All Ground Is Sacred Ground, A Story and Conversation with Mary Reynolds | S7 Ep12

"If you want to save the planet, then start with your own patch of it."

OUR GUEST

Mary Reynolds is a reformed landscape designer who launched her international career by winning a gold medal for garden design at the Chelsea Flower Show in London in 2002. That story was later told in the movie, Dare to Be Wild. She is a bestselling author, activist, speaker, writer, RTÉ Guide columnist, and occasional television presenter. She is the founder of the global movement "We Are the ARK – Acts of Restorative Kindness to the Earth."

Her mission is to inspire people to become guardians, not gardeners, of the land.

Find more about Mary's Land Prayers, her books, including We Are The Ark: Returning Our Gardens to Their True Nature with Acts of Restorative Kindness, and all of her work at https://marymary.ie/

OUR STORY

Mary tells us a story that could be the story of any little girl who finds her kin in the wild world. But it's not just any girl's story; it's Mary's own story of building a loving, enduring relationship with the plants.

OUR CONVERSATION

• Mary's childhood experience in a fairy field as the origin point of her practice of listening to land. We can also experience that magic in a window box.
• What it means to be in true relationship with a place rather than in control of it. We find hope when we can see how quickly nature can recover.
• John Moriarty's line "all ground is sacred ground." (Listen to our episode with John's niece, Amanda Carmody in S6 Ep37.)
• The particular experience of Americans and Canadians and others living on colonized lands or places to which they do not feel connected. How to reckon with the history of settler colonialism and show up for the earth at this moment.
• Mary's case for ignoring the system rather than fighting it. How can we build parallel structures instead?
• Building community (meitheal) through the Irish language. Marisa's own parallel with a garden named "Obair," the Irish for work.
• Mary's reading of "An Oath of Entwinement," one of her land prayers

WORK WITH MARISA

• 1:1 Writing Coaching: If you are working on a spiritual memoir, or are a wellness professional or creative entrepreneur who wants to use stories to build your business, book a free consultation with Marisa. Learn more at www.marisagoudy.com
• Learn about our global writing communities, the Authors' Knot: www.marisagoudy.com/writing-groups
• Follow the show on Substack, Instagram, and Facebook.

Music by Beth Sweeney and Billy Hardy: billyandbeth.com

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SHOW

Love KnotWork Storytelling? Your financial contribution helps me pay the amazing team that puts this show together. As a paid Myth Workers' Hearth subscriber, you'll have access to Turas and be invited to our monthly Myth Workers' Hearth Gatherings.

Subscribe to Myth Workers' Hearth: www.mythworkers.com