and…why we need ritual in 2025

Things are moving so fast, and in ways that disconnect and alienate us from ourselves and each other. Like many/most/the majority of humans around the world right now, I DO NOT LIKE what is happening politically, socially, or environmentally— and reminders of this are literally everywhere.

The dance of how to stay informed enough to be active and engaged but not be swallowed by despair and grief is uniquely personal, and needs to shift often. Some mornings I wake up with bandwidth to take a deep breath and read beyond the headlines, taking in the cold, heartless reality of what the Bots in the federal government are creating and ripping apart, breathe though some outrage and sadness, and move through my day. Other mornings this does not feel possible— information about what is happening feels enough to rip me apart. Those are the mornings that I try to close my phone and find a bit of delight in choosing a mug for my morning coffee.

It’s easy to judge myself for turning away from it, as I carry much privilege in our society, and live in a part of the world where, for the most part, even now, I am able to carry my personal freedoms around almost as easily as organic produce in my canvas tote. But I’ve learned that I am no better as an activist, therapist, mother, or partner when I’m mired in the swamp of how terrible everything is. Physical rituals are a way to ground into the present, and into what helps us feel alive— engaged, present, and awake— all of the things that the Bots are hoping that they can drain from us. I LOVE making pottery, and maybe even more than that I LOVE sharing my pottery. I commit to continue to do what I love, and to share it. To pass this space for ritual and presence throughout this community, with the hope that it continue to connect and strengthen us.