Inspirations from a Volcano
A few weeks ago I traveled to the Big Island of Hawai‘i for a family vacation. There were so many things about the trip that were amazing, but most of all, Kilauea, the active volcano started to erupt one of the mornings that I was there. We spent the day at the national park, witnessing the erupting volcano.
I imagined the warm, vibrant red lava moving below the ground under my feet — swirling, whirling, untouchable yet so alive. As we arrived, I watched its glow bubble up against the black rock, mesmerized, unable to look away. In the span of hours, the lava shifted from a gently boiling bubble, to a tall smoky, fiery fountain.
As I stood with the volcano, and invited it in with all of my senses, I listened to its message. What can we learn from a volcano? The power is immense, unpredictable, overwhelming — and yet, this same fiery force that destroys is also the one that creates. The lava has devastated neighborhoods and whole communities on the big island. And, lava, in all its raw heat, has shaped new lands, birthing landscapes no one has ever seen before. The island would not exist without the volcano.
Back home in Wisconsin, far from mountains or lava flows, I continue to feel the volcano’s power alive in me. When I close my eyes, I sense the volcano within — the fire in my belly, swirling and rising, yearning to move and express.
As humans, we feel awe and reverence for such power in nature — volcanoes, oceans, mountains, storms. We seek connection with these wonders, and can disconnect with the busy-ness of life’s daily chatter when in the presence of awe-inspiring natural beauty.
What if we stepped back into our daily lives with this same level of presence? What would it be like if we looked at those in our lives with the same reverence that we feel for the natural wonders that we travel far to visit? What if we honored the volcano-like raw beauty, the fiery hearts, and the creative force inside every human being?
I often contemplate how our society would be different if we saw ourselves, and our fellow human beings as nature beings, mirroring natural processes, with deeper resonance to the earth and its natural cycles.
What natural landscapes do you find inspiration from? What lessons can you take from the land, the plants, the animals, the elements?
