The oldest objects you will come across in your life are stone. The longest standing human-made structures like the pyramids of Egypt, Mexico, Belize, and China, Stonehenge, The Dolmens in Russia, The Easter Island figures and numerous other structures around the world are all made of stone. Stone connects us to the past…the very distant past before humans even existed. Stone connects us to a wildness that goes beyond our planet and out into the cosmos.
Stone is very symbolic of strength and resiliency, and yet is can be shaped over time by the other elements, air, fire, and water. It never disappears. It can only become lava, melting together or hardening back into a solid form, or it becomes smaller, turning into sand, and then dust, and then breaking down even smaller into it’s individual mineral components.Without these minerals we would not exist, life would not exist (as we know it at least). In a way, you’re made of stone, among other things. The minerals in the stones and soil make up our bones, our blood, even our muscles and eyes.
We often don’t take much notice of stones or give them as much of our awareness as we do the rest of the natural world around us that is living (plants, animals, insects, fungi). You may see a large boulder in one place for your entire life, seemingly unchanged, inanimate. The other elements are always changing, always moving. The plants and animals, are living, dying, and evolving. Stone has a much older story to tell, and a much longer future.
Imagine the story of a stone. Its past. How it was formed, and how it got to where it is now. Imagine the changes witnessed. The unfolding drama of our Earth over billions of years.
Find a stone that you can pick up and carry with you easily. Ideally one that fits in your pocket. Take your time looking. Pick the right stone. It doesn’t have to be the nicest one you can find, but one that you feel drawn to picking up. Hold it in your hand. Close your eyes. Think about it’s story so far. Now you are a part it’s story.
Ask the stone permission to move it from it’s place. If it doesn’t feel right to do so, then don’t. Find another stone.
Carry the stone with you for at least a week, or for the rest of your life. Let it be a symbol of your rewilding journey, connecting you to the distant past, and to the most ancient part of yourself. It can also serve as a source of strength and resiliency. Whenever you hold the stone let yourself be reminded of these qualities in yourself and draw strength back into your life when you need it most.
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