BGCL Magazine | Light

BGCL explores nature as a way to reconnect to self, community, and the living world. We go outside to go inward, centering experiences of people of color. Let’s rewild!

Note from the Editor // Letting Light In

My Dearest Wild Ones,

As we step out of the depths of winter and into early spring, I am noticing just how delicate this season is. I am watching the bare earth thaw and await new life, exposing this moment rawness and vulnerability—plus a glimmer of hope. Some of the most tender plants are emerging from the soil, not knowing what they will encounter. The first flowers I see are tiny white snowdrops. They bow their heads to the earth as a nod to the humility required to step into the unknown. They gaze towards the earth in love and praise, as if reassuring the next round of beauties that they too can reach for the light. I wonder if they knew they were giving me permission to do the same.

Inspired by their spirit and vulnerability, I wanted to take my own step out into the unknown. You see, this world of rewilding has been an enchanting space for me, but I often wondered whether it could be just as transformative for other people. It began as seed placed in my heart, though I had no idea what had been planted. At first I was scared of what I could feel growing within me, and fearful that this thing could change me. I didn’t know what was happening, but longer the seed was with me, the more curious I became. I began to believe that maybe something beautiful could come from change—so I nurtured it.

Rewilding turned out to be nature speaking to me, and revealing to me my fullest self. A picture that I was deeply afraid to see, worried that I may have to admit that I was imperfect or not enough. As it turns out, Lady Nature was showing me that it was okay be myself, however messy, complicated, or imperfect that person may be. She called me out of my home and into her arms to teach me lessons about myself and truths about the world that I had never seen. She sat with me day by day, believing that I too could fly as freely as the eagles and take up as much space as the elk.

The rewilding story felt so personal that I didn’t know whether other people would understand what it meant to step into this world. It’s so personal that I didn’t know whether people would care to open themselves up to this way of seeing the world or themselves. It’s so personal I doubted whether I could even find the words to explain it. It’s so personal that it felt silly to share when there are so many other pressing problems in the world right now.

But just before I talked myself out of sharing, Mama Nature whispered to me: something so personal is exactly what makes this a shared experience.

So I did as the snowdrop taught me to do and I humbly stepped out. I dipped my head and invited people into my world. I didn’t know how I would translate this to other people, but I wanted to try. And so, I gathered a group of people in a little log cabin for a yoga and sound bath rewilding experience. Though we were in the city, we were surrounded by towering trees, and big windows invited in the overcast winter light. The space filled with calming smells of essential oils and soothing sounds of mellow lo-fi music. It was a tiny portal out of the city into a much wilder, freer place.

The morning of the event, I paced around the cabin, anxiously trying to remember the lines I had written about why we were gathered. Thoughts of doubt arose in me and I tried not to give into the fear. Soon a stream of faces started coming through the door, stepping into this sacred space of peace and ease. Each person was a reminder that they believed in this idea, and reassurance that our connection with nature matters—especially now. A reminder that many of us are craving thoughtful spaces to share our truths and witness each other on this collective healing journey.

Once the room had filled, we began with some deep breaths to slow our individual minds and draw ourselves into the shared experience together. I welcomed and thanked each of these beautiful people for sharing this space, and offered some words on how rewilding has changed me. How it allowed me to see myself differently, more fully, more compassionately. And how I felt called to help other people see themselves that way, too. I was terrified and excited, and trying my best to recall the lessons of the snowdrop.

Knowing that rewilding cannot take place alone in the dark, I invited this room of strangers to share a small piece of their truth with one another and bear witness to each other—just as Mama Nature had done for me. This moment is where the first seed of rewilding gets planted. The space where we get to collectively hold the fragments of each other with tenderness and non-judgment. The space where suffering is transformed into love. The space where healing begins to happen.

And so, we shared our individual truths, and collectively recognized the beautiful, whole beings that were reaching for new light.

As we went around the room sharing these intentions, my heart was overcome with love and appreciation for the bravery and vulnerability that each of these people brought into the space. They shared their hopes, their dreams, their pain, and their struggles. We shed tears with and for one another. We comforted one another with nods, whispers, and hugs. Then we moved through healing body movement together, we laughed together, and we rested in peace together. It was more magical and beautiful than I could have imagined. It was rewilding.

As I closed out our time together, I thought back to those snowdrops in my front yard. Those small, delicate flowers that bravely stepped into a tiny crack of light. The ones that looked down to tell the others that it was okay to been seen. I realized that because I allowed the light to shine on my truth, I gave permission for other people to do the same. To show up as their fullest selves, and to feel okay expressing the lived truths and beautiful joys they carried with them. Together, we stepped out of the darkness of winter, and into the light of spring.

With love and light from your Rewilding Guide,

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Sacred Stories // bell hooks, Love and Light

If light is a source of energy, a lifeforce, and a beacon of truth, then love is absolutely a form of light. More than a feeling, love is a something that exists in limitless forms. It is a radical and under-appreciated power that can challenge dominant paradigms and inspire new ways of being.

Nobody knew this to be true more than the late, great bell hooks. She believed that love is expressed in everyday living through the ways we speak to ourselves, live in community, and commune with the earth. She said that love is an active practice that requires dedication, commitment, and understanding.

In her writing and conversations, bell explores the various dimensions of love and its potential to shape our personal and shared lives. She spoke often about her deep spiritual connection to the earth and her Buddhist beliefs that connected her inextricably to all things.

This month, we honor bell’s sacred connection to the earth with 3 lessons on love:

• Love thrives in places of belonging: hooks saw places as the locations and people that nurture and mold us. She knew that we have the capacity to create belonging by changing how we care for one another, and rejecting violence in all forms. She encouraged people to cultivate skills of belonging through active listening, non-judgement, and being open to compromise.

• Loving the earth allows us to love ourselves: She saw the earth as a sacred space where we derive all we need to live. In one conversation, she noted that our connection to love begins in the body and with the essential elements that nourish the body—such as water. She believed that we could show love for each other and the earth by caring for our sources of water and food.

• Love is a powerful force for change: bell believed that progress is not only accomplished through monumental actions, but through the simple rituals of our everyday lives. She believed that all people have the capacity to change what we value and how we express those values through in our everyday loves. She challenged us to practice skills of compassion and build the communities we want to live in.

bell’s writings remind us that love can help us connect deeply to each another, see beyond our differences, and embrace our shared humanity. They remind us that love is an expansive tool to fight systems of oppression and build communities of care.

Check out some of my favorite pieces from bell:

• a book: all about love

• a conversation: bell at the belonging conference

• a paper: Touching Earth

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Kithship is a belonging to a place and an intimate knowledge of that place. Each Kith Card interview highlights a person and a place that are deeply connected.

Kith Card // Javaris Johnson

Finding light with nature photography

I am a freelance outdoor travel photographer based in the PNW. I started photography about eight years ago, and it's been life-changing. I came from an auto mechanic background, and I had a long skateboarding career. Photography fell into place randomly one day, and it's been quite a journey. Something that was a hobby turned into my full-time thing, and I don't think I could have chosen a better path.

What drew you to nature photography?

I started taking photos in the city. One weekend, me and a friend went on a hike at Wallace Falls, near Seattle. It took us about two hours to get up to the top, and that's when I got my first dose of nature. Seeing that big waterfall was just breathtaking and to me it was just so healing. After that, I wanted to find more beautiful spots to explore around the Washington area. I transitioned real quick from walking around the city to literally getting in my car and driving to every nature spot that I could find.

How do you connect with the light in your photos?

Lighting is everything. Light is a calling. I shoot light the way I shoot because it feels godly. The way light performs for me in my favor, it's like it is just for me. It's a spiritual connection I have with nature because it's just me out there. It’s like I am drawn to be there and whatever I was asking for, the answers were right there.

What allows you to capture the light and images in the way you do?

I've been through so many dark days where I would just go to a nature spot. I sit there, being quiet and be content with where I'm at—and then something godly happens. Mother Nature just performs in her beautiful way that she always does, and I'm just there to capture it. The way she connects with me—I just feel like… the universe is talking to me. She is telling me to come to this location and to take a breather and enjoy this for what it is. And it’s just for me.

You can check out more by Javaris on Instagram and YouTube. Hear from Javaris and step into his world on the upcoming podcast.

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Rewilding Experiences // More Light

Go deeper into the ideas and themes this month. Dive deeper each month through the podcast, instagram, and live experiences.

BGCL Vibes: A sampling of diverse African beats that sound like quiet confidence, humble beginnings, and vulnerable seasons. The music is fresh, emergent, and will help you step into a new season of life.

BIPOC Women’s Rewilding Circle: Healing happens in community, and this is a sacred space to support your journey. A space for sharing truths, bearing witness, and stepping into your fullest light with the help of Mama Nature. Join the waitlist to be in the next circle!

BGCL Podcast: The Light podcast will be dropping into your feed on March 20th on Substack and all podcast platforms. If you enjoy the show, please rate and leave a review!

BIPOC Cabin Yoga + Sound Bath: Big gratitude for all the love and support we have received for these events—and the fabulous tea provided by Miro Tea in Seattle. The March event has sold out, so stay tuned for more events in the months to come.

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Thanks for reading, Wild Ones. Tap the ♡ if this gave you some new perspective.

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