Honorable Harvest

As a beekeeper and an herbalist, I take from the Earth a lot. As with all relationships, if I maintain only taking and never giving back, I believe that relationship will end. The gifts that I receive from Mother Earth sustain me physically, mentally, and spiritually. The bond we share gets me through a lot of days. It is a bond to be nurtured and reciprocation is necessary. I can recall the first time I heard about the Honorable Harvest. I was attending an herbal conference and the leader of the session had brought along tobacco to offer back to the Earth as we strolled, harvested and learned what giving back might look like. I believe this has to become your own personalized offering, but the indigenous peoples often used tobacco, in a time when there was a lot more reverence for nature than there is now. This is an ancient practice that has been passed down from one Earthkeeper to another. There is no need for me to try to rephrase the protocol of the Honorable Harvest, as it can't be explained any better than Robin Wall Kimmerer did in her book, Braiding Sweetgrass, my personal favorite. It might go a little something like this:

"Ask permission of the ones whose lives you seek. Abide by the answer.

Never take the first. Never take the last.

Harvest in a way that minimizes harm.

Take only what you need and leave some for others.

Use everything that you take.

Take only that which is given to you.

Share it, as the Earth has shared with you.

Be grateful.

Reciprocate the gift.

Sustain the ones who sustain you, and the Earth will last forever."

This is a beautiful protocol in theory and an even more moving one in practice. You don't have to grow your own tobacco to implement the giving back part of the Honorable Harvest. Many times I will offer a piece of the orange I'm eating, string a hair from head around a branch, or leave a piece of yarn from my knitting scraps. As with all gifts, it's the thought, the intention, that really matters. I hope that you will put the Honorable Harvest into practice, and watch your relationship with our Mother grow. She has so many inspiring gifts to offer.

For the Love of Gaia,

Nikki