wrap this up now.

Have fun with your holiday gift giving, but do so by keeping Mama Earth in mind. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Shop Small, Wear a Mask, Wash Your Hands, and Share the Love.

 

Wishing You Peace, Love, & Pixie Dust