Keeping our Humanity Alive

How do we keep the fire of our humanity alive in a world that is pulling us apart? In times of crisis, when fear and division rise like a tide, it is easy to believe that survival is the only goal. But as spiritual beings walking this earth, we must ask: Are we merely surviving, or are we staying true to our humanity?

To be human in the most profound sense is not just about having a body but about carrying the fire of spirit, integrity, and connection. It's about the unseen threads that bind us—to each other, the land, the ancestors who whisper through the wind, and the vast web of life that has always held us.

In shamanic traditions, survival is not measured by our physical strength but by our relationships—with the earth, our communities, and the sacred forces that guide us.

Yet, we are living in a time when these sacred connections are being severed. The rise of hate, fascism, and fear-driven separation is not happening in isolation. It is the direct consequence of a deeper loss—the loss of our sacred relationship with the living world. When we forget that the rivers are our kin, that the land holds our stories, that the trees can teach us the good ways, and that the animals once taught us how to live in balance, we forget who we are.

When ancient animist traditions are erased, when elders' wisdom is silenced, when community is replaced with individualism and greed, and when power lacks any form of empathy, a wound forms in humanity's soul.

People severed from their roots are easily manipulated and turn against one another as they lose the necessary grounding, protection, and connection that ancient wisdom supports.

This is the sickness we see spreading today—an illusion of separation that turns humans into enemies, demonizes those who are different, and teaches us to fear rather than to love. People are being cast out, scapegoated, and stripped of dignity simply because they do not fit the narrow mold of those in power. The forces of hate thrive in a world where people no longer see themselves as connected, where we have forgotten that we are all relations.

But we are not powerless. Betrayal is not just an act against another; it is forgetting who we are. When we turn away from those in need, hoard our wisdom instead of sharing it, and let fear dictate our choices, we chip away at the essence of our being. True survival is not about outlasting hardship—it's about remaining whole, keeping our spirits intact even in the face of adversity.

The ancestors, the land, and the unseen beings that walk beside us remind us that we must hold onto our sacred essence no matter the circumstances. We must rekindle the fire—not just for ourselves but also for those being pushed into the shadows.

To resist the forces of hate, we must choose connection over division, courage over silence, action over complacency. We must remember that every act of kindness, every refusal to hate, every time we stand up for those whose voices are being silenced—we restore the sacred web. And just as importantly, we must reclaim our lost connections: to the land, the ancestors, the trees, the spirits, and the wisdom that has been buried but never entirely lost.

We are all related. The sickness of separation will not heal until we remember this truth—not just with our minds but also with our hearts, our hands, and our actions.

What is most important right now is what choices we are making to keep our humanity—and the humanity of others—alive.

What are we doing to weave the sacred web back together?

Angell Deer