Part 1
Malevolence hovers over the US. The current president and his toadies surely appear on the anti-social spectrum. Indeed, their actions define evil —lying, grabbing power and money, hurting people without regard. They bully whoever gets in their way, and it’s scaring people. The Republican Party has been overthrown, and a few Democrats have submitted. Law firms, media companies, several universities, and the tech industry have capitulated. For regular citizens the message is clear: Want your social security check? —shut up. Want your federal job? —then pledge loyalty. Want your savings account? —don’t make waves. As for green card or student visa holders, beware of writing an op-ed piece the regime disagrees with. Masked goons may whisk you away in an unmarked car. It happened to a Fulbright scholar at Tufts. What about the gay Venezuelan barber who was here legally as a refugee? —He was last seen in a gulag in El Salvador, crying for his mother as they shaved his head. He received no due process and was flown to central America with other Venezuelans. The government claims gang membership. We don’t know. Nobody had a hearing.

As deportations and bullying occur, we face weekly fresh hell in the form of executive orders. Included in the mean spirited decrees are plans to disenfranchise people, especially women, harvest trees on 280 million acres of public land, and abolish diversity, equity, and inclusion. Non-white, LGBTQ, and female figures in military history were erased from pentagon data bases. Non-white and female military leaders have been fired, transsexual soldiers tossed out. Courts are ruling against Trump, but courts are slow and lumbering. The constant barrage of one horrible edict after another makes us want to bury our heads in the sand.

Big Balls deserves a mention. He’s a hacker with criminal connections, an Elon Musk hire who now holds our social security numbers and banking information. He’s one of the young men marching from one federal institution to the next, firing air traffic controllers, social security personnel, national park rangers, educators, veterans and others. The first institutions to fall were obstacles to Elon’s businesses. Schedule F of Project 2025 calls for firing civil servants in government, to be replaced by Trump loyalists. It appears loyalty is only one factor in thousands of people losing their jobs, though. Musk’s greed is another.

Decent, sane Americans have to fight impending doom feelings. We’re traumatized. How do we hang on to hope when a plurality of Americans actually voted for a psychopath and his fascist overhaul? Did they really not know any better? How do we survive this incessant madness and corruption?

First of all, ridicule these nationalist freaks if you can. A venerable friend of mine, a former activist and back to earth hippy, calls the maga movement “low vibrational.” I love that. It rolls off the tongue and tickles my funny bone every time. Can you think of a better description of Margery Greene?

Second, watch them stumble. As scary as Christian nationalism is, the delivery so far looks like an exercise in kakistocracy —a government run by fools. Another friend, an older gay man, says, “These are inept bumbling idiots and this whole thing will implode. Resistance is rising.” Wait them out and watch them sink.

Finally, stand up. Do something. It helps the mental state. We need every person to participate, even in small ways. Call representatives. Use the First Ammendment —speak the truth. Attend rallies. Protest in whatever way you can. Be brave.

And remember to be kind to yourself. Take time out to dance, cook a delicious meal, read a novel, write in a journal. Commune with nature. Talk to whatever gods you talk to. Engage in meaningful conversations. Visit a national park, sleep well. Whatever makes you whole. The fascists win when we freeze up in fear. In fact, they are counting on it. Take care of your life. It’s part of the opposition.

To that end, I want to share our Equinox ritual. My Druid path keeps me alligned with the seasons and cycles and reminds me why I love life. It’s a sensual earth-based practice. Let me know what grounds you in these dark times if you like. Without further ado, I bring you—

Part 2
The First Day of Spring, 2025

The first blooms have arrived —dogwoods, purple redbuds, pink and white cherry trees. Delightful! It’s the Spring Equinox, the balance of day and night. My partner and I have set up four circles in the woods. Each circle represents an element —north, east, south, and west. A path leading from one circle to the next meanders through the giant pines and oaks. At the northern edge of each circle a candle and an altar cloth mark each space brightly.

Just before dusk, we invite the four quarters and spirit center to lend us wisdom. We call on gods and goddesses, old friends and spring deities. Then we go our separate ways, each on a private journey to find equilibrium within. At the end we will meet at our iron bench with its knotwork designs, the designated spirit center.

I begin in the east, the element of air. Rational thinking rules here, an important ally. The lies and distractions hurled at us from the aspiring dictator make us dizzy and disoriented. I ask for clarity, and the ability to sift through falsehood. Let me arrive at truth. Likewise, let me take a breath before grasping at hyperbole or wishful thinking when my ear goes to ground for better news.

Next I venture to the south, the element of fire. Here motivations come into focus. As the opposition ramps up, and I make my voice heard in rallies, writings, and conversations, the danger increases. I ask for the courage to stand up to bullies.

The element of water in the west represents emotion, the ebbs and flows of life. May I be present with fear of the unknown, and fight for democracy and freedom in spite of it.

Gratitude fills my heart in the north, the element of earthly wonders. How lucky we are to partake in this candle lit magic in our woods. I remind myself to step with decency and respect, with the intention of non-violence. Protest is still legal. It’s a constitutional right. If we are non-violent it’s harder for Trump to declare martial law, send goons to bash our heads or disappear us. May I always remember this moment of peace at the north altar.

Finally my partner and I sit down on the bench at the center. Around us the candles flicker through the trees. It’s near dark now. We talk about our pilgrimages through the quarters. In balancing the elemental forces within, we can walk back to our daily lives, poised to meet the challenge of our time.

As we leave I pick up a crow feather. It’s an omen for good memory, hard-won trust, intelligent choices, and survival. May democracy in the US live to see its 250th birthday. May we prevail —with the sharp eyes and wit of the crow.

Happy Equinox

Laurel Owen, March 2025